Review by aschurk -- The Sparrow by Denna M. Davis
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aschurk
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Review by aschurk -- The Sparrow by Denna M. Davis
[Following is a volunteer review of "The Sparrow" by Denna M. Davis.]
4 out of 4 stars
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I initially chose to read The Sparrow, for the very silly reason that the main character and I share the name Amanda. Somehow, having the same name gives the book an extra element of fun that I can’t help but enjoy. Whether you share in this or not, I guarantee that this book will hold you captive and refuse to let you go until you finish it. As for myself, I finished the book in all of two days and likely would have finished it sooner if I didn’t actually have a life and obligations that needed my attention every so often.
Denna M. Davis is said to be eccentric, but clearly, eccentric is the new genius in book writing. The Sparrow is the first book in Davis’ Emaji Nation Series and is a very skillful melding of world nations in her creation of the magic filled planet Emaji and all its unique—and amazingly colorful—denizens. She takes all the controversy of skin color and makes it invalid in such a new and unexpected way that you can’t help but to chuckle as a result. It is unknown where in relation Emaji is to Earth, only that the way from one to the other is an intricate and magical golden portal gate in the basement of Grandma Rose’s home.
The book begins with Amanda’s arrival at the home of her grandmother, Rose. This is where she first learns the term Ha’Ankor, before she is then immediately thrust into the world of the Emajians. Not long after exiting the portal she comes face to face with her destiny, and seemingly, the beginning of all her troubles to come. This is when she meets Solomon; the tall, handsome, winged and silver skinned man whom she later learns is the man who prophesy declares to be her destined husband.
The prophecy of Ha’Ankor seems to be the main element around which this book is centered. It states that a young girl from Earth would deliver them from Zorn—an evil fire wielding ruler bent on taking over all Emaji by any means necessary—and Emaji would be at peace again thanks to Ha’Ankor—the sparrow—and her fated silver husband. Each chapter shifts between several alternating perspectives, though primarily Amanda, Solomon and Zorn’s with occasional chapters from the perspective of more minor characters. The book follows Amanda’s journey from a frightened 16-year-old Earth girl with a deadly fear of heights, towards her eventual transformation into the red skinned, golden-winged Ha’Ankor of which prophesy foretold.
There is so much to love about this book. The characters have such wonderfully diverse personalities to match the shocking diversity of their skin colors, of which none are the same. Emaji is a world of magic and creatures that are just as unique as the people. Truly, this book is one of the most fascinating I have read in a long time. My only disappointment came upon finding out that its sequel is yet unreleased and that I must now wait to find out what happens next.
As for the negatives of this book, I can honestly say that there aren’t many. What few there are comes only in the form of some minor spelling mistakes. One such mistake was, in my opinion, quite humorous. Davis uses the Japanese counting system at one point and unfortunately, writes them somewhat incorrectly. One such example is the word for the number one, which she writes three times as “Echi” on pages 69 and 70. Now this might go unnoticed unless, like me, you happen to live in Japan and or be learning Japanese. “Echi,” in Japanese, actually means things which are sexy or sexual as opposed to “ichi” which means the number one. This is an easy enough mistake to make if you are simply writing based on how the word sounds, but also easily avoided with the proper research. But again, this mistake is by no means major nor is it in any way a detractor from the quality of this book. For this reason, I would happily give this book 4 out of 4 stars. I would honestly recommend it to anyone and everyone with even the slightest interest in fantasy as a genre. Happy reading!
******
The Sparrow
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Like aschurk's review? Post a comment saying so!
4 out of 4 stars
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I initially chose to read The Sparrow, for the very silly reason that the main character and I share the name Amanda. Somehow, having the same name gives the book an extra element of fun that I can’t help but enjoy. Whether you share in this or not, I guarantee that this book will hold you captive and refuse to let you go until you finish it. As for myself, I finished the book in all of two days and likely would have finished it sooner if I didn’t actually have a life and obligations that needed my attention every so often.
Denna M. Davis is said to be eccentric, but clearly, eccentric is the new genius in book writing. The Sparrow is the first book in Davis’ Emaji Nation Series and is a very skillful melding of world nations in her creation of the magic filled planet Emaji and all its unique—and amazingly colorful—denizens. She takes all the controversy of skin color and makes it invalid in such a new and unexpected way that you can’t help but to chuckle as a result. It is unknown where in relation Emaji is to Earth, only that the way from one to the other is an intricate and magical golden portal gate in the basement of Grandma Rose’s home.
The book begins with Amanda’s arrival at the home of her grandmother, Rose. This is where she first learns the term Ha’Ankor, before she is then immediately thrust into the world of the Emajians. Not long after exiting the portal she comes face to face with her destiny, and seemingly, the beginning of all her troubles to come. This is when she meets Solomon; the tall, handsome, winged and silver skinned man whom she later learns is the man who prophesy declares to be her destined husband.
The prophecy of Ha’Ankor seems to be the main element around which this book is centered. It states that a young girl from Earth would deliver them from Zorn—an evil fire wielding ruler bent on taking over all Emaji by any means necessary—and Emaji would be at peace again thanks to Ha’Ankor—the sparrow—and her fated silver husband. Each chapter shifts between several alternating perspectives, though primarily Amanda, Solomon and Zorn’s with occasional chapters from the perspective of more minor characters. The book follows Amanda’s journey from a frightened 16-year-old Earth girl with a deadly fear of heights, towards her eventual transformation into the red skinned, golden-winged Ha’Ankor of which prophesy foretold.
There is so much to love about this book. The characters have such wonderfully diverse personalities to match the shocking diversity of their skin colors, of which none are the same. Emaji is a world of magic and creatures that are just as unique as the people. Truly, this book is one of the most fascinating I have read in a long time. My only disappointment came upon finding out that its sequel is yet unreleased and that I must now wait to find out what happens next.
As for the negatives of this book, I can honestly say that there aren’t many. What few there are comes only in the form of some minor spelling mistakes. One such mistake was, in my opinion, quite humorous. Davis uses the Japanese counting system at one point and unfortunately, writes them somewhat incorrectly. One such example is the word for the number one, which she writes three times as “Echi” on pages 69 and 70. Now this might go unnoticed unless, like me, you happen to live in Japan and or be learning Japanese. “Echi,” in Japanese, actually means things which are sexy or sexual as opposed to “ichi” which means the number one. This is an easy enough mistake to make if you are simply writing based on how the word sounds, but also easily avoided with the proper research. But again, this mistake is by no means major nor is it in any way a detractor from the quality of this book. For this reason, I would happily give this book 4 out of 4 stars. I would honestly recommend it to anyone and everyone with even the slightest interest in fantasy as a genre. Happy reading!
******
The Sparrow
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Like aschurk's review? Post a comment saying so!
Latest Review: The Undying Queen of Ur by Abraham Kawa & Arahom Radjah
