# Most Underrated Fantasy Series?



## jonconnington (Mar 20, 2010)

It's a perennial debate amongst those of us who love without hesitation fantasy fiction - which series is the best? Who is the best writer, what is the best constructed world...and so on. And simply pointing to Papa Tolkien doesn't cut the mustard anymore.

But here's a different question entirely - what fantasy series out there in the reading world is the most underrated of them all? All genre's have their hidden treasures, books of brilliance and wit that never quite set the world on fire, known only to those who truly love them. For every George RR Martin or Robert Jordan, there's someone like Michael Scott Rohan, or even Michelle West...brilliant writers who were never really know outside of their circle of fans.

For my money, the two most underrated series ever belonged to the writers listed above: Michael Scott Rohans WINTER OF THE WORLD - think Finnish/NOrdic mythology meets prehistorical Ice Age, and MIchelle West, who really has no equal when it comes to detailed, inricate world-building.

Discuss!


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## lib2b (Apr 6, 2010)

For my vote, I'll say Sherwood Smith's Sartorias-deles "series". Parts of it are considered young adult while other parts are considered adult, and different bits and pieces have been put out by different publishers (See the listing on her website).

My favorite book out of all of them is actually one of the young adult ones, _Crown Duel_, and she recently published a new, improved, revised edition as an e-book on Smashwords: _Crown Duel_.
The prequel to that particular book is also available at Smashwords: _A Stranger to Command_. The DTB versions of both of these books actually came out from different publishers - _Crown Duel_ from Firebird, a Penguin imprint, and _A Stranger to Command_ came out from a small press, Norilana Books.

The main adult portion of this series which takes in a different part of the timeline from the two books above is the Inda quartet (_Inda_, _The Fox_, _King's Shield_, and _Treason's Shore_), out in DTB from DAW, but I believe also in Kindle versions.

Also in e-book versions are three more pieces of the story at various points in the timeline from the small press Samhain Publishing. Although they look like it from the covers, they aren't romance novels. There is romance, but it's not the core of the stories. One is more YA (_The Trouble with Kings_), the other two are considered adult.

I don't think any of the other books set on this world are in e-book version yet.

Although some books in the series appeal to me more than others, I think it's obvious how well the author has thought out this world and has thought through the details of how it works. She also makes some really complex characters, and you can kind of see her development as a writer. Some of these books she wrote when she was very young, whereas the Inda quartet is much more recently published. I actually can't wait to re-read _Crown Duel_ in its new e-book incarnation to see how she's revised it.


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## Greenkeeper (Mar 16, 2010)

I've recently started reading The Black Company by Glenn Cook and I am thoroughly impressed. It's very gritty and down to earth, and though I usually don't like a first-person perspective he really makes it work. I'm a big Wheel of Time fan and it's rare for me to find something that I think measures up to such well developed setting, but if the rest of the Black Company series continues like the first book then I may have found something.


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## davidhburton (Mar 11, 2010)

I still can't believe this guy didn't become a huge hit with this series because it was one of the most brilliantly written pieces of fantasy I've ever read. 

The Last Rune series by Mark Anthony which starts with Beyond the Pale. 

I can't say enough good about this series. I would rank him up there with Brooks, Jordan, etc.

Highly recommended.


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## Geoffrey (Jun 20, 2009)

For mixed fantasy/Sci Fi, I would have to say the most underrated series is the Saga of The Pliocene Exile by Julian May. As far as I can tell, they're out of print and not yet available on ebooks, but they have space opera, psychic powers, elves, fairies, dwarfs, flying horses, laser guns ... everything you need for a great batch of brain candy.

For pure Fantasy, it would have to be the Deryni novels by Katherine Kurtz. Only a few are on kindle, but unlike many series, the first trilogy is good, but not the best ... there are 4 trilogies and each gets better as she adds more details to her world ...


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## Rie142 (Oct 28, 2009)

davidhburton said:


> I still can't believe this guy didn't become a huge hit with this series because it was one of the most brilliantly written pieces of fantasy I've ever read.
> 
> The Last Rune series by Mark Anthony which starts with Beyond the Pale.
> 
> ...


I agree with you. This is a very engaging series.


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## NogDog (May 1, 2009)

While Douglas Adams's "Hitchhiker" series gets all the attention, I think my favorite books of his -- at least I like them more than all the Hitchhiker sequels -- are his Dirk Gently "modern fantasy" books: _Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency_ and _The Long Dark Teatime of the Soul_. Unfortunately, neither is available for Kindle at this time.


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## NickSpalding (Apr 21, 2010)

Ever since I was young, I've read David Edding's Belgariad and Mallorean cycles more or less once every two years. They're wonderful. You could do a lot worse than check them out.


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## davidhburton (Mar 11, 2010)

Rie142 said:


> I agree with you. This is a very engaging series.


It's really too bad it's not available as an ebook (only the last 3 books in the series are). I should try to contact the author and recommend (if he still has those rights) to get busy and put his books up. It really is one of the best fantasy series I've ever read. I know he wrote something under another name, but I think it was a standalone novel. It didn't grab me so I never read it.


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## Rie142 (Oct 28, 2009)

davidhburton said:


> It's really too bad it's not available as an ebook (only the last 3 books in the series are). I should try to contact the author and recommend (if he still has those rights) to get busy and put his books up. It really is one of the best fantasy series I've ever read. I know he wrote something under another name, but I think it was a standalone novel. It didn't grab me so I never read it.


If they were all on Kindle I would buy all of them at once. I really enjoy the series.


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## davidhburton (Mar 11, 2010)

I dropped in at his web site and made a comment about getting his books on Kindle. I'm sure it won't happen quickly.


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## Debra L Martin (Apr 8, 2010)

I recently finished the "First Law" trilogy by Joe Abercrombie.  This series was one of the most enjoyable I've read in a long time.  What do a crippled Inquisitor, a barbarian and a young nobleman have in common?  The first book is "The Blade Itself."

Also the Jim Butcher, Codex series, is very good.  The first book is a bit slow, but after that the story picks up nicely.  There are 6 novels in that series.

Deb


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## cheerio (May 16, 2009)

NogDog said:


> While Douglas Adams's "Hitchhiker" series gets all the attention, I think my favorite books of his -- at least I like them more than all the Hitchhiker sequels -- are his Dirk Gently "modern fantasy" books: _Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency_ and _The Long Dark Teatime of the Soul_. Unfortunately, neither is available for Kindle at this time.


Hitchhiker is pretty good


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## Malweth (Oct 18, 2009)

It's been mentioned before, but my vote is for _The Chronicles of Amber_ by Roger Zelazny.


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## jonconnington (Mar 20, 2010)

davidhburton said:


> It's really too bad it's not available as an ebook (only the last 3 books in the series are). I should try to contact the author and recommend (if he still has those rights) to get busy and put his books up. It really is one of the best fantasy series I've ever read. I know he wrote something under another name, but I think it was a standalone novel. It didn't grab me so I never read it.


I grew up loving Eddings...definitely one of the more underrated guys out there. The problem, at least when it came to fantasy, was that he kept writing the same series over and over and over. The Belgariad and Malloreon followed by the Elenium and Tamuli...different words, very well crafted and detailed...but the plot was basically the same, even down to the Quest for th Magic Jewel and the high-string Princess in Peril...even so, bot were good reads...


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## NogDog (May 1, 2009)

Malweth said:


> It's been mentioned before, but my vote is for _The Chronicles of Amber_ by Roger Zelazny.


I guess since that's my favorite fantasy series (though one might argue that it's at least part sci-fi, too) and is by my favorite author, I don't think of it as underrated. But to anyone who does not have it on their "best" list, I would agree that it's definitely underrated.


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## Ben Lacy (Apr 20, 2010)

Underated?  Almost anything by Dave Duncan particularly the A Man of His Word series.  Very neat concept of magic.

Another I liked a lot was Lyndon Hardy's Master of the Five Magics.  I don't think it got a lot of play either.

A lot of Lawrence Watt-Evans fantasy novels are also under-rated.


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## Labrynth (Dec 31, 2009)

Depending on how we're qualifying fantasy, I guess I'd say the Shadow Saga by Christopher Golden. http://www.amazon.com/Saints-Shadows-Peter-Octavian/dp/0441019056/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1272943889&sr=8-1 Not on Kindle yet, I'll have to poke him about that.

I also ADORED his Menagerie series, tho it didn't sell well and it looks like he and Tom Sniegoski won't get to finish it. This one had such a d*mn good cast of characters to it and I'm really ticked they aren't going to get to do the last book. http://www.amazon.com/Nimble-Man-Menagerie-1/dp/0441012159/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1272944279&sr=8-1

His Myth Hunters series is pretty unique as well:










And I'm getting ready to start the Remy Chandler series by Sniegoski and am really looking forward to it.


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## jonconnington (Mar 20, 2010)

I would also suggest  Barry Hugharts Master LI Series, or the Winter of the World from Michael Scott Rohan....


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## Daniel Arenson (Apr 11, 2010)

Malweth said:


> It's been mentioned before, but my vote is for _The Chronicles of Amber_ by Roger Zelazny.


Don't know if that's underrated, but definitely a great series. 

Hmm... I rather like some of Mike Resnick's fantasy/science fiction books, which I feel can be underrated. They're not high literature, but they're a lot of fun.


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## Virgoddess (May 1, 2010)

I'm fairly new to the genre, but the series that sold me as a fan of fantasy was Maria V. Snyders Study Series.

Poison Study was the first (and best) of the bunch, followed by Magic Study and then Fire Study. But you can get all three in a bundle for the Kindle.

Poison Study:

http://www.amazon.com/Poison-Study-ebook/dp/B002IPZE9M/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2&s=digital-text&qid=1273021131&sr=1-8

The bundle:

http://www.amazon.com/The-Study-Series-Bundle-ebook/dp/B0015YEQNM/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2&s=digital-text&qid=1273021131&sr=1-1

I really loved this and it was one of those I-slowed-down-at-the-end-because-I-didn't-want-to-say-goodbye books for me. I really recommend it!


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## RangerXenos (Mar 18, 2009)

I really enjoyed all the books in Jane Lindskold's Firekeeper series, and it never seems to get much mention.


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## jonconnington (Mar 20, 2010)

I always had fun reading Mickey Zucker Reicherts Renshai Series...really good for those looking for a new take on Norse mythology. 

Melanie Rawn's Dragon price and Dragon Star series is also a good pick. Good storyline, and the cover art is, needless to say, amazing...(Michael Whelan is the King!)


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## luvmy4brats (Nov 9, 2008)

Virgoddess said:


> I'm fairly new to the genre, but the series that sold me as a fan of fantasy was Maria V. Snyders Study Series.
> 
> Poison Study was the first (and best) of the bunch, followed by Magic Study and then Fire Study. But you can get all three in a bundle for the Kindle.
> 
> ...


Have you read her Glass series? It's good, but not nearly as good as the Study series. I loved Yelena & Valek


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## Virgoddess (May 1, 2010)

I want to read it, but something is holding me back. Like, I might miss Yelena too much or something. That sounds better in my head than written out.


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## luvmy4brats (Nov 9, 2008)

Virgoddess said:


> I want to read it, but something is holding me back. Like, I might miss Yelena too much or something. That sounds better in my head than written out.


I know exactly what you mean. You still get a taste of Yelena though.. And you get more Ari and Janko


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## jonconnington (Mar 20, 2010)

Virgoddess said:


> I'm fairly new to the genre, but the series that sold me as a fan of fantasy was Maria V. Snyders Study Series.
> 
> Poison Study was the first (and best) of the bunch, followed by Magic Study and then Fire Study. But you can get all three in a bundle for the Kindle.
> 
> ...


I've seen this in bookstores, but never really picked it up...is it Y/A oriented or more geared towards adult fans?


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## Virgoddess (May 1, 2010)

It didn't feel YA to me at all. There isn't any sex though, so it would be fine I think. But I don't think it's specifically a YA series.


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## purplepen79 (May 6, 2010)

My vote is for Zelazney's _Chronicles of Amber_ as well. The first book in particular _9 Princes in Amber_ is so clever. I'll never forget the opening with Corwin waking up in a mental hospital--the exchange between him and the head doctor is priceless. And all the plotting amongst the siblings . . . just great.

I also enjoyed Joan D. Vinge's _The Snow Queen _ and its sequels a great deal, though that's verging into science fiction.


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## NogDog (May 1, 2009)

purplepen79 said:


> My vote is for Zelazney's _Chronicles of Amber_ as well. The first book in particular _9 Princes in Amber_ is so clever. I'll never forget the opening with Corwin waking up in a mental hospital--the exchange between him and the head doctor is priceless. And all the plotting amongst the siblings . . . just great.
> ...


To quote Julian: "I enjoy slaughtering beasts, and I think of my relatives constantly."


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## Forster (Mar 9, 2009)

One of the more memorable fantasy series I've read in the last few years was by Stephen Lawhead, The Song of Albion Trilogy. I also see it's finally available for kindle.


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## purplepen79 (May 6, 2010)

NogDog said:


> To quote Julian: "I enjoy slaughtering beasts, and I think of my relatives constantly."


Maniacal laughter ensues  Great quote selection!


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## blackbelt (May 4, 2010)

Joel in Tananar.  A fantasy series of one book that didn't do well enough to merit a publication of a sequel.  One of the great tragedies ever.

- Michaelbrent Collings


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## Archer (Apr 25, 2009)

Day-um, Blackbelt! Think you could make that cover image a little bit larger so we can actually see it?


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## jonconnington (Mar 20, 2010)

Forster said:


> One of the more memorable fantasy series I've read in the last few years was by Stephen Lawhead, The Song of Albion Trilogy. I also see it's finally available for kindle.


Love Lawhead growing up...had a real religious tone to his work that you don't often see nowadays. The Dragon Kind Trilogy is another offering from him that never really got the attention it deserved....


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## Lyndl (Apr 2, 2010)

Sara Douglass  ..  Axis Trilogy  (series 1)  Wayfarer Redemption  (series 2 )    The 2nd series is actually better than the first.


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## jonconnington (Mar 20, 2010)

Lyndl said:


> Sara Douglass .. Axis Trilogy (series 1) Wayfarer Redemption (series 2 ) The 2nd series is actually better than the first.


I tried reading douglass...just couldn't get into it. but then again, this was years ago, maybe I'll give it another shot....


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## John F. Blair Publisher (Apr 27, 2010)

It's not a series - though I keep hoping he'll write a sequel - but Clive Barker's YA _The Thief of Always_ is a lovely, spooky fantasy.


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## Scheherazade (Apr 11, 2009)

I think Alan Dean Foster's Spellsinger series is not really underrated so much as it's not even rated at all.  I've found very few people who have heard of it and fewer who have read it despite Foster being a pretty big name in writing (albeit SciFi so this isn't his usual genre).


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## r0b0d0c (Feb 16, 2009)

Forster said:


> One of the more memorable fantasy series I've read in the last few years was by Stephen Lawhead, The Song of Albion Trilogy. I also see it's finally available for kindle.


Hadn't heard of this series, and it looks intriguing!

Unfortunately, I have a problem paying $10 for a Kindle book (all 3 are each $9.99, even though they're several years old) that sells for only pennies more for a hardcover book, and just $6 in paperback! Maybe they'll drop - I'll wait a bit, but look forward to reading them.


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## Lyndl (Apr 2, 2010)

jonconnington said:


> I tried reading douglass...just couldn't get into it. but then again, this was years ago, maybe I'll give it another shot....


These are the only books of hers I've really enjoyed. I've tried a couple of others and had to force myself to finish them


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## jonconnington (Mar 20, 2010)

I always liked JV Jones's SWORD OF SHADOWS series...pity she takes so long between books. Think Scottish highlands in the middle of an ice age


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## purplepen79 (May 6, 2010)

Scottish highlands in the middle of an ice age?  That sounds like something that would be good to read in the middle of summer during a really hot, humid spell.  Otherwise, brrrr!


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## blackbelt (May 4, 2010)

Scheherazade said:


> I think Alan Dean Foster's Spellsinger series is not really underrated so much as it's not even rated at all. I've found very few people who have heard of it and fewer who have read it despite Foster being a pretty big name in writing (albeit SciFi so this isn't his usual genre).


Totally agree that the Spellsinger novel was a great one. Although it did get a bit repetitive toward the end, but the last book had an ending that merited the quality of the series. Loved that, thanks for reminding me of a good series I'll have to look at again. Also loved his The I Inside, Into the Out of, and The Man Who Used the Universe. Truly fun imagination.


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## J Bee (May 17, 2010)

Scheherazade said:


> I think Alan Dean Foster's Spellsinger series is not really underrated so much as it's not even rated at all. I've found very few people who have heard of it and fewer who have read it despite Foster being a pretty big name in writing (albeit SciFi so this isn't his usual genre).


I really enjoyed that series too. Creating a realistic world full of talking animals isn't easy, but Foster hit just the right combination of fun without it being too campy.

How about Jack L. Chalker's _River of Dancing Gods_ series? The original trilogy was great with some truly innovative concepts, such as the werewolf virus that changes you into whatever living being you are nearest to during the full moon.


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## mom133d (aka Liz) (Nov 25, 2008)

jonconnington said:


> I always liked JV Jones's SWORD OF SHADOWS series...pity she takes so long between books. Think Scottish highlands in the middle of an ice age


Thank you! I've read 2 or maybe 3 of these and loved it. Then I forgot who the author was to even see if anything had been released.


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## jonconnington (Mar 20, 2010)

mom133d said:


> Thank you! I've read 2 or maybe 3 of these and loved it. Then I forgot who the author was to even see if anything had been released.


The problem with Foster is that he gets tagged - unfairly in my opinion - as a hack...to many novelizations of movies, I guess. But then that was true of many writer from that era, who basically ground out one book after another and were able to make a fine living at it. Compare it to nowadays, when a few hist he jackpot with a blockbuster, while the rest struggle to get noticed.....


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## Shayne Parkinson (Mar 19, 2010)

jonconnington said:


> I would also suggest Barry Hugharts Master LI Series....


I love Hughart's series, especially the first one, "Bridge of Birds". "There is a slight flaw in my character" is a line we often use. And my husband was encouraging his father to use "Ah, were I only 90 again" (sadly, my f-i-l died a few months too early to make proper use of this).


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## Shayne Parkinson (Mar 19, 2010)

Megan Lindholm's "Ki" quartet, beginning with "Harpy's Flight". She's better known as Robin Hobb, but I really enjoyed these early books (and have them in dead tree form).


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## jonconnington (Mar 20, 2010)

Shayne Parkinson said:


> I love Hughart's series, especially the first one, "Bridge of Birds". "There is a slight flaw in my character" is a line we often use. And my husband was encouraging his father to use "Ah, were I only 90 again" (sadly, my f-i-l died a few months too early to make proper use of this).


Unfortunately, the stupidity of the Publisher regarding the series (they didn'tknow how to market it) turned Hughart away from writing. It was supposed to be a nine books series, but he called it quits after three....


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## LRGiles (Apr 28, 2010)

Don't know if anyone's mentioned this yet, but the GONE series by Michael Grant is pretty good. In fact, I just recommended it to a friend earlier today...it's like Lord of the Flies meets X-men meets Lost.











L. R. GIles


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## Guest (Jun 9, 2010)

I picked up Lloyd Alexander's Chronicles of Prydain series not too long ago (not as an ebook), and I was surprised I'd gone my whole 26 years without hearing about it at all. It was really like a miniature, localized version of Lord of the Rings, simplified in ways but still interesting. Was in alone in the dark on that one, or have other people out there never heard of it?


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## Lyndl (Apr 2, 2010)

LRGiles said:


> Don't know if anyone's mentioned this yet, but the GONE series by Michael Grant is pretty good. In fact, I just recommended it to a friend earlier today...it's like Lord of the Flies meets X-men meets Lost.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


This looked like the perfect book for me, until I noticed it's not available to customers in Australia.


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