Book Review: "The Battle for Vast Dominion" by George Bryan Polivka

Packer Throme, determined to demonstrate that power comes only from above, leads his people in a war against the dreaded Drammune. The evil Hezzan of Drammun will kill without remorse for the secret of the Firefish...and so will dark forces lurking within Nearing Vast.

As army faces army, and navy faces navy, all are drawn inexorably to the source of the epic struggle... the feeding waters of the Firefish within the Achawuk Territory. One final surprise awaits Packer Throme there in the foreboding place where the struggle for the dominion of the world will be settled at last.

I have admitted several times that I am not a big fantasy fan. There's nothing wrong with the genre, it's just hard for me to be able to get into the story. However, I have really enjoyed the Trophy Chase series and now with the third and final book, I was sad to see everything come to an end. Polivka takes the reader on another sweeping adventure above the Trophy Chase where Packer has to once again battle the Firefish as well as the Drammune. This time however, he has been newly crowned the king of the Nearing Vast which puts a spin on everything including an encounter with a foe he thought was dead.

What makes this book stand out for me is that even though the story is set in a made up land, with creatures that don't exist in our world, I still could totally relate to the characters. Most of the action that takes place, while using swords and other techniques from a Lord of the Rings situation, doesn't seem too far out there or something I would have to stretch my imagination too far to conjure in my mind. Also I really enjoy how strong the female characters in this book are portrayed. Panna, Packer's wife, has been one of my favorite characters throughout the series and once again she shines in this story.

I did feel that the book was a little slow at times. Also I was really hoping that this would be the book where Packer and Panna would have an adventure together but alas they were separated again for most of the story. However, if you have enjoyed the other two books in the series, you will definitely want to read this one as questions are finally answered, people are reunited, and heroes are proclaimed. This is a great read for fans of the fantasy and allegory genre and a fine end to a wonderful series.

The Battle for Vast Dominion by George Bryan Polivka is published by Harvest House (2008)

This review copy was provided by the publisher