Allon by Shawn Lamb

The land of Allon was a paradise until the fall of the Guardians paved the way for the rise of the Dark Way. Evil King Marcellus now controls the land as his forefathers did, with an iron fist and the help of the evil spirit, Dagar. But an ancient prophecy speaks of a time to come when the Guardians will return and Allon will be restored—lead by its rightful heir. All the while, the exiled teenage Promised Prince, Ellis, must prove himself worthy to be king through a series of supernatural trials that test his character, wisdom, courage, and his heart. The first in the Allon series, this magical tale of adventure, destiny, and faith will test the reader’s strength and awaken their spirit of adventure

This book presents a very unique challenge, it has a European influence. In no way is this an absolute negative, it is just something to think about personally. American influence is often in my mind referred to as ‘the easy format’ because American writers often shift the focus away from the actual background of the character to the plot or action (or what’s just happening at that moment.) An American mind might have the opinion that European influence has a shift on the characters,that’s false. European influence (these are not professional terms or accounts, just something that I have recognized in reading) doesn’t have a shift at all. It concentrates heavily on both the plot and the characters. Sometimes, we may think that it is excess complication. That is also false. Were the problem really is, is in the brain. I’m not sure what it is exactly, but if I were to guess, I would say it is the culture and society (or lack thereof), we simply concentrate on the situation too much and not the people themselves. Now, you may already know: Shawn Lamb is American! I find this to be really intriguing. I did notice in the book, that it is not constantly in ‘European mode.’ Often, the chapters with the most dialogue, are more to the American style. Which means: you can really use this book to adjust to the European style, before you go on to books entirely written in that way (such as ‘The Princess Plot’ by Kirsten Boie.)

Bottom line: This may not be for beginning readers, but there really is no negative to this book. Plus, I like to challenge my stubborn American mind to read a different style. Don’t get frustrated, try it again if you don’t get it, brains are stubborn objects. One huge positive: NO CUSSING!
Food for thought: Maybe this is the reason why a lot of Americans find things like Shakespeare difficult to read. What do you think? Need more encouragement?
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