Blood Ties

Blood Ties, by Pamela Freeman, is the first in a new fantasy trilogy.

The Domains are ruled by warlords, cruel and powerful men. But the Travelers are a unique people who choose not to make a home in any one domain. Instead, they follow their own path; and because of prejudice, they are hated by most settlements.

This epic fantasy follows the story of many characters whose lives begin to slowly intersect. Narrated by first person from the different characters’ points of view, the jumping from person-to-person can be tedious to follow. But the first-person view did give greater depth to each person. I actually preferred this to a normal “flashback” style of giving backstory. The characters are vivid and interesting, each with completely different stories to tell. As the overall tale begins to intertwine the characters, the novel ends on a minor cliffhanger.

This first book was almost just an origin/backstory for everyone. And the next in the trilogy will pick up with a more centralized story. I’ll be interested to see where the story goes now that most of the characters’ backgrounds have been given and now can delve deeper. With magic, murder, adventure, and mystery, Blood Ties is an exciting beginning to a brand new fantasy epic.