Official Review: Stalking the Shadows by BJ Edwards

[jacstar23]

[Following is the official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Stalking The Shadows: Ancient Destiny Book 1" by BJ Edwards.]

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Stalking the Shadows by BJ Edwards is basically about the evolution of man from Neanderthal to Homo Sapien, and the transition between. It’s about hunter, warrior, and gatherer. It’s about survival of the fittest, and survival of the Ice Age. Except it’s also about the Gods, and how they help and hinder this transition. It’s a journey across earth and across other realms. It’s raw, unemotional, and magical. The combination is quite intriguing.

The story is beautifully written, well crafted, not one negative thing to say about the first quarter of the book. It may be fiction, but it's painted so accurately that I believed every word. It's an interesting spin on Neanderthals versus Homo Sapiens - where the Homo Sapiens single-handedly destroyed the planet by hunting for sport, abusing their privileges (intelligence), and possibly causing the start of Global Warming.

What's worse is the way they perceived the Neanderthal - who showed more heart and more character, more respect, and more love to nature and all living things. It's really sad that these people were the ones to go extinct.

I enjoyed the first hundred pages and if I were to give it a star-rating just on those, I’d be a perfect score. It was very much like Ice Age, but for adults - the mix of humans was interesting, the savages, not so savage. A big highlight for me was Dimek and Kapok (two different leaders) working together, not fighting, each leading their own men and with the help of a Shaman, the group could survive anything. The only thing that could make this group better would be to incorporate a chief and his savage men, supposing they all hadn't gone extinct. There's a line about how humans created time and are cursed by it - this was deeply profound.

After the first quarter of the book though, it started to lose a bit for me. In the God and animal chapters at the end of the first part, it really began to drag. I liked the changes in human, the addition of thought versus ignorance, the hunters and the warriors, the people looking for a better land, while leaving others behind, those others fighting to catch up as they feel betrayed etc.

Then it slows. Surprisingly, the stories about Gods are mediocre, and I found myself anticipating the next chapter with Dimek and crew. I flew through the first part, excited and enjoying the evolution of man. Then it took me a bit to get back into it, and that's what took me so long to finish the book overall.

I enjoyed "The Edging Place" - and thought about this for quite some time. A novel could be made from this concept alone, and I wish there was more emphasis placed on it. So overall, I am on the fence with this novel. I really, really loved the beginning. I think if the author just focused on the humans, adding in an animal’s perspective, like The Golden Horse, or a God’s perspective, like Balor, only occasionally throughout the story, but keeping the focus on Dimek and Mugra, this story would have huge potential. As it is, I’d rate it only three out of four stars. There’s far too much going on, it’s hard to grow attached to anyone.

There are things I absolutely loved about it, but I'm not sure who I'd recommend it to, based on the things I really didn't care for.

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[Eidoel]

Hello, thanks so much for your review. It was good of you to go to the trouble to read it - I am glad you found some enjoyment in my words. Yes, I take your point about the gods stuff, but I felt it necessary in order to tell the whole story in context. Best wishes, BJ

[jacstar23]

No problem, BJ - it's really enjoyable - as I said, that first part was excellent. If the whole novel was like that, I probably would have finished it in a day!

[rayraysoto_]

sounds like a overall good book

-- 15 Sep 2013, 15:05 --

sounds like a overall good book

[1 Crazy Reader]

This was a very thorough review, providing everything one needed to know before taking this book off the shelf. While not usually my type of book, I would be interested in reading parts of it.

[jacstar23]

Thank you Crazy Reader - if you like fantasy and Gods vs Man stories, you'd enjoy this... Personally, my favourite parts didn't involve the gods at all!