Review of Child of the Snows

[Andrada Madalina]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Child of the Snows" by Thomas Besom.]

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5 out of 5 stars

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Child of the Snows by Thomas Besom is a historical fiction about sacred rites and ancient legends. It emphasizes a boy's spiritual journey and the culture of an empire from around 1500. Also, the novel presents themes such as family life, sacrifice, death, and spirituality.

Briefly, this book focuses on the fate of an eight-year-old boy, K'uchi-Wara, the son of the Lupaka headman. The prologue offers a glimpse into the history of the Inka Empire, a native nation in South America. Many centuries later, two treasure hunters, Gerardo and Jaime, make an astonishing discovery in the mine of Mount El Plomo: a frozen child who was buried alive.

I liked the slow-paced narration sprinkled with flashbacks and bizarre dreams. I appreciated that Thomas Besom focused on the innocence of the children and their confusion regarding the actions of the Inka priests. I loved how the author highlighted the responsibilities of a headman and the moral aspects of the sacrifice to gods. For instance, I empathized with the emotional struggles of K'uchi-Wara's father, especially his inner conflict between his duties to the community and his love for his son.

Another positive aspect of this book was the mythical symbolism of the spirit's journey. I enjoyed the mystery that shrouded the ancestral legends about the local gods from Wila-Nayra. I liked the Lupaka traditions regarding the gifts given to the child at his first haircutting and the speeches about celestial twins in the universe. For example, I appreciated K'uchi-Wara's father's lectures about complementary pairs and their significance. Also, I loved that the author included a symbolic illustration for each chapter, especially those with celestial bodies that highlighted ancestral myths sprinkled with gloomy notes of the proximity of death.

I enjoyed the episodic plots of this novel and the brave acts of K'uchi-Wara. I was intrigued by the alarming situations during the boy's journey and empathized with his concerns and doubts regarding the Inkas. Also, Child of the Snows was professionally edited since I discovered only a minor closing punctuation error. The only inconvenience of this book was the lack of a clear delimitation between the third-person narration and K'uchi-Wara's monologues, but this doesn't make me rate it less than 5 out of 5 stars.

I recommend this novel to fans of historical fiction, especially people curious about an empire's dogmas about sacrifice. It is perfect for those interested in ancient legends and rites but not for those who do not want to read about sacrificial children and mummies. Also, Child of the Snows is suitable for a large audience because it has minor profanity and no erotic content.

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Child of the Snows
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[Patty Allread]

Thank you for this lovely review. I enjoy historical fiction, and I'm interested in the spiritual journey K'uchi-Wara traveled.