Review of Roan

[Sky Revews]

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

---

5 out of 5 stars

---

Share This Review

---

Despite ROAN promising its viewers high-stakes conflicts between the made-up beings, its less action-filled moments and subtleties are what make this urban fantasy so mesmerizing. E.R. Barr isn’t just portraying; they infer. This is not a book to simply read through; it is an immersive experience.
 
Conor Archer is an unusually chosen one. The emphatic nature of his emotional experience is rawly realistic. Grief isn’t a device to move the storyline; it is a constant allegory informing his decisions and his relations with the magical world. The “raw hurt” of a human being is present in this character against the background of supernatural beings, and he lends his depth to the character, which is lacking in many such heroes in the genre. All the secondary characters are priceless. They’re funny and unorthodox, but they’re also deeply flawed and can be found on the ground. Rather than Mrs. O'Leary being an amusement, she is a lot more than a phase. A flash of worry in her eyes when Conor gives too much of himself foreshadows that the story of Conor is not the only one that helps to enrich the history of the town.
 
But the pace is also fundamental. It is bold to be lazy in certain places. The story unfolds mainly between the pillows, with the conversations whispered or Conor’s silent walks. This also creates suspense during these pauses. On the contrary, they give rise to a feeling of anticipation, like a pause before a thunderstorm. When the action finally does come, it feels like it was the product of a cohesive plan, not just to get an adrenaline rush.
 
As the book ends, this statement remains, but you can't help but recall it. It’s proof that even within narrow genre determinants, authors can find new methods of entertaining and wowing. What matters is not only the completion of Conor's fights but also the further condition he is in when the dust of the fight settles. 5 out of 5 stars is the perfect rating for this wonderful book. There are no negatives because I loved it, and its editors did a great job. Full marks for that.

******
Roan
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon