Official Review: Spirit Sword by Sam Ford

[Kelyn]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Spirit Sword" by Sam Ford.]

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4 out of 4 stars

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Thirteen-year-old Cale longs for adventure. He dreams of leaving home and traveling the land as a Ranger, protecting the weak, and bringing justice where it is needed. Those dreams are abruptly dashed on the day he loses his family, killed by some of the very men he had sought to emulate. With his village burning in the distance, Cale has nowhere to turn.

Wandering unprotected, Cale is soon set upon by bandits. Sliding down the bank of a river, Cale cowers within a tangled mass of roots. Desperately seeking a way out, the youth pulls hard on a sturdy ‘root’ thinking to use it as a club. Only what he draws from the mud is far more useful… and far more deadly. “Sword,” an ancient and sentient artifact of days long past, bonds with Cale, and imbues him with the power and skills to extricate himself from the situation. Cale has no idea of what (who?) he has discovered. I suppose it is best told in Sword’s words:

“I am a Spirit Sword, … sent to guide humanity on the paths of virtue. You are my Bearer, my wielder, and my sworn brother. It is to you I have been sent, to you I will counsel, and you whom I will serve.”

“For a thousand generations, we raised up Imperial Knights, serving our Bearers till they passed over, then bonding anew. Now, I fear I am the last of my kind.”

The legions of the damned rise in the shadows. With most Rangers corrupted, who is to stop them? Cale’s luck has turned, but with it, he is forced abruptly into adulthood, and the fate of the world is placed squarely on his youthful shoulders.

Within the pages of Spirit Sword by Sam Ford, lies an engaging and fully formed adventure perfect for ‘Young Adults’ of any age. The book has everything needed to make it a classic. Entertaining? Check. Enthralling? Check. Action-packed? Check. Immersive? Double-check. Though this is the author’s first published novel, the quality is superb. Through the flow of the words and the flawless melding of events in the story, Sam Ford presents as a far more accomplished author.

Ford’s world-building is detailed without being overbearing. For instance, you can clearly see the streets in a town, right down to the cobblestones and the windows of the shops lining the street. However, it is not described in excruciating detail down to every nick in the mortar between the bricks. I suppose the best way to describe it is that the reader does not only see the world of Spirit Sword; they also experience it. You won’t exactly ‘feel’ dripping wet when Cale or one of his adventuring friends crawls out of the latest lake, but if you’ve ever walked barefoot through the mud, you will find that you can almost feel it squishing between your toes.

Character development is skillful and unique. You know the feeling you sometimes get that you have somehow met a complete stranger somewhere before? Ford’s characters have been given a depth of personality and heritage that often evokes this feeling. He is an expert in showing who the characters are, not just telling the reader about them. For instance, one demon reminded me very much of the simpering yet very crafty chancellor in The Dark Crystal, complete with the annoyingly whiny voice.

There were a couple of constant elements in the writing that I loved. The first was the tongue in cheek humor the author wove throughout the story. As an example, take the following quote from Sword:

“Life isn’t a fairy tale, Cale. … This is not a story; you are not the main character, and you are not impervious to stabbing.”

My next favorite element was that while the novel has darkness, it isn’t afraid to show you a thread of hope as well.

At its heart, Spirit Sword is a coming-of-age story swathed in magic, intrigue, and mystery. Our charmingly innocent young hero begins his journey abruptly, still very much a child when he is thrust jarringly into an adult world. As the story unfolds, the reader watches this unassuming thirteen-year-old slowly mature into his role and discover his calling. The author adopts a slow and steady pace to reflect Cale’s growing maturity. This realistic character development of such a young hero makes him even more relatable. Without revealing any spoilers, I will tell you that at the end of the story, there is an entirely unexpected twist that had me gasping “Just. No. Way!”

There was really nothing I disliked about this book. Reminiscent of the works of George R.R. Martin and Fritz Leiber, it was exceedingly well-written and immersive. I found only five minor errors in its one hundred thirty-seven pages. Given this, I unreservedly award Spirit Sword by Sam Ford 4 out of 4 stars. The only reference to intimacy I ran across was a vague mention of ‘coupling.’ I would recommend this book to almost anyone above the age of (approximately) eleven who enjoys a good fantasy book interlaced with both light and darkness. I cannot recommend it for younger children because there are several semi-violent (but not gory) scenes where many deaths occur.

So, has anyone seen my talking sword?

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Spirit Sword
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[Ivana Tomaš]

I love reading fantasy, and according to your review, I believe I might like the book. Also, I love it when the author knows how to build a good characterization of the characters and their growth in the book.

[Cynthia_Oluchi]

Poor Cale! How disappointed he must have been to learn that the very people he wanted to emulate wiped his family. It's a good thing the table turned around in his favor.

[Ogoskino]

A very good plot indeed. I like how the story progressed. Thanks for this super-review.

[Salma_asa]

The plot sounds really engaging. I may read this book soon. Your review was very good.

[Muhammad Wahab]

I love reading fantasy, and according to your review, I believe I might like the book and a very good plot indeed.Thanks for this super-review.

[SunVixen]

Look like very good-written traditional fantasy book. Thank for great review!

[White_Nights]

This is the kind of book I will definitely enjoy! I am interested in the growth of Cale in his journey to survive without his family.

[praise+anyi]

I wonder how Cale felt when he discovered that the people he admired took away his most treasured family. The book sounds thrilling with your detailed review. Kudos.

[Elmaestro]

A book on adventure! I like how you have introduced the review.. It makes one wanna read more of it! Amazing review!

[Kelyn]

I love reading fantasy, and according to your review, I believe I might like the book. Also, I love it when the author knows how to build a good characterization of the characters and their growth in the book.

Good character development is one of the things I watch for in the books that I read. It takes talent to be able to build a relatable character with whom the readers can connect. This author did a most admirable job of it with Cale.

[Kelyn]

Poor Cale! How disappointed he must have been to learn that the very people he wanted to emulate wiped his family. It's a good thing the table turned around in his favor.

A heartbreaking turn of events indeed, to lose both all those you loved and your heroes in one fell swoop. I'm glad his luck changed too, but...will it stay that way? Read and find out! Thanks for dropping in and commenting!

[Kelyn]

The plot sounds really engaging. I may read this book soon. Your review was very good.

I love reading fantasy, and according to your review, I believe I might like the book and a very good plot indeed.Thanks for this super-review.

Look like very good-written traditional fantasy book. Thank for great review!

Thank you all for the lovely compliments! I'm so glad you liked my review! As to the book, I enjoyed the plot too. As I said in the review, it reminded me very much of one of the story's in The Book of Swords, which is also about sentient swords bonded with their 'bearers.' Thanks for stopping by and commenting!

[Kelyn]

This is the kind of book I will definitely enjoy! I am interested in the growth of Cale in his journey to survive without his family.

I wonder how Cale felt when he discovered that the people he admired took away his most treasured family. The book sounds thrilling with your detailed review. Kudos.

Cales's growth as a character was very well written by the author. // I imagine he was heartbroken to discover that the murderers were Rangers. He lost both his family and his heroes in the same horrible day. Thanks for the compliment and for stopping by and leaving a comment!

[Kelyn]

A book on adventure! I like how you have introduced the review. It makes one wanna read more of it! Amazing review!

Thank you for the compliment!! I'm glad you enjoyed my review. Cale's journey has only just begun; this is book one in a series the author is writing! Read on! Thanks for stopping by and commenting!