3 out of 4 stars
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In Harry Simpson's Legend of Badger Claw, he narrates the origin of an age-old myth that has lived among the Indians of the plains of Kansas for generations. As the story goes, a great spirit resided among the Arapaho people. In exchange for their hospitality, it fought alongside them in battle and destroyed their enemies.
In a bid to escape the feud between them and the Estes clan, Jake and his cousins left their home and headed into the unknown. Not only didn't all of them make it to their intended destination, but some of them also lost their lives as soon as the journey began. The author details the youngsters' adventure through the wilderness, provides a glimpse of daily life in the 1830s and takes the reader on an expedition to explore the Native American culture.
The author's storytelling prowess is evident from the get-go, and I couldn't help but fall in love with the writing. He leaves no stone unturned as using adjectives; he vividly describes every scene, putting minute details into perspective. The author uses brief chapters and follows the book's events in chronological order, an aspect I much appreciate. The characters are also well-formed with believable characteristics, which made me feel like I was interacting with real people. Legend of Badger Claw is the second installment of the Westward series, and I can attest that it reads as a stand-alone. Readers who haven't read its predecessor need not be afraid to dive in.
Throughout the book, the author explores multiple themes, among them friendship, loyalty, and family values. He highlights these through the camaraderie between Jake and his relatives. Through thick and thin, Jake maintains his noble character. He's respectful and treats everyone fairly, but doesn't condone bad behavior. As the book contains multiple instances in which Jake found himself in a position where killing was his only option, I appreciate that the author brought out the young warrior's soft side. Jake hated himself for committing murder, although he received much praise for his battle skills.
The major quarrel I have with this book is that it contains multiple typos, mostly misspelled words, appearing on almost every page. I found these rather inconvenient and a round of editing should promptly eliminate them. As this is an action-packed book, it also contains gruesome death scenes in which the author details the process of life escaping the human body. These might deter readers who aren't able to stomach such gore.
Overall, this was an enlightening read that transported me back in time. With better editing, I would've awarded it a full rating, but I'll cap it at 3 out of 4 stars. I would recommend it to historians, lovers of myth and legend, and lovers of vivid action scenes. I would, however, not recommend it to underage readers as the death scenes wouldn't be appropriate for them.
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Legend of Badger Claw
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