The Final Choosing


Fiction - Fantasy - Epic
468 Pages
Reviewed on 04/06/2018
Buy on Amazon

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Author Biography

From the first day she can remember, Toni has been fascinated with the “what-ifs” in life, sometimes to the point of distraction. Early on, she found the only way she could satisfy this curiosity was to write, to create worlds and fill them with people living out the “what-ifs” her mind insisted on conjuring. To this day, she can't stop creating worlds based on the “what-ifs”. Born and educated in the state of Nebraska, she currently resides there where she is employed at the university. Her first two books, “The Crystal Key” and “Corryn’s Stone” created the world and brought Mirah and her companions to life sending them on life altering adventures. The Final Choosing, the last book in this series, takes them on yet another quest which will forever change the world. When not writing, which is seldom as demonstrated by her bad housekeeping, she enjoys needlework, walking, and a good movie.

    Book Review

Reviewed by Susan Sewell for Readers' Favorite

The discovery of a false prophecy chronicled at the beginning of time unleashes a threat to mankind in the epic fantasy novel, The Final Choosing by T.L. Howard. Mirah, goddess Deceris's Chosen One, is on another quest to save the world from annihilation. When a Scholar in the first millennium discovered a fallacious prophecy, his fanatical attempts to fulfill it nearly brought about the extinction of the world. He was imprisoned and the prophecy hidden away. Now, many centuries later, another Scholar and follower of the god Belamon uncovers the heretical record. He is convinced it is ordained by the fates to declare Belamon the one and only god. Meanwhile, the goddess Deceris visits Mirah, and warns her of a dire threat to humanity and the world, and cryptically counsels her to find a book. Following Deceris's enigmatic warning, Mirah, with her husband Roenin, the Commander of the Knights of Deceris, and Samone, her Knight Practitioner, embark on an expedition in search of the obscure, ancient tome. Danger stalks Mirah and her entourage as they hasten to prevent the cessation of time. Can they succeed before it is too late?

The threat of impending universal doom is vibrantly portrayed in the exciting epic fantasy novel, The Final Choosing by T.L. Howard. It is a captivating saga with engaging characters set in a rustic and idyllic world, where elements of magic are deftly assimilated, giving it a natural place among the knights, lords, ladies, and prelates. The book has a fascinating concept regarding the two religions practiced by those in the story world, and the trinity-like idea is perceptive and thought-provoking. Light versus dark is prevalent in most epic fantasies, and this one is no different; except the evil didn't stem from a deity, but from man himself, which is refreshingly original. This is the third novel in a breathtaking saga series that will hopefully be followed by more. This riveting tale is in the same class as David Eddings' The Belgariad and fans of his series, along with those who enjoy thrilling epic fantasies, will not be able to resist this spellbinding story.

K.J. Simmill

It had taken his last moments in this world, but he recorded the truth. Perhaps his record would be the only copy of what had been done, and in turn what he had done. Evidence, scriptures, it all was to be destroyed so no one would almost destroy the world itself in an attempt to fulfill a prophecy. The Abbot had thought only his predecessor could open the spell which bound it and learn the truth. He had been mistaken. Faldyn, returned from the dead by unnatural means, has discovered a trail, notes leading to clues, leading to the prophecy, and he intends to exploit what he has learnt, but doing so will result in the world being torn from existence as if it had never existed. There was a prophecy, but he was not the one chosen to fulfill it, and any seeking to use it but the one selected will bring about the end.

The Final Choosing by T.L. Howard is a steady paced fantasy, building slow momentum through the journey of two opposing forces: Faldyn, who seeks to fulfill the prophecy and name one true god, and Mirah, the one approached by the divine themselves in the hope of stopping him. Port to port, town to city, winter to spring, you will be awed by the magnificent descriptions, crafted in such a way to conjure spellbinding scenes. The characters are as deep as they are diverse. They are well-rounded, developed, and show great growth throughout their journeys. Watching Mirah try to make sense of the false trails, red herrings, and deceptions, whilst attempting to solve the cryptic riddle and understand exactly what she is trying to prevent is masterfully done. We watch and are told the reasons behind Faldyn's misdirection; at each turn we know what must be done, and will Mirah to realise the deception. This is a plot you can't help become invested in, and a journey you will most certainly enjoy.

Romuald Dzemo

A book that will be a great treat for fans of epic fantasy, The Final Choosing by T.L. Howard is a story that features compelling characters, a phenomenal setting, the gods, and the destiny of humanity at stake. At the beginning of the story, the reader is transported to the beginning of humanity to witness a conversation between the Creator and the Watcher, and the prophecy about the Chosen ones and the place of darkness and light in humanity’s ultimate quest for freedom. Was the gift of choice a curse or a blessing?

The Deceris’ Chosen, Mirah couldn’t be happier now that Æyrebis’ evil plans to destroy humanity with the worse winter have failed. But there is another threat, one more devastating than the harsh winters. Mirah sets out on a perilous journey to save humanity from a vicious enemy who seems to be the master of cunning, beating her through every step of the battle, an enemy that had been thought eliminated by everyone. Follow Mirah on her mission, stacked with challenges, and this time the gods might not even be on her side. Can she save humanity from imminent annihilation and stop an enemy from playing a role that isn’t theirs?

The writing in The Final Choosing is atmospheric and readers can easily connect with the deep spiritual currents that run through the narrative. This story reads like a myth that presents the intersection between light and darkness, beautifully written and fast-paced. T. L. Howard shows great mastery in plot development and creates scenes that are as focused as they are intense. The characters are phenomenal and the conflict is a huge one — the battle between light and darkness, the power of healing and the force of destruction. There is a deep level of symbolism in this story and those who love exploring mythology will find ample material to ponder on in this novel. Intelligently plotted and executed with utmost care.

Rabia Tanveer

The Final Choosing by T.L. Howard is the story of a woman who is trying to do the best she can, but is it enough? This is a fantastic fantasy novel that covers all the bases and brings something too epic to describe in words. The story follows Mirah, a young woman who may seem ordinary, but her life and destiny are anything but that. She is Deceris’ Chosen, someone who is destined for great things and who has the potential to become the savior of all.

This is her destiny and she somehow fulfilled it when she saved her people from the powerful Æyrebis, who wanted to destroy humanity and crush it under a destructive winter. With this, Mirah gained confidence in her ability, but along with that, she felt the urge to slow down and find peace. Just when she thought that she had achieved it, Deceris reached out to her once again to warn her against an entity that is rising to destroy everything in his path. There is an old prophecy which, if fulfilled, can destroy everything that ever existed. This entity has a counter attack for everything Mirah can come up with, and there is nothing she can think of to stop it. Is this the end? Is the Chosen finally defeated?

I don’t think I have ever been this in sync with a character as much as I was with Mirah. She is strong, determined and ready to take charge. I loved the fact that she was a doer who thought with her heart and head combined. She didn’t take any risks, her every move was calculated, she knew what her strengths were and she played with them. She owned the pages and demanded my attention at all times. She is the perfect powerful character a story like this needed. I thoroughly enjoyed The Final Choosing by T.L. Howard.

Anne-Marie Reynolds

The Final Choosing by T. L. Howard is an epic fantasy tale. Mirah has enjoyed a peaceful life as the world begins to recover from an attempt to dominate it and wipe out humanity for all eternity. Mirah is the Chosen One and she should have known it was all too good to last. Deceris is calling her, foretelling a disaster. A being of unnatural origins is trying to fulfill a destiny that was never his to fulfill. A prophecy that has never been heard of has surfaced, an ancient prophecy that could annihilate time itself, and Mirah must act now to stop it from happening. This time, however, her job is much harder as an enemy that has returned from the dead is thwarting her at every turn. Mirah has a much harder task on her hands as revelations wrench the very soul from her and she realizes that things are not what they should be, and the gods are not who she thought they were.

The Final Choosing by T.L. Howard is a true epic, a story that starts and moves steadily through, the pace building gradually and rising to an explosive end. This is a masterfully written story, a tale of deception and lies, a life built on a world that is about to collapse. The characters are genuine, developed very well, and truly befitting the story. The plot is a tangled web that is easy to follow, well directed, and packed with action and some suspense to keep you reading. It’s a different path in the fantasy genre, a different kind of story that grabs hold of you from the start and keeps hold until the story is over. I enjoyed it and would highly recommend it to all fans of this genre.