Review by Engelrachael -- Roan by E. R. Barr
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Engelrachael
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Review by Engelrachael -- Roan by E. R. Barr
[Following is a volunteer review of "Roan" by E. R. Barr.]
3 out of 4 stars
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Roan: The Tale of Conor Archer Volume One is the first novel from emerging author E.R. Barr. The story follows the journey of young seventeen year old Conor Archer as he learns about himself and his heritage. It takes place in the small town of Tinker's Grove, Wisconsin, where strange things weren't uncommon but after the arrival of Conor nothing seems normal anymore.
It was his mother's dying wish that he return to her home town of Tinker's Grove. The decision to leave his home in Chicago is made urgent when Rory, a rouge biker, causes Conor to fall deathly ill. The only way to cure his illness is to return to Tinker's Grove. What Conor doesn't realize is that the illness acts as a catalyst causing changes to occure in him.
Once there Conor meets the twins, Beth and Jace, his spirited aunt, Emily O'Rouke, and the wise Abbot Malachy. They try to help Conor as he learns what he is and where his destiny is leading him. All of this becomes unfathombly complicated when he and Beth fall deeply in love. Conor wants nothing more than to live a normal life, but the evil force known as Piasa and his minions, the McNabb clan and Dr. Nicholas Drake, have other plans. When the children referred to as 'the dark ones' begin to go missing Conor is forced to either accept his fate or let darkness rule both worlds.
E.R. Barr has created a world that sucks you in and won't let go. His knowledge and understanding of Celtic lore and legends is impressive and expansive. The imagery he paints with his words is astounding. From beggining to end the story flows well making it hard to stop reading. The struggle between good and evil is a timeless tale molded into almost every story ever told, but E.R. Barr manages to throw a fresh spin on it that will truely delight any reader.
The only thing I didn't like was there wasn't alot of soul to most of the characters. A large part of the story is dialog which works fine except that alot of the characters sounded alike. This made it confusing and difficult to follow. It did get a little better as the story continued.
I also had an issue with how Conor, Beth, and Jace became friends. On page three Conor describes his and his mothers life in Chicago saying that they had been on the fringes of society and that 'he knew few people and had even fewer friends'. This implies that Conor and his mother were loners and kept to each other for company. On that same page Conor also goes on to describe how he didn't want to tell his bandmates what was going on with his mother. He'd been playing with these people about a year and didn't even know most of their names. This adds even more to Conor's personality of being aloof and standoffish. Yet, on page 63, after having known each other less than a day, most of that time with Conor unconscious from a fever, they all become best friends and Conor promises to never keep anything from them and to always tell them what he's feeling. It just felt like a very forced friendship from the author.
Overall I would rate this novel three out of four. It is a wonderful story that I believe will become a favorite for many young adults. E.R. Barr has created a beautiful world and I can't wait to read more of his work.
******
Roan
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3 out of 4 stars
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Roan: The Tale of Conor Archer Volume One is the first novel from emerging author E.R. Barr. The story follows the journey of young seventeen year old Conor Archer as he learns about himself and his heritage. It takes place in the small town of Tinker's Grove, Wisconsin, where strange things weren't uncommon but after the arrival of Conor nothing seems normal anymore.
It was his mother's dying wish that he return to her home town of Tinker's Grove. The decision to leave his home in Chicago is made urgent when Rory, a rouge biker, causes Conor to fall deathly ill. The only way to cure his illness is to return to Tinker's Grove. What Conor doesn't realize is that the illness acts as a catalyst causing changes to occure in him.
Once there Conor meets the twins, Beth and Jace, his spirited aunt, Emily O'Rouke, and the wise Abbot Malachy. They try to help Conor as he learns what he is and where his destiny is leading him. All of this becomes unfathombly complicated when he and Beth fall deeply in love. Conor wants nothing more than to live a normal life, but the evil force known as Piasa and his minions, the McNabb clan and Dr. Nicholas Drake, have other plans. When the children referred to as 'the dark ones' begin to go missing Conor is forced to either accept his fate or let darkness rule both worlds.
E.R. Barr has created a world that sucks you in and won't let go. His knowledge and understanding of Celtic lore and legends is impressive and expansive. The imagery he paints with his words is astounding. From beggining to end the story flows well making it hard to stop reading. The struggle between good and evil is a timeless tale molded into almost every story ever told, but E.R. Barr manages to throw a fresh spin on it that will truely delight any reader.
The only thing I didn't like was there wasn't alot of soul to most of the characters. A large part of the story is dialog which works fine except that alot of the characters sounded alike. This made it confusing and difficult to follow. It did get a little better as the story continued.
I also had an issue with how Conor, Beth, and Jace became friends. On page three Conor describes his and his mothers life in Chicago saying that they had been on the fringes of society and that 'he knew few people and had even fewer friends'. This implies that Conor and his mother were loners and kept to each other for company. On that same page Conor also goes on to describe how he didn't want to tell his bandmates what was going on with his mother. He'd been playing with these people about a year and didn't even know most of their names. This adds even more to Conor's personality of being aloof and standoffish. Yet, on page 63, after having known each other less than a day, most of that time with Conor unconscious from a fever, they all become best friends and Conor promises to never keep anything from them and to always tell them what he's feeling. It just felt like a very forced friendship from the author.
Overall I would rate this novel three out of four. It is a wonderful story that I believe will become a favorite for many young adults. E.R. Barr has created a beautiful world and I can't wait to read more of his work.
******
Roan
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Like Engelrachael's review? Post a comment saying so!
Latest Review: Spyder Bones by Oliver Phipps
