Review: A Good Fantasy Novel With Much Human Interest
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 06 4, 2014
The best fantasy fiction creatively develops a new world oralternate reality that adheres, sometimes in even obscure ways, to our planet and human development. I believe Bowman has achieved this masterfully in Shoken Wars. A creative world drawn from good and evil with excellent presentation of human issues wrapped up in wonderful characters and groups of conflicting societies that fight to the death in delightfully strange and mysterious ways, which is a credit to the author's imagination and storytelling skills.The research in medical afflictions in the medieval royalty of earth--namely hemophilia, which sprung from the too close familial inbreeding of Spanish royalty in Europe, is presented well in this fantasy with shades of our own history. The mystic healing of the River child, Orrld, as well as no shame and sweet affection in the gay feelings of the King, reciprocal in his star-crossed, would-be lover, the River boy healer is beautifully written with deep and sincere emotions, demonstrating the ability of all societies to find human traits that unite rather than divide.The antagonistic evil group of the Sturgar is well created in their total disregard for quasi human/shoken life with reptilian repulsion; yet, their mastermind intelligence and advanced technology makes them, even in small numbers, a formidable foe.I liked the twists and turns as well as the unresolved secrets of the plot with humanistic issues that relate so well to the reader based on our own societal pressures and upheaval. It puts me a little in mind of the true master of great fantasy worlds writer George R. R. Martin, where his writings could be related to his masterfully created 7 kingdoms that show the growth, development and uprisings of earthly political and humanistic frailties. Bowman wasn't as quick to kill off her role model characters as Martin, but the series, should the author continue in that vein, is still young.A good book for fans of fantasy worlds. I would have rated it higher, based on its strength of writing style--beautifully done--and attention to detail if the fighting/warrior scenes weren't so overdone and videogame quality. A good writer with expert skills caught in a redundant scenario that does appeal to a broad spectrum of readers, just not me.Overall I must sing high praises for DJ Bowman's fantasy novel. It is definitely worth the read. The first 6 or 7 chapters throw a lot of characters at you in rapid-fire succession, but then they pull together in joint ventures that evens out the pace and pulls it all together nicely.Well done and a tribute to Bowman's writing creativity and beautifully descriptive prose. Well worth the read as I hope she continues with her greatly imagined new world in sequels.