Book Review: The Road to Kalbakar by Paul E. Horsman

About the Book

The Road to Kalbakar (Wyrms of Pasandir #1)

by Paul E. Horsman 

Description from Goodreads: 

Seventeen-year-old Eskandar is the lowest of the low among the crew of the Navy sloop Tipred. As ship’s boy, he runs messages, gets the dirtiest jobs and tries to stay out of his betters’ way. It is a dull but safe life, for the tired old Tipred patrols a shipping lane to nowhere and nothing ever happens to disturb their peace.

None aboard know Eskandar’s big secret. For he is not alone. In his head lives the voice of Teodar, who has guided and guarded him all his life, and who is teaching him magic. Teodar is a mystery; he won’t say who he is or why he is helping him. Eskandar has stopped asking; the voice is his only friend, and that is all that matters to him.

Life goes on placidly – until the sea monsters appear. To save himself and his ship, Eskandar has to use his secret magic and manages to defeat the monsters. Now his enemies know him and his humdrum life becomes a maelstrom of action – fighting monsters, desert robbers and even more fearful enemies.

Will Eskandar’s barely tested powers be enough against an undead necromancer who wants him killed? And what about those mighty wyrms in the sky, are they friend or foe?

Follow Eskandar’s adventures as he gathers a strange band of companions in his battle against terrible enemies in The Road to Kalbakar, Book One of Wyrms of Pasandir.

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/31832334-the-road-to-kalbakar

Review

Eskandar is an orphaned, ship’s cabin boy with a dangerous secret: He can do magic and has had a man teaching him inside his mind for almost as long as he can remember. When his secret is discovered by an adventurous princess, he begins a journey to find his past and defeat the kingdom’s enemies.

The Road to Kalbakar was pretty good. It both was and wasn’t your typical fantasy. It had the romance, the battles, the secretly epic powers, and a typical plot. But there were some interesting things in there that jazzed up the story. First, the Broomriders. Think witches flying in broomsticks but in trained battle formations and all genders. Sounds epic, right? Just look - it’s on the cover.

I enjoyed the story as a whole. The characters were memorable. It’s not everyday you meet a teenager with a pirate hook for a hand with some crazy powers he doesn’t even understand. And I enjoyed the author’s creation of a storyworld. It had some really unique elements that changed up fantasy stereotypes.

I recommend The Road to Kalbakar to fans of YA fantasy.

I received a complementary copy of this book. All opinions are my own.