Review of Roan

[Ram Sahni]

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

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5 out of 5 stars

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Plots, bricks, and even trees are full of mystery in E.R. Barr's "Roan," the Tinker's Grove where the hero of the story, Conor Archer, lives—not just in the river or the forest, but inside teenager Conor Archer. The writing is not about just a boy who might be gifted with magic; it's an examination of the very weightiest of burdens, those we may not even be conscious of.

Conor is confronted not only with the monsters in the story but also with the notion of an inevitable fate. He is a dude who has just lost everything he had, like his mother, and then suddenly has to deal with ancestors and prophecies who decide where he is meant to be headed. This is a search for identity precisely, for that tough balance between the good old ordinary life that was acquainted before these extraterrestrial features and the newly imposed on one. Rather than dealing with characters who have supernatural abilities to guarantee their safety, many people deal with so many other challenges rooted in familial expectations, pressures, and burdens that one can get to the point of thinking that they should have something more significant.

One of Barr's true strengths is when there is a moment of shockingly different The fear and even disbelief Conor goes through when he sees the magical entities is dramatically narrated. One particular scene between the protagonist and his dog, Troubles, after a traumatic event, implies the true source of his strength and courage; that is, not a magical battle but the ordinary companionship of a dog.

I would like to rate this book 4 out of 5 stars. The book lacks some points as well. Some people outside of Conor, being only passive participants, are not thoroughly developed characters. The pace becomes uncertain at some point and it all spills out the fantastical elements on the reader all at once. This is something that comes only to me in the negative part. The editing was perfect.

However, what keeps "Roan" afloat is a lingering question that echoes long after putting it down: Imagine we are in the shoes of unsuspecting protagonists who are held at ransom by mysterious and unseen characters who determine their fate. Fight it? Embrace it? Run away completely. One of the reasons I liked the book was because it had a thoughtful angle to it, and that was the charm of the book.

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Roan
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