Publisher: Seot Publishing
Pages: 332
Overall Rating: 4/5
Truth, it is something we all want to believe exists, it is also something that often eludes us. Imagine for a moment, that beyond Earth, intangible forces direct events as if humans were mere puppets on strings. Now imagine, that the prophecy of a man returning as the savior of our planet is false, but that the redeemer is already here embodied in a dog. Moon Shadow is that special canine.
Chosen by the guardians of the Crystal plane, Moon Shadow is the light to a greater truth. Teaming up with Feather, a rookie guardian angel, the two form a partnership to do battle against the evil forces of the Obsidian plane. Moon Shadow’s journey takes her from the hell of a puppy mill, to life with a neglectful and abusive family, before eventually finding freedom on the streets of a Midwestern city. After a brief taste of independence, she is captured. Her captor is a scarred and despicable man, but when she uses her new found powers to save his soul, she knows that her path of destiny has started. However, Feather runs into trouble. Entranced by a rogue angel called Simon, the naïve spirit loses sight of her mission. Eventually learning of his wicked ways, she tries to expose his lies, as well as keep Moon Shadow safe. It is the beginning of a saga pitting good against evil. Moving through time and space with loads of exciting characters, ranging from the quirky squirrels, Bob and Earl, the sinister minion Zoot, his evil boss Slag, to the enlightened Creator Harmony, “Moon Shadow and the Keeper of the Canines” is the quintessential wake up call for humanity.
I didn't have an actual picture of the cover, but it does have a dog and moon on the front. It's surprisingly rich in color, and quite beautiful.
In the beginning of the book, there is a note from the author that says: The story you are about to read was created with the utmost love and respect for all beings on this and every planet- known and unknown. It was not written with the intent to disparage or offend any group or organization. It is the hope of this author that you will read the entire book with an open mind and perhaps come away with a different perspective on some things that you may not have previously considered.
Now, when I read this, I thought...whaaa? The summary doesn't seem to hint at anything that could offend anyone. However, it didn't take me long to realize, there are some clear parallels to religion, and not just any specific religion, but religion in general. I could see how some religious fanatics could find it offensive, even if it isn't intended to be. I personally don't find it offensive, but we know my stance on religion so of course I wouldn't be.
I thought the book was eloquently written. The writing is vivid and engaging. However, I have one gripe about the writing, and this is purely on a personal level. Some of the dialogue distracted me. Certain characters said things like "yer" instead of "your", or "git" instead of "get". I totally understand why this was done, and Doll was successful in creating the voice inflection to make those characters appear...white trash-ish, for lack of a better word. While successful in how the misspellings were used, misspellings are always a distraction for me, even if it serves a purpose. Lucky for me, it wasn't like this for every character, as many of them were well spoken and appeared well educated.
The characters were well written. The humans seemed completely real. As for the animals, well you know I can't really say how real they seemed, because I have no idea what is going through animals' minds. However, I'd like to think they are as intelligent as they're shown in the book. I sincerely believe animals have feelings, and I believe they feel the torture that they're dealt on a regular basis in our world. However, to be honest, I hope they don't. I hope they're oblivious to it all. But part of me knows that's a false hope.
I enjoyed the story. It made me sad, angry, happy, sad, angry, and happy. It was thought provoking. Moon Shadow is taken on a heart-wrenching journey, all for the sake of Earth's preservation. Never did she (nor I) imagine that this journey would be so difficult, and she goes through some serious hardships. In fact, everyone in the story goes through their own personal journey, and each and every one of them are difficult to sit through, and yet you can't help but keep reading.
Overall, it was a mixture of fantasy (or what I perceive as fantasy, anyway), and real problems we face in the world. I really enjoyed it.
As you can see in that poster, there is a signing taking place in Springfield, MO this Saturday at Borders. Five dollars from each book sold will be donated to our local C.A.R.E facility, which is one of (if not the only) no-kill animal shelter in our area. I think this is a great cause to support, so if you're in the area try to stop by! I don't know if I'll attend, but I will surely try.
