Review: "Best Laid Plans"...the saga of Deacon Shader and Ernst Cadman continues...4 1/2  Stars
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 10 17, 2011
"Best Laid Plans" is the second in the 'Shader' series by author Derek Prior. This is a Kindle e-book that is a 659 Kb download and is priced at $3.99.SPOILER (general theme...no specific details revealed)Events in Sahul continue to spiral out of control as many people (both good and evil) try to get their hands on all 5 magical pieces of the Eingana statue. The story centers around our hero Deacon Shader who goes from being dead, to being resurrected...allowing him to continue to try to save the world from the tyrantical despot Sektis Gandaw.END SPOILERPros:1.) this intriguing tale of Deacon Shader and Ernst Cadman and their ongoing conflict with Sektis Gandaw continues.2.) I really liked the two opposing main protagonists, Deacon Shader and Ernst Cadman...the author takes the time to show the reader their inner thoughts and concerns. Resulting in glimpses of their personal fears, hopes, insecurities and even on occasion, some subtle humor. In addition, there were some very interesting other characters as well, each with their own special 'traits'.3.) prominent characters can be hurt of killed...adding an element of realism of this story. To me, nothing worse than a tale where the good guys are 'untouchable'.4.) lots of action...not much down time (see Cons: 1 below)5.) two decent maps...one global and one focused on Sahul (Australia)6.) attractive, if not somewhat unusual cover art...in keeping with that of the first book, 'Cadman's Gambit'.The Cons:1.) one of the topics at the beginning of this book dealt with the accounting of Shader's resurrection...it was an area that I felt was a little slow and dragged out.2.) if I had any complaint it would be that the ending of the book seemed almost too 'busy'...a whirlwind showdown that includes so many individuals and so many groups in several different places. It seemed to lose some of that individual focus, that unique personal touch that lent such a strong influence on character and story development in the rest of the book. I almost felt like I was watching a movie that suddenly sped up to 2x times normal speed when all I really wanted was to continue to enjoy the acting and savor any special moments. Obviously a personal, subjective opinion...other readers may feel the complete opposite.Conclusion:A worthy follow-up to "Cadman's Gambit". So good in so many ways!Derek Prior is a talented writer and great story teller...he has the skill to both describe the surroundings and details of this interesting world and at the same time develop several intriguing characters that have real depth.I found the overall pace of the ending somewhat rushed and hurried.Would I recommend this book...yes.Will I read the next installment...absolutely.4 1/2 Stars.Ray Nicholson