Customer Reviews

Clovermead: In the Shadow of the Bear

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(0)
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When I first picked up this book, I wasn't sure what to expect. The market has been flooded with heroine-takes-charge kind of books which, after a while, tend to run together.

Randall has a beautiful way with words; reading Clovermead is a pleasure, not just an adventure. Clovermead, our protagonist, is well-drawn and engaging. The overarching battle in this story is one between the nuns of Lady Moon and the bear-priests of Lord Ursus, but everyone, including Clovermead, get swept up in the conflict leading to unforeseen results.

The heros, the enemies, and those that play both sides are all complex characters, and the plot line doesn't miss a beat.

Overall, a very fun read.

I found this book thoroughly entertaining and highly recommend it to anyone in the mood for a whimsical, exciting, articulate read. David Randall clearly has a gift for creative writing. The quality of Clovermead brings to mind fantasy classics like Lloyd Alexander's Prydain Chronicles and Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials. Can't wait for a sequel.

Clovermead, a twelve year old girl with tomboyish fantasies, in a wild land before firearms, is soon swept up in malevolent plots and a raging war --between rival kingdoms and rival gods --of which, astonishingly, only she proves to be the key to resolution. Her once beloved father fails her as a protector and as a moral example. Her new barbarian friend Sorrel is really kind and helpful, but no omnipotent superman. Snuff, the evil priest of the evil Bear god, Ursus, is ominously sardonic, but it's no joke when he's after Clovermead. The monstrous Bear god is genuinely nightmarish when his tooth is in Clovermead's mouth, and his will begins to take over Clovermead's mind. High up in the icy north, the benevolent goddess, Lady Moon, does not directly drive events, but...? The story begins in Clovermead's childhood home in the chill of autumn, and unrolls in desperate flights through dangerous wilds and more dangerous people in the terrible cold of winter, in the shadow of the Bear. It warms us, too, when Clovermead is at last under the covers in a safe, warm bed before a toasty fire.

David Randall can devise and tell a rousing tale, fantastic but realistic. His characters are no wooden emblems, but are complex and divided as we are. (Even the Bear god develops an admiration for Clovermead, who is growing up fast.) His language is varied, supple and effective; he writes neither down nor up for readers who may be twelve, eighteen or eighty. His evocations of nature, and hints about morality and religion, don't obtrude in the tale, but deepen it. A seizing story. A fine book!

Clovermead is an excellent read. The heroine is both believable and likable and really does seem to be the age she is written as. Everything she does makes sense and has its own logic - the decisions she makes stem from her character, not from the demands of the plot. This is true of most of the adults in the book as well. The book is also very well-paced. Digressions into the backgrounds of other characters are also interesting and flow naturally from the story.

The surprise at the end didn't actually surprise me, but it should still be a genuine surprise for those in its targeted age group. And for the kids who do get it beforehand, they will probably feel proud of themselves for getting it, and not let down by figuring it out early.

Overall, it's a good, tight, and engrossing narrative. It feels neither contrived nor cobbled together like many other fantasy books I have read.

Clovermead Wickward dreams about the thrill of a sword fight, the excitement of heroic quests and the clash of mighty armies. But she never really expected her dreams to come true.

When Clovermead learns that her father Waxmelt is not quite the man she thought he was, she becomes caught up in an exciting and at times frightening adventure while searching for the truth. Clovermead becomes caught up in an epic battle between the good nuns of Lady Moon and the evil bear priests of Lord Ursus.

This is a delightful novel. Clovermead is a feisty heroine in a wonderfully depicted world. And a good thing it is, too, that Clovermead is courageous and brave. For it is Clovermead who is the central player in this conflict.

It is difficult to write more about the story without spoiling it for new readers. If you like fantasy, this novel is well worth exploring.

Special thanks to Don Blankenship. His enthusiastic review for this novel led me to read it.

Jennifer Cameron-Smith

I was substituting at a local school and having a very, very slow day. I found this book lying on a shelf in the teacher's room and for lack of anything better to do, I started reading. My goodness what a lucky find this one was! I had no idea what the story was about when I started but must admit that before three pages were read I was completely hooked.

I note that this work is targeted for the teen and preteen crowd which is quite misleading. Yes, it is perfectly appropriate for this particular age but were I the publisher I probably would have extended the reading age level to at least 102. This is a great example of what we are seeing more and more of...age crossover books.

Basically this is a story set in a world; a medieval world where magic, religion, myth, legend, and reality are rather mixed. The heroine of our story is a young girl who has a bent for adventure and deep down wants to be a warrior. The story is hung on the conflict between the benevolent goddess, Lady Moon and her nuns, and the supposedly evil good, Ursus, and his rather evil henchman Snuff, the chief priest. This is the story of a young girl caught up in a war she does not understand but who is THE key player in this conflict between good and evil. This is the kind of story that contains a spoiler in almost every chapter so it is rather difficult to cover plot. I will say though that the story moves quite well, is captivating and in a very whimsical way, examines questions which are quite pertinent to our day and to our world.

There is plenty of action in this work; much to do with swords and battle, yet it would be a mistake to stick this story in the Conan type blood fest so many of this genre fall into. The story is much deeper and contains some very surprising twists.

David Randall is an obvious natural story teller that is able to pull off a fantasy tale that is not only believable, but is simply fun to read. His characters, and there are several, have actual depth and the author has been able to show both the good and bad in each. Clovermead has been developed into an almost perfect protagonist and through her the author has been able to blend character after character in an almost perfect mix...she acts as both matrix and catalyst. To be honest, you cannot help but like the kids the instant she is introduced into the story. Randall is a very, very good writer!

Now do not take me wrong here. As to plot and story line, there are certainly more complicated works out there, but to be frank a great part of the charm and appeal of this story is the simplicity of plat overlaid by some very complex characters.

Good sword and sorcery writing here and so very much more. This is certainly a five star read for readers of all ages.

Don Blankenship
The Ozarks

The only bad thing about this book is that it ends.
Clovermead lives in a wondrously imaginative, entrancing world filled with action and adventure. She is a Satisfying Character. The people and the world of this book linger in your imagination long after you have shut its covers.
One can only hope it is The First In A Series.