In Pursuit of Wisdom by Steve Shoemake

"If there is a God, why do bad things happen to good people?"

It is a timeless question, and one that hangs over all the people of Tenebrae, who have lost faith in a Dark World. Against this backdrop is a quest -- a quest for the famed Staff of Insight, capable of revealing truth to the one who holds it. In a world where deception, strife, hatred, cruelty, and betrayal are the everyday norms, imagine the power of a person who wielded such a staff. Every motivation revealed. Every lie and half-truth exposed. It is an artifact blessed by the One True God -- one of three Artifacts of the Ancients.

This is a story of a young man of extraordinary skill coming of age. Abandoned by his parents as a babe, he recognizes that the key to finding this ancient staff is to first find the answers to his own past. And it is those answers that lead him in pursuit of wisdom -- for himself -- and for all of Tenebrae.

My review:

    I don't read much fantasy, but was asked if I'd review this, so I decided to give it a shot. I didn't realize how long of a book it was, coming in at 652 pages, and had so many other books to review, it had to wait a while since we had other things going on.

  The book was a little slow starting, but once it got going, I was able to get into it and enjoy it. Still, even for a fast reader like me, it took me a long time to read the whole book. One positive of a long book is being able to spend more time on character development, and the author did so. I liked the characters, especially the main character, and the changes he went through.

  The book has themes of redemption, even amid troubled and dark times, and though the book is not suspense, there was a lot of action and surprises along the way. I recommend it to readers of fantasy with a spiritual application.

About the author:

Steve began his writing career more than 25 years ago...outlining the challenges of a Dark World looking for a glimmer of hope. In between marrying the woman he met in an acting class, raising kids, and a consulting career, he decided to bring the story to life, and hopes you enjoy immersing yourself in that world. Who knows -- you may even see some relevance to ours...

  

Thanks to the author and his wife for the review copy.