CLARION REVIEW

Samuil and the Legendary Snow Owl Randall Stephens

Samuil and the Legendary Snow Owl is an ambitious fantasy novel that pits the might of tough people against demonic anger.

                Randall Stephens’s ranging fantasy novel Samuil and the Legendary Snow Owl blends fairy tale and historical elements.

                Beginning with a big, bloody battle between the Russian army and demons during the 1840s Allied Shadow War, the story focuses on P’etro and his friends as they try and survive in a hellish landscape. P’etro lives to become the hero of the Dawn battle, winning him both fame and the land he needs to start a family. He marries Ilia, who gives birth to Samuil—fated to help turn the tide in the longstanding war.

                The plot hinges on keeping Samuil alive and well so that he can fulfill his destiny. P’etro and his family are helped in their efforts by enigmatic Nikolai and his dog, Wolf Killer. The story moves from Samuil’s birth through his childhood years and to the ultimate confrontation with the shadow—the embodiment of all evil and darkness, which lives only to destroy. Russian folklore and history angles are an interesting twist…

                Set in the historical past, the story also includes magical elements that make its setting more like that of a fairy tale. Magic and mysteries are real and dangerous; any trip into the forest is a life-threatening affair….

                The story’s main characters—P’etro, Ilia, and Samuil—are plays upon tropes, functioning as a brave father, loving mother, and troublesome child. P’etro is strong, but not wise; Ilia is adoring, but willing to pick up a sword. Wonderful, interesting secondary characters include a talking teddy bear, a sea witch who turns from a seahorse to a crone, and a ghost regiment still fighting the shadow. All embrace magic and fight against evil, resulting in an appealing, fable-like quality…

Samuil talks to animals and tries to understand them, and connected scenes are charming.