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A review by errantdreams
Scion of the Fox by S.M. Beiko
5.0
The characters have a fair amount of depth to them. There are no one-dimensional evil people (unless you count Zabor, who’s more of a force of nature); everybody has reasons for the things they do and some people can even be redeemed. Each friend Roan picks up has their own unique personality. Even the creepy stalkers Zabor sends after Roan develop some interest to them. I enjoyed the fact that the main female character did not become part of a romantic coupling–it’s nice now and then to see a young woman who doesn’t have to be paired off.
The worldbuilding is wonderful. The particular animals Ms. Beiko chose to use were not a stereotypical spread, and she put a great deal of originality into how she used them. I did find myself wondering, since the number of Denizens living among humans was dropping (particularly among the Deer), how it was that they had enough children available to sacrifice one from each Family each year.
The plot seems simple, if daunting: unite the power of the Five Families, collect a magical artifact from another realm, defeat Zabor before spring, and survive. Of course it’s a lot harder than it seems. The agreement that’s kept Zabor at bay for all of these years is fiercely enforced by the Owls, and no one wants to upset the apple cart and be responsible for the entire city flooding. So there are few potential allies among the Families. The artifact Roan needs is in a bloody realm that claimed her mother’s life, and she needs access to a very well-guarded gate to get there. Then she’ll still have to defeat Zabor with the help of her friends–and Zabor is not exactly a small or low-powered creature. So many things can (and do) go wrong, and there are plenty of surprises awaiting our heroes.
I definitely recommend this adventure story, and I look forward to reading the sequel!
Consider my rating a 4.5
Original review posted on my blog: http://www.errantdreams.com/2019/01/review-scion-of-the-fox-s-m-beiko/
The worldbuilding is wonderful. The particular animals Ms. Beiko chose to use were not a stereotypical spread, and she put a great deal of originality into how she used them. I did find myself wondering, since the number of Denizens living among humans was dropping (particularly among the Deer), how it was that they had enough children available to sacrifice one from each Family each year.
The plot seems simple, if daunting: unite the power of the Five Families, collect a magical artifact from another realm, defeat Zabor before spring, and survive. Of course it’s a lot harder than it seems. The agreement that’s kept Zabor at bay for all of these years is fiercely enforced by the Owls, and no one wants to upset the apple cart and be responsible for the entire city flooding. So there are few potential allies among the Families. The artifact Roan needs is in a bloody realm that claimed her mother’s life, and she needs access to a very well-guarded gate to get there. Then she’ll still have to defeat Zabor with the help of her friends–and Zabor is not exactly a small or low-powered creature. So many things can (and do) go wrong, and there are plenty of surprises awaiting our heroes.
I definitely recommend this adventure story, and I look forward to reading the sequel!
Consider my rating a 4.5
Original review posted on my blog: http://www.errantdreams.com/2019/01/review-scion-of-the-fox-s-m-beiko/