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Oyarsa's Observances

This blog is created for my random thoughts and opinions. Conflicting opinions are always welcome, but comments or remarks left in a disrespectful or distasteful manner (to be determined by myself) will be either ignored or deleted. This blog has a zero-tolerance policy for spammers. Don't waste your time, spammers, go elsewhere.

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"Oyarsa" for those who don't know, is the name of an archangel (or "god" with a little 'g') in C. S. Lewis's Space Trilogy. I liked the character, so I stole the name. Who am I? I am a library science student in Illinois who has a variety of interests--too many to list! I have worked in libraries for five years and counting.

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Wednesday, September 21, 2005

"Beyond the Summerland" Review

"Beyond the Summerland"
Binding of the Blade Series: Book 1
L. B. Graham
ISBN: 0-87552-720-5




What Critics Have Said....

"A staggering accomplishment. The vibrancy and scope of L. B. Graham's world-builing deserves highest praise. Add in well-rounded and memorable characters, thematic richness, and high adventure, and you have an unbeatable forumula for success. Ranks right up there with Tolkien and Lawhead as among the best Christian novels of the fantastic ever written"

--Jan P. Dennis, discoverer of Frank Peretti, Stephen R. Lawhead, and Ted Dekker

(more critic reviews can be read by looking at the back cover of the image on Amazon.com)

Beyond the Summerland

It was with some skepticism that I picked up the book. Many fantasy books claim to be in the same venue or spirit as Tolkien's work, and few of these can make that boast legitimately. Beyond the Summerland is one such work.

In a world as rich as Tolkien's Middle Earth, the reader is greeted (after an establishing prologue) to experience the life of a young man named Joraiem; a man with loves, hopes, and dreams who is called away from his village to make a pilgrimage expected of all young Novanna (the young nobles of Beyond the Summerland) between 18-25.

He is joined in this by a host of other characters: Alijeron and his battle brother, the tiger Koshti; Rulalin, a Novanna in love with Wylla, the beautiful princess of the Summerland; as well as the blind, elderly wizard Valzaan. Together, our band of heroes must use their unique talents and abilities to discover and thwart the plans of Malek, the evil overlord, if you will, of Graham's world. To do this, each character must not only battle the monsters and evils Malek sends out against them, but also their own inner demons---Joraiem, for instance, has to come to terms with his gift from Allfather, the God of Graham's series.

The writing and character development is altogether seemless, though occasionally, the author grows a bit careless in the dialogue; this is, at worst, only a minor annoyance.

In summary, Beyond the Summerland is an excellent read that Christian fantasy (and even secular fantasy) fans will likely enjoy.

Don't have the money to buy it or want to read it before deciding to purchase it? Email me and give me the state/country you live in and I will find out what libraries in your state have it for you.

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