Bone Walk by Kevin
Howe
The Journey of Thomas Shepard
Firelight
Publishing, Inc. - November 30, 2001
ISBN: 0970720629 - Paperback
Fantasy, for violence
Reviewed by Jo Rogers,
MyShelf.com
Thomas Shepard had been
High Lord Jeremy Raven's bean counter for thirteen years, and he was relatively
contented. He had been brought to the warehouse by Varden, counsel to
Lord Raven, when it was seen that he was much too small for farm work.
But he did have an incredible ability with numbers, and was intelligent
enough to outsmart those who tried to cheat Lord Raven in taxes. This
ability was also the reason Varden sent him on a mission he would never
forget.
Varden wanted Thomas
to be an envoy through the Western Wood, a huge forest near Eden village.
Rich jewelry, clothing and other items were coming from beyond that wood,
and Varden wanted to find the artisans that produced them, especially
the books. Varden told Thomas and his fellow travelers, a soldier, Jack
Sullivan, and a valet, Scrad, that three previous envoys and their escorts
had died or gone mad in that wood, and the two who lived to come back
had committed suicide. He told them he didn't know why they had not survived,
and he gave them one final warning -- "Beware of the Bone Eaters."
BONE WALK is a medieval
adventure in a world ruled as much by magic and myth as by science. The
characters are real to the reader. Thomas Shepard especially stands out
as we see an uncertain dwarf, thrown into an unaccustomed role as leader
and envoy, reach down into himself and find strength and intelligence
he never knew he possessed. The ending is not decisive, and leaves room
for a sequel this reviewer would love to read.
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