Official Review: The Willow Branch by Lela Markham

[rovet]

[Following is the official OnlineBookClub.org review of "The Willow Branch" by Lela Markham.]

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2 out of 4 stars

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The Willow Branch (Book 1 of the Daermad Cycle) by Lela Markham is a novel in which epic fantasy and Christian fantasy are blended in a world populated by Celtic tribes, elves, dwarves, and dragons.

The book begins in the past, when Maryn, the prince and future king of Daermad, is mysteriously murdered by an unseen enemy. This sets in motion a series of events that leave the fate of kingdom in the hands of a few key individuals, both in the past and present. In the past, Maryn’s brothers, Perryn and Donyl, struggle to fill Maryn’s shoes and uncover the identity of the assassin. Little do they know that the murderers are not through with their family yet. Although the fate of the brothers is slowly revealed through the book, the war-torn Daermad of the present is testament to the ultimate elimination of the royal family. The present storyline primarily follows Padraig, a half-elf half-human herbman, who receives an omen that he must set off on a quest to find the One True King, a task that is easier said than done. The storyline of the present follows quite a few other characters as well, most importantly: Ryanna, Padraig’s headstrong beloved, Tamys, Padraig’s enigmatic traveling companion, and Gregyn, an apprentice dark mage who is ambivalent about the dark magics he is learning.

Lela Markham has crafted an interesting world with unique history. Celts and Vikings are juxtaposed with elves and (my favorite!) dragons. Each culture has different traditions, history, naming schemes, and societal hierarchy. I enjoyed exploring Daermad with the characters and picking up on the tidbits that show off Lela Markham’s great imagination and world-building abilities.

However, I found that the novel fell short in character development. Character descriptions were lacking, often being limited to hair and eye color. The dialogue was wooden and the character’s behaviors often did not seem natural. In a passage in which Ryanna is attacked by wild animals, although there is a very detailed account of how exactly she fights them off, there is never once a description of how she feels as it is happening (scared? Excited? Surprised?). For these reasons, the characters never came to life and I didn’t become invested in their fates.

I was also disappointed in the plot of the present storyline. Initially, much happens as Padraig receives his prophesy and sets off on his quest. However, through the rest of the book, Padraig and Tamys meander the land seemingly aimlessly with very few events occurring throughout. In contrast, the plot set in the past is much more satisfying, with action and surprises unfolding regularly.

I also did not enjoy the heavy-handed Christian theme. Christians, simply known as Believers, are a marginalized and persecuted people. Interestingly, the elves and half-elves are all Christian. These concepts intrigued me at first. However, as the book progressed, the story devolved into a typical Christian morality tale. This made the story predictable and dull. If a character believed in the One True God and accepted Jesu into their heart, they were saved. God intervened on behalf of the characters quite regularly, such that I never really feared for their safety. A round of prayer seemed to fix any problem and the characters never really had to work anything out on their own, as divine guidance was always readily available.

I decided to give The Willow Branch a 2 out of 4 stars because although the book is set in an interesting new world that has great potential to be entertaining, the issues I have brought up made it such that I was not excited about reading it. However, I do think that this book would appeal to fans of Christian fantasy much more than it did to me.

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The Willow Branch
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Like rovet's review? Post a comment saying so!

[Wasif Ahmed]

Great review. This doesn't seem like my kind of read though.

[Julie Ditton]

Thank you for the insightful review. I enjoy fantasy, but now I have been forewarned.

[rovet]

Thanks for the comments, Wasif Ahmed and Julie Ditton!

[Wasif Ahmed]

Thanks for the comments, Wasif Ahmed and Julie Ditton!

You are welcome @rovet. ?

[kimmyschemy06]

That was a very honest review. The premise sounds promising, though I'm kind of surprised about the Christian theme being integrated with mythical creatures. Good job on the review.