Literary Reviews, Page 3
"Detour From Abbinford," (continued)
Warming to the warrior sojourner, Gren expresses her desire to remain with Saegar, only to be initially rebuffed with what the mercenary considers to be the preposterousness of the idea. Gradually, however, he too warms to the unfortunate waif and agrees to allow the child to accompanying him in the hope that they might find an herbalist in need of an apprentice, as Gren, though lacking much gift for magic--not unlike Saegar himself--has learned much about the potency of herbs from her father's treasured book.
Before leaving, the pair are confronted by the diabolical priest and his avenging mob. Gren assures Saegar that what the priest really wants is her father's book for its great power. Due to a very noticeable scar on the priest's crazed countenance, Saegar realizes the priest is not all he claims to be, an insight reinforced when Gren tells him her father's suspicions concerning the sudden death of the late village priest. Thus the pair are trapped in the stable, with the story's hero trying to figure a means of escape with the assistance of his newly found ward.
"Detour from Abbinford" is an engrossing and entertaining tale, a splendid and exemplary standard of Sword and Sorcery literature. Under the guidance of Ms. Tarbox's exquisite literary pen, the reader feels a real bond with the story's protagonists and leaves one yearning for a sequel. Five stars out of five!
