Review: A magical fantasy tale of love, survival, and finding the middle way
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 06 7, 2014
Call Off the Search – ReviewI love animals, and I am a vegetarian, which is why the blurb and teasers for "Call off the Search" by Natasja Hellenthal caught my interest. I’m glad I got the chance to read it because it goes farther than most fantasy novels, and it made me think and question a lot.The story sounds straight-forward enough: Sula, the last of the Comyenti on planet Bhan, is trying to survive among people, who have slaughtered her race brutally in the past because they have the ability to change into animals – and let’s not forget their pointy ears, high intelligence and love for nature. She has promised her mother to search near and far for another of her kind and keep their race alive – but fate has something else in store for her. She meets the human Felix and falls in love with him. Just when the two have brought a beautiful daughter into the world and are happily married, Shazar finds her. He is also a Comyenti and striving to fulfill the same daring mission (as well as hiding a dark secret connected to the boy Twello and to the tragic priestess Ashanna).What I loved most about "Call Off The Search" is the battle between two extremes, and the struggle to find a middle way that benefits all. Isn’t this what life is about? Can’t you see the Comyenti as a substitute for all the ethnic groups and minorities and people who dare to be different, and are therefore harassed and oppressed by society? And isn’t it proof that there is no one right and wrong, but a lot of partly-wrong and partly-right? The author weaves a tale full of emotions, moral lessons, personal struggle and higher values.Sula as a heroine is a wonderful choice. She is strong and stubborn, but she doesn’t make hasty decisions or let herself depend too much on others. I loved her transition from reluctance to all lovey-dovey to realistic and emotional. The choice she has to face between her own good and the greater good, between love and attraction, between her heart and her conscience, is anything but easy. Throw in the fact that she is also drawn to the human Feline, her girlfriend, whose role in the plot is much more than the reader initially suspects.Of course, to me is was a plus point that Sula is vegan, and that Felix and his people are portrayed as nature-loving. It was magical to read about the Mindmerge and the Heartmerge, and to watch the main protagonist transform into various animals.Hellenthal pulls you right in with the powerful, heart-wrenching first chapter, and develops a story arc that is filled with tension and wisdom, romance and magic alike.Be warned: This book ends on a magnificent cliffhanger and makes you want to get your fingers on the sequel "Children of the Sun".I can’t wait to see where the author will lead the characters, because all of them are so authentic and full of potential.Disclaimer: I received a free copy for review purposes.