THE DEMON OF THE WELL BY JAMES B. HENDRICKS | BOOK REVIEW

TITLE :The Demon Of The Well

AUTHOR : James B. Hendricks

GENRE : Poetry

FR RATING : ⭐⭐⭐⭐(4 Stars)

DATE OF PUBLISHING :   25 September 2018

FR REVIEW

DISCLAIMER : Thank you, James B. Hendricks for providing me with an ARC of this book. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

A disastrous drought has befallen an oasis town on the Old Silk Roads. The townsfolks are living in fear and worry for their lives. The townspeople notice an old trader being immensely distressed as each day goes on. They keep asking him and finally, he confides his secret. He fears he is responsible for the evil things happening to their town and wants to fix it. He then goes on to tell his story to the young men of the town. It talks of times back in the day, during the civil war, trading missions through the desert, a treasure of mystic powers, the plan to acquire it, and the pitfalls they face at the destination. This is a story of a man who makes a Faustian deal with the demon and lives to regret it. Will the trader be able to reverse the deal? Can he save their town from the dreadful future that awaits them?

The Demon Of The Well is the shortest fantasy that I have ever read. It also has another specialty. The book is written in verse form and gives us the story of the tradesman who bartered his soul for the powers he sought. The story is an interesting one with the powerful message of greed and the price one has to pay for it. It is told in two parts, one taking us through the tradesman’s story in the past and the second part taking place during the drought. While intentions might have been somewhat pure, the impact of the action still was to cause a negative effect. This shows us the bigger picture of how people who chase after dreams, goals, power can start with pure intentions, but along the way lose themselves. The question is are they willing to rectify the mistakes they made and own up to them?

The story feels more like a lore that’s been passed down from generation to generation. It also has the perfect format for it. The writing is simple and easy to follow with the story flowing beautifully between the stanzas of rhyming words. The story was enjoyable and I really loved it. I loved seeing the story progress and am sad it ended very quickly. The author’s writing process described in the book added the extra layer of magic to elevate the story.

I believe this would be a book that’s great for a younger audience who are getting into the fantasy genre. Not that it wasn’t enjoyable for an adult, it was. But if you love fantasy and love the world and the details, you might miss those in the book. My only critique would be that it ended too soon. While the story wrapped up satisfactorily, I wished we got more of the world and more from the characters as well. But strangely this story felt complete despite that.

Overall, if you are looking for a quick read that will pull you into the story from the get-go, then pick this book up. It’s an immersive read with a unique style of storytelling for a fantasy story. It’s a story that is classic in style and feels very similar to a lore and has a Faustian deal with the devil. It is easy to read, simple yet beautiful in the way the words flow, compact storytelling, and an immersive read. I really enjoyed this one and gave the book 4 stars. If you enjoy a classic story with a lore-like feel to it, then definitely pick this one up. I highly recommend checking it out.

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SYNOPSIS

Many centuries ago, an oasis town on the Old Silk Road finds itself in the grip of a terrible drought. The children of the town notice that their friend, an old retired trader at the caravanserai is growing increasingly distressed. At last he confides that he suspects he may be responsible for the drought, and tells of events that occurred long before they were born. In a time of civil war, this trader undertakes a perilous trading mission. On the way, he encounters two army deserters and overhears them talking about a treasure of great mystic powers that they are trying to recover. This is a chalice through which one can see all time and all the world. Hoping to gain this treasure for himself, he offers his services as guide to a desolate region in the desert where the soldiers have presumably cached it. An epic tale told in rhyming verse.

Source : Goodreads