I was pleasantly surprised to receive the arc for The Red Wolf Conspiracy two to three weeks ago. The first in a new fantasy series, I quickly delved into it. As was mentioned on the back of the book, this debut novel combined the fascinating intrigue of George R. R. Martin with the extraordinary imagination of Phillip Pullman. But I feel that Robert V. S. Redick has brought his own unique style of writing to the epic fantasy.
It seems that not long after a horrible war, a six-hundred-year-old ship, Charthrand, set sail for enemy lands in an attempt to cement peace between the world's two greatest monarchies. The ship was gigantic, a virtual city by itself afloat. And what made the title of the novel, was the Red Wolf, a dangerous artifact of legend and the center of this tale.
A multi layered plot of complexity, it drew me in like a fisherman reeling in his fish. I discovered on the pages, all sorts of memorable characters, from mermaids to tiny warriors to talking animals. But the two who fascinated me the most were Thasha Isiq, sailing on the ship, Chathrand to become the bride of Prince Falmurqat Adin, and Pazel Pathkendle, a tarboy on the Chathrand. Both had a destiny that went beyond what they were, in this tale.
With a sense of wonder, this storyline was woven with expert stitching into the words of this book, leading the reader on a journey of a story worth reading. I believe that a new fantasy author has been born and I can not wait for the next installment in his series.
I give The Red Wolf Conspiracy five dragons!
No comments:
Post a Comment