Classic Fantasy

Reviewed by Phee Paradise

Allon
By Shawn Lamb

The kingdom of Allon is ruled by a usurper who is leaning toward the Dark Way. The followers of Jor’el, the creator of Allon, are being silenced. The true king has been hidden from birth in a noble family and has just learned his identity. And the immortal Guardians are emerging to battle their evil counterparts. Allon has all the classic elements of an epic fantasy, but with a fresh enough approach to make it a good story.

Unfortunately, it’s not told very well. Lamb made a lot of amateur writing mistakes and I had a hard time reading the book to the end. The story and setting are complex, but the transitions were awkward or non-existent; I was never sure how each event fit into the overall picture. The characters were real enough, but there were so many of them, it was hard to keep track of them. They popped in and out of the action too quickly for me to get to know them. But I did know what they looked like because each time Lamb introduced a new character, she gave a full description of his or her looks and what they were wearing.

In spite of these, and other mistakes, I enjoyed the end of the book. I had finally sorted out the characters and the events of the story were absorbing and unpredictable. I even came to care about what happened to the people of Allon. Jor’el as the source of goodness, was central to the story, but was only present in a spiritual way. On the other hand, Dagar, the source of evil was all too present. The theme of good versus evil came through strongly and it wasn’t at all certain that good would win.

Pros: A good fantasy story with kings, romance, supernatural beings and battles of good versus evil.

Cons: Poorly written and confusing.