ANOTHER 5 STAR REVIEW!

ANN BEST

http://annbest-jen.blogspot.com/

has written a beautiful review of RETURN OF THE LAST SHAMAN

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00S7HOCVG

FIVE STARS: AMAZING

5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing February 22, 2015

By Ann Carbine Best

One reviewer says there's a lot of philosophical thought in this haunting novella that some readers might not like. 

I'm one reader who loves it. 

I kept underlining all the wonderful wisdom passages, such as, 

"And why are they dying? For one thing noise. 

Modern Man lived in a maelstrom of noise...Civilized man has forgotten what silence is." 

"Most people are unsettled by utter silence for it reminds them of darkness and death."

Throughout this tightly written, poetical novella, death does indeed hover. 

The underlying theme is that the white man's world is over. 

But does modern man (and woman) know this? 

Not according to Wolf Howl, aka Mr. Drew, 

his voice the main voice, in a cast of colorful characters, who comments philosophically about the nature of man and the world. 

"To be human is to be a tense death-foreseeing, conflicted animal....

Even if we did the impossible and saved Man, He would only end up destroying himself later," he says.

There's gloom and potential doom here. 

But humor is also a thread throughout the story, 

especially through the voice of Abby, my favorite female character. 

The shift to her viewpoint in one of the chapters is brilliantly executed; her voice, delightful.

From Abby: 

"Mr. Drew just didn't know I had no intention of killing those back-shouting Egyptians. I just wanted to scare the piss out of them....

I was getting bored seeing Shadow and Mr. Drew look all moon-eyed at each other. 

We had a world to save, and I figured we had twenty minutes left to do it."

How does Drew/Wolf Howl save it, 

 he who said that "the purpose of life is to be defeated by greater and greater things, and yet still rise"? 

The climax gave me chills, and still does as I think about it.

No spoilers, because I don't have the words to do it justice--

the lively dialogue, literary and mythological allusions, 

and pun on words to name a few of the elements in this amazing novella 

that has to be read, or heard, to appreciate the author's achievement.

Over three years ago I read The Bear with Two Shadows. 

Add to this The Return of the Last Shaman, 

and I am again "blown away" by the beauty of the author's prose and the complexity of his characters.

 I who have never read much fantasy or science fiction--haven't much liked it in the past--

am now "hooked" on these genres, thanks to Roland Yeomans who deserves a wide audience for his stories that I can easily see translated to film.

I am now about to ride with an earlier Wolf Howl and Sam McCord in END OF DAYS....

THANK YOU, ANN!