Review of Masters and Slayers

Masters and Slayers by Bryan Davis is the first book in the Tales of Starlight series. In this Christian adult fantasy, Adrian Masters journeys to a strange land with human slaves kept by dragons. His friend Marcelle and father join him in his quest to free the slaves of Starlight. However, the dragons are a powerful lot as is a Starlighter, a girl with unique abilities. Adrian embarks on a journey that will reveal much of the mysterious planet of Starlight. But the question remains- will he be able to free the slaves?

Mr. Davis has always been admired by many readers for his unique writing style and innovative imagination. This book is but one example of his literary prowess. The characters are unique and the world portrayed seem very real. Something that I find very unique about Mr. Davis's books is that not everything is always black and white. I am definitely intrigued by Masters and Slayers, and I will be sure to be looking out for the sequels.

Masters and Slayers is an adult fantasy, but I think teenagers can also read it. However, there is some questionable content. The dragons in Starlight force men and women to procreate to produce more slaves. The so-called "breeding rooms" are mentioned quite a few time throughout the book. Some other references to similar things are also in Masters and Slayers.
What I found to be most confusing is one of the main elements in Masters and Slayers. In essence, a girl with no body shares a body with a man. The relationship seems odd and at some times, unsettling. I as a reader could not tell if the author was portraying this indwelling as a good or bad thing.

You may remember my previous review of Starlighter by Mr. Davis. (Go here) Starlighter and Masters and Slayers are published by two different publishing companies (Zondervan and AMG publishers), but the two series are intertwined with the stories of two brothers in the world of Starlight. I found it fascinating, though there were some elements that confused me in this book. Starlighter is still one of my favorite books, and Mr. Davis is still esteemed by me as an exceptional writer. However, I wonder how the future books will do. If the two series become darker, I may question my opinions.

I rate this book four stars out of five stars.

Note: I was provided an electronic Advanced Reader Copy of this book by AMG publishers. I am not obligated to write a positive review, only an honest one.

God Bless,