Animist

I love this book! I can not put it down. i am a MAJOR fanasty book fan and I find myself wondering now which is my favortive book 'Animist' or 'The Lord of the rings Trilogy'.I love that Alex seems to always get into trouble and brings other people down with him. And I find it really funny that his Anim turns out to be a little fur ball of a rat! lol

This is my son's favorite book. "The Yearling" used to be his favorite but "The Animist" has no cute forest creatures dying so he prefers this story. It has an amazing array of magic and action and an underlying love story. The characters are superbly sketched and the placement of good luck and mishaps was so thrilling that even lying down in bed he was on the edge of his seat. The fantastic use of multiple races that slightly resemble animals with Animaic names is enthralling. He only wishes that Eve Forward would come up with a sequel to tell of Alex's adventures after becoming a rich dude...

Alex wants to get a great animal, make a lot of money, and become a hero. Instead, a rat answers his magic call. Together, they struggle to get a grip on Alex's quite limited powers, make friends, and battle a powerful magician.Animist is nicely written and offers a truly convincing character in Alex. He means well, makes the honorable decision most of the time, and does his best to help others, even when they don't want his help. He is a fully 3 dimensional character. Even Mote, the rat, is an interesting character with his own emotional range and depth.

This is actually the second book I have read by Ms. Forward. The first was "Villains by Necessity", a rather creative take on what if "good" had won, and evil was struggling to hold on.This is a solid read, with interesting characters, and a setting that could be lived in. Naturally, DKS's cover art has damn little to do with what is in the book (sigh.)You get the feeling that the author knows the characters, and she makes them behave like real people. I felt the ending was believable...and for those who have a problem with it (some of the other reviews), you have to see this in the view of modern publishers...they are going for a series here.I am confident that the next installment will continue to show the growth of the characters, as well as the growth of the writer.

Eve Forward has a relaxed writing style and her new novel is a wonderful read. Her portrayal of Alex and his "Anim" on their travels are so real that I was disappointed when it ended. I want to see more!