The Cavalier [Paperback]

I am sorry to give this story a three star review. I do this not because it is not well done, but because it is a story more suitable for the very young, and definitely not a story with enough meat for adults.

It is a classic tale about a crippled boy who is pure of heart, He is taken in by a goddess who cures him and over the course of the story, his strength, skill and abilities are augmented until be becomes a goddess-selected Cavalier to fight for good against evil. Hardly original. The heroes are unbelievably strong and brave, the heroines unbelievably beautiful, evil is unbelievably evil, and magic is unbelievably magical. I believe that not one mythical creature was left out, from elves, to giants, to ogres, to orcs, to demons, to wizards ... and so on. The human foibles and weaknesses one might expect are not present. A large number of characters are introduced throughout (all supreme in one way or another) but most do not add depth to the story. The one interesting aspect was the specifics of the gods and goddesses. They coyly claim not to be gods, but their role remains murky. Perhaps the sequel will clear it up, but I am positive the hero will survive and prevail as all good heroes do.

If you want a childish fairy tale salted with sword play and gory violence, this might be for you, but I found none of the one-dimensional characters very appealing. As I said, a very young reader might find it entertaining as it is well written and moves along well, apart from my comments above.

The Cavalier is more than just a classic good vs. evil fantasy epic, though it certainly fits that mold. The author understands that while hero's fight epic battles for fame and glory, the daily struggles of a common man to maintain a well-purposed life are no less valorous.

Jonas is a young hero who overcomes debilitating origins through the grace of powerful forces he isn't sure he believes in, let alone understands. Through his experiences, and those of his compatriots, the author explores the shades of grey that lie between blackest evil and purest light.

The Cavalier is not all character development and philosophical exposition, though. Fast-paced and well-written - with more than a few plot twists - at its heart, this story is a rollicking good action-fantasy full of nightmarish evil, heroic characters, and tautly written action scenes that crackle with intensity.

Take a journey through the lands of Kraawn with Jonas. You won't be disappointed!

Heroic fantasy at its best....McWhirter delivers!

First off, let me first say that if your looking for a book where the author takes fifty pages to describe scenery or political intrigue, then this book is not for you. But on the other hand, if you want fast paced, action packed scenes, where description and dialoge move the story along at an effortless pace without bogging you down, then this book is for you.

As the other reviews said, this is the classic good vs. evil, heroic fantasy, which I have always loved, so I may be a bit biased. I love David Gemmell, Jim Butcher, Terry Brooks, and others who do so well at creating that epic adventure story. McWhirter doesn't dissapoint. Don't get me wrong, I'm not comparing McWhriter to Terry Brooks or Gemmell....he still has a way to go before his style is as sharp and polished as those accomplished writers. But if this author stays with his craft then I think we will see some wonderful works come from him. I cannot believe that this is his first book ever written and I am so looking forward to reading many more from him in the future.

The characters were well formed and I felt like I grew along side them as the story progressed and events molded and changed them. I think the author could have spent more time on some characters but then again this is only book one of the trilogy, perhaps that will be done in book two and three.

I thought the author created some things that were pretty unique. I liked his magic system and I really liked what he did with "The Cavalier" idea. These warriors were very Paladin-like, but with some unique ideas that I had not seen before. I liked the Cognivant idea, the God Marks, etc. I thought the evil minions were so well fleshed out that there were times where I was literally scared....like the Greever, or a Banthra, was going to climb out of my closest at any moment. I've always believed that if I can visualize what the author is creating, then the author is doing a good job.

I read this book in two days. It was fun, fast, and I found I really did care about what happened to the characters, which again is a sign that the author is doing his job. If you like a good adventure story, filled with action and gripping fight scenes, where heroes from all walks of life must pit courage and skill against the most evil creatures you could imagine, then this book is for you!