Lyle Blake Smythers

In the interests of transparency, I'll say up front that author Smythers is an old friend. Having said that, I'm delighted to report that he's also a fine writer.

"Feasting With Panthers" is the story of warrior-poet Catalan and his comrades, who happen upon a injured young man and quickly become drawn into his quest. The story is less compelling than the storytelling; Smythers is a wordsmith who has woven both literary and musical references throughout the book, and it's great fun spotting those references. The dialogue is also witty and wry and the characterizations fully-fleshed (with the sole exception of Diarfa, the only female member of Catalan's crew, who is disappointingly flat in comparison to the male characters). There are a few places where the plot drags a bit, but Smythers' lively style keeps things interesting.

This is Smythers' debut novel and I'm looking forward to whatever comes next.… (más)