Age
Appropriate For: 13 and up for mild violence and
very mild romance
Best
for Ages: 13 and up
Description:
Three hundred
years ago, the Rhenor nation split into two, the Reshan and the Khanor. One
dwells in the Outerlands, the other in the mountains - and although the nations
have made peace, their people have not. One fateful day, two small patrols meet
in an outer cave in Khanor territory. The youths, spurred by mutual distrust,
brawl, and the ensuing cave-in cuts off their main routes back to both the
Reshan and the Khanor civilizations. Their only choice is to join forces and
follow the one remaining tunnel - one that runs through an area known simply as
the Forbidden Regions - to find their way back to their homes. Along the way,
the beliefs of every traveler are put to the test, and the secrets of a few may
threaten the safety of all. For as they go, Lusefar, lord of the Saethen, sends
his agents against them, licking his lips as a ravenous dragon.
I had a hard time deciding how many
stars to give this book. Especially in the beginning, the number of characters
was dizzying. Trying just to keep up with who was who was almost impossible,
and I wasn’t sure I would even like the book. I am so glad I kept reading,
because it ended up blessing me so much.
This story was an allegory of the
spiritual battle that rages in this world, set in a non-magical fantasy world.
The world-building was done very well and made me feel like I understood the
culture well.
As I said, there were a lot of
characters, but my favorites were Yannah, Sheth, and Kyra. Most of the others
kind of blended together and were a bit confusing, but these three really
jumped off the page. Yannah was a very hurt girl searching for something more
to life. Sheth is a believer in God and feels all alone in his faith. Kyra is
running from the pain of her past. These three stand out and really make the
story worth reading.
Barrows, even though her writing isn’t
amazing, really managed to touch my heart. After reading her story at the back
of the book, I can see why. This story was her story in many ways. She poured
her heart into it, and it showed. Her message of real faith and struggle
touched my heart.
There was some romance (nothing beyond
holding hands and some conversations), and there was some violence, but nothing
was overly described.
I highly recommend this book for those
who like non-magic fantasy, faith filled stories, and characters with real
struggles.
I read this book a few years ago, I have been hoping that Barrow's would write a second. I LOVED how she created a visual representation of the constant spiritual battle that is happening around us in a way I could get my teeth into. The characters were deep, and the emotion was real. LOVED this book!
ReplyDeletehttp://alivemasterpiece.blogspot.com/
Awww, thank you, Grace! I'm so glad you enjoyed the book. :) I actually did write another one, called 'The Merchant's Son', and it's available online at Amazon and Barnes & Noble. It's a prequel, occurring about seven years prior to 'The Follower', and I'm currently writing a third book in the series.
Deletehttp://digressionsofadementedscribe.blogspot.com/
She did right a prequel and I think a Sequel
DeleteThank you for the well-balanced review! I especially like how you apply ratings for age-appropriateness. Such things are very, very helpful.
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