Wednesday, September 17, 2008

Great Book!

A week or two ago, an author e-mailed me having found this blog and seen that I liked to read fiction. Mr. Andrew Clarke suggested I read his book Outcasts of Skagaray. I messaged my mother to please order this book off of amazon.com. I got it in the mail a few days ago.

I have to say, it's a splendid read. I loved it!

The people on the island of Skagar value strength and prowess in battle above all else. They believe that all things weak and small should be eradicated. It's a gruesome picture that Mr. Clarke paints, but in the middle of it all, young Tarran knows that what he's been taught all his life is very, very wrong. Through certain events, Tarran is forced to make the choice of becoming a respected Skagar warrior, or an Outcast in order to do the right thing. He chooses to leave his family and people to fend for himself.
On the Island of Skagar, there seems to be a bleak hopelessness for the weak, handicapped, or sickly. But through that and the great evil of the Kirkil that hangs over the Island, there comes a glimmer of purity and hope from a boy willing to do what's right, a band of so-called 'weak' Outcasts, and a messenger from the True God.

Andrew Clarke incorporated God into an exciting, gripping story without ever once mentioning God or Jesus. His main character, Tarran, was so very appealing because he was, indeed, an Outcast- so many of us young people can relate to that.
I loved the scenes he set with the evil on the Island completely overtaking those people and twisting their views into something totally opposite from what we think today. He did such a good job of portraying the demonic-ness of the Kirkil. And then he gave the most perfect portrayal of totally drowning him in the will of the One True God.
This book had everything: romance, danger, doubt, faith, suspense, and excitement. And it was all in perfect balance, so that no one thing drowned out the powerful message of the words.
This is definitely a book I recommend to all my friends, or to anyone who just wants a good read with a strong meaning in the words.

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