Dael and the Painted People Review

Dael and the Painted People
(Zan-Gah #3)
by Allan Richard Shickman
Earthshaker Books
Released August 30, 2011

A prehistoric adventure, this is the third of the Zan-Gah young adult books. When Dael, guilty and tormented, came to live with the tribe of the painted people, he longed for peace and restoration; but without knowing it, he made a powerful enemy. Luckily, Dael had friends-including a troop of crows-and his own mystical powers. The disturbed and violent hero learns from the Children of the Earth, and from his submissive wife, a new way of life that is peaceful and generous. Dael and the Painted People is a story of conflict, healing, hate, and love by the winner of the Eric Hoffer Award, a finalist for the ForeWord magazine Book of the Year Award, and the Mom's Choice Gold Seal for Excellence in a family-friendly book series.

With most series, an author usually starts with a main character and sticks with that main characters through the rest of the series. Sometimes, an author switches it up. In most cases, this hurts a book because most people want to stick with what they're used to. After all, you get emotionally invested in one character and you want to stick it through to the very bitter end with them. However, in some special instances, a switch is good. Dael and the Painted People is a very good example of this.

Dael is Zan-Gah's twin brother. While we've seen him throughout the series, we haven't had a really good taste of who he is and why he is the way he is. Sure, there's some explanation before.. but I think it's just better to experience it through him rather being told about him. The author doesn't take it easy on him either - he's gone through a lot in his past and he continues to go through even more. Before, we've seen a darker Dael that has built walls around himself keeping everyone out. In this, those walls come down for us and we get a better look at Dael. Honestly, I thought Zan-Gah was my favorite character, but after reading this.. I don't think I could choose between the brothers. They've both gone through so much, alike in so many ways yet so very different. Some of our other characters we like make appearances in this book, which is I was pleasantly surprised with.

This story was just as emotionally gripping as the ones before, with entrancing characters and plot. It was also well-written. As a matter of fact, it seems as though Shickman's writing gets better with every book, sucking you in more and more with each story told.

Rating: ★★★★★
Source: Publisher

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