(Disclosure: I am Reader 3 in the above testimonials)
How do you fight a god, when you are just a mortal, and that god is old, powerful, clever, and patient?
This story is just about that, and about all the people that need to come together to do it. Mandu is not the "Chosen One of Destiny", but he is the one who chooses to take up the battle, and again and again chooses to be the person who works with others to lead against Zoma, the dark god of tyranny.
This is a book full of beauty, hope and love. It is not grimdark, it is not a glorification of war and battle. It is a surefooted and moving exploration of what is needed to fight evil, in those everyday little actions that are so often forgotten in favour of the forlorn charges into overwhelming odds that only end in death.
You see the world through Mandu's eyes, with his hopes and fears, his loves and his delights. All the characters are wonderfully written, with vibrant inner and outer lives. The world is richly detailed, and a far cry from the generic medieval Europe that is so often the basis of fantasy stories. The author's turns of phrase are pure poetry, and yet the story is very firmly grounded in the reality of what it means to be human, with all our flaws and foibles along the way.
Yes, I cried when I read this book, because it is beautiful, and because the characters so quickly became friends (Koroma and Dhagua especially). I understood them, I felt for them, and I grieved for their pain and struggle. Because they suffer, because they struggle, and in the end they are mortals fighting a god, with all that that means.
Mandu and his companions show how we can fight evil, even when the odds are overwhelming, and we feel powerless and afraid. They show us how words have power, and community is more powerful still.
And yes, there are many horses, with their own personalities and behaviours. Salar is the Bestest Boy, and I will accept no comments otherwise!