***This book was reviewed for Reader’s Favourite.****

 

Honesty- this is another book that I almost stopped during the first two chapters. I’m really glad I didn’t. Rupe’s Unsung Heroes really drew me in once I reached the dialogue. It was the cover that first caught my attention. A real oooh, shiny! moment.

 

Prologue first chapter aside, the story begins with a mysterious man named Tribe who is seeking employment at a school for troubled boys. However, Tribe, and the school itself, are far more than they first appear.

 

The school houses an ancient and corrupting darkness and Tribe has come to fight this darkness. To this end, he has sought out a young woman named Teagan to help him. Teagan is a sensitive person, an empathy in the extreme. She works to heal violence and the scars it leaves behind, yet the work, and the sheer weight of violence and hatred in the world leave their own wounds on Teagan’s soul.

 

Like Tribe, there is a bit more to Teagan than meets the eye, and there is steel beneath the gentleness. Together, Tribe and Teagan work against the threatening darkness, facing their fair amount of personal and interpersonal challenges.

 

I loved the dialogue, and the interplay between the characters. Once you really get into the meat of the story, the character and world-building really take off. Teagan’s journey of development is a great one. I also really loved the chapter titles. Very creative!

 

I will admit, there were times when an overabundance of personal pronouns came into play that made keeping track of who was doing what a little difficult. This was especially true of the first chapter, and one of the reasons I almost missed out on this wonderful and engaging story.

 

The prose can become a bit purple at times. There is much here that can be condensed, and tightened. This really came through with things of a philosophical nature. Descriptions of Tribe’s thoughts, and the meanderings of the pond at the beginning come to mind. Another proofing for grammar would not have been amiss, but that didn’t detract from the story for me in the least.There is certainly room for growth as a writer. However, overall, the story was marvellous.

 

Unsung Heroes was a good beginning to what seems to be a promising series. As a first novel, there is certainly room to grow. I look forward to seeing Rupe grow as a writer, and will certainly be on the lookout for the next in this series.