More review love for ‘One Bright Star to Guide Them’

“One Bright Star to Guide Them” by John C. Wright,… is an ode to past authors. The influences are obvious, with nods to C. S Lewis, Susan Cooper, Charles de Lint, and Lloyd Alexander being the most evident. Luckily, Wright manages to avoid the worst pitfalls of such a thing and instead builds up a unique spin on an old fantasy chestnut. Wright displays an easy confidence with the tropes and archetypes, never overdoing it or underplaying those aspects which continue to attract readers to these types of stories. Indeed, rather than a pastiche, this comes across as simply the next in line, with Wright taking up the banner for other authors and putting his own stamp on the page. There are several truly disturbing scenes, told in retrospect, which in particular give this story a unique slant, and I, for one, hope Wright revisits them in his later work. The climax is foregone, but no less enjoyable for all that, and if you enjoyed the works of Susan Cooper or C.S. Lewis, you’ll enjoy this as well.