The Other Side of Black Rock

by John W. Fort

In the medieval world of The Great Province young Raef finds himself torn between his duties as a future leader of his village and and the allure of a secretive beast he finds in the deep forest. The dark spirit, feared by all in the Great Province, has not been seen in generations and is considered a myth by some. Yet it befriends Raef, who finds it both terrible and wonderful at once. As he studies with his masters what he is taught is at odds with what he discovers from the beast. Raef is left with ever growing questions as he searches for the truth about the beast and history of his village. As his two worlds diverge Raef is left unsure who he can trust. Meanwhile, a warrior finds himself on a distant island, deserted save for hungry predators. There the warrior meets another powerful spirit, who offers to train him. With no one to fight beside him, the warrior has no choice but trust the odd spirit as he fights to survive. Though Raef and the warrior are worlds apart, they are both slowly drawn into an ancient battle that neither understand. Spirits and men hide the truth and they slowly realize that answers can only come from beyond the forbidden mountain of Black Rock.

422 pages, Paperback

First published June 11, 2013

Reviews

[Glenn MacDonald · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a well crafted story with some interesting twists and turns. The analogy is exceptionally meaningful and, since beginning the book, I've found myself using it to better frame struggles in my own life. Thank you, Mr. Fort!