Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

For those of you not interested in reading a novel before you read a novel, I suggest you skip to the last paragraph for the Cliffs Notes version of my review. For those of you who wish to know how it's possible that one book can forever change the lens through which you view the genre of fantasy and the metric and standard through which you measure it, read on. Seldom do I ever feel compelled to write a review. In fact, this is (I believe) my first review on Goodreads. But every so often in life, you have the fortune to come across a work so artfully, skillfully and carefully crafted that it can only have been created by someone who has found what they were born to do as an artist. That is precisely what I found in Jonathan Renshaw's "Dawn of Wonder," and never before have I been so grateful for deciding to give a name I hadn't heard before a chance. From start to finish, the story's slow-burn development builds a perfect level of mysticism behind the all too real moments. Make no mistake, this is NOT high fantasy and it would be an unfair mischaracterization to relegate it to the category of epic fantasy. For a world where impossible things can and do happen, this is absolutely as real as it gets. Renshaw explores some of the most difficult subjects I've ever seen an author attempt to address in the fantasy genre. Childhood trauma manifesting in present-day paralyzing fear, a broken home, domestic violence, loss of innocence, and loss of loved ones are just of some of the adversities faced by young Aedan in this novel. This is not, however, your typical coming-of-age story arc. It is instead a daring exploration of the child psyche, somehow, often remarkably, capturing precisely the thoughts and sentiments of a boy of Aedan's age. Were a boy gifted Renshaw's incredible ability to convey emotion and thought, I imagine the result would be strikingly similar to the almost impossibly accurate articulations found in "Dawn of Wonder." I imagine that this novel could only have been written by someone that either personally experienced childhood trauma or has intimate familiarity with someone who has. If this is indeed the case, Renshaw's attempt to convey the reality of those traumatic instances should be lauded for shining such a light in to a genre often defined by the superfluous and superficial, and he has my sympathy for what he experienced. Lest anyone balk at the prospect of facing such realism in a genre many of us seek for the very purpose of escaping our daily reality-laden drudgery, I implore you for a moment to remember what it was to be child. Just as our fears were made exponentially more terrifying and just as our losses and failures were so keenly exacerbated by our lack of maturity, so too were our feelings of triumph, simple joy and wonder made boundless and larger than life by the creativity and impossible (yet no less real in our thoughts) beliefs we allowed our minds to indulge in. In this sense, the title "Dawn of Wonder" could not have been more aptly chosen. The experiences we're privileged to witness through the lens of Aedan's young mind allow our own minds to harken back to those days where it was possible to find a pirate's treasure in your own backyard, and when our worlds were so black and white that we believed our feelings on certain subjects would forever be set in stone. But just as we stood by and watched that black and white blend in to an amorphous gray in our lives, so too do we witness how the forges that are maturity and knowledge temper and challenge everything Aedan once believed defined him. Despite this lengthy (and frankly somewhat pretentious) review, I have only addressed the skill and care through which the story is told and not the story itself. With regard to the plot, once again, the title "Dawn of Wonder" is an apt description of the developments over the course of the novel. Aedan's own maturation, and consequently the loss of his idealism and the birth of his realism, stands in stark juxtaposition to the mysterious and wonderful elements building behind the scenes. It is these very elements that permit the book to be characterized as fantasy, but this is not a farm boy leaving home to fulfill an impossibly important destiny through the use of magic blades and dragons. Instead, the careful manner in which Renshaw applies the elements of myth and mysticism to the world he created is akin to a master painter's sparing choice of color or a master chef's discerning measure of just the right amount of spice. As a person who self-identifies as a member of "The More Swords, Magic and Dragons The Better" club, rest assured that the story progressively and selectively incorporates more fantasy as it develops. I promise that those of you seeking to scratch their fantasy itch will find themselves satisfied and practically begging for more by the end of the novel. As my unfortunate friends have now become aware, I could go on forever about this book. The dialogue is so witty and richly rewarding that at times I found myself jealous, as though it were unfair that other humans were capable of this level of verbal mastery. But these petty sentiments only led me to respect the nearly flawless and never lazy way in which Renshaw crafted a mind, a world and a story in perfect synchronicity. The story is exciting, satisfying, poignant, fun, touching, whimsical, mystical, and all too often capable of tugging on your heartstrings. I'd be lying if I said I didn't shed a tear in both laughter and sadness at varying points throughout this novel. The wonderful world and colorful characters that inhabit "Dawn of Wonder", and Aedan's interactions with both, challenge the notions of what it means to be family and what it means to find love and friendship. You'll find yourself remembering those times that just the very presence of your friends made you feel as though you could tackle anything life could throw your way. And even in those moments where you didn't and couldn't believe, they did the believing for you. They picked you up and carried you through adversity, and you found yourselves made closer by the experience. The impact of the bonds formed among our peers that are built through childhood friendship, support, squabble and mutual maturation on the type of man or woman we ultimately become cannot be understated. Long story short, five stars out of five, ten points out of ten, whatever you want to call it. I doubt I will find a more compelling and poignant mixture of storytelling and character development in my reading adventures, and in that sense by the end of "Dawn of Wonder" I found myself saddened, when I would ordinarily be excited, at the prospect of searching for another book to read. It is cliché to say I wished it would never end, but when an author achieves an impossible standard, sometimes clichés are all we have. After all, as the above review will show, there are both too many and not enough words for how much I enjoyed this novel. Lovers of the fantasy genre, I cannot recommend this book any more. Anyone interested in a daring exploration in to the themes of family dynamics, child psyche and loss of innocence, I say the same to you. And anyone just looking for a terrific story and an engrossing read, well, you know the drill. Just read it.