Saturday, July 24, 2010

Zan-Gah and the Beautiful Country by Allan Richard Shickman

Title:  Zan-Gah and the Beautiful Country
Genre:  Young Adult
Publisher:  Earthshaker Books
Publication Date: 2009
ISBN:  978-097903571-5
Stand alone or series:  Series (2nd Book)
Pages: 151 pages
Book Received from:  Earthshaker Books

Spoilers if you haven't read the first book.



First Lines:  When Lissa-Na died, Dael wept real tears. 

Synopsis:
The prehistoric saga continues as Zan-Gah and his disturbed twin brother, Dael, come into conflict. When their clan migrates to a new Beautiful Country, Dael’s furious violence, joined with the magnetic power of his personality, precipitates division and an unwanted, preventable war.  Zan’s task is to restrain his brother’s destructive and self-destructive tendencies, leading him to peace and recovery in the bountiful new land.  But it is not to be, despite Zan’s efforts and those of two strong female characters.  Themes of war and peace, tribal conflict, traumatic stress, gender roles, sibling rivalry, bereavement, redemption.


My Thoughts:
After finishing Zan-Gah: A Prehistoric Adventure, I quickly grabbed this one to keep reading.  I read through this one twice as quickly as the first.



Zan-Gah succeeded in rescuing his brother Dael, bringing along Rydl from the Wasp men and Lissa-Na from the Noi tribe.  If you have read the first line of this it does give one thing away from the first book.  Lissa-Na's death shatters the already very fragile Dael and one night he comes to Zan-Ga, wakes him up and tells him it's time to find where the river comes from.  Zan-Gah already knows how fragile Dael is and takes  a few of his friends along with him.


This book has a lot more action and darker moments than the first and the story seems to move along at a steady pace.  We get to learn more about Dael and the torment and suffering he endured while enslaved and we get a look in on Pax, Zan-Gah's new wife and Rydl.  Zan-Gah also discovers that the brother he once knew is no longer the same person now.  


Zan-Gah and the Beautiful Country is an enjoyable read and a great follow up to the first book Zan-Gah: A Prehistoric Adventure.  I'm glad I read both of these books.  





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