Review: Epic fantasy adventure story
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 03 13, 2013
Chris Salisbury's TRAIL OF BONES is a huge, exciting adventure story along the lines of the NARNIA novels or GAME OF THRONES.  Set in a world reminiscent of our own (but with mythic and magical overtones), Salisbury's novel introduces us to a wide range of characters, only a few of which are human.  Korwin Widestep is an unscrupulous Storm Elf whose poor conjuring skills made him a laughing stock in his own land; he migrates to Illyia where he hopes he'll have better luck.  Illyia, we learn, is divided into regions - to the North is Draghone, populated by a race of humanoid barbarians and their allies, the Shade Wolves; to the South is Cordale, where ruthless Ghast Gorillas roam.  Draghone and Cordale are bitter rivals, and their conflicts are legendary.  In fact, conflict is at the heart of TRAIL OF BONES.  Two rival gods, Mardin (God of War) and Sedar (God of Chaos, or Mischief), like stirring the pot, inspiring the mortal creatures in this world to challenge each other.  Mardin wants a champion, and the only way to find one is to incite war.  Sedar wants things to spin out of control - he's a trickster who hopes conflict will lead to total chaos.  These two have a hand - subtle or otherwise - in much of what happens in the course of the story.If this all sounds complicated, it is - but it's also totally engaging.  I was hooked from the first pages.  The relationship between the Shade Wolf cub Magnus and the Barbarian boy Adolphus is both charming and portentous.  Adolphus's clan has forged an uneasy treaty with the dangerous Shade Wolves, and the boy's close bond with Magnus is rare and unexpected.  We also meet a family of Giant Panthers being held prisoner by the evil Warden, who has nefarious plans for panther cub Kelor.  The animals in this novel have language, and they are able to communicate with each other.  Magnus and Adolphus are more like brothers than friends, even though they are of different species.  Panther Kelor evolves greatly as he endures great tragedy, aided by one-horned Minotaur Dox, who is himself the Warden's prisoner.  In spite of his monstrous form, Dox is a complex and interesting character who has an unexpectedly large heart - his journey in this novel is one of its most fascinating.Ultimately, the novel is about the bonds of friendship, the ties of family, and the power of love over violence and hatred.  The message, however, is never preachy or condescending - it evolves very naturally from what happens to the characters.  The title of the novel refers to a secret and bloody tournament called the "Trail of Bones," which comes to center stage in the book's second half, bringing together some of the major characters.  I won't give any of it away, but I will say that what happens in the various arenas is tensely exciting - and there is no doubt about the Warden's evil nature.  There is also no doubt about the power of friendship, family, and love - all three are magic in ways Korwin Widestep has yet to learn.TRAIL OF BONES is the first in a planned series.  While I'm not generally a fan of serialized novels, this one does come to a satisfying conclusion while at the same time whetting our appetites for the next installment.  There's plenty of story left for future books, but readers are not left frustrated by the way Salisbury resolves this book's plot.  As is only fair in books like this, Salisbury concludes the central story while opening up possibilities for many future adventures.I note that Salisbury is marketing this novel to the Young Adult audience - I'm not sure I agree with that.  There are no teen characters (the cubs and Adolphus are technically children, and the rest of the characters are adults) and there's no romance.  I would recommend this for Middle Grade readers (who will love Magnus, Adolphus, and Kelor), but there is quite a lot of violence in the novel, more than some parents will want for their ten-year-olds.  Personally, I would have been fine with my sons reading it when they were that age (and they both would have loved it!), but the blood and carnage may bother some parents.  Additionally, this is one of those rare novels that will appeal to young boys.  I do wish Salisbury had included a few female characters to help round things out (there is a female Shade Wolf cub, but she is not a central character - maybe in the next book?).Overall, great novel.  Any readers who like fantasy adventure will like this - I'm way past Young Adult age and I really enjoyed it.  It would also make a really good movie!  I highly recommend it.