With Sentinels Awaken, Helen Garraway offers us a glimpse into an enticing world set firmly in the Sword and Sorcery genre. Their culture and way of life under threat, our growing band of heroes, led by the main protagonist, face a series of exciting challenges, undertaking one perilous adventure after another as the story builds towards its climactic ending.
In terms of the wider ensemble, the tone and character of the minor supporting cast seems a little generic at times, as do several of the antagonists but the main characters are well developed and each has a distinctive voice, their dialogue working well to support the plot as it moves along. The author has done a good job with the pacing, there are no unnecessary detours or lags in the narrative and the reader is kept engaged as the pace gradually builds.
I found there were a few instances, particularly in the first half of the book, where the hand of a skilled editor would help to guide the author in articulating more clearly some of the scenes and scene changes. In places the text reads more like a second or third draft rather than an edited final version.
That said, there is a good story to be told here and one that kept me reading until the end. I would recommend Sentinels Awaken to anyone who loves good, old fashioned sword and sorcery where goodies fight baddies, the heroes are handsome and the distinction between right and wrong clearly delineated. I’m happy to award Helen Garraway’s debut novel a deserved 3 stars.