Today on the blog, I have a review of The Shadow Spinner by indie author Eric Kao. The author messaged me through my site's contact form requesting a review. As always, reviewing books by indie authors is like blindly selecting a chocolate from a box, you never know what you're going to get.
Readers hankering for nonstop action salted with a bit of humor will find both in The Shadow Spinner.
You know the old adage, never judge a book by its cover? I agree with the sentiment, but I tell you, Kao did an excellent job selecting the cover for The Shadow Spinner. It is intriguing, aesthetically appealing, and it evokes the fantasy genre. However, the story is a bit lighter than the cover implies. Still, all in all, it's a cover well executed.
The story takes place in a world under the thumb of a tyrannical king, meaning high taxes. Setting aside this somewhat mature framing, the tale struck me as firmly upper middle-grade/lower young adult in content. The reader follows N'Halia as she trains to become a competent fighter under the tutelage of the enigmatic Hermit. Indeed, many chapters have N'Halia facing off against various opponents while attempting to unlock and master her skills as a warrior with fantastical capabilities. Many scenes in action and humor remind me of the Pokémon cartoons my sons used to watch. While reading The Shadow Spinner, I could easily envision the characters, especially Hermit, as anime/manga characters.
This yarn's emphasis on action, fantastical abilities, and humor will appeal to older middle-grade and younger YA readers.