Spear of Destiny: Finding Bucephalus
by Mary Lou Wells
A review by INFAMOUS🦀
When I first read and reviewed Book 1, Spear of Chaos, I thought it was good but I felt like it could have been even better. In hindsight, I believe my ‘final verdict’ was the result of Part 1 of that book being so compelling that once the narrative moved on to Part 2 it did not hold my interest as much. Part 1 of that book showcases the creation of the cursed Spear of Chaos and it is just a brilliant display of Norse mythology at its best. Once the action moved to our main characters in the year of 1985 though, I kinda’ felt like I wanted the action to remain in the Norse mythology world and did not care much about these kids in the 1980s:
“Unfortunately, once the action moves to 1985, things take a turn and the narrative entirely switches gears. At that point it became harder for me to feel the same excitement I felt in the first page”
Fast forward to today, and after reading Book 2, Spear of Destiny, I truly feel that a vast improvement has taken place. This is due mainly to two reasons:
- I was better prepared to expect the action to move from the ancient world of myth and legend to our kids of 1980s
- The narrative surrounding our protagonists in the ’80s significantly improved, in fact I went from being indifferent to them in Book 1 to actually liking them in Book 2.
PLOT:
Everything begins when Ulfr, an evil and despicable subject who lived during the Norse mythology/Vikings era committed heinous crimes against humanity and with the aid of dark magick (with a K, yes) he creates a spear that will host his soul after his body will perish.
Fast-forward to 1985 rural US and the Spear of Chaos finds its way back among the living, feeding on the souls of the innocent so that Ulfr can rule again. It will be up to our group of teens and Diane, a black female police officer, to stop the chaos unleashed by the Spear. Book 2 picks up exactly where Book 1 left off. The kids are now in possession of the Spear but they need to find a way to destroy it once and for all. It seems easy, right? Only one issue: this Spear seems virtually indestructible, and not even with fire are the kids able to put an end to it. So the story will revolve around the task of finding a way to destroy the Spear of Chaos, and ultimately our young heroes discover that only the legendary Spear of Destiny will be able to get the job done. The only problem is finding the Spear of Destiny!
MARY LOU KNOWS HER LEGENDS:
Just like in Book 1, Part 1 of Book 2 takes us to a long time ago in history. This time we get to follow the whereabouts of Alexander the Great and his legendary horse Bucephalus. This is very crucial to the entire story as later on Bucephalus will become actively involved in aiding our protagonists.
What I really love about Part 1 is how once again Mary Lou is able to capture the essence of those ancient myths and characters. Everyone read about Alexander is very accurate and the entire time I was thinking how awesome it would be to have an entire book dedicated to what we are presented with in this opening part of the book.
MYTH/RELIGION/HISTORY:
A most captivating element found in this book (and in Book 1) is how Mary Lou manages to blend in myth with religion and history in ways that are not tiring or generic. Too many modern writers use these elements in ways that are, in my opinion, abhorrent, but Mary Lou always shows reverence and an authentic passion for these subjects.
MAIN CHARACTERS:
The author is also part of our group of 1985 teenage protagonists. In fact all main characters are real individuals very close to Mary Lou. What I like about them is that they never come off as annoying self-absorbed brats who constantly make the dumbest decisions along the way and who find the best way to get in trouble. These are all smart kids who are very responsible and make common sense decisions. The fact that some of them are gifted with supernatural powers does not change their personas or likability at all. They kind of reminded me of those kids from Stranger Things but far less annoying and a lot wiser.
The oldest of the group is not a teen but a police officer who finds out about the Spear of Chaos and decides to join and help them. She quickly becomes my favorite of the bunch, and not because she is a strong, independent woman of color! Diane is just a cool girl: smart but not conceited; humble but not insecure; resourceful but not overpowering. Is that how women on the force used to be in the 80s?
CONCLUSIONS:
If you haven’t read Book 1 yet I really encourage you to do so to get ready for Spear of Destiny. This is fantasy done well, mixing myth, history, religions, and that 1980s flair some of you may enjoy. The book is also very professionally edited and it is written in a prose that is direct and to the point yet refined when it needs to be, going from one historical period into another.
Another new LEGEND in the making!
🦀