3 out of 4 stars
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Kazi Boku is an interesting and an exciting fantasy novel and the first book in Crystals of Empire Series created by M. Poyhonen.
Kazi Boku and his family live in a farming community on the western frontier along the shores of the South Valen River. His family, along with their neighbors, enjoys a life of simple abundance resulting from hard work, integrity, and good work ethics. Life is, generally, good until a tragic event claims the life of one of the settlers. This unfortunate event is followed by an unprovoked attack by a group of mercenaries sent by a duplicitous man under the guise of a generous and benevolent benefactor whose ultimate objective is to dominate the world.
Told in the third-person perspective, this is an interesting and an action-filled fantasy novel with twenty-eight chapters. It is about love which includes familial, brotherly, and romantic; family, both blood-related and otherwise; and friendship, regardless of age. The plot is totally unpredictable with unexpected twists and shocking turns. Settings are meticulously described including the wilderness, the woods, and the port city. Scenes, especially those of fighting, are depicted in bloody detail. The author created well-developed and relatable characters from admirable, which includes the eternally optimistic and good-natured Tsian Zin and Kazi Boku, himself, the kind, strong, and helpful farmer; endearing, such as the adorable Kasumi Matsura and the wise and kindly Master Delmas; and deplorable like the manipulative Deborah and the deceitful Tyrus Hammersvold . The dialogues are quite fitting for each character and the ending is, understandably, cliffhanger but, somehow, hopeful.
All in all, this is an enjoyable book. The story illustrates how a simple, quiet, kind, and hard-working farmer turns into a fearless and ferocious warrior in search of justice. The book depicts not only kindness, courage, determination, and perseverance, but also duplicity, greed, and depravity. The part I like most about the book is the depiction of Kazi’s farming community early in the story. The author paints a picture of a happy and contented life characterized by simplicity and serenity, where neighbors genuinely care about one another and live side by side with honor and integrity. It is, for me, a dream life.
However, some readers may find the pacing, somehow, inconsistent: exciting and suspenseful in some parts while dragging in others. Moreover, this book is not an easy read. The explanation of the political and economic situation of the land and the characters’ varied manners of speaking may require attention. Finally, there are several errors within the entire book including misspelled words (Maori instead of Marui and cantor instead of canter), missing quotation marks ("Aye surely, Jabar replied), typo errors (Haziz served the as the groups most accomplished swordsman) and grammatical errors (Haziz' usually taciturn demeanor and It's red eyes). They detract from the overall reading experience.
I, therefore, rate this book 3 out of 4 stars. It is interesting, exciting, and action-filled. I recommend it to fans of fantasy novels. Some scenes of violence and gore, however, may not be suitable for young readers.
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Kazi Boku
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