Official Review: The Hawks of Kamalon by Michael Reisig

L_Therese · Post by **L_Therese** » 29 Mar 2014, 04:54

[Following is the official OnlineBookClub.org review of "The Hawks of Kamalon" by Michael Reisig.]

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The best thing about The Hawks of Kamalon is that there is no ONE best thing. It’s exciting, gripping, original, and inspiring. It is in turns heart-breaking and hilarious. This book is a fantasy. It takes place in another world, where unearthly creatures exist and the impossible might just happen. A group of World War II fighter pilots find themselves suddenly transported to another world, where they have been summoned as a last desperate hope to save a peace-loving people from their greedy and cruel neighbors.

But this book is also a war story. Fighter pilots from both the RAF and the USAAF find themselves swept up in this new adventure, but they cannot simply forget about their homelands and the struggle that had originally allied them. When a second war is cast parallel to the first, it only emphasizes the similarities of the struggle for freedom against the threat of brutal tyranny.

This is a story of friendship. The bonds between the characters are vivid. They banter with each other, support each other, challenge each other, comfort each other, and protect each other. The reader is left with the firm impression that each of the Hawks leaves an indelible mark on the hearts and lives of his fellows as well as those others he encounters - and visa versa.

This is a romance. Even in the midst of war and struggle, beauty exists and shines all the brighter, providing hope and inspiration to all who see it, and the effort to bring love to fruition drives the characters all the stronger. As lovers (both realized and prospective) are placed in jeopardy again and again, it only emphasizes the courage and sacrifice embodied by the heroes of the story.

This is a social/historical commentary. In Tharth (the fictional planet), the reader is given a glimpse of two polar societies as well as the historical markers that show which values each society chose to become what it is at the time of the story. As the Hawks learn about the world they find themselves in so unexpectedly, some of the history recounted is eerily familiar. It is more than possible that this similarity to actual history is no accident, and perhaps we the readership could take away a few lessons for the future.

I give this story a very enthusiastic 4 out of 4 stars. I would very happily recommend it to anyone, spanning not only genre preferences but also a wide age/reading level gap. The plot and characters are so compelling that they can surely captivate almost any reader.

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