Book Review: Shadow’s Son (Shadow Saga #1) by Jon Sprunk
(Three Stars)
“It is not the Night We Fear,/ But the Gathering Shadows Beyond our Ken.”
Good, if pedestrian epic fantasy. Another bad guy who isn’t, good guys who aren’t, orphan who is (oops, spoiler) …. You get the idea. You’re read dozens of them. Gave Sprunk an extra star for clean storytelling and a satisfying conclusion.
“He hated admitting she was right, but he’d probably hate dying even more.”
Uncomfortably numerous parallels to Michael J. Sullivan’s Riyria Revelations. Not quite plagiarism, but not as good either.
“There’s always someone looking for trouble. You try to avoid it when you can, but—” “But sometimes it finds you anyway.”
Non sequiturs: “a charcoal etching of a lighthouse” Charcoal etching? “You’re good with your hands. You could lead men.” Does not follow. “the crackle of blazing pinewood logs” (Who heats a palace with softwood?)
“We don’t cry for them, Caim. We cry for ourselves.”
As a Matter of Fancy 