Review of Korian
Posted: 25 Aug 2021, 04:20
[Following is a volunteer review of "Korian" by Giorgio Garofalo.]
The story Korian by Giorgio Garofalo takes place in the mythical world of Endura, a planet filled with lush landscapes and curious creatures that are incapable of hatred or wrath. But this harmonious world with its peaceful creatures face a threat of extinction when an evil entity seeks to eradicate them all for his own twisted pleasure. Survivors are forced to hide away from plain sight in a sanctuary known as the Den, an underground space devoid of sunlight and fresh air. Their hope for a better life lies on the shoulders of a prophesied Gatekeeper, also known as the Azura.
The story follows several points of view, the main ones including three strong boys - Korian, Will and Doric. Each of them embarks on their own personal adventure and struggles with different sets of challenges along the way. The boys are guided by a wise sorcerer, Crogan, who orchestrates the will of the gods. Together, they must overcome the evil forces that threaten their very existence by bringing hope to the people of Endura to fight for their old lives back.
From the start till the end, one of the best qualities of this book is the superb writing. Every creature and scene is described in a way that paints a clear picture in my mind. This turns the intensive battles that the characters go through into an immersive and realistic experience that has me at the edge of my seat. The excellent writing is also demonstrated through the dialogues which flow smoothly and can be emotionally moving at times. However, there are instances when the dialogues are far too descriptive to be realistic, but this can be excused as the way the characters in the story talk in general.
In terms of the negatives, I would have to comment on the traditional plot that has been done far too frequently to be unique. There is nothing inherently wrong with a ‘chosen one’ trope, but it does become disappointing when the ‘chosen one’ character lacks any distinctive attributes or quirks that can give him any depth. This is paired with the unimaginative villains of the story who is evil just because they want to be. There is no clear end goal for any of the antagonists introduced other than wrecking havoc for fun. But what do they plan to do after they kill every being on Endura? It is hinted that they would become powerful rulers, but with everyone dead, what is the point of becoming a King? Questions like these were not explored in the story.
A glaring aspect that I want to mention is that even though there are a lot of characters in this story, there are only two female characters who primarily act as visually pleasing plot devices to motivate the men. I do not think that the author intentionally planned this uneven ratio of male and female characters, but it does become frustrating when the women primarily serve as an extension character for the men. I would not completely consider this element in the book as a negative, just a mild turn-off as someone who appreciates gender inclusivity.
With all these things considered, I would rate this book a 3 out of 4 stars. The reason behind this rather high rating is because it is apparent that the author has poured in a lot of effort to describe every detail in such a vivid and creative way. This managed to bring life to the story, even when it can be a little too slow-paced at times. I would highly recommend this book to those who enjoy slow-burn stories with rewarding action scenes and those over the age of 16 due to the occasional violent scenes in the book.
******
Korian
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
The story Korian by Giorgio Garofalo takes place in the mythical world of Endura, a planet filled with lush landscapes and curious creatures that are incapable of hatred or wrath. But this harmonious world with its peaceful creatures face a threat of extinction when an evil entity seeks to eradicate them all for his own twisted pleasure. Survivors are forced to hide away from plain sight in a sanctuary known as the Den, an underground space devoid of sunlight and fresh air. Their hope for a better life lies on the shoulders of a prophesied Gatekeeper, also known as the Azura.
The story follows several points of view, the main ones including three strong boys - Korian, Will and Doric. Each of them embarks on their own personal adventure and struggles with different sets of challenges along the way. The boys are guided by a wise sorcerer, Crogan, who orchestrates the will of the gods. Together, they must overcome the evil forces that threaten their very existence by bringing hope to the people of Endura to fight for their old lives back.
From the start till the end, one of the best qualities of this book is the superb writing. Every creature and scene is described in a way that paints a clear picture in my mind. This turns the intensive battles that the characters go through into an immersive and realistic experience that has me at the edge of my seat. The excellent writing is also demonstrated through the dialogues which flow smoothly and can be emotionally moving at times. However, there are instances when the dialogues are far too descriptive to be realistic, but this can be excused as the way the characters in the story talk in general.
In terms of the negatives, I would have to comment on the traditional plot that has been done far too frequently to be unique. There is nothing inherently wrong with a ‘chosen one’ trope, but it does become disappointing when the ‘chosen one’ character lacks any distinctive attributes or quirks that can give him any depth. This is paired with the unimaginative villains of the story who is evil just because they want to be. There is no clear end goal for any of the antagonists introduced other than wrecking havoc for fun. But what do they plan to do after they kill every being on Endura? It is hinted that they would become powerful rulers, but with everyone dead, what is the point of becoming a King? Questions like these were not explored in the story.
A glaring aspect that I want to mention is that even though there are a lot of characters in this story, there are only two female characters who primarily act as visually pleasing plot devices to motivate the men. I do not think that the author intentionally planned this uneven ratio of male and female characters, but it does become frustrating when the women primarily serve as an extension character for the men. I would not completely consider this element in the book as a negative, just a mild turn-off as someone who appreciates gender inclusivity.
With all these things considered, I would rate this book a 3 out of 4 stars. The reason behind this rather high rating is because it is apparent that the author has poured in a lot of effort to describe every detail in such a vivid and creative way. This managed to bring life to the story, even when it can be a little too slow-paced at times. I would highly recommend this book to those who enjoy slow-burn stories with rewarding action scenes and those over the age of 16 due to the occasional violent scenes in the book.
******
Korian
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Thanks for the amazing review and great recommendation.