A review by skconaghan
The African Samurai by Craig Shreve

adventurous informative medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

A fantastic story meets a mediocre author who gives us repetitive bits, without the sophistication Homer imbues in repetition, and retells this surely fascinating tale with all the intrigue one might find in a weak cup of tepid tea. Our should-be hero, while numbly passed from master to master, kind though some were, lacks the stirring character we see in the historical photos we have of him. Instead, he sets himself on autopilot in the midst of a potentially riveting warrior-lifestyle at the behest of the greatest warring powers of formational Japanese history, allowing us potentially moving glimpses at a scant selection of childhood memories. But the telling doesn’t live up to its potential.

While this is a story wanting to be told, the author delivers wooden descriptions (with brief moments of affecting dialogue) that act as markers for what are extraordinary events told in the simplistic style of: ‘this happens then that happens’. At least the broken timeline, intertwining his memories of previous horrors and wonders of his life with the present, added a slice of interest to this bland telling.

I wanted this telling to come to life as this story merits. I wanted to be moved, hooked and immersed in the details of this African Samurai’s life, and yet, all I felt was disappointment that I didn’t feel more.

I was hoping for so much more.