Reader's Choice Book Reviews

Lor Mandela – Destruction From Twins by L. Carroll captured my interest even before I opened the book. The front cover features a beautiful young woman with piercing blue eyes and a rupturing planet. The back cover text
describes a dying alien world, a prophetic riddle, and a “Child of Balance” who
may or may not be a teenager from Earth. Immediately, I sensed I was holding an
epic, entertaining read in my hands. I can tell you that Lor Mandela did not
disappoint.

In Part One on Lor Mandela, twin sisters position themselves to take
power as the Vritesse (the matriarchal leader of the Trysta race) after their
mother dies. Soon it is discovered that Lor Mandela is dying and will be
destroyed. The soul of the planet appoints a “Child of Balance” named Audril Borloc,
who must solve the prophetic riddle known as the Advantiere to save the planet.
Shortly after her fourth birthday, Audril disappears during an attack on
Mandela castle. Several Lor Mandelan spies travel to Earth in search of Audril.


In Part Two we meet our heroine, Maggie Baker, a bored but typical
sixteen-year old living in Glenhill,
Iowa. Small town life has Maggie
longing to ease the boredom, even swimming nude in the local pond. Little does
she know that her wish will soon be granted with a grand adventure beyond her
wildest imagination. Maggie, despite the age difference, possesses an uncanny
resemblance to Audril, including the blue eyes and black hair which are traits
exclusive to the ruling Borloc family on Lor Mandela.

Author L. Carroll has created an entire universe with loveable creatures,
horrible monsters, and mysterious magic, effectively keeping readers of all
ages captivated from cover to cover. Carroll gradually builds the momentum over
the first 300 pages. Then she throws us onto a rollercoaster of twists and
turns in the closing chapters as two great armies clash with a dying planet as
the background. Just when you’re able to catch your breath, the author hits you
with a whopper of an ending, effectively setting up the sequel.

I would like to have seen Maggie appearing sooner in the story, as younger
readers will quickly bond with the strong yet vulnerable protagonist. However,
there is plenty going on throughout to keep less experienced readers turning
the pages. Maggie’s time to shine is in the second half of the book and shine
she does.

The conclusion of the Harry Potter series has left a largely unfilled gap in
the fantasy/young adult genre. A gap, I believe, L. Carroll’s Lor Mandela
Trilogy will fill quite nicely. I highly recommend Lor Mandela and rate it as a
Must Read for fans of this genre.

by William Potter

RealTime Publishing (February 17, 2010)
978-1849610483

http://www.amazon.com/Lor-Mandela-Destruction-Twins
Carroll/dp/1849610487/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1268698409&sr=1-1

http://www.lormandela.com

Before pursuing what seemed to be a shelved dream of becoming an author, L. Carroll worked in corporate management and training, first in the field of retail home décor, and then for a small book chain.  It took being surrounded by books day in and day out
for her to finally realize that her passion for writing had been squelched long
enough, and so the world of Lor Mandela was born.

With four young adult children and one pre-teen of her own, she’s had a wealth of inspiration for her characters; her writing is strongly influenced by her own parent/child experiences.

Currently, she resides in Eagle Mountain, Utah with her husband, Chuck, and their five children.