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A Fun and Original Fantasy!
One might be tempted to think a story where a character gets whisked away to a strange fantasy world would be full of trite fantasy plots. You'll find none of that here. No elves, no dwarfs, wizards, dragons. Instead, you get enchanters, young ones, seabirds, and various people set in a well-crafted world, deep in its own history and cultures. Just exploring this new world with Cara is its own reward as Sherry Thompson does a great job of putting the reader firmly into this new world with detail and descriptions that paint a picture, but don't get in the way of the story.
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But it doesn't stop there. While Lewis-like in its basic premise, the allegory, while there, is with a lighter touch. The Narentian god, Alpheus, is obviously an analogy to Jesus Christ. The character only appears at key moments and doesn't devolve into a deus ex machina solution to the dangers faced, a problem Lewis had in some of his Narnia novels. Nor would the secular reader feel they were preached at.
What you do have is a modern fantasy along the lines of Lewis, Tolkien, and Williams, but with Sherry Thompson's own stamp firmly on it, making it her story. Cara Marshall is pulled into this new world, where she goes from being the scared teenager, to reluctant hero, to finding in herself the ability to sacrifice her own desires for those of others. The character arc is well built and satisfying.
The writing is well done. It has a big of a choppy feel to it at times, but this is due to the character's thought patterns being on the fragmented side. Less than a handful of times I had to stop and think where she was going, but those were far and few in between, and didn't distract me. While you might spot a typo here and there, the grammar is clean, the writing in most cases clear, and the story well-told.
The story does get a little slow at the beginning as Cara fights her calling to save these people, but it quickly accelerates and the action grows intense. There is a good touch of humor and pathos to the story. Death is a reality, and Cara faces her own doubts and deals with them in multiple ways. The struggle feels real, and I found myself rooting for her.
This is an enjoyable read with an original story, a rich world, and a solid cast of characters, both the main character and the supporting cast. The story is great for young adults, even young teens, but will be appreciated by adults as well who enjoy a solid fantasy that isn't like everything else out there.
I recommend reading this book if you enjoy a good fantasy story. -
Seabird is a Model of Fantasy Lore
SEABIRD is a fantasy that follows well in the fantasy style of C. S. Lewis and J. R. R. Tolkien, embracing many of the key elements, yet doing so in its own unique way.
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The fight between good and evil is essential for this type of fantasy. Seabird has that conflict in abundance. Cara is pulled into the world of Narenta because of a need for the Good. Speaking of that pull, the Call is often an important part of a fantasy written from a Christian worldview. And that call goes out to someone that no one suspects is destined to do great things. Cara is not an obvious choice for a champion any more than David the shepherd. Yet the forces of Good in Narenta are all certain that she was called to help them in their hour of need.
As with Narnia and Middle Earth, there are various "people" besides the humans. Cara meets several "people" groups who are more or less on the side of Good, the most important being the
people of Alphesis, Seabirds who are the scholars and wisest of all Narentans. Yes, talking birds. This may sound like a rip off from Narnia, but it really isn't. On the Evil side,there are some really nasty werewrights ( I think it's a kind of reptilian thing if I understand correctly) and the daemagos--these are like evil sorcerers who can do incredibly ugly stuff, powered by supernatural evil.
Then there is the quest and the journey. Cara is the Outworlder called to help Narenta, but many others are involved along the way. There is a part in this quest that only Cara can play, but without the help of many who are committed to Alphesis, she would never live to complete the task. Unfortunately, some of her noble friends don't.
Beyond the actual story, I think I am drawn by the values that it upholds. That's another element in fantasies of this ilk, perhaps the most important for some of us. There is a higher power that the Good people of the land follow. Many people have compromised their values, giving in to temptations, selfishness, and the influences of the Evil forces. Those who remain true, however, will even die for their cause. Values like love, honesty, loyalty, faith, kindness, mercy, courage are all upheld. Cara herself doesn't possess most of them, but she learns from her experiences and from her comrades. Hopefully, readers will also learn and take note.
I thoroughly enjoyed Seabird, and I believe those who enjoy fantasies, young adult or old, will also enjoy it. There are certainly some creepy parts and battle scenes, but it isn't really gory. It isn't so much a happily-ever-after book, yet the ending should satisfy the reader. There is, however, room for sequels to finish the tale even though one segment does actually end with this novel. -
Anonymous
Posted May 27, 2008
A reviewer
The Pevensie children are no longer the only ones being pulled away from their lives on Earth in order to set things right in another world. Meet Cara, a typical self-centered and shallow teenager. After purchasing a unique seabird pendant, she finds herself suddenly pulled out of her own world and into Narenta, into a society where everything looks rather medieval and the people are expecting an outworlder to come to their aid. They are all convinced that Cara has been sent by Alphesis, their Lord, to perform a deed that only she can accomplish. Cara is convinced that it's a mistake, and the only thing she wants to do is go home. Unfortunately, the more she tries to run from this task and find a way home the more she becomes embroiled in the danger of the Tumult. Some very nasty Demons 'daemagos' are quite intent on killing her, no matter what her own intentions. This is an engaging tale of high fantasy, one that Young Adults in particular should enjoy right from the beginning. At times it is humorous when Cara tries to communicate using typical teenspeak in a world that doesn't get all the expressions and slang. But that is only a small element of this novel. It is brimming with action and adventure, lots of battle scenes, but also some brilliant scenes filled with the life-altering experiences that Cara undergoes internally. Themes of light and Living Water weave their way throughout the tale, as do honor and the Joy of Obedience. This will teach some lesson painlessly in fact, if you don't tell them there are any lessons, the teens won't see them coming! Characters have a great deal of personality, individual personalities so deep and unique that you'll feel like you really know them before the story is over. It's not all happily-ever-after and pie-in-the-sky either. I highly recommend it. If you're looking for some summer reading material, please consider this one.
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