Max Moyer

I received a free copy through Story Origin in exchange for an honest review.

The Last Shielder starts strong. The reader jumps into the middle of an intense action scene, which draws them into Zodak's world. "Hallah's eyes flashed at her husband. 'Leave it on the doorstep. Drop in in the river. I don't care! I want that thing out of this house.'" So begin Zodak's struggles growing up in a household where only his adoptive father wants him. Overall, the story continues in this vein. The novel is well written, with engaging characters and a compelling plot. The world is rich and detailed, with a variety of species and cultures.

Zodak's perspective is so thoroughly embodied by the author that the reader can only see what Zodak sees. "Beside the door stood a huge, grotesque statue...Carved rock muscles rippled across the statue's chest and arms. Broad shoulders sloped to a thick, square head. A gruesome face peered lifelessly through beady stone eyes." Thus, the reader is as surprised as Zodak when his expectations are not fulfilled. "Shwoop! The axe flashed down in front of the door...The statue stepped in front of the door...that, Zodak, was an obsidian rock giant." After reading this line, I flipped back to the description to find what I had missed, but the creature was to all appearances a mere statue until this surprise was revealed. Other, more noteworthy surprises also appear, but describing them would spoil the story.

The novel would be 4-5 stars if not for two poorly written sections, the first in chapter one, which made me want to give up on the novel. First, the minor characters Alana and Ergis, Zodak's adoptive siblings, are too old for the setting and for their actions. The novel appears to take place in a fantasy medieval realm, so all the children (Alana is almost 18) are too old for even an experimental school. The text acknowledges that Alana should have already aged out, but that doesn't solve the problem. In addition, Alana and Ergis's pranks are childish and undeserving of Zodak's fear. In contrast to more convincing bullies from novels with younger protagonists, Alana and Ergis merely reenact an embarrassing event between Zodak and his father; this does not lead to mocking from other students because Zodak is the only witness of the reenactment. Zodak should be able to casually brush off this childish display; that he cannot undermines him as a hero. Second, Zodak's step mother is too evil, and Zodak is too naive given his stated age. Hallah's impending betrayal is obvious to the reader from the moment she hears Zodak's news, but he doesn't realize he has been betrayed until hours after the event. Alana, Ergis, and Hallah are minor characters whose main function is as obstacles for Zodak to overcome. But they are so two dimensional that they make for only a minor challenge. While a determined reader can see past these shortcomings to enjoy the rest of the novel, other readers may give up on these simple villains before they have the opportunity to enjoy the complexity of Zodak's story. Since I am reading a pre-publication copy of the novel, I recommend that the author improve these characters to match the quality of the rest of the novel.… (mer)