Review of Kei's Gift by Ann Somerville

Kei's Gift (Darshian Tales #1)by Ann Somerville 5*
BLURB:Darshian is a vast land, inhabited by a peaceful, rational society where people with extraordinary Gifts are common, and life is lived according to strong ethical principles. Kuprij is made up of a thousand crowded islands – thrusting, ambitious, war-like, driven by a booming population and a desire to bring its religion and its laws to the whole world. Twenty years ago, it conquered south Darshian, now it has greedy eyes on the north. The war brings Kei, a gentle, fun-loving healer from an isolated village, into collision with Arman, an embittered, honourable general, a man trapped in a loveless marriage and joylessly wedded to duty. The fate of two nations will rest on these two men–and somehow they must not only learn to overcome their own personal difficulties, but bring peace with honour to their countries. If they fail...many innocents will die.
My Review: One Word- Epic! Both in scope and in length. This story had me from page one and kept me reading about Kei and Arman and the way they grew, learned and overcame all sorts of troubles to come out better on the other side. It had me laughing at snarky comments, crying at loss and pain and smiling at romances and happy scenes. It was a story with twists and turns and raw hate and deep love and I was sorry to get to the end as I felt so deeply involved with all the characters in it.