Title: The Young
Author: Nicholas John Powter
Publisher: Balboa Press AU
ISBN: 978-1504321648
Pages: 128
Genre: Fantasy
Reviewed by: Christina Avina
Pacific Book Review
Far too often we see the same repetitive tropes in the Fantasy novel realm, but every now and then a book is so imaginative and different from those written before them, that it truly takes you on a whirlwind journey into this new world the author has created for their audience. That is precisely the case when it comes to The Young by author Nicholas John Powter. From the very first scene, we see an incredibly evil beast slain and it is used as a way for the first protagonist of this tale — the father — to teach his son a valuable lesson. And just like a snap of a finger, you’re hooked.
The plot of this story centers around said father and son who must go to great lengths to stop the religious cult threatening to take the power of the moon gods and simultaneously destroy the sun gods, so they can propel the world as they know it into a world of darkness and subsequent “sorrow.” This action-packed and fast-paced tale about this father and son’s harrowing journey is incredibly detailed and the imagery is so vivid you feel as though you are in the same world with our two heroic protagonists. All throughout this story, there are also evil creatures which the father and son encounter during their journey. Each and every one of them is detailed in a way that makes you truly picture the exact intended image the author depicted before us.
The dangers these two face will certainly leave the audience on the edge of their seats, and any Fantasy genre fan will appreciate the many fantastical elements brought into this world. The author shows talent in the way the book weaves these Fantasy elements with powerful themes of love and loss, faith, and devastation left in the wake of violence. More than anything, though, I was impressed by the unique storyline presented to us by this author and I appreciated the attention to detail all throughout the storytelling process of this novel.
Aside from the incredible nature of this new world we were drawn into, it was also amazing to see the relationship unfold between father and son and read along as this father taught his son many important life lessons throughout the course of their journey to defeat the evil religious cult. All in all, this is a very engaging tale that I would highly recommend to any and all Fantasy genre aficionados.
