Review of new fantasy book, "Bone Warriors" by Bron Bahlmann

Title: Bone Warriors
Author: Bron Bahlmann
Publisher: Sweetwater Book
Release Date: May 15, 2009
ISBN: 978-1599553221
Size: 278 pages, 6x9, softcover
Genre: YA Fantasy
Target Reader: Teens


I was very excited to get a copy of a new fantasy book called, "Bone Warriors". The best part of this book is how old the author is who wrote the novel; Bron is 15. The even better part of this story is how old Bron was when he started writing "Bone Warriors" {Read the interview to find out how old he was}. Now, here is the part that shocked me...how well this book is written! You would never know that it was written by a teenager. There is an adult writer inside of Bron's teenage body. Let's just say, he impressed me greatly by his very mature writing style.

"Bone Warriors" has characters, some are VERY creepy, that have never been imagined or written about before. I just kept shaking my head in amazement as each new creature was introduced. I would love to see pictures of some of these creatures. Bron writes so colorfully that these images came alive for me. It seemed like there was no let down in the adventure for Derrik and Tweaks. I read quickly because I had to find out what would happen to them.

Here is "Bone Warriors" at a glance from the back cover:

CRAVING POWER AND LUSTING FOR HUMAN SOULS, the wicked necromancer sweeps the land, leaving behind nothing but death and devastation.

RETURNING HOME, fifteen-year-old Derrik and his friend Tweaks find their homes burning and families missing. They immediately embark on a rescue quest for redemption and retaliation. Such evil cannot be allowed to roam exempt.

SINISTER GIANTS, colossal green jungle cats, and undead monsters confront them as Derrik and Tweaks encounter inconceivable threats in the forbidden woods, as well as gain unlikely allies.

THE BOYS SOON REALIZE that their only hope to save their families comes from the very creature they cannot trust. But they're running out of time. How can they put an end to the necromancer s terrifying reign?

Who should read this book? Anyone who loves fantasy books, those who want to read about two boys who forged ahead courageously in order to save their families and those who just want to read a well thought out story that brings unexpected friends together.

Here is an interview I did with Bron. I hope you will enjoy reading it as much as I did. Some of his answers made me LOL!








1.How old were you when you first started writing? Well I started writing when I learned the alphabet, but I made my first attempt at writing a book in 3rd grade. It wasn't "Bone Warriors," though. How old were you when you wrote Bone Warriors? I started writing "Bone Warriors" in 5th grade, so I would have been eleven years old.

2.What was your inspiration for writing Bone Warriors? Dreams I had pieced together, which ultimately fulfilled my one big dream, which was to become a published author.

3.What authors have influenced your writing? I wouldn't say they've influenced my writing because I don't write based on other people. I have my own style. But some have inspired and helped me. One of the first bunch of books I remember, other than Calvin and Hobbes, are James Dashner's books. (Don't get a big head, James!) I remember them because my mom is friends with James, and she would read us his books at night while she proofread for him. Recently, Orson Scott Card has been a big inspiration to me. I like the way he makes his characters seem like real people. And I was recently introduced to author J. Scott Savage. He took me to a fancy restaurant (a local Taco Bell) and gave me some really useful career advice that I will never forget. Overall I've had some really good interactions with people in the author world.

4.What are your favorite books/genre to read? I enjoy books of almost any genre, but really like books that try new things. An example is J.K. Rowling's "Harry Potter" books. There have been books about wizards and books about boarding schools, but she mixed them together into something you wouldn't expect; wizards going to boarding school. Another great example is the Bartimaeus Trilogy, because Jonathan Stroud mixes a more modern world with ancient practices and switches from each character's view in every chapter. The genre I seem to read most often is fantasy.

5.Are you currently working on some new books? Yes. I have several series of books I'm planning to write. They will be revealed when they're published!

6.When do you find the time to write? Being as young as I am and not really having set job hours to limit me, I can write wherever my computer is or wherever I have some pen and some paper. Most of the time I write at night before I go to bed. During the school year, I write during lunch.

7.Where do you do your best creative work? Wherever I have the most inspiration. It varies from day to day. Some days I'm more creative than others. Do you listen to music when you are writing? No.

8.Is there a dream book that you hope to write in the future or have you already written it? I have already finished the rough draft for another book and am currently working on yet another book, and was writing a whole different book and got a third of the way through until "Bone Warriors" was published. Then I thought I should complete the "Warriors" series before I finished the other books. I'm really excited about all 18 of my current book outlines. (I keep getting new ideas.) I think they're all really different, with amazing characters, unique plots, and unexpected twists. I can hardly wait to write all of my books, and can't say that I like any one better than another. I only write dream books, because they're all the best ones I can think of.

9.Did you outline "Bone Warriors" before you wrote the story? Yes. You wrote a very surprising ending. Did you plan ahead of time for this ending, or did it happen as the story unfolded? When I first started writing the book, I didn't want to be completely grim, but I was a little bored with reading the happy schmancy everything turns out good kind of books. I wanted a book that was more down to reality, more true to the kind of stuff that goes on in real life. And it was the one of the only ways I could have ended it, as you may understand after reading the book. (I don't want to say more or I might give it away to anyone who hasn't read it yet.)

10.You created a fascinating fantasy world. You did a fabulous job creating such phenomenal creatures. Do you ever sketch out the creatures on paper or just in your mind? Yes, I sketch out the creatures a lot. I have notebooks and boxes full of drawings and sketches that I still haven't finished sorting through. I also draw characters along with weapons they may use and a short outline of what traits they have.

I truly enjoyed reading "Bone Warriors" and I look forward to more books from you. Keep up the great work. I am really impressed with you Bron. Thanks for letting me interview you. Thank you. It was nice of you to set up this interview.


If you would like a copy of "Bone Warriors" you can order it here at http://cedarfort.com/ or at http://www.amazon.com/

If you would like to know more about Bron and his book you can go to his website at http://www.bronbahlmann.com/