The Chosen

Most readers of my blog probably know that I'm a huge fan of the fantasy genre. It's my bread and butter, so therefore I never pass up an opportunity to review a book that falls in this category. Thus when I was offered the chance to review Andrea Buginsky's novel, The Chosen, I readily agreed.

Now let me start out with this. The Chosen is a short book. At only 113 pages, it is a quick read. Therefore there isn't much time for Andrea to acquaint us with her characters. Those of you out there who are lovers of fantasy like I am, will probably be able to overlook their more vague personalities, in favor of the overall story. However I do see a lot of people who are more character driven readers being a little disappointed. Halli, the main character, is definitely the most well developed one. She's sweet, shy, and cares a lot about the other members in her party. I enjoyed her, so it really assisted in my enjoyment of the book.

Story wise, this book reads a lot like a fantasy themed video game. Those who can proudly claim that they have a WOW (World of Warcraft) character, like I do, will probably find this story more entertaining. From drinking potions to heal their life and mana, down to doing side quests on the way to defeating the big boss, The Chosen is like a scene out of a fantasy game. Halli is a Paladin, and she has the task of healing her party members to make sure they are fit to fight. The nerdy side of me took pleasure in all the descriptions of the raid style battle that was taking place at the end. The bookish side of me was wanting more in the area of descriptive writing. I really wanted to be able to see what was going on.

Overall, The Chosen was a quick and rather fun read. I can't say that I was as smitten with it as a lot of other fantasy books I've read, but I see a ton of potential for Halli and her compatriots. I am hoping that Andrea Buginsky might bring them back for another round, hopefully this time a little longer and more descriptive. If I can get to know the characters more in depth, I'm sure I'll fall in love with them much more. If you are a fan of fantasy books, and looking for a shorter read, this is one that you should give a try.