Review: Compelling story of love and war, descriptive and complex
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 03 22, 2014
This is Book 1 of the Shoken Wars series, and I'm ashamed to admit this is the first fantasy novel I have ever read. I really enjoyed Fragile Peace, despite my lack of familiarity with the genre, particularly appreciating the complexity of the different societies, how they preserved and modified their traditions and practices when necessary and that the use of violence is reserved for a specific purpose.DJ Bowman-Smith clearly has a deep understanding of and admiration for horses, and this nobility is also applied to her other characters. I found the diversity of "peoples" and the compassion showed for each other compelling, and it was easy to identify with the motivations of each character, even those bent on evil.The language used in this novel is evocative and poetic, and descriptions of scenery, clothing and food brought the story further to life for me. I liked the magical use of the word "turn" to represent days passing. Perfectly poised for the next instalment, some plot items are neatly concluded but with the promise of more, with a few leaving me hanging! I can't wait for Book 2 to find out what happens when the King finds out about the baby who bears his likeness!While reading this novel, I found myself constantly reminded of the beautiful line from "Matthew" by Janis Ian:'It's not who you love, but whether you canThat makes a man a man.'And I'm absolutely selling my house and moving to the River!