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Zan-Gah and the Beautiful Country


Zan-Gah and the Beautiful Country is the sequel to Zan-Gah: A Prehistoric Adventure, by Allan Richard Shickman.

Now, I want to warn any readers’ that haven’t read the first book, Zan-Gah: A Prehistoric Adventure that this review will have some spoilers in it – so don’t read it!!! J

Averted your eyes yet? Okay, don’t say I didn’t warn you!

Without giving away too much, I’ll say that Zan-Gah and the Beautiful Country is primarily about what happens when Dael’s progress gets side-tracked when something tragic happens… I won’t tell you what, of course.

While Zan-Gah tries desperately to regain the twin brother he once had, but whom seems damaged beyond repair, he also leads the idea to move his people from their harsh land to that of the Beautiful Country he first visited as a slave in Zan-Gah: A Prehistoric Adventure. But will the journey prove too dangerous?

Well, first of all, the opening sentence is a killer. Having just finished Zan-Gah: A Prehistoric Adventure when I began Zan-Gah and the Beautiful Country, I was truly taken aback. It’s hard to say much without ruining the experience for you, my fellow bibliophile. So you’ll just have to trust me when I say that the beginning sentence shapes the novel as a whole.

I was again struck by how vividly yet simplistically Allan Richard Shickman tells the story of Dael and Zan – never being afraid to take the sadder, yet perhaps more realistic, route. Dael’s disintegration is painful to read, yet still engaging. I was constantly nervous about what Dael would do next, how he would hurt his brother, or his people, next.

Yet again I did find myself scanning through some of the more historical bits, the descriptions of scenery, etc. It’s certainly not that A. R. Shickman doesn’t write it well – he most definitely does! It just didn’t hold my attention enough to keep me from skimming forward to the next character interaction, among other things.

It’s another short book, but the character development is still superb. And because of my insight and empathy I had for all the characters by the end of Zan-Gah: A Prehistoric Adventure, it was even easier to jump into Zan-Gah and the Beautiful Country.

I really appreciate both Zan-Gah novels for their sincerity and amazing storytelling – the characters are well molded and convincingly portrayed.

I suggest reading Zan-Gah and the Beautiful Country if you are one of those bibliophiles that like to savor a novel that is both horrifying and poignant.

I wonder if you will have a smile on your face as you close the final page.

I did.

Ways to find out more:
www.zan-gah.com

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