Book Review: The Book of Deacon by Joseph Lallo and Nick Deligaris

The Book of Deacon by Joseph Lallo and Nick Deligaris is the first book in a fantasy trilogy that is an enticing read for young adults and adults alike. Myranda Celeste is a young woman orphaned by a century long war, and marked as an outcast for the distaste for said war. In her search for food, water, and shelter she discovers a fallen soldier's priceless cargo which changes her life. That discovery makes her the target of an assassin and soldiers, but leads her along a path of magic and rebellion. Men and beast will show themselves to be noble and monstrous in turn, leaving the already distrusting Myranda questioning who to trust. .Every step she takes brings her closer to her full potential, and of the fate of the world.

On the surface The Book of Deacon might seem like the average fantasy quest story. Orphaned hero discovers that they are a prodigy of some kind and destined to help save the world. Already, so that is a significant part of the story. However, Myranda's character development and the mysteries that seem to surround those she meets are engaging. Myranda is orphaned by the war, yet has not come to celebrate the deaths of the opposition, instead she would rather see peace for both sides. He beliefs and sheer stubbornness are what I saw as the force that led her to survive in a less than pleasant environment. Leo is a mystery, a shadowy figure that Myranda likes, but does not fully trust- but when she does trust anyone it tends to burn her so I find that to be a wise choice. The army's and generals, and loss of her family is shrouded in some level of mystery, and I fully expect something to make the cut and dry story Myranda believes about their deaths to be less than accurate at some point in the two books that follow.

I got sidetracked, sorry. Long story short, if you like fantasy novels you will find yourself lost in the story and world created by Lallo. I highly recommend The Book of Deacon to adults and young adults that enjoy a good fantasy story, or a classic quest. The editing is not stellar, but the character development and story make up for that lack in the long run.  I am going to purchase the next two books in the series,  The Great Convergence and  The Battle of Verril, and am looking forward to following Myranda's journey through to the end.