Review by dosenron877 -- Roan by E. R. Barr

[dosenron877]

[Following is a volunteer review of "Roan" by E. R. Barr.]

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4 out of 4 stars

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Roan: The Tales of Conor Archer by E. R. Barr is Volume One in a series of epic fantasy. Due to page count alone, readers may be scared away from adding it to their TBR shelves. Amazon lists it at 570 pages, I have seen some figures that claim 904 pages. The cover is pleasant, hauntingly blue, and also daunting. After a large page count, we see on the cover that this is Volume One. I recommend readers download a sample; fans of fantasy fiction will be hooked. It is not a “couldn't-put-it-down” book. I have other things to do and I read this novel in parts while reading three or four others. I always enjoyed coming back to this one.

Barr has created several worlds to populate this story. There are the worlds of good and evil; each of these worlds is split into two parts. The world of evil, the dark powers, has Piasa, a monster that is evil. But this same world has Madoc, the father of Conor, representing a despairing and resigned good element in a world predominantly evil. These two figures fight for control of the “other” world; Piasa is confident of victory, Madoc is resigned to defeat. On the good side, we have the people who are totally human combined with another group, the Dark People. This latter group is distinguished by webbed hands and the possible possession of varied extraordinary powers that decrease and even disappear with advancing age. Once the powers disappear, the holder of the powers forgets what the powers were and the fact that he or she had earlier possessed them. These two groups, the evil one centered near water, and the good element centered on land, live together in a sort of balance. Piasa is jealous and distrusts the land based group and begins encroaching on their land. Piasa fears that the arrival of Conor Archer signals an attempt to eliminate him and his evil minions; Piasa must strike first. Madoc, Conor's father and an inhabitant of the dark world even though he represents good, must convince Conor to be a bridge between the worlds and possibly even unite them in a peaceable way. This would mean the elimination of Piasa. Madoc is not up to the challenge, he must convince Conor to become the leader he was destined to be.

Characters drive this novel. No narrator will lead the reader by the hand. The characters will reveal themselves and their parts in the overall story only gradually; the reader will peel the parts of the story as if peeling an onion. Part of the fun of this novel is the discoveries the reader will make as the reader puts the story together. It is not a linear story where the reader can predict what comes next. The characters change directions and goals as they evolve.

The main protagonist Conor Archer drives the book and establishes a central theme. Conor has a destiny and he doesn't know what it is. Other characters either reveal parts of it to him or give him subtle hints as to what his role in life is. But no one gives him a clear and complete explanation. This irritates Conor because all the hints he gets of expectations for him go in directions he doesn't care for. He wants to lead his own life, especially after falling in love with Beth. But all the hints he gets about his ultimate purpose in life lead to a conclusion that he must first suffer horribly before arriving at a point of self-realization and fulfillment. The central theme of the novel centers around the answers to several questions. Can he take control of his destiny or is everything in his life predetermined by a higher power? If he can take control of his destiny, why should he sacrifice anything for the enrichment of someone else or some other group? Throughout the entire novel, Conor struggles and vacillates between the ideals of sacrificing for others or withdrawing from all society and living a self-centered life targeted at immediate gratification. All other characters in the novel push and pull him in different directions. Conor changes his behavior in response and in turn influences the behavior and character development of others.

Subordinate characters go through similar conflicts. Rory is one of the “supernatural” characters. The reader first meets Rory as an unnamed stranger when Rory meets Conor just prior to the death of Conor's mother. Rory seems to be no friend of Conor as he bites Conor on the web that exists between the fingers of Conor's hand. This eventually puts Conor into some sort of trance which he must emerge from in order to claim his destiny. Is Rory Conor's ally or enemy? At various times in the story he will aid Conor, at other times he will obstruct. His purpose in biting Conor was to speed Conor's journey into a transformation that will make him one of the “Dark People.” Not all Dark People are bad. Rory seems to be some sort of broker between the forces of evil and the forces of good. His character changes to meet his role at the time.

Another interesting subordinate character is Caithness McNabb. She is the matriarch and ruler of a rich family that controls most of Tinker's Grove. She became the absolute family boss after killing her husband. Caithness has three sons, all very despicable and flawed. Although completely human, she longs to serve Piasa, a completely evil leader of the dark powers. She will sacrifice anything to include her sons. In this way, she is a mirror of the situation Conor finds himself in. Conor's father, Madoc, is quite willing to sacrifice Conor in a battle to defeat Piasa.

I gave this book a 4 out of 4 rating for several reasons. The novel has depth due to character development. There are few one-dimensional characters. Even Walter Johnson, a fisherman who appears briefly at least twice in the novel has important functions and a well-developed character. Then the novel has a linear breadth as it spans large amounts of time from the past through the present and into the future. Aunt Emily has been around for a long time and while she doesn't travel into the future, she offers glimpses of it to Conor. These time jumps are seamless and do not feel strange to the reader. Finally, there are complex constructs of possibly four worlds existing in a type of symbiosis. They might later revert to two (and ideally one) but some of this is based on reader interpretation. This is a good example of artistic expression in literature.

Finally, this book re-introduced me to the fantasy genre. I abandoned the genre years ago after getting mired down in the length of works like Lord of the Rings and the Harry Potter series. Based on experience with this novel, I recommend this to other readers who may have similarly given up on lengthier works. Try this one and you will come back to fantasy.

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Roan
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Like dosenron877's review? Post a comment saying so!

[interrupted_girl]

"Conor has a destiny but doesn't know what it is........no one gives him a clear and complete explanation". Wow! This is me.
Your review is just too good! Fantasy genre is a big no- no for me, but your review ( esp the phrase I cited above), is enough to get me to buy the book, honestly!
I read the sample but it is your review that has got me wanting to read this book(series). I do hope to find it here in Fiji!
Thanx a bunches

[GCamer]

The book sounds like it's a complete package. I'm so much intrigued by the mythical characters, Conor's destiny, and the different worlds that could possibly revert to one. Thanks for the very intensive review.

[Titus Michael]

Its more of a detailed review. It exposes what to expect when reading the book. Nice review...

[kperm]

I am very picky when it comes to fantasy. I don't think that I would enjoy this book. However, many readers will probably like it. Thank you for your thorough review.

[MustaHarleen]

This is an exhaustive review of the book. I love your detailing. Reading it gives me an in-depth understanding of the book even without reading it. Thanks for the insight.