Masters & Slayers is the first book in the adult fantasy series called Tales of Starlight, which comes out September 14, 2010. There is a corresponding young adult series called Dragons of Starlight, the first book of which is Starlighter. Starlighter is also a fabulous read, and it is published already by Zondervan. It's really amazing to read both series simultaneously, as it is told by different perspectives with different adventures centering around one major event. There is certain information you gain in one series that you do not necessarily gain in the other. I think this is a great and creative touch by Bryan Davis, as he knows that many times a parent is fully engaged in reading the young adult story and does not want to read duplicate, limited facts about a particular world or species. These worlds are extremely well developed. I still feel as if I have yet to scratch the surface.
I found the characters to be some of the most exciting parts of the novel, as they had some compelling development. The main characters' personalities are distinct and some defy the average archetype of gender roles and gender expectations. The evil character was not your typical obvious villain either; he was particularly calculating and scary in his "logical" thought process. Readers will really enjoy when information about a character's past is revealed, it weaves an intricate web of the character's life and allows the reader to predict what actions they will take next. Whether they are correct in their predictions is another story altogether!
This book was correctly labeled for adults, as it deals with many gray areas of morality and difficult choices that stimulate a lot of higher level thinking. But this is precisely what made the book a fascinating read for me. I often found myself wondering what I would do in these sorts of situations, and what would have happened if the character had made a different choice. Sometimes I honestly could not answer myself, as the content matter would sometimes include difficult adult-only appropriate situations, like gruesome deaths and rape. These are, of course, shed in the proper light and shown as evil. I would not recommend that a child read this book for these reasons; that is another great reason why Starlighter exists for young adults.
I wholeheartedly recommend this book to the long-time Bryan Davis fans and any new fans that are bound to crop up. Anyone expecting this Christian author to present predictable black and white situations with a cliché moral message is in for a shock! Expect to be drawn in to a new world, weeping for the lost and abused and cheering on the heroes who would do anything to save them.
