Title: Samuil and the Legendary Snow Owl
Author: Randall Stephens
Publisher: Ink Start Media
ISBN: 978-1685470975
Pages: 322
Genre: Fiction / Teen & Young Adult
Reviewed by: Christina Avina
Pacific Book Review
There often comes a point in time where, for one reason or another, a person will feel a call. A call that speaks to a sense of destiny, taking them in new directions to fulfill some momentous role they were meant to be. Whether or not that destiny is one which has been predetermined, or one chosen and worked at through years and years of training, destiny can be the call that comes for anyone at any time.
In author Randall Stephens’s Samuil and the Legendary Snow Owl, destiny takes an all new meaning through the life of Samuil, a young man who has been hunted by deadly shadow creatures from the moment of his birth. Living near the edge of the haunted Southern Forest, Samuil seeks peace within the forest, communing with the animals there often. However, as time goes on, the shadow creatures escalate their attacks, and befriends a time traveling wizard, an old hound named Wolf Killer, and the legendary Snow Owl. Combining their powers, the group must face a terrifying evil and fight in a cosmic battle which will force them to claim the powerful destiny awaiting them.
The author does such an incredible job of world-building in this novel. The balance the author was able to strike between historical fiction and fantasy storytelling was incredibly prominent in the narrative, as readers were treated to a look at 19th century Russia in the years following war. Yet the way the author was able to infuse mythology and fantasy elements into the story, and the depth of character development that followed as readers discovered this small knit family and the amazing group of warriors the protagonist would befriend as they faced this cosmic force was so engrossing and powerful to read.
This is the perfect read for those who enjoy young adult novels, especially those that enjoy young adult fantasy driven narratives with a historical fiction twist. The action and the detail the author put into building these incredible settings, from the haunted yet enchanting forest to the final battle scene on Devil’s Island and more, allows the readers to immerse into this book almost as if a cinematic fight scene were playing out in the readers’ minds. The beautiful imagery in the author’s writing style and the compelling story which drew this reader in further and further, and kept me engaged until the final cliffhanger ending, makes me eager to gain more from this new historical fantasy series.
