“Lleydrin” by J. B. Moran

Lleydrin is a far-future fantasy world where good people with different objectives and beliefs have been separated through historical events so that they have become increasingly tribal and antagonistic towards each other. The novel explores what happens when these disparate groups are required to cooperate to face a common enemy. Shades of 2020 America.

The success of this story depends on careful and realistic manipulation of the plotline so that people who should be allies are quite naturally, because of history, the class system and individual personalities, turned against each other. Point of view shifts to the different factions, and we begin to understand each person for his or her own objectives and versions of reality, as the ownership of the planet and its people depends on the actions of all of them.

And that is sometimes a problem, because shifting POV can confuse readers, especially in places where it switches from one character to another in the middle of a scene. The usual method is to give the POV to one character for one chapter or section, clearly outlined at the beginning. Authors vary this practice at their own peril.

This is a book for Young Adults, and with such an uncritical audience, a certain amount of latitude is allowed in the areas of plot and character consistency. However, there were a few places where the plot stretched our credibility and one character whose personality changes far too much in far too short a time even for a YA Fantasy.

However, in the long run, it all fits together well, with good suspense, likeable heroes, and lots of action. It ends up being a fine feel-good read, even for adults.

4 out of 5 stars (4 / 5)

 

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