Author Blake Miller knew over 20 years ago that his sci-fantasy novel, DELOS: The White Tree, was actually Book 1 in the DELOS series. There was simply too much story to tell about the 16-year-old “impossible” twins, a black girl named Cynthia Summers and a white boy named Kaden Krossway, for a single book. But, he says, it was important to make each novel as much of a “standalone” as possible. So while it’s helpful to have read the first book in the series, Miller has gone to great lengths to ensure that reading Book 1 is not necessary in order to thoroughly enjoy the second installment, DELOS: The Moon’s Eye.
In Book 2, DELOS: The Moon’s Eye, the sheer willpower and magical abilities (“magikas”) of Cynthia and Kaden are tested to their limits. Their brief stay on Earth comes to a quick and surprising end when an unknown man attacks them. Shortly afterward, their best friend Alec Mulsiver, a loveable, roguish prince who lives on another planet, arrives at their boarding school on Earth. Then, shockingly, so does Sorra Arrayal—the granddaughter of the series’ arch-villain, Iblis Arrayal. To save their friend, a powerful witch called the Lil of Lurkur who was imprisoned by an evil witch named Straiganna the Supreme, the four of them must undertake the perilous Quest of Six Waters. Only then can they retrieve what they need to save the Lil of Lurkur from Straiganna’s clutches. The stakes are raised even higher when Cynthia, Kaden, Alec and Sorra learn they are being pursued by an entire crew of highly dangerous eterne pirates. More alarmingly still, these eterne pirates are being led by a clever and murderous captain, Despona, who will do anything it takes to get her hands on the Six Sacred Waters. Because, when the Six Waters are combined, they will be transformed into an immensely powerful magikal weapon, known as an eterne.
The novel has gotten great reviews so far. One reviewer writes, “The novel was a mix of epic fantasy and futuristic science fiction with a distinct young adult theme. I admired Miller’s superb world-building that spanned multiple planets. The world eerily mirrored Earth’s perpetual unrest, warfare, and mindless carnage. Yet, reassuringly, well-meaning forces were keeping the evil at bay. Cutting-edge technology merged with ancient magic to create a unique blend. Mages, monsters, and witches abounded, as did collapsible armors or cufflinks for distant communications. Miller generously included mythical elements and folklore surrounding each step of the quest. I loved these stories within the main story.”
Miller hopes that each reader has “a sense of savory satisfaction” at the conclusion of this second installment in his DELOS series. And what else is he hoping for? That readers of The Moon’s Eye will be chomping at the bit for the next book in the series. Yes, there’s another book coming! Miller says, “The DELOS series does not exist to deliver messages; rather, it exists to entertain…to be enjoyed. It takes the reader on amazing adventures through magical new worlds, where the main characters are faced with seemingly insurmountable challenges, life-and- death situations, and memorable villains. It exists to give the reader what they want most of all: the highs and lows of exciting climaxes and crushing anticlimaxes, culminating in an immensely satisfactory ending that ties everything in the book together…then ends with an epilogue that sets the stage for what’s coming next.”
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