Chronicles of the Roc Rider
By Aaron Volner
[United States] : [CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform], [2017]
In this fantasy novel, Tanin Stormrush is a warrior whose battle partner is a raptor large enough to kill and eat a moose. It is a brilliant premise that took me a little time to really immerse myself in. In the wake of the murder of Tanin’s wife, he embarks on a mission of revenge. Tanin is convinced he’s really fulfilling his deathbed promise to his wife. The antagonist is a complex and often confusing character who is a little more than typically elusive. This story is not your typical fantasy and reaches into a battle of light and dark magic, with enough historical accuracy of the earth’s resources to keep you engrossed. There are several twists that were not entirely expected and kept me turning the pages to see what happened next. Although I am not typically a lover of fantasy, I am eagerly awaiting the release of volume 2.
Kathleen Horton, Library Paraprofessional
Burns Jr./Sr. High School
Kicking Up Dust
By Robert Twing
[United States] : Booklocker.com, Inc., 2018.
This collection transports the reader to the world of Buffalo, Wyoming during the Great Depression. Each short story that recounts a different moment in Twing’s life, from boyhood through adulthood, deftly suffuses autobiography with humor and tension, faith and a strong sense of family. His engaging, accessible prose and keen eye for detail allows the reader a unique glimpse into history through the eyes of one ordinary man and his family and friends. Stories like “Once Upon a Time,” which recalls crafting homemade slingshots to use in games at recess in a one-room schoolhouse, and “Divorce? Never! Murder? Maybe!” illuminate how attitudes and social mores have changed in the years since, while fully immersing the reader in the story and time period in which it occurs. This collection is not only a fascinating resource on Wyoming history, but a moving portrait of a time gone by. Immersive history at its best.
Danielle Price, Digital Initiatives Librarian
Wyoming State Library
