Official Review: The Jade Lion by Kenneth R. McClelland
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CataclysmicKnight
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Official Review: The Jade Lion by Kenneth R. McClelland
[Following is the official OnlineBookClub.org review of "The Jade Lion" by Kenneth R. McClelland.]
4 out of 4 stars
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I'm a huge fan of fantasy, and I certainly wasn't let down in the least by The Jade Lion by Kenneth R. McClelland. It's a short story, under 50 pages without including the covers and such, but it still manages to tell quite a tale. On an otherwise-ordinary day, the king of the northern province has assembled some folks, demanding information regarding his most valued possession - the Jade Lion statue. When no one speaks up, he commands his guards to kill them all. A young boy, Fallon, hides beneath his dead mother and manages to escape, but not before hearing that not only was the statue not stolen, the king himself had it sent off to be polished and merely forgot. Fallon vows to kill the king, no matter the cost, to avenge his murdered mother.
Twenty years later, Fallon comes across a decree calling for contestants in a tournament. The opportunity is too much for him to pass up, and he trains nonstop with both a bow and a sword so that he can enter and murder the king. However, things get a bit complicated when he learns he must be paired up with someone else, and reluctantly chooses a small man that no one else would partner with. He's quickly surprised, however, that it's instead a woman named Keera wearing a large cloak. The two become fast friends, spending the time before the tournament together, but what will happen once the tournament begins?
A good fantasy novel manages to pull themes from our "real life", much like Lord of the Rings explores the dangers of corruption and temptation. Such is the case with The Jade Lion, although it focuses on revenge and redemption. Fallon's quest for revenge consumes his life, even though he fully accepts that to even attempt to murder the king will result in his own death. Keera's question of whether they can just skip the tournament and be together further highlights the price of revenge as he realizes a normal life with someone is impossible after committing or even attempting regicide.
The king, while obviously quick tempered, is a deeper character than he could have been as well. He regretted his mistake so deeply he ends up moving his castle far away, and it's clear even 20 years later he regrets what he's done. The fact that he loved the statue so much because it was given to him by his now-dead wife is relatable as well; who wouldn't be infuriated if a dead loved one's gift was stolen?
I also really enjoyed the use of art in the book. There are 11 full-page illustrations, all in black and white, and they do a good job highlighting important scenes. They go well alongside the text, which doesn't take time away from the story to go into much detail about scenes. This lack of detail isn't a bad thing; with such a short book it's actually refreshing that the story goes right through the events without any unnecessary additional setup or sidetracking.
While I'd give the book 3.5 stars if I could, I still feel confident giving the book 4 out of 4 stars due to the twist at the end and the use of the full-page illustrations. Those who want a big fantasy world or a deep story won't be sated. For those looking for a quick fantasy read, however, give this one a shot!
******
The Jade Lion
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4 out of 4 stars
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I'm a huge fan of fantasy, and I certainly wasn't let down in the least by The Jade Lion by Kenneth R. McClelland. It's a short story, under 50 pages without including the covers and such, but it still manages to tell quite a tale. On an otherwise-ordinary day, the king of the northern province has assembled some folks, demanding information regarding his most valued possession - the Jade Lion statue. When no one speaks up, he commands his guards to kill them all. A young boy, Fallon, hides beneath his dead mother and manages to escape, but not before hearing that not only was the statue not stolen, the king himself had it sent off to be polished and merely forgot. Fallon vows to kill the king, no matter the cost, to avenge his murdered mother.
Twenty years later, Fallon comes across a decree calling for contestants in a tournament. The opportunity is too much for him to pass up, and he trains nonstop with both a bow and a sword so that he can enter and murder the king. However, things get a bit complicated when he learns he must be paired up with someone else, and reluctantly chooses a small man that no one else would partner with. He's quickly surprised, however, that it's instead a woman named Keera wearing a large cloak. The two become fast friends, spending the time before the tournament together, but what will happen once the tournament begins?
A good fantasy novel manages to pull themes from our "real life", much like Lord of the Rings explores the dangers of corruption and temptation. Such is the case with The Jade Lion, although it focuses on revenge and redemption. Fallon's quest for revenge consumes his life, even though he fully accepts that to even attempt to murder the king will result in his own death. Keera's question of whether they can just skip the tournament and be together further highlights the price of revenge as he realizes a normal life with someone is impossible after committing or even attempting regicide.
The king, while obviously quick tempered, is a deeper character than he could have been as well. He regretted his mistake so deeply he ends up moving his castle far away, and it's clear even 20 years later he regrets what he's done. The fact that he loved the statue so much because it was given to him by his now-dead wife is relatable as well; who wouldn't be infuriated if a dead loved one's gift was stolen?
I also really enjoyed the use of art in the book. There are 11 full-page illustrations, all in black and white, and they do a good job highlighting important scenes. They go well alongside the text, which doesn't take time away from the story to go into much detail about scenes. This lack of detail isn't a bad thing; with such a short book it's actually refreshing that the story goes right through the events without any unnecessary additional setup or sidetracking.
While I'd give the book 3.5 stars if I could, I still feel confident giving the book 4 out of 4 stars due to the twist at the end and the use of the full-page illustrations. Those who want a big fantasy world or a deep story won't be sated. For those looking for a quick fantasy read, however, give this one a shot!
******
The Jade Lion
View: on Bookshelves
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