The Ring of Naar by Pat Catlett

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‘The Ring of Naar’ tells the story of 2 young men sent on a quest to find a prophesised ring which will save their homeland from destruction. However when the ring is discovered, the truth surrounding its powers is revealed and the heroes are forced to use other means to repel invading forces from their city. This book is interesting to read because compared to the majority of fantasy novels it is much shorter in length so less time is spent explaining the world and its history, and the action begins much sooner. I found the opening few chapters difficult to get into as it was written in a slightly abrupt manner; dictating facts rather than story telling, but Pat Catlett soon developed a more flowing writing style which enabled me to become fully immersed in the tale.

The main characters were well-written with some unusual qualities which made them far from stereotyped, although there were some instances where their actions or responses were slightly unbelievable. This could have been avoided with a small amount of additional background prior to the scene. I particularly liked the King though who was portrayed vividly as ‘unsuitable’ for his position – very unlike the standard King who is powerful and born to lead. There was also a cleverly written scene just prior to the final battle where a morose King reflects on his life which he feels is incomplete and the reader feels genuine empathy for him as you imagine being in his position.

Overall there was some brilliant imagery used in this book and this new twist of a classic theme guarantees the reader with a good level of entertainment. At times I felt that there was too much speech and that actions rather than words could have accomplished a better result but as the story stands it could be a great base for a movie. I have just been informed by the author that ‘The Ring of Naar’ is the first book of a trilogy and eagerly await the next instalment.

Reviewed by Helen Kerslake

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