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Book Review: Shadowslayers by Charlie Martin
The fantasy genre is a hot commodity right now. With the re-emergence of venerable franchises like
The Lord of the Rings and The Chronicles of Narnia, not to mention the fairy tale success of J.K. Rowling’s
Harry Potter books, fantasy is enjoying a level of popularity that it hasn’t seen in decades. It’s no wonder,
either. In a world where hatred, fear, and confusion have become a way of life, who doesn’t want to escape to
a world of make-believe?
I’m what many would call a casual fan of fantasy. I like the classics, like J.R.R. Tolkien and the Arthurian tales,
but I don’t read the modern genre regularly. I have two reasons for this general avoidance of modern fantasy literature.
First of all, most books in the genre these days require quite an investment. Popular authors like George R.R. Martin
and Robert Jordan are in the middle of books series that span literally dozens of novels and tens of thousands of pages.
Even the newer authors in the field start with book one of a trilogy. There’s no room for someone like me who wants a
complete story in one book. Secondly, very few of the modern novels out there do anything to really differentiate
themselves from other authors like Tolkien. If you’ve seen one goblin horde, you’ve seen them all.
Out of nowhere, a new author by the name of Charlie Martin has come and changed many of my expectations for the fantasy genre.
His novel Shadowslayers is an oddity in the modern industry. Weighing in at a slim but action-packed 186 pages, it tells a fast
but complete story that operates on many different levels. It’s a stand-alone book, but has enough seeds sown to possibly develop
into something more. And although it certainly derives from Tolkien, Shadowslayers is something all its own, with elements taken
from across the mythical board, with clear parallels to eastern as well as western mythology, including elements from Shintoism
and mysticism.
As the title may suggest, Shadowslayers tells the story of two wizards, Garyl and Kajeel Shadowslayer.
They are an unusual couple, but definitely not the most unusual in the novel—not with characters like Penelope
Smith, the mohawk-sporting “Lady of Lorinth,” whose unconventional past lover lends a dimension all her own
to the story. They also aren’t small fries by any means. This isn’t the type of story where a hero grows
from humble beginnings to defeat a great evil. Garyl and Kajeel are already immensely powerful, and do
amazing things with their magic. However, as is often the rule in these stories, there’s always someone bigger.
The villainous monster in this case is the dragon Derrezen, who makes his presence known from the first page.
The story begins with the words, “The dragon lunged,” and the action continues through until the end.
But action isn’t the only thing that Shadowslayers offers. In fact, it takes a back seat in the readers’ mind
at several points. While the characters are well-established, Martin spends time developing them in the story.
The narrative plays a lot with the flow of time; it doesn’t seem to be a fixed construct, and we’re always looking
through windows to the past—often literally. For every time the heroes exchange blows with the dragon Derrezen,
there is a matching moment of reflection and even tenderness from the past. Garyl and Kajeel love each other
dearly, and through their recollections, we can see exactly why they love each other so much. As readers,
we get to see them not only as they are now but as they were, back at the beginning of their relationship.
What is it like to fall in love? Martin explores that perfectly.
That love story also serves as a driving force of the story, almost more so than the classic trope of the dragon attack.
The story is essentially one about lost love and eventual hatred. Kajeel spends most of the novel on the threshold of death
after a fight with the dragon. And while Garyl knows that he should be out to save the realm and do the right thing, his
ultimate goal is vengeance. He not only wants to defeat the dragon; he wants to make him suffer. Arguably, both motivations
have the same results. But in a genre that demands that heroes act like heroes, can hatred and malice have a place as a
motivation? When someone lets themselves be dominated by rage, do they give up their best parts? The story might use the
dragon as a monster, but that monster ultimately only serves as a metaphor for the bitterness and anger growing inside
the hero’s heart.
The biggest problem that Shadowslayers faces ties back to my original motivation for reading it. The story is 186 pages long,
but feels like it could be expanded into something much larger. Martin obviously has a lot invested in his characters, and at it
definitely seems like there’s more to tell than between them than what is on the page. While I picked up the novel as a quick
read, it turned into something that I wanted to be longer. Despite my previous desire to have a fast, easy to read story,
I find myself wanting to know more about who the Shadowslayers are and what got them to this point. This is, I suppose,
a good thing. It certainly explains to me why so many popular authors do work on crafting long series with their most
famous characters.
Shadowslayers can be purchased through most retailers, book stores, and online merchants. After contacting
the author through his web page: www.charliemartin.us, he has informed me that the preferred method of ordering
is directly through his publisher, Port Town Publishing (www.porttownpublishing.com). Martin also distributes
books through his web page, and will fill orders as requested there. Fans of the fantasy genre will find an
entertaining way to kill time while waiting for the next Wheel of Time or Harry Potter book to come out.
People who aren’t fans of the genre—well, you might just become fans by the time you finish Shadowslayers.
Charlie Martin
Charlie Martin's Web Site
Email: Charlie Martin
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