Beyond the Gloesmur Book Review
FANTASY FUN
Kathleen Deisher surely has an imagination. Just think, a
story with flying horses that talk, some misshapen creatures who serve the evil
Shed, a fox that seems to understand people and communicates by its actions, a
spoiled princess, a couple of kings, a lord, a prince, and a stable boy and a
variety of other characters. The setting is an alternative world with people who
are normal humans along with a mix of some other folk and creatures. The
Gloesmur itself is a mirror-like dividing wall between Glenora, the home of the
spoiled princess, and the land beyond the Gloesmur.
It is the classic story of good versus evil, a mad king who
is the tool of Shed, the seeming source of evil and the enemy of Iyashu, who is
love itself. The mad king, Sildark, has it in mind to first conquer all the
lands north of the Gloesmur and then go through the barrier and take over the
rest of the world. He has read the old prophecies and found an item which he
thinks will give him victory if it is handled in the right way. At the beginning
of the book, things are going his way, and the good folks are gearing up for the
conflict.
The spoiled princess, Jondalyn, is recruited to help foil
this evil plan although she is rather clueless to begin with. As time goes on,
she matures through a series of adventures and loses her selfish ways, which is
nice and uplifting and comes about rather naturally through the course of the
book. She and Talimar, the stable boy, are key players for the good guys along
with a couple of flying horses, Aeroan and Chayiym. Thankfully the author
provides a pronouncing glossary and gazetteer at the back of the book for these
different names. Right in the front of the book, the author has a map of the
lands beyond the Gloesmur. This allows you to keep track of where the action is
taking place. Both are handy, and you will refer to them when you read the book.
Mrs. Deisher illustrates her own work, and her pen and ink drawings are a nice
addition, especially the maps.
The story flows along rather nicely. There are no real dead
spots. In the beginning the author tells about the two main characters and
explains their actions a bit overmuch in my opinion, but that soon gives way to
a smoother style once the basic characteristics are established. Jondalyn and
Talimar have their difficulties relating to one another many times although it
is obvious they do have some affection for each other. One character I
particularly liked was Nimreu; he doesn’t stand for foolishness and is a great
addition with his knowledge and skills to the group as they go about their
adventure.
The plot has its twists and turns with some unexpected
events. That always makes for good reading. The surprises are woven in nicely
and ultimately explained by future events or in couple of cases by some
characters telling others about what went on and why. Those explanations occur
naturally and don’t really interrupt the story. The story reminds me of the
journey from innocence through experience to maturity. Jondalyn grows up along
the way much as Tom Jones did in Fielding’s old novel about a boy becoming a
man. It is a well used formula, and it fits this book well.
Who should read this book? Anyone who likes a fantasy setting
mixed with adventure and action, some growth in the main characters, a bit of a
love story hinted at, and good subduing evil for the time being. The combination
works in this one. Yes, there is a sequel, The Princess of Kafar, but I’ve yet
to read it. Enjoy!
*Frode Jensen, the author of
Format Writing, Jensen's Punctuation, Journey to Grammarland, and more, was one
of the first to write English curriculum for homeschoolers. Mr. Jensen has
an informative website that you can visit for more information about his
curriculum and teaching English in homeschools, Christian schools, and private
schools.
Wordsmiths
Related Pages at Lamp Post Homeschool
Store
Wordsmiths English You can also
learn more about Frode Jensen's curriculum at Lamp Post Homeschool Store.
Beyond the Gloesmur, a juvenile fantasy adventure book
Beyond the Gloesmur Review
See the review from The Old Schoolhouse Magazine!
BookLoons Reviews - Beyond the Gloesmur
Cover Illustration copyright © 2002-2008 Kathleen E. Deisher.
All rights reserved.
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