Book Review: The World of Pangea - Path of a Warrior

Back in the 17th and 18th century, word spread about the possibilities and opportunities of going to the new world. Not too far from here, a museum records the experiences of those who decided to emigrate from rural Tyrone aboard the coffin ships to enter the new world of America. Recently, I ventured into a new world without the dangers of seafaring; in fact, I stayed comfortably on the sofa throughout. It was an enjoyable visit, and I'm already looking forward to the next time I can visit.

The World of Pangea has emerged from the pen of Michael Davies, inspired by the writings of JRR Tolkein and following in the same vein as The Hobbit or The Lord of the Rings. In this first installment, we're introduced to Pangea through the eyes and experiences of Idris, a boy becoming a man and a warrior. The book opens with his coming-of-age ritual, and continues to develop the strange occurrences during the challenge. In a world of danger, with war on the horizon, this warrior seems ill-equipped to deal with all that's thrown at him.

Davies has worked on his world for about 14 years, and the dedication and commitment shows, with back stories, customs and traditions as the clash of cultures fulfilling ancient prophecy begins. His writing style is interesting, the chapters alternating between first person and third person narration, giving the widest scope for experiencing the story as and beside Idris and his companions, both human and non-human.

My one slight confusion was the assertion that 'The following day the labor of winter began. The sun rose earlier and set later in the north, so the mornings were spent carefully making our way out over the frozen waters, digging large circular holes and catching fish.' It's a fantasy world, so anything is possible, but I would have thought that longer days was impossible in winter!

That one small problem aside, I really did enjoy the book, and will look forward to the rest of the trilogy when published. The reader is quickly caught up in the excitement, joy, drama and pain of Pangea, journeying with Idris on his path of a warrior. If you want to lose yourself for an afternoon, or escape while lying in the sun, this is the book for you.

To further whet your appetite, here are two videos - the first, a trailer for the book, and the second, an interview with the author, Michael Davies.





The World of Pangea - Path of a Warrior is available from Amazon and on Kindle.