Shadow Prowler


This book receives a waxing gibbous.


Shadow Prowler is the thrilling introduction to Shadow Harold’s quest to save the world from the Nameless One. A traditional high fantasy novel filled with wizards, elves, orcs, warriors, and other mythological creatures, this first installment of the Chronicles of Siala Trilogy employs a lot of the common fantasy elements. Although it does not introduce a lot of revolutionary ideas or creatures, the novel still crafts an excellent story using the tried and true facets of fantasy literature. 

Shadow Harold, the unwilling hero, is a master thief who only takes on the quest because his only alternative is life imprisonment. He is tasked with attempting to retrieve the Rainbow Horn from Hrad Spein, an underground burial labyrinth full of ancient magic and dangerous traps. This is a feat no wizard has returned from with their sanity intact, let alone their life. 

Before the journey to Hrad Spein can begin, Harold takes multiple risks that land him with some unlikely allies who enable him to retrieve vital information for his quest. Once the journey begins, he is traveling with a diverse group of warriors, along with an Elfin Princess, and the king's goblin jester, all of whom will play a vital part in Harold's survival to even have a chance of retrieving the Horn. 

As this novel is translated from Russian, some of the writing is a bit awkward or stilted, but not to the point where it truly distracts from the reader's ability to enjoy the story. On the whole, the story flows well, and Pehov does a good job of setting the stakes and engaging the reader in Harold's reluctant quest. 

Although Shadow Prowler contains a lot of the common, even cliche, fantasy elements, the actual storyline is thoroughly engaging and puts a creative spin on the traditional. If you're looking for a groundbreaking fantasy novel that has a unique, unparalleled plot line, then this novel is probably not for you. However, if you love traditional fantasy and are looking to experience a different world, then Pehov does a wonderful job of crafting an intricate story that high fantasy fans will certainly enjoy. 

Here's hoping you'll love it to the moon and back!

Subscribe to my Newsletter

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Rating System

Image
The idea for this blog came from the phrase: "I love you to the moon and back". Because of that, rather than using a standard, and boring, rating system of numbers or stars, I will be giving each book I review a moon phase rating. Those ratings will be one of these five: crescent, waxing crescent, waxing half moon, waxing gibbous, and full moon. The full moon will be equivalent to a 5-star rating or a 10 on a standard scale of 1-10.  The waxing gibbous will be like a 4-star rating or anywhere from a 7-9 on a scale of 1-10.  The waxing half moon will be the same as a 3-star rating or a 5-6 on a scale of 1-10. The waxing crescent will be equivalent to a 2-star rating or a 3-4 on a scale of 1-10. And the crescent will be similar to a 1-star rating or a 1-2 on a scale of 1-10. I have chosen not to use the new moon as part of the rating system because I feel that the new moon would be equivalent to a 0 in either rating style described ...
Read more

Ellie Everlasting

Image
This book receives a waxing gibbous. Ellie Everlasting  tells the compelling story of how an eighteen year old girl moves past her tragic murder. To her disbelief she awakens in Neverland, where she learns that her favorite childhood story and its characters are real. Meanwhile, her friends and family left behind on Earth now face their own struggles with overcoming Ellie's death. The tales from life and death intertwine to craft a spellbinding tale.  The novel starts off with an engaging bang, jumping right into the action of Ellie's story. Scheck does a good job of making Ellie's murderer seem trustworthy from Ellie and Olivia's, Ellie's girlfriend's, perspective while also giving the reader insight beyond what the characters possess. In addition, as the story progresses and more is revealed about all of the characters, it becomes easier to empathize with and understand the murderer. For some readers, he may never be truly likable, but he is a...
Read more