Review: A beautiful book from its cover to the end.
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 10 18, 2011
Treespeakeris a beautiful book from its cover to the end.Stewart has woven an allegorical tale of faith. Faith in an omniscient force, faith in life and faith in oneself.And what a tale it is. The book has all the elements that make a story inviting. The characters are engaging and flawed, the plot intricate and original throughout, the settings fully realized, the writing good.The author states somewhere that the book is not about good vs. evil and it is not. It is more a story about a conflicted human who is presented with overwhelming challenges, one of which is a man who engages in evil. He questions his faith, but finds the strength to fight the good fight of life and re-birth.Along the way, the reader is taken into a world most enchanting. Jakan, our hero, is a type of Shaman who loses some of his supernatural gifts just as a powerful sorcerer arrives to threaten his village. In order to defeat this evildoer he must leave his beloved and safe forest and seek out a stranger he met many years before. The road is full of strange and dangerous occurrences, and peopled with strange and wonderful creatures.I have not read much Fantasy, so I cannot say if it would appeal to those who do, but I can say it is skilfully written and delightful. If this book is indicative of Fantasy I can see myself reading more in the same genre. I will certainly watch for future books from this author.The ending has a wonderful, imaginative twist the reader could never have foreseen...4 stars.