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Karavans
Karavans Book 1 (Sword)

by Jennifer Roberson



      You don’t go walking in the woods if you happen upon Alisanos; this is a forest with the power to relocate itself periodically, and in its depths dwell demons. When the savage Hecari conquer the Sacorrans, all sorts of ordinary people are forced to leave their homes and join karavans going to other lands. Audrun, Davyn, and their four children are one group, but joining a karavan at the end of the season is not going to be easy. Their chosen one has a woman skilled in reading hands, but even stranger is Rhuan, one of the fabled Shoia, who has the power to be killed six times before he truly dies. They will need all the protection they can get, for Alisanos is on the move again...

Anybody who has ever enjoyed tales of pioneers, wagon trains and all the attendant thrills and hardships ought to like this one. The Hecari are even rather like the sort of "Indians" from old cowboy films, and there are plenty of snake oil salesmen, scouts and squabbles as well to add to the similarity. But this is a fantasy, and so you can also throw in magical beings, demons and a moving forest; although somehow it is the interaction between the characters that is remembered after the book is put aside. This is very much a story about people and their hopes, fears and grievances and if you are hoping for exciting adventures a la the D&D type of fantasy you had better go to a second hand bookshop. A pity, as this is a long book and could really do with a bit more excitement; as there is quite a bit of this right at the end maybe book two will race along, instead of going more at the speed of Audrun and Davyn’s two oxen. That aside, this is one of those books you can really get into and I certainly feel that I knew all the characters in it by the end, which is a boon, and I wanted to know more about them which is even better. Add a bit more action, slot in a map or two, and this will be a trilogy to remember.

The Book

Daw Books (Penguin Group)
April 2006
Hardback
0756401720
Fantasy
More at Amazon.com US || UK
Excerpt
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The Reviewer

Rachel A Hyde
Reviewed 2006
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© 2006 MyShelf.com