It’s time for another book review! I think I have enough books read that I should try to do one of these once a month. No promises, but it is a good goal. 🙂
I’m an author, and as alway I promise to wear my reviewer’s hat with this and not talk about how I would have done something different if it were my novel. Because it isn’t my novel! I’m rating his book on my reading experience, which may be slightly finicky because I do write – but I also appreciate the sheer love and effort every author puts into their work. With that in mind, let’s get going!
Next up is the Bow of Destiny by P.H. Solomon!
To get your familiar with the book, here is the blurb:
.
Haunted by his past. Hunted in the present. Uncertain what is real.
Athson has seen things that aren’t there and suffered fits since being tragically orphaned as a child at the hands of trolls and Corgren the wizard. When a strange will mentioning a mysterious bow comes into his possession, he’s not sure it’s real. But the trolls that soon pursue him are all too real and dangerous. And what’s worse, these raiders serve Corgren and his master, the hidden dragon, Magdronu, who are responsible for the destruction of his childhood home. Athson is drawn into a quest for the concealed Bow of Hart by the mystic Withling, Hastra, but Athson isn’t always sure what’s real and who his enemies are. With Corgren and Magdronu involved, Athson must face not only frequent danger but his grasp on reality and the reasons behind his tragic past.
Enter a World of Magic, Mystery, Elves, Dragons & More in This New Epic Fantasy Adventure Series from P. H. Solomon
First off, let me say this book has one of the most absolutely gorgeous covers out there! I was drawn to the story because of the cover for sure, which I can’t always say (or always use to judge). And the blurb is really good too. I’m drawn into the challenges Athson faces and emotionally invested around the time I read “tragically orphaned as a child.” P.H. Solomon gets points for both of those right off the bat.
And if you read my recent post on character arcs, you would guess that I was loving the fact that the main character in Bow of Destiny is basically suffering from PTSD. I crave a fantasy novel that delves into the impacts of a violent world (like most fantasy stories)! This was another aspect that caught my eye in the blurb and got me to buy the book. And it works. I can’t think of many fantasy books I’ve read where the main character needs to take medicine daily, and often, realistically, forgets to between all the events occurring and the very human tendency to ignore problems when you feel fine – even if the problems you are ignoring makes you see things that aren’t there. Or are. Maybe…
Other things I liked: The premise is a different twist from other fantasy stories I’ve read. Here the main character is a human adopted into elvin society. This gives the elves, who are often portrayed as elitists in most fantasy, a warmth and acceptance, which was great. The setting and journey are also quite good. Not every day is sunny. There are problems on the road and setbacks. The rangers work as a team. There is a lot here that harkens to traditional fantasy of trolls, ogres, and dragons without falling into a cliched trap of knights and castles. This is a journey story and the travelers race at a fast pace with light gear and supplies. I always love a fresh take on traditions and this book offers that.
Things I think needed work: This is P.H. Solomon’s debut novel and I think it shows a lot of promise for him as an author, but there are a few flaws. There is a lot of description of expressed emotions: sighs, bunching brows, etc without telling why. And sometimes I just didn’t know, and wanted to, why the character was feeling … something. But I wasn’t sure what.
There were also a few chapters I completely lost track of and forgot about a character who was on the journey with Atheson. I really wish these sections had been more developed and that the friend was included. Otherwise, why bring him along? And considering the book’s ending, he is important.
That is, I think, the biggest failing and it is a small one: there are opportunities when I could have become a lot more involved in either characters or the setting, but most were missed. Which resulted in a lackadaisical reaction when a twist or solution suddenly presented itself. This could have been big things, like a character on the journey being virtually invisible at times, and small, like using a bat whistle common to the cave system they were traveling through for days, but never having seen or mentioned any bats making the whistle feel forced rather than a natural part of the world.
It is really for this reason that I’m giving Bow of Destiny 4 stars. It was really a fun read and holds lots of promise with its fresh take on traditional fantasy!
🌟🌟🌟🌟
Like this:
Like Loading...