Review of The Hermit Gryphon

[Del Lopez Maxson]

[Following is a volunteer review of "The Hermit Gryphon" by Paula Grover.]

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5 out of 5 stars

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The Hermit Gryphon by Paula Grover is a small but eventful story that, while being second in the series, stands alone very well by being in the villain's point of view and how she dealt with the aftermath of the first one. Tal is someone who has a tremendous amount of guilt and personal issues, showing a captivating character journey. In summary, this book is a beautiful display of conflicts, whether they be looking deep within yourself and coming to terms with your demons, cultural conflicts, or physical ones.

One thing I particularly like is the many literary devices that make this world and its characters more than one dimension. The symbolism and conflicts shown throughout, like how Tal is going through trials to come to peace over her evil doings. The friendship and family bonds are a high point, and some of the most fun parts come from Tal and Griper. The whole story, focusing more on mythological creatures than humans, is also quite refreshing and enticing. There are also pictures at the beginning of the chapter that mostly show the mystical creatures that are the focus of that chapter.

One thing that I particularly disliked in some way was Tal constantly repeating that she was a dictator, and so she knows how they think. I know it's to emphasize the mirroring of characters, but I think it was too repetitive in some instances. That being said, the grammar and editing were good and consistent.

In conclusion, I would rate The Hermit Gryphon five out of five stars. While it can be a little heavy-handed in terms of forgiveness and other things, it does a tremendous job of being both entertaining and making you think about different conflicts and how things may not be the way they seem. I would recommend this to people who like unique perspectives from different beings and cultural crashes.

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The Hermit Gryphon
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