The Legacy of Shatara // Nick Marsden

The Legacy of Shatara (★★★☆☆)
By: Nick Marsden
Genres: Fantasy
Pages: 258
Format: Paperback

First, as necessary:
I got this book as part of the Goodreads First Reads giveaways.

Wow. What a read.

Unfortunately, "wow" doesn't always have the most positive connotations. The book was well-written, from an English Language standpoint, and Marsden obviously has a very fertile imagination. However, I simply do not think that this book had enough time to really develop.

A few points to consider.

There are consistently a high number of characters "on stage" at the same time. At one point I believe there was 5-7 active "players" at once, and in some cases I'd spent so little time with them earlier in the book I had no clue who they really were or what their importance to Covan or the story was. Either that, or they were being called something different than what they had originally been referenced as (which I believe may have been the case in one instance, ASIDE from the intentional change pointed out in the book).

Things I think could have used more development are the explanations of how Rajal developed as a land, people and culture (the tidbits given prove it would be a fascinating story in and of itself, I believe), the Gazzin (plot device, perhaps?), and the relationship between Kayla and Minnah. ESPECIALLY the relationship (the REAL one) between Covan and Kayla.

It was also another slow read. For as long as it took me to finish reading, I expected a lot more action, and a lot more emotional connection with the characters. There wasn't a whole lot I could empathize with, because while the stories were there to gain sympathy, they didn't actually reflect in the characters themselves.

Despite all of this, I give the book a solid 3 stars, and here's why.

The implementation of the elemental powers was seamlessly done, in my opinion. In a lot of cases, the "magic" or "sorcery" element of a book like this is simply another plot device meant to move the story forward or give it an extra dimension and nothing more. However, the Mystics of The Legacy of Shatara were very human, and their abilities (particularly those in Spirit) had true potentially dire consequences. It didn't make them invincible, all-powerful, or superior in any way. They were simply people that had one extra layer to their being.

The overall manipulation of the characters involved was fascinating. Even when I thought I had it all figured out, I was still in for another surprise. This may be why a lot of the back story for Rajal was missing, as it might have tipped it off in the end.

The revelation of Thabath... I won't spoil that for anybody, but I was giggling like a mad woman when THAT occurred...

Overall, it definitely has its good points and it's bad. It was slow reading yet the story felt rushed somehow, something just a little bit out of balance that would have brought everything together and grown the book from another title on the shelf to a true Epic.