(Column) Rice: Just Another Gal from Casper – reads the latest book by the “Group of Six”

JUST ANOTHER GIRL FROM CASPER: WHAT I’M READING, ISSUE…

Recently, a friend of mine mentioned that her roommate was reading a 1200-page fantasy book. I’d like to take this opportunity to thank author Ron Richard for writing entertaining books not only for the hardcore fantasy fans (i.e. those who look forward to reading series of 20+ 1200-page books), but also for mere mortals like me who don’t always have the time to devote to super-long novels.

Group Six and the Empire: Let the Games Begin is the third book in the Group Six series, and as usual, our four intrepid heroes find themselves in a dire situation. What was supposed to be a vacation to the Treskan Empire turns into clashes with ghosts fighting battles from days gone by, modern (by this world’s standards) battles between the Treskan army and… well, those who won’t abide by Treskan rule, and another in-depth look at how the Eryndi and the Macai interacted back in the day (hint: they were definitely not equal races.) In the last book, the Macai were the ones in charge; in this story (during ancient Treskan times), the Eryndi were the masters and the Macai were little more than cattle.

Tresado, Serena, Orchid and Foxx (with 2 ex-girlfriends) now travel accompanied by Treskan soldiers – but are they protecting Group Six or is there something more sinister behind it? (Note: The title is not let the games begin without good reason.) What kind of battles will Group Six have to fight this time? Get a copy of Group Six and the Empire and find out!

For someone like me who doesn’t often read fantasy, Richard’s books are entertaining, humorous, and full of literal magic. And, by the way, that’s the only way I’d want to live without electricity or other modern, earthly conveniences. Magic can lift you up (Tresado’s Levitation Charm, for example), cleanse you (like when Orchid gently coaxes the elements into a nice downpour), and get you going (Foxx’s Knowledge Charm—this subtle, mood-altering incantation is used for much more than just powering people up, depending on the needs of the moment. It might also be the only time the word “subtle” applies to him.) And if a good, old-fashioned sword fight is what you’re craving (much like the warrior Serena), the Group Six books offer plenty of suspense. I really enjoy putting myself in Serena’s shoes, because to be honest, I’d probably be terrible at fighting, sword or anything else. I’m more in tune with Nature Girl Orchid’s peaceful lifestyle. Peaceful or not, Orchid and the entire Group of Six continue to have adventures on their third (and hopefully not last!) outing.

Do you know who else offers adventure, mystery, romance, sci-fi/fantasy, and more? Wind City Books. Not only do they have a fantastic selection of genres and authors, they go the extra mile and bring some of the authors to you! Stop by Wind City Books this Saturday and meet the Group Six Author himself – Ron Richard will be signing books from 11am to 1pm. It is a perfect time to sign your Group Six collection, as well as browse the Wind City shelves for other fantastic stories. This is this Saturday, July 13th^th from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. For more information, visit windcitybooks.com.

Related