3 out of 4 stars
Share This Review
The White Orchid and the Willow (The Shadow Chronicles, Vol. 1) (2014), by Joel Anthony Collins, is a 158-page fantasy/adventure novel available in paperback and e-book formats. The tale integrates trust, betrayal, family loyalty, romance, murder, secret societies, ambushes, kidnappings, and daring rescues. This appears to be the author's first published book.
"The Shadow Chronicles" refers to a set of supernatural books featured in the story, which is set on a low-tech fictional island during an unspecified year; this is not a historical novel. The book fits into the "sword and sorcery" genre, featuring swords, daggers, crossbows, bows and arrows, castles, and an evil king.
The tale is about the swashbuckling exploits of a man, Creyton, and an eagle he raised from a hatchling. They have a close, symbiotic relationship, and are proficient at knowing each other's thoughts and needs. The sub-plots are quite minor; virtually everything revolves around the protagonist, so the story line is easy to follow. Creyton's bold actions make him the most wanted man on the island by the end of the book.
There are no wizards, demons, or other supernatural characters. The mystical events have clear limits; the author doesn't create goofy magical events without rhyme or reason. Since the amount of fantasy is restrained, it enhances the narrative rather than dominating it, so the tale remains focused on the people. This is the story's greatest strength.
The author does an excellent job of keeping the narrative interesting by using a lot of action and dialogue; he also includes sufficient details describing Jade Island. However, the story would benefit from more suspense; e.g., placing the protagonist in life-threatening situations where escape appears to be impossible. The book's climax involves an escapade that is audacious but insufficiently exciting, and sets up the next book in the series, which hasn't been published yet. Inadequate suspense is the story's weakest characteristic.
The White Orchid and the Willow has earned 3 out of 4 stars. The author writes clearly and concisely, and has given us a good imaginative tale, but there are far too many punctuation errors, misspellings, and other grammatical errors; the author needs to clean up the manuscript. The novel is suitable for readers of all ages who enjoy sword and sorcery stories, but there are a few rather brutal killings that might be a little too grisly for some people. If grammatical errors annoy you, you should skip this book for now; however, you may want to consider reading a revised edition.
******
The White Orchid and the Willow
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Like Kappy's review? Post a comment saying so!
That's the funniest thing I've ever heard. You must be a newbie, then--you can't delete a comment if someone's posted after it. Good grief. Well, yes, we try to refrain from being mean-spirited here, but if you want to say anything constructive, that's probably fine.
