Books One to Four of the Heroes of Legend: Expanded Edition; The Archer, The Princess, The Dragon King, and The Vampire Lord

In this series opener, Hammer's prose evokes the romantic diction and mythological complexity of the high fantasy genre, sometimes to an eye-rolling extent: - Kirkus Reviews

…the author gets things started with an admirable economy. It's a 93-page novella, and readers will meet most of the major players by Page 6…so far the pacing is brisk and the world, if not completely unique, is quite fun. – Kirkus Reviews

This story may not prove to be a crossover hit like some of the books that inspired it, but readers who love the fantasy genre will find much here to enjoy. – Kirkus Reviews

A derivative but skillfully executed and engaging fantasy. – Kirkus Reviews

Hammer writes with energy—the characters rush from one danger to another, always with high stakes and mysterious artifacts involved. – Kirkus Reviews

The author's narrative technique of rapidly shifting viewpoints from chapter to chapter echoes a similar tactic by some of
the bestselling writers in the fantasy genre, and for good reason: It keeps the story hurrying along in a compulsively
readable way. - Kirkus Reviews

Hammer is likewise skillful at changing tones; one chapter can be filled with high-stakes sorcerous tension,
and the next can be, equally convincingly, lighthearted - Kirkus Reviews

Readers encounter a very inventive world—one that features everything from Jinns to Greek mythology to Shaolin monks to the Monkey King, and in which the legions of Caesar can easily end up fighting hordes of vampires. - Kirkus Reviews

Readers already up to speed on the many ongoing plot threads will find this volume a tense and fast-paced addition to Hammer's engaging fantasy world. - Kirkus Reviews

-Hammer does a good job of orchestrating the book's suspenseful ending, which leads readers right on to the next installment. - Kirkus Reviews

A colorful and hyperactive section of a larger multicultural fantasy epic. - Kirkus Reviews

Over the four books of L.A. Hammer's Heroes of Legend series, the author draws from an impressive wealth of sources, including Eastern philosophy, classical mythology, early horror literature of the West, as well as standard, Tolkienesque fantasy elements that form the bedrock of the narrative structure. - BlueInk Reviews

The stories, while somewhat derivative, offer an impressively complex, action-packed series of adventures featuring the orphaned, magical young prince Matthew, Princess Cybele, and archer Tristan. In their quest to defeat a vampire king named Drahkuhl (the nod to Bram Stoker's legendary baddie hardly feels coincidental), they find a rich and varied troupe of allies, from the wizard Eldarus to white wolves and dragons (nod to Game of Thrones) to an emperor named
Caesar (nod to ancient Roman history) to gods, goddesses and spirits pulled from such avenues as ancient Celtic mythology, Buddhism and the Greek pantheon of gods. - BlueInk Reviews

Taken singly, the four books of the series feel rather hurried as the author works to fit a surprising amount of action, plot and intrigue into the novella form. Yet Hammer's overarching vision for his characters has a sense of cohesiveness. Even as the heroes shuttle between adventures in short bursts and rapid perspective shifts, the format offers readers the space to find connections between the separate stories and elements. - BlueInk Reviews

It's a rapid-fire approach that may feel a bit cursory for longtime fantasy fans. For newcomers to the genre, however, especially young readers, Hammer offers a rich fusion. Although many of the ingredients here are familiar, including the sometimes-clichéd writing style (the books offer many boilerplate grandiose descriptions of prophecies, saviors and end-of-world standoffs between good and evil), Hammer delivers a fun romp featuring plentiful magic, action and
larger-than-life-characters. - BlueInk Reviews