Review: Enchanting and enthralling
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 09 22, 2013
Peter, Enchantment and Stardust is the follow-up to the excellent Peter: A Darkened Fairytale, taking a poetic look at the magical world created by Mr. O'Brien. It is broken into segments to provide the reader with guidance, unfolding much the same as the novel before it.To highlight a  few of the many quality poems here, a particular favorite was Zombie Queen. The opening lines "Full of scabs and rotting flesh/Stench like sick from the nest," paints a vivid picture in the reader's mind, setting a course for where the rest of the prose will go. It is vivid, solid imagery that invokes all the senses.Another is Quengorn, which for those that read Peter should be a welcome reminder of a favourite character. Here, a line that really jumps off the page is "Feel my claws squeeze into your back/It's all over... take a nap," putting the reader on the receiving end of a majestic bird of prey. It is evocative storytelling at its finest, done with a bare minimum of words.A final one that definitely needs mentioning is The Gift. The line "Boys and girls with new beginnings/Innocence blessed, never sinning" speaks to deep-rooted sense of lessons learned and hope for the future. It is inspiring and uplifting, the kind of poem that although is found in the middle of the work, could easily be the closing number.All in all, this is another excellent work in the world of Peter by Mr. O'Brien. The style of the poetry is free-flowing and lends itself to easy reading, propelling the narrative forward. The word choice throughout is outstanding, as is the imagery. Will be enjoyed by readers of all varieties.