Review for "Shadowland"

"Shadowland" is a stand-alone book by author C.M. Gray.
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Twisted trees reach gnarled fingers across a well worn leaf strewn path. Green mists swirl around giving the scene a sense of darkness and mystery.
"Shadowland" is a self proclaimed tale of the Dark Ages. The story begins however unlikely in a crowded tavern on a midwinter's eve. An elderly storyteller sits in his place of honor and begins to spin a tale of his youth. "Shadowland" is this tale. The story starts innocently enough in a local swimming hole with two young friends, Usher and Cal, fall nipping on their heels. But the day turns immeasurably tragic when the boys' village is ransacked and burned to the ground, everyone they ever knew dead or kidnapped in the darkness of the night. The boys will face their own destinies headon as they struggle to survive in this strange new era.

What I liked:

• The imagery from the book is beautiful and in the end is what pushed this particular novel up to 5 stars.
• Usher, Cal, and Meryn are very believable and lovable characters.
• I happen to love Arthurian tales and this one offered a new creative spin.

What I disliked:

• I actually didn't like the use of the storyteller as a framing device. I felt like it repeatedly pulled me out of the action so to speak and I probably could have done without the interruption at the end of seemingly every chapter.
• There were a few editing and usage errors, some of which were jarring but none of which made it hard to follow.
•  Spoilers: Alot of the plot turns were a little too convenient especially Usher's acceptance of his long lost brother.
• Big Spoilers :I wondered if it was an Arthurian tale from the moment we meet Meryn the name of course being so similar. I knew it was when the druid stepped in their path and told Usher he would be a dragon. It wasn't much of leap to go from Usher Vance to Uther Pendragon. So there were very few surprises along the way.
• I also didn't particularly care for Clarisse as the Lady of Lake. She's simply too young.

All in all I rather enjoyed 'Shadowland'. I've debated for the past few days on what rating to give it and finally decided that it was 4 1/2 smiley book but since I don't use halves I decided to bump it up to a full five. You can currently find "Shadowland" on Amazon for the Kindle for $2.99. You can find out more about the author C.M. Gray and his other works at his website flightofthegriffin.blogspot.com
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5 out of 5 smilies
Recommended for readers of all ages, especially those who are as enamored with King Arthur and Merlin as I am.

Synopsis: "We grow up with the Legend of King Arthur ... But where did he come from? Who was Merlin? What part did the Druids play in bringing Arthur to his round table? This is the story that came before, when Britain was just a Shadowland.
Shadowland is a story of historical fantasy set in Dark Ages Britain.
`I have lived more years than I can remember, probably more than the sum of all your years combined. Kings have called me friend and brigands have sworn to burn the flesh from my bones even if they have to search all seven halls of the shadowland to find me.'
On the night of midwinter's eve, a storyteller takes his listeners back to the Dark ages and a tale from his youth.
Deserted by its Roman masters, Britain has been invaded by the Saxons at the invitation of Vortigern, traitorous leader of the Britons. Now, as the tribes unite to reclaim their land, one man must rise to lead them and become their true and only king."