Blog Tour: Review & Giveaway – The Rise of the Red Shadow by Joseph Lallo
Book Crushin is grateful to be working with Pure Textuality Public Relations to bring you this amazing blog tour stop for Joseph Lallo’s The Rise of the Red Shadow. Today you will see some book information, a spoiler-free review & a giveaway!
The Rise of the Red Shadow (The Book of Deacon Trilogy Prequel #0.5) by Joseph R. Lallo
Category: Young Adult, Fantasy
Publication: July 30, 2013; Independent
Synopsis: Goodreads
Purchase: Amazon
[book rating=4.0/5.0]
Every story must begin somewhere. For the warrior who would come to be known as the fearsome Red Shadow, the story began in a forgotten glade deep in the land of Tressor. It was there that a pair of trackers, eager to retrieve a lost slave, instead found an orphaned malthrope. Had it been a human, it might have been treated with compassion, but in the eyes of human society a malthrope was a monster, a mix of fox and man believed to be a murderer and thief by its very nature. The beast was to be sold for a handful of silver, but fate intervened in the form of an old blind slave named Ben. Under the learned hand of the one human who believed in his potential, the young malthrope would instead be given the wisdom to take his first steps on the long journey to his destiny.
The Rise of the Red Shadow chronicles the early life of one of the most mysterious figures of the Book of Deacon trilogy, the creature called Lain. It tells of his years working and learning on a Tresson plantation until a dark day of vengeance and bloodshed finally set him free. From there you will follow as he finds his place in the world, learning what it is to be a malthrope, and turning to the purpose that will guide him for the rest of his days. It is a story of love, hate, and lessons hard-learned, revealing the painful choices one must make to become the hero the world needs.
Spoiler-Free Review:
The Rise of the Red Shadow is an epic fantasy. The world and character creation is thorough, deep and vivid. I felt like I was living on the plantation with these slaves. I felt sympathy and curiosity as I read along and was taken on this coming of life journey.
I really connected with Ben and the Red Shadow. Ben is very wise and every decision he makes was done for the betterment of others, especially for the malthrope. This type of selflessness is so powerful that it is this lesson that leads Lain in his second half of his life.
I have not read The Book of Deacon trilogy that this is the prequel for, but was not a single bit lost in this story. If you haven’t read the trilogy yet (links below) I would say reading this first is not going to ruin anything but is a good place to start even though it was not released in that manner.
I am a fan of this genre and enjoy the way a good epic fantasy is written, but those who are not into fantasy books, might be taken aback with all the details and wordiness. I however, think those things are necessary when creating a world that is different than what our brains can comprehend in comparison to actual history. This book is good for young adults and adults alike. There is some harsh themes that are associated with slavery and murder but it also has some really good life building lessons as well.
Giveaway:
Author Bio: Joseph R. Lallo
Joseph Lallo, though having written several novels, is slow to consider himself an author. Educated at NJIT, where he earned a Master’s Degree in Computer Engineering, the world of Information Technology is where most of his bills are paid. When not crunching numbers, he owns and operates BrainLazy.com along with two friends. There he posts random rants and editorials regarding the world of humor, entertainment, and technology. He makes his home in Bayonne, NJ, where he has lived all of his life. His novels and short stories are available via Smashwords.
Author Links:
Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads
Book Series Links:
The Book of Deacon (Book #1)
The Great Convergence (The Book of Deacon #2)
The Battle of Verril (The Book of Deacon #3)
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