BOOK REVIEW by K.

Shaman’s Crossing (Soldier Son Book 1) by Robin Hobb This unusual fantasy centers on Navarre, a nobleman’s son destined to become a cavalry officer.  He lives near the frontier where his people with their flintlock rifles have recently conquered the even more primitive nomadic tribes.  So the story reads like a western with the pioneers holding the line against the plains Indians.  Until our hero goes off to military academy, and then it begins reading like freshman year at West Point!

Navarre and his new friends deal with dorm life, academics, and hazing.  The campus and military details are sharply drawn. 

Hobb pulls off the amazing trick of showing us everything through Navarre’s sheltered and naive first-person viewpoint while suggesting through the dialog and reactions of more sophisticated characters what is REALLY going on that he is not yet experienced enough to discern. He never seems stupid.  Rather, he reflects the rigid intolerance of his society, and seems -- in scenes of increasing suspense -- to be a pawn in the grip of epic forces.

The “Plains Indians” aren’t the only ones who hate Navarre’s people. There are also the secretive forest tribes. Poor Navarre gets part of his soul stolen by one of their shamans. This happens long-distance through a vision quest, and he thinks it’s a dream. 

He goes on to military academy and suffers the fallout of a bitter rift between the old and new nobility (to which he belongs).  At the same time, the forest shaman who manipulates him from afar causes him to unleash tragedy upon his own people. 

Minor character Epiny steals every scene;  she’s his cousin, a revolutionary who is way ahead of her time. 

Robin Hobb is one of the best writers in fantasy today, and this book proves it. This is a strong beginning to what promises to be a fascinating trilogy!