Fantasia Reviews An Arrow Against the Wind

An Arrow Against the Wind by P. H. Solomon

Genre – Epic Fantasy

Published 4/24/2017

Ages 12+

About the Book – An Arrow Against the Wind, A Worthy Successor

“Haunted by his past. Hunted in the present. Buffeted like an arrow in the wind.

The hunt for the Bow of Hart continues for Athson and his companions. They have escaped the clutches of Magdronu and Corgren, but they are still pursued. In need of answers to deep mysteries revealed in Chokkra, Athson must gain possession of the mythic bow to face both his enemies and his tragic past. But Magdronu’s reach stretches among Athson’s companions, endangering Limbreth and even Hastra in schemes to entrap them all. With each turn of the search for the Bow of Hart, long hidden secrets surface that threaten to destroy Athson. Will he falter like an arrow against the wind?

Buy An Arrow Against the Wind and continue the hunt!

Second edition just posted with a few slight additions and an excerpt for the upcoming last book of the series, The White Arrow. Update from your account content list for the latest version.” – Publisher’s Blurb

The Review – New Yet Familiar, P. H. Solomon Does it Again

We would be lying if we said we didn’t have high expectations for this book. In fact, we delayed our review of it for a couple of weeks just to be sure of our feelings. An Arrow Against the Wind is not like The Bow of Destiny. The Bow of Destiny was the classic quest tale reimagined by the creative mind of P. H. Solomon. It had highs, it had lows, and while it did amaze us, it never really surprised us, at least, when compared to An Arrow Against the Wind. In his follow up, Mister Solomon changes the formula, breathing more life, and depth, into his array of characters.

An Arrow Against the Wind continues the tale that The Bow of Destiny began, following Athson on his adventures across Denaria. In the first tale, while we loved it, Athson was the only character we felt had been explored to his fullest. That is rectified here, where many characters feel like they get to share center stage with our hero. Limbreth of Grendon and Gweld get to helm many sections of the book, allowing us more time to see them, and their thoughts.

Mister Solomon continues to build Denaria in the latest installment, which causes the hardcore fantasy lover inside us to rejoice. Our only gripe comes from the maps, which we feel could be improved with the use of greyscale (no, not that greyscale) to improve readability, particularly where bodies of water are concerned.

The Bright Side – A Story About People

We would be hard-pressed to say that we love P. H. Solomon and his work because of the fantasy alone. Don’t misunderstand us, he has crafted a vibrant fantasy world. That being said, so have many others, whose praises we do not sing so highly. Mister Solomon focuses on more than the fantasy, he focuses on the characters. Even if you disagree with their rationale, you always understand what motivates Mister Solomon’s characters, their actions are neither random or scripted, but organic. He crafts believable characters to inhabit the intriguing land of Denaria, and it is that we love the most.

There are so many skills it takes to be a great fantasy writer. You need to be imaginative, thoughtful, and empathetic. It can be hard for some writers, who just force their characters to act a certain way simply to move the story along. That kind of writing won’t earn you high marks from us. This is what separates, in our minds, a genre novel, a novel meant to be consumed and tossed aside, from a real piece of art. We’re not saying that other books we have read don’t cross this threshold, but that Mister Solomon’s writing exemplifies the distinction better than any other.

On its surface, this looks like a standard fantasy novel, something a fan of R. A. Salvatore might write for other fans to eat up. This book pushes deeper than that, and while Athson still sits as king of development hill, the other characters have been fleshed out in a way that makes the story real. That is the goal, is it not?

The Rating – A+

We knew where this would end up. If you were here for our review of The Bow of Destiny (you can read it here) then you did too. We have read more than a couple great books this year, and An Arrow Against the Wind is surely among them. Mister Solomon’s solid and deliberate pacing, deep characters, and love of fantasy push this novel forward, beyond what it so easily could have been and forward, making it something worth reading. In short, we loved it. If you love a good fantasy and good characters, then you will like it too. We can’t recommend reading before The Bow of Destiny, however. That being said, they’re both inexpensive and well worth the price. We look forward to more of P. H. Solomon’s work in the future.

Do you want to read The Bow of Destiny and An Arrow Against the Wind? You can find them on Amazon and other online retailers.

Also, if you loved these books, you can pre-order The Bow of Hart Saga Book 3, The White Arrow!