REVIEW by Trish: The Jericho River by David Tollen

Young Jason Gallo stumbles into another world, shaped by myth and history. There, he sails the Jericho River on a dangerous quest to rescue his father. He battles minotaurs and pirates, flees barbarians, stumbles into mummies’ tombs, and outwits fairies, philosophers, and scientists. But this is more than a fantasy story. The river flows like a timeline, carrying Jason through historic lands–Sumer, ancient Egypt, Hebrew Judea, the Roman Empire, Renaissance Europe, and many others–all in chronological order, tracing the history of Western Civilization, from its Middle Eastern roots to the modern era. And that’s just the start of the educational adventure …

 

 

This historical fantasy follows Jason Gallo on a quest to find and rescue his father. With the aid of a mysterious woman, Jason finds himself stranded in ancient Sumer. Soon, he must flee down the only path open to him, the Jericho River, along with a catlike creature called a Lumin.

So, first off, not only are the characters interesting, but I really dig the journey through time aspect. Before each new stop along the Jericho River, short history lessons prime the reader for the coming time and place. I thought it was clever to use Jason’s father in the story as the speaker for these lessons. And then, after all is said and done, there are the foot notes. I didn’t read them when they popped up in the story, but I did after I finished it. So basically, not only is this a fantastic adventure, but also an educational one.

As for the adventure and the quest, they are really well done. Jason is chased by a mysterious organization. He faces danger and struggles with insecurities. He falls for a girl, trusts the wrong people, and the right ones, too. And he comes to appreciate his father’s love for history in the best way possible, by experiencing it.

As for things I didn’t like, I suppose it was a bit disturbing to see how progress brought destruction, tearing down everything that came before, not just the bad but the good as well. Then again, I think a story like this does have to show that, because it’s reflective of real life. I also noticed that the story was a bit jumpy in places, probably because of the drastic shifts in time and location. Some weren’t that much of a jump, but they become so the farther down the river the heroes travel. I also had trouble buying the romance, it was a bit too immature, though probably realistic for the age of those involved.

Overall, I’d recommend this story to people who like adventure with a touch of magic and history.

I came across this story when searching for free Kindle books. Looked interesting, so I picked it up.

The review copy of this title was purchased by the reviewer.