As the only survivors, brother and sister strike out on their own, hoping to discover the reason their home and family was destroyed. They must make their way through a countryside where magic is outlawed, punishable by imprisonment or even death while struggling with the revelation that Kenders has magical abilities herself.
Although Kenders can feel and touch the many-colored strands; of magic she has no idea how to use them until she and Nikalys are attacked by a pack of wolves and Kenders instinctively summons a bolt of lightning, immediately collapsing when the effort drains her of all her energy. From nowhere a giant lynx appears and saves the pair from certain death and then miraculously morphs into his natural self, a seven-foot-tall man. The shape changer’s name is Broedi and when the time is right, he reveals to the siblings that he is one of the original White Lions and he recites to them an ancient prophecy that tells of the coming of a new and even more terrible war than the one centuries ago. The evil Gods of Chaos, Strife, and Sorrow and Pain would combine efforts to unite the orcs, gnolls and razorfiends — normally sworn enemies. The forces of good would be led by two children of other White Lions; those children are Nikalys and Kenders, the Progeny.
As brother and sister struggle with the revelation that the only parents they could remember were not their birth parents, some of the Gods and Goddesses were busy setting other events in motion. Others people; strangers at first ; would gather and become allies of the Progeny. Together, they were about to be caught up in the greatest conflict the world had ever seen.
Ancient, powerful forces still seek the Progeny on their travels, some intent to eliminate the threat they pose, some hoping to help them fulfill a destiny of which they are unaware. Myths and legends come to life, whisking the pair along a journey they never could have imagined possible.
Because there are so many characters that play a part in Progeny, there are multiple story lines going on at once. I really liked it when the various story lines and characters “met up” and converged into one another. I loved seeing how everyone fit into the main plot line. They were all written and planned out so well. That is one of the best parts of the story (other than learning about the strands); seeing how everything fits into each other.
Another thing that I really enjoyed was that even though these lands are so different than our own world, there were still familiar elements that shone through. For example, in the middle of the book two of the characters were talking about different kinds of government systems-(monarchy and royalty vs. democracy) I liked seeing that even in these foreign lands, they were still dealing with the fundamental differences our countries are dealing with.
The characters Progeny were as different as the lands they came from. I loved them all! Broedi was so wise and strong. I think he is the perfect protector/teacher figure for Kenders and Nikalys. I loved Kenders, her powers are so cool! And I can’t wait to see what is going to happen between Nikalys Jak and Sabine. I am a sucker for a good love triangle.
Overall, I think that anyone that enjoys fantasy and/or books involving magic would love Progeny. It is really long, so you will have to set aside some time to read it all, but that just means there is more story to enjoy.
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