The Legend of Black Jack

Reading the blurb on the back of A.R. Witham's The Legend of Black Jack, I initially thought this would be a Fantasy version of Harry Potter. While there might be a few similarities, this is not Harry Potter.

This is a very imaginative and creative entry in the Fantasy genre. While this story is contained, there's enough world building and enough things that really aren't explained that could lead to more stories or this being a series.

It was a quick fun read with a diverse cast of likeable (and unlikeable) characters. I thought this would be geared more towards a younger audience but it's what a fun scary 80's PG-13 movie would be if it were a book.

The heart and soul of this book though is the relationship between father and son.

I highly recommend this book and would like to see more stories from this universe!

Actual rating: 4.5.

Review originally posted on Geeky Galaxy.

eARC received from the author via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

First off, I'll start by saying thanks to Andy (A. R. Witham) for reaching out and offering up his book for review! I might not have picked this book up had he not, and then I'd be missing out!

The Legend of Black Jack is at its heart, the story of a young boy with a knack for medicine going on one hell of an adventure. From the first page to the last, this story truly is the legend of Black Jack from exploring archaeological sites as a Chief to the saviour of Keymark. This book really did read like you were reading about a mythical figure.

I'll be honest and say I stopped reading YA for gritter, heavier stories recently. And whilst The Legend of Black Jack stood well as YA, it did offer more for those that could understand the nuances of it, which I appreciated. The coming of age story was also a breath of fresh air against the heavier themes of previous reads.

This book looks like it'd be beautiful to own in hard copy too. It's full of gorgeous illustrations that perfectly encapsulate the scenes from the book; one that particularly struck me is a gorgeous coloured image featuring the silhouette of a demon. You'll know it when you see it.

The Legend of Black Jack is full of characters, full of life, full of wonders and full of twists! At some points, I'd say there was almost too much. Too many characters, too many fantastical elements to marvel at. It's a fine line between an amazing fantasy story and feeling a little much. The Legend of Black Jack is right on that line for me, occasionally tipping over it as we jump from pirate ships to burning towns, to undead armies and chromatic samurai-type knights. It really has something for everyone.

There's also a lot here for the keen-eyed among us. If you're the sort of person who likes spotting little (or big) Easter Eggs and then getting annoyed when something is revealed at the end that you missed but you should've figured out. Then this story is also for you. I'm still annoyed I didn't see one of the big reveals coming. Although that's certainly not the fault of the book. I could say it's because I started this book and put it down for a month before finishing it. But in reality, I was just missing all the signs that were left. I'd love to see if others figured it out before the end!

Once you get past everything though, there's a really great story here; a story of a young boy who loves his Father. And what more could you want than that?