Quarter Finalist
Assessment:
Plot: Any novel that within the first ten pages has a teenage orphan boy accidentally killing a classmate, getting slimed, and waking up in a forest surrounded by eight-foot-tall wolflike creatures is bound to be a hit. This epic fantasy is indeed that. David Bishop finds himself in a land called Hurea with a 2,500-plus-year history, and discovers that his arrival has been foretold by prophecy. He is the chosen warrior who will use the powers of the Orb to save the world as the ancient war between good and evil enters its final battle.
Prose/Style: The author writes in an easy, flowing style, with descriptions of the myriad characters in the novel – Erin, Orin, Elbert , Tyrius, Rex, Octavian, and Ryan, to name just a few – lively enough to keep the reader’s attention in the midst of this high-action tale.
Originality: A lot of the appeal of T.C. Crawford’s debut novel, the first in a series, lies in the extremely detailed envisioning of the alternative universe of Hurea. Crawford’s description of this land is a Tolkienesque imaginative tour de force, with secret portals, elves, dwarfs, elders, demons, mystics, kings and magical powers waiting to be discovered and controlled. The cliff hanger ending is a little frustrating but it does leave the reader eager for the next installment of this fantasy series.
Character Development/Execution: David Bishop is wonderfully portrayed as a somewhat bewildered teen thrown into a completely unexpected world. Throughout the novel, he strives to make sense of his situation and to figure out what is required of him to achieve the critically important task he has been given to save the world from the Mystic of Destruction. It is a journey of adventure and self-discovery during which Erin is a worthy ally rather than a damsel in distress.
Date Submitted: August 05, 2021
What an enjoyable story! It reminds me of classic fantasy/adventure novels (although significantly more accessible to modern readers, of course.) Wonderful characters and incredible imagination abound! I stayed up three or four hours past bedtime to finish it, and can't wait to read Book 2! Highly recommended!
Loved this book it got my interest from the start and made me keep reading at the end I got the next book and read it till the end all in one day.TC Crawford is a master in his field
This book caught my attention from the first paragraph and held it all the way to the end. TC Crawford has a great imagination and tells a very powerful story. I really enjoyed how he allows the reader to use their own imagination to create the scene and the characters by not providing too much detail. I anxiously await the sequel to this book. The story line and building of the main characters definitely makes you want to know more. Excellent first book!
