Book Review: A Change of Rules

My rating: 5 bright stars


for a brilliant and intricate high fantasy that may just become another one of my all time favorites.

Before I start, please note that this book and series are not for everyone. This is a complex and multilayered first class high fantasy, with an impressive wordbuilding, rich portrayals of both world and characters, as well as a deep insight into the characters' thoughts, reasoning and motivations.

The Missing Shield is for readers who love rich and vivid descriptions like those offered by Guy Gavriel Kay. It is for those who enjoy the intricacy of Steven Erikson and the elegant style of Janny Wurts.
This is not a fast read in which you can skip and skim. It is one of those you need to pay attention to and read slowly, to fully be able to appreciate it. And it is a series you'll need to binge-read, for a maximum impact.

Therefore, if you're looking for a fast-paced, easy flowing and fast reading fantasy - this one is definitely not for you. If however, you are a high fantasy lover, this series is a MUST READ!



In the realm of Dallancea, chaos has claimed a foothold. Magic lies broken and twisted: useless; monsters walk the realms; the Veils are fragile, after having almost been breached and the Mad Ones (the creator's first children, now trapped in exile) are stirring. They're trying to tear the Veils apart and let Chaos rule. The Guardians are awakened to uphold their Oath and do their sacred duty. Prevent the Mad Ones from escaping and keep the Veils safe. Except that, the two things the Guardians need most are missing. The sacred twins and the ancient artefact needed to protect the future, are nowhere to be found.

Far away, in the Realm of Ostravah, charged to act as Princess Iambre’s secret life-shield, Solancei Calverhana almost finds it a blessing when training calls. Solancei is the princesses'bodyguard and protector, as well as handmaiden and, at times even conscience. And the fact that she prefers the rough training even in form of illegal fights to acting as a proper handmaiden should already tell you a bit about the kind of person she is. Combine it with the little snippets from her memories where you will clearly see what kind of punishments she had been dealt for not being able to be 'proper' and conform to etiquette and you'll get a real badass but broken young woman to absolutely root for.

Two stories worlds apart. Intricate, deep and multilayered. And you can practically see the threads coming together despite the huge gap in between them.

Here begins the Veil Keepers Quest – the beginning of an end; a journey and a quest to restore the Veils that protect the world of Dallancea from the mad creatures who style themselves ‘Gods’.

Diminished in both number and power, the Guardians need to come up with a plan to find the Twins and restore the artefact. Likewise affected by the lack of connection to her own sort of 'magic' (The State of Veranto) Solancei needs to escape her followers and find her way back to Iambre before it is too late.


Written from multiple POVs and in different timelines, in a rich, lyric and elegant prose, this tale is not fast-paced plot-wise. It does have incredibly vivid and fast paced fight-scenes - the illegal jackal fights where you can practically see the movements of the opponents and the blades slashing. And yet, the whole book is slow paced as a whole and serves only as an introduction. It sets the base and lays out the players for whatever is next to come.

You'll get to see a council of the Guardians where they debate their next move. A masterful description of a battle of wits and words, where the slightest change in tone of voice or the mere glint of an eye may cause an affront with dire consequences. And then you'll get to see a brilliant insight into what makes our Solancei the woman she now is; through little snippets of journal entries and a profound understanding of how someone can be broken from a very young age. All of this, masterfully laid out.

Everything in this book is high-class! The prose, wordbuilding, action scenes, character buildup and feeling. Everything practically leaps of the page. You only have to pay attention, trust the author, lean back and let the story unfold.

And this where this first episode in The Missing Shield ends. And how it all begins!

This is the beginning. This is how it all starts. So welcome to the Realm of Dallancea. Welcome to the Veil Keeper's Quest!

I for one am looking forward to see what happens next.

Check out this book and more of L.L. Thomsen here.