The Winnitok Tales: The Hunt for the Eye of Ogin by Patrick Doud

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Typing up this review while listening to the newest CD to be released from the GLEE cast, The Power of Madonna.....perhaps you've heard of it? (*sings* don't go for second best baby, but your love to the test... *sings* ... whoops!  Back on topic...) Drenched in messages of female power and equality for all, it's actually quite befitting the feature of today's post (huh, how did the folks at GLEE know I was reading this book? *ponders*).  Today's book of choice is....

The Winnitok Tales:

The Hunt for the Eye of Ogin

by

Patrick Doud

Picture it.  You are 13 years old.  Your family moves far from where you grew up, leaving friends and familiar haunts behind.  You're disoriented, outraged, and generally unhappy.  Unable to express your feelings in words, you find escape in separating yourself from others as much as possible in school, resolve to wallow in negativity frequently, and roam the hillsides surrounding the new place you dwell (since you don't really consider it home).  One day while out exploring the "lands", you happen upon a strange portion of a now familiar pathway.  Curiousity gets the better of you, and...WHOOSH!  You find yourself in a place that begs recollection, yet you simply can't place.  It looks like "home" and yet not all at once...

Such is the plight of young Elwood Pitch (gotta love the name, right?) and his faithful companion Slunkee (such a cute doggie and loyal too) who are whisked away unknowingly to a land of beauty and great peril.  That mysteriously appearing pathway?  It lead to the land of Ehm where magic and mahem are aquaintances and the loyal department store is light years from ever being built let alone considered.  This is a time of great peril for all those in Ehm as the immortal being Granashan the Nohar (protector) is missing and her Dread of protection is failing allowing those with evil intentions to enter the lands leaving destruction and death in their paths.  From the moment he enters this strange land, Elwood knows that he is there for a reason and with the help of Drallah Wehr and her raven friend Booj, the unlikely foursome set out for an adventure they won't soon forget.  They need to find the Nohar and all signs point to the 'eye of ogin' being the only way to locate her.  Will they be able to save the lands from the invading forces of ill will?  Perhaps more pressing yet unspoken in Elwood's mind, will he ever be able to return home? 

So...if you've followed my progress on here (or GoodReads, or Twitter, etc), you might have noticed this one took me a little longer to read than some.  Nothing against the book, it was an adventure to be certain...problem for me, it might have been a smidge too much.  Allow me to briefly (hehe...me, brief?  No I promise to be brief....) explain.  It's books like this one that help to show you what you prefer and what you don't in reading.  This is an epic fantasy if I had to put a genre label on it.  Yes, it was written for young adults, but it reads similar in story structure to the all time heralded Lord of the Rings trilogy.  That's not a bad thing, I mean they are famous for a reason.  It's just that they are not for everyone.  For me, I prefer the movies of that big named series...less history, more action, still true to the story line.  While the author didn't weigh you down with too much history, there were many fantasy elements that added their own heft (the language, the creatures, etc.). 

There is a full cast of creatures unfamiliar in origin yet recognizeable thanks to descriptive text.  From the fox truans to the frog people of the Swamp, the evil sorceror with a power source in lieu of a heart to the evil Zaw (a giant frog creature that would give anybody the hebegebees...~shivers~), you can vividly imagine them as they are introduced for better or worse within this tale.  Unexpectedly, there is a cast of strong female characters that dominate in this tale.  Drallah, Elwood's first friendly acquaintance, future scout for her people and defender of the land (and friends she holds dear).  Ainathuai (Queen of Ashwada), spoiled though she may be, her pride and will are as strong as any male leader.  Nemoor, the young Queen's cousin and magical witch in her own right, more powerful than looks betray.  Each one has their own will, their own path, and though times get tough, none shy from the matter at hand (though they do accept a helping hand from time to time....no man or woman is an island after all).  Definitely an unexpected large cast of strength, but refreshing nonetheless. 

In the end, I enjoyed the overall story, but the ending was not what I expected at all.  The journey comes to an end for all intents and purposes and we discover the fate of Elwood Pitch and friends, but there is a slight twist in the last few lines that just leaves me unsettled.  It feels like the story was finished (for now at least) and perhaps the added in feelings might have been better kept for the next story....then again, the author could have wanted to leave you in this emotional quandry thus building anticipation for book two. (*ponders*)

Will I be looking for the next book in the series?  It's hard to say.  While I am curious about the next adventure and how their relationships grow, I'd have to try to make sure I create a reading cone of sorts (similar to the "cone of silence" referenced in The Avengers movie, but less funny, more uninterrupted time) to allow full immersion into the other world to take place, otherwise it becomes too hard to follow.  (Ever have a book like that?  Wait, don't answer that...wait for the 'comment creator'...)

There is a site dedicated to this new series.  Providing both a sneak peek at the current release as well as information on the next installment (The Mornith War) scheduled for 2011, it's sure to wet your appetite for adventure.  Once you're a fan, you can start your indepth exploration of the characters and lands with the other interactive features available.

Special thanks to Kat at North Atlantic Books for the ARC for review.  (THANK YOU!)  For more information on this title and more, check out their blog, site, or follow along on Twitter (publisher or book)!


COMMENT CREATOR
Regarding reading preferences, everyone has some to a certain degree at least.  Do you read epic fantasy novels or series?  (By epic fantasy, I am referring to books where the fantasy world comes at you full force in language, lands, creatures, etc...in a 'heavy' way.)  If so....what draws you to them?  Which one is your favorite?  If not, why?


Until next time....happy reading!