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Thursday, March 9, 2017

Shards of History: A Riveting Fantasy with a Fearless Heroine and Intriguing World-Building

Shards of History (Shards of History, #1)Shards of History by Rebecca Roland
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Year read: 2015

Regarding world-building, Rebecca has done it beautifully in Shards of History. She eschews most fantasy novels' traditional Medieval Europe angle for a decidedly American Indian one. Malia is a strong heroine who must make perilous choices that fly in the face of generations of history to save her people. In Malia's world, gender roles are somewhat reversed. I say “somewhat” because the men are still the hunters and warriors, but the women are the leaders, and the men must show them full respect and deference. Malia's mother is the Clan Mother, and Malia is training to take her place.

To save her people, Malia must overcome countless obstacles, the biggest being her own people’s prejudice and fear of the creatures protecting them from grave danger. The Taakwa are so fearful of the Jegudun that anyone caught sympathizing with the winged creatures is exiled from the villages. The twist on why the Taakwa fear the Jeguden is brilliant and creates an incredibly nuanced layer to the story that Rebecca weaves magnificently. Malia must navigate generations of fear, a deranged husband, forest fires, potential exile, and her own sometimes faltering self-confidence to save her people. Ultimately, she trusts her instinct and heart, and neither leads her astray.

One interesting facet of the novel is that we hear not only Malia’s perspective but also Kushtrim’s, the leader of the Maddions (those are the bad guys), and Rasmus’s, an exile who aids Malia. Kushtrim almost becomes a sympathetic character. We rarely get to see both points of view in a struggle of opposing sides like this. When we do, the tactic often paints the bad guy as even worse than we could learn from the hero or heroine’s perspective. Still, Kushtrim’s troubles are painted with an empathetic brush. While I won’t say you’ll root for him, you definitely will find sympathy in your heart for his plight.

As with all fantasy, the author can add magic, mystery, and unusual beings to create their world. Shards of History has quite a few new and different twists that will delight and surprise many fantasy readers. However, Malia's tenacity and struggles are authentic and approachable, even for the non-fantasy reader. And for thrill seekers, be prepared to not put the book down by about two-thirds of the way through because it does not let up once the climactic action starts. It will keep you reading a little more, just a little more, just a little more - don't start it after midnight if you have an early day the next morning.

There is some language and some graphic depictions of violence. There are a few minor sexual references, and the “bad guys,” the Maddions, are not respectful of women at all. I would let my fantasy-loving 12-year-old read this book if you need an age reference. I wholeheartedly recommend this book to anyone who loves fantasy and enjoys a strong heroine.


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