REVIEW: Progeny: Children of the White Lions by R.T. Kaelin

Progeny: Children of the White Lions by R.T. Kaelin

Publishing Information: 2010 (first publishing) 2010 (current edition)

Publisher: Terrene Press, Trade Paperback, 662 pgs

ISBN-13: 987-0-6154210-3-2

Series: Volume 1

Reviewer: Andy

Copy: Provided by Author



Synopsis: (from from back of book): Nikalys and his sister Kenders grew up living in a peaceful life in the quiet farming village of Yellow Mud…until one blistering hot summer day when they go to the nearby lake for a swim. When they reach the lake, they see an unknown mage conjure a massive water creature hundreds of feet tall. They watch in horror as the monstrous creation plunges toward their home, apparently drowning all in its path, including their parents and older brother Jack. As the only survivors, brother and sister strike out on their own, hoping to discover the reason their home and family was destroyed. They must make their way through a countryside where magic is outlawed, punishable by imprisonment or even death, while struggling with the revelation that Kenders has magical abilities herself. Ancient, powerful forces still seek them on their travels -- some intending to eliminate the threat they pose and some hoping the help them fulfill a destiny of which they are unaware. Myths and legends come to life, whacking the pair along a journey they never could have imagined possible.



Since I was a child, I've been regaled by authors with tales of seemingly ordinary village youths who find they have a secret destiny to battle the forces of evil. These stories are devoured by pubescent teenagers everywhere because the heroes in the story are so relatable to the readers - they, like the protagonists, wish to escape their mundane and menial everyday tasks in order to find that their lives actually hold some deeper significance. Perhaps they have been bestowed with the title of "the Chosen One" or passed down some magic sword through a hereditary line, an inheritance that charges the bearer with some sacred duty and power. These themes occur in everything from Lloyd Alexander's Chronicles of Prydain to Goodkind's Sword of Truth, following a archetypical blueprint identified and diagrammed by Joseph Campbell in the Hero With a Thousand Faces inspiring films like the original Star Wars trilogy.



Progeny, by R.T. Kaelin, is another one of these stories. Early in the book, two village youths named Nikalys and Kender, soon after watching their entire village decimated by a giant water elemental, find that they are actually adopted, have hidden powers instinctively available to them, and must hide from an evil Wizard who wishes that they didn't exist. Kenders (not to be confused with the Dragonlance race), is the female of the pair and can see and manipulate color-coded ribbons in the air known as "strands" producing magical effects. Nikalys, her brother realizes that he has catlike reflexes and innate martial abilities. They are both coached by a shapeshifting wild man named Broedi - a caretaker with the task of watching over these especially gifted children by the genetic parents.



The book is massive - its a large trade paperback with 662 margin-less pages. Disappointingly though, the action moves at a snail's pace. The book is sorely in need of an editor as pointless anecdotes and lackluster world-building take up many of the pages here. There is nothing quite original about this world - the races are Tolkien inspired, gods are at war, magic is outlawed, etc, etc - all things we've come across a hundred times before. I am not a victim of modern culture's pull toward instant gratification, and I enjoy a bit of travel and world-building in my fantasy, but there is barely anything original or captivating about the world Progeny inhabits - the book was reminiscent of a long and tiresome family road trip where you can predict the bickering of your relatives before it even occurs.



Much of the exposition is force fed to us in an unnatural way leading to clumsy dialogue. Additionally, magic is too often used as a substitute for more clever plot devices as the characters seem to find much more difficult and indirect lengths to magically solve their problems than was necessary. Did the evil Wizard really need to recruit his whole class of student Wizards and destroy an entire village and cross his fingers hoping he'd disposed of his targets? It came off as not quite discreet and bit of overkill. Did the the merchant-wizard-gnome actually need to use mind-control on the University's magistrate in order to use him for a teleport spell and then banish him to a permanent vacation? Much of this simply comes off silly and childish, taking away from the more serious elements of the story. If this is your first foray into fantasy you might find something new and interesting here - but really there are better books out there that tell vastly similar stories. Part of the problem with telling a story that has been told so many times before, is that you aren't likely to eclipse the great names that pioneered the genre.





Plot……….2.0/10



Characters………3.0/10



Style……….1.5/10



Overall……….2.0/10