Official Review: Forever the Road by Anthony StClair

jcheiser · Post by **jcheiser** » 07 Dec 2014, 15:55

[Following is the official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Forever the Road" by Anthony StClair.]

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Forever the Road by Anthony St. Clair is a novel about a globetrotter, Jay, whose travels land him in Agamuskara (the land of the Smiling Fire) in India. There, he crosses paths with a “destiny-slinging bartender” named Jade, a unique Himalayan-Irish Sage by the name of Faddah Rucksack, and a young boy named Jigme. Destiny permeates the story, the city, and the main characters, and the choices of each affects the way destiny plays out for them all. In the end, this fantastical tale presents the reader with many insights about real life.

I was immediately hooked into this story, and remained so until the very end – and even after the end. St. Clair has a way with language that brings the reader into the story and holds them there with every sight, smell, sound, and feeling. For example, on page 225, St. Clair writes, “The scent of chickpea dough, fried in nut oil, had pulled Jay by the nostrils to the man’s cart.” This is just one of many simple, yet powerful sentences used throughout the story. Even better, this wonderfully artistic use of language is not splattered here and there, with some great sentences appearing in the midst of ordinary ones, rather they are woven seamlessly into the language of the story (without the common appearance of one trying too hard). This shows a mastery St. Clair has that many have attempted to possess but do not.

St. Clair’s writing is consistent and, in addition to the mastery mentioned above, he is able to naturally use British terms without them sounding forced into the story. The book is well-written and edited; I noticed only a couple of very small errors, such as the wrong word (off by only one letter) or an extra word. These errors were few and far between, with no repetitive errors, and they certainly do not detract from the story at all.

This book is officially one of my favorites, and St. Clair is now one of my favorite authors. This book left me wanting more in the best possible way (wanting more to read and wanting a sequel) and I truly cannot wait to read more of St. Clair’s books.

I rate this book 4 out of 4 stars. I would give it five stars if I could. I have been recommending this book because of its perfect blend of characters, storyline, and writing style, and I will definitely continue to recommend it.

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Amheiser · Post by **Amheiser** » 02 Jan 2015, 23:02

This book sounds very interesting and I will definitely add it to my reading list. I like to read stories people have written about what their idea of how one's destiny can be affected by what their circumstances happen to be. This is a different take on the timely question of what shapes one's destiny that sounds unique and interesting to read.