The Charming Saga Resumes: A review of Kirins: The Flight of the Ain

The following book review is the second volume of the Kirins Trilogy; you can find my review of the first book, Kirins: The Spell of No’an, here: http://afstewartblog.blogspot.com/2009/05/book-review-kirins-spell-of-noan.html

Note for the FTC (in compliance with their new "rules"): Since I reviewed his first book in the trilogy, the author kindly asked me if I would care to read the second book; he provided me with a free e-book copy of his book for this review.


My review of Kirins: The Flight of the Ain
by James D. Priest


Kirins: The Flight of the Ain, by James D. Priest is an excellent sequel to the first delightful book of the Kirins and continues their saga with an ever-deepening story.

The book begins where the previous novel ended and although events of the first volume are woven into this narrative, I do recommend you read the books in order. This part of the trilogy has our tiny band of fantasy creatures, the Kirins, still pursuing their quest to restore what is amiss with their magic. They make headway in their travels, encounter dangers, new friends, find strange new Kirin communities and discover answers to the location of their destination.

The travelers moved cautiously up the last few stairs. Speckarin, at the head of his party, neared the entrance, peered through, and to his immense surprise saw the ocean. But instead of the tumultuous onslaught of breakers, waves were washing serenely over a sandy beach. A hint of something was in the air—smoke, thought Speckarin—and a second vague scent not immediately identifiable.

I found the pacing far better in this book, than I did in the first novel. The quest seems be more urgent and our tiny heroes more focused. The book still holds the sense of wonder and fantasy I enjoyed the first volume and expands on the well-crafted world in which the Kirins live. The interaction of Kirin world and human world is very credible and the portrayal of the extraordinary homes of the Kirins a delight.
I especially liked the character depth in this book; the author did an exceptional job of letting the characters develop and grow. They suffer troubles and tragedy, persevere and show courage to chase their mission. The author’s creations are well-rounded beings, both familiar and strange and the connection between reader and character is effortless.

What can possibly go wrong next? wondered Speckarin. Our water’s nearly gone. Thelasa’s food and containers are gone. Hut’s food’s been decimated. We now have three marginal stores to feed seven. Hut’s wounded, here on this endless, hostile ocean. And we have nothing to treat him with but this bit of cloth!

The second book in the trilogy expands on the situations and themes of the first volume nicely, giving readers more insights into both the characters and the fantasy culture of Kirin society. I enjoyed this second installment of the Kirin adventures and look forward to reading the conclusion.

I highly recommend this enjoyable fantasy book.


Website for the Kirins books:
http://www.kirinbooks.com/Kirinbooks.com/KIRINS_Home.html


About the Author:

James D. Priest, M.D., majored in English at Carleton College in Northfield, Minnesota. He studied English in the masters program and received a Doctor of Medicine degree at the University of Minnesota. He spent three years in Japan as a physician in the Army of the United States caring for casualties from Viet Nam, and four years in orthopedic residency at Stanford University. He practiced orthopedics in Minneapolis for twenty-one years.
In addition to "Kirins", he has authored or co-authored approximately thirty medical articles, the book for the layperson, "Beating Prostate Cancer without Surgery",and received the Minnesota Medicine Outstanding Writing Award.

Book Review: Kirins The Spell of No’an

My review of Kirins The Spell of No’an by James D. Priest:


Kirins: The Spell of No’an, by James D. Priest is the first book in a trilogy, and it is an excellent start to what appears to be an entertaining new fantasy adventure. The book is a quiet, graceful novel that leads the reader softly into a captivating, splendid fantasy world.

The book creates the very real world of the Kirins, a race of foot high magical creatures (think gnomes, leprechauns, etc) who live and thrive in the forests. Two of these beings, Talli and Gilin, are unexpectedly thrust into danger, when they are tasked with finding the answer to why Kirin magic is dwindling. They, and several of their friends, embark on a quest, pursued doggedly by strange beings, finding strange perils and discoveries in their journey.

“As they progressed, Talli in the lead, the rain became heavier. They found it difficult to see, even to keep their eyes open. They were not accustomed to tolerating this sort of weather. At home when weather conditions were bothersome they stopped whatever they were doing until it was over. They never felt pressure to persist, as they did now.”

The book does an exceptional job of creating a believable world for the Kirins, and having them interact with our reality:

“Late in the morning, Gilin spied something ahead, high in the sky, a shining white body with wings and a tail, appearing to be moving in their direction. He had occasionally seen things like it from a high vantage point in the home forest, but only in the distance on the horizon, and they always seemed to be moving slowly. Among clan youngsters, rumor had it they were some type of human contrivance.”

The characters are charming and engaging and I had no problem caring about their fate as they confront obstacles. They are familiar enough to relate too, with just enough mysterious essence to hold your curiosity. The fantasy world is well crafted; it is not confusing, nor is it boring. The plot is solid and carries the reader along, although it does meander a bit, which hurts the sense of urgency of the quest. Some of the waywardness is reasonable given the fact the characters are portrayed as somewhat bewildered and out of their depth, but I would have liked a touch more tension. Still, I cannot say it detracted overly from my reading enjoyment.

I do recommend the book for fantasy lovers of all ages; it is a skillful work of fantasy fiction. Just keep in mind it is the first book in the trilogy; the Kirin quest continues in the second and third book.

Available as a free audio book here: http://www.podiobooks.com/title/kirins-the-spell-of-noan

Website For Kirins: The Spell of No’an: http://www.kirinbooks.com/Kirinbooks.com/KIRINS_Home.html

James D. Priest, M.D., majored in English at Carleton College in Northfield, Minnesota. He studied English in the masters program and received a Doctor of Medicine degree at the University of Minnesota. He spent three years in Japan as a physician in the Army of the United States caring for casualties from Viet Nam, and four years in orthopedic residency at Stanford University. He practiced orthopedics in Minneapolis for twenty-one years.
In addition to "Kirins", he has authored or co-authored approximately thirty medical articles, the book for the layperson, "Beating Prostate Cancer without Surgery",and received the Minnesota Medicine Outstanding Writing Award.