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A review by doughtah
Shield of Stars by Hilari Bell
3.0
Hilari Bell’s “Shield of Stars” sets the stage for her trilogy “The Shield, Sword, And Crown.” Weasel is a clerk in the employ of one Justice Hollis, a member of the uppercrust of his country’s society and a paternal figure to the young Weasel. As the plot unfolds, other characters - such as the young Prince and his dastardly Regent, as well as a spirited young girl who meets Weasel in unfortunate circumstances - enter the performance to play their roles in the story. Political intrigue and superstition all begin to interfere with Weasel’s cushy life as Justice Hollis’ clerk as soon as the story starts. If you pick up this book, prepare for fast-paced, fun adventure.
Set largely around dialogue, “Shield of Stars” moves quickly between its scenes and through its story. Bell makes use of descriptions where she feels they are necessary, from Weasel’s interior mind to setting the scene in which we find our hero. Thankfully, there is not much in the way of purple prose in this book. There is also a background of myth and political intrigue beyond what Weasel, our eyes in the story, can see or cares to see. As it’s only the first entry in the trilogy, it’s pretty much assured that those features of the story will be further developed in the next two books and that’s one thing really drawing me to finish the trilogy.
However, “Shield of Stars” does not stray far from its companions in the “Reluctant Hero” genre in some not-so-fun ways. There are only two named female characters in the entire book that have any impact. Arisa - one of those named female characters - is, of course, unlike any other girl Weasel might have met in his years on the streets where girls certainly only ever squealed and teared up. The Falcon, a woman in charge of leading a rebellion of the countryfolk, has an army primarily filled with men who are the only ones to join her in one of her most important military battles. The rest of the cast is made up of named male characters and most of the random characters who play a role in the main characters’ story are men. There was also one very eye-rolling moment where a random rebel tells Weasel The Falcon “takes folks that way at first.Least, she takes men that way.” Good to know the fantasy world is only made up of straight people.
In the end, “Shield of Stars” is a quick, fun, and rather typical first entry to a fantasy series.
Set largely around dialogue, “Shield of Stars” moves quickly between its scenes and through its story. Bell makes use of descriptions where she feels they are necessary, from Weasel’s interior mind to setting the scene in which we find our hero. Thankfully, there is not much in the way of purple prose in this book. There is also a background of myth and political intrigue beyond what Weasel, our eyes in the story, can see or cares to see. As it’s only the first entry in the trilogy, it’s pretty much assured that those features of the story will be further developed in the next two books and that’s one thing really drawing me to finish the trilogy.
However, “Shield of Stars” does not stray far from its companions in the “Reluctant Hero” genre in some not-so-fun ways. There are only two named female characters in the entire book that have any impact. Arisa - one of those named female characters - is, of course, unlike any other girl Weasel might have met in his years on the streets where girls certainly only ever squealed and teared up. The Falcon, a woman in charge of leading a rebellion of the countryfolk, has an army primarily filled with men who are the only ones to join her in one of her most important military battles. The rest of the cast is made up of named male characters and most of the random characters who play a role in the main characters’ story are men. There was also one very eye-rolling moment where a random rebel tells Weasel The Falcon “takes folks that way at first.Least, she takes men that way.” Good to know the fantasy world is only made up of straight people.
In the end, “Shield of Stars” is a quick, fun, and rather typical first entry to a fantasy series.