The Elephant and Macaw Banner series is written by Christopher Kastensmidt. I picked up the first three volumes in the series when they were offered as Kindle freebies. The first three volumes - The Fortuitous Meeting, A Parlous Battle and The Discommodius Wedding - detail the beginnings of a series of adventures of two men - Gerard Van Oost and the warrior Oludara. By the second book, the adventures are joined by a woman, a native of Brazil, named Arany. The setting is a Brazil during the time of the Portgeuse arrival/conquest, but it is an alternate reality, a historical fantasy, for the adventuring men must battle and face monsters and gods.
The first three installments (each averaging around 40 pages) are pretty good. Is it the best fantasy I have ever read? Well no, but the idea is interesting, there has been editing, and the characters are likable and believable.
Gerard has a problem; he wants to explore and make a forture; however, no company will have him because he is Dutch and Protestant. Additionally, while his heart does seem to be in the right place, he isn't the sharpest sword in the armory. Fortunately, he runs into Oludara, a warrior from Africa, who has been sold into slavery. Oludara is a Yoruba, a ethnic group from the area of today's Nigeria and Benin. Because Oludara has the intelligence to answer a question of stragedy, Gerard determines to free him (by buying him and then freeeing him) and to do earn the large amount of needed money, Gerard must see Sacy-Perey, a Brazilan prankster god/creature. He's like Loki, but younger, darker, nicer, and missing a leg.
The second and third volumes find Gerard and Oludara interacting with the Tupinamba people and eventually becoming part of the tribe. While the interact of Gerard with the native tribes might be a bit too modern for it to be truly historically accurate, the books do have a clear eye to detail about the culture as well as poking fun at what the Europeans think of the Tupinambas. The series is quite fun in the terms of the use of legends and myths of Brazil.
The only false note is in the first volume when Gerard buys Oludara. Oludara does sound out Gerard, making sure of the man who buys him and that is not the false note. Oludara was only one of many men brought on a slave ship to be sold to millers and sugar farmers. When Gerard asks Oludara if any of the other slaves are family, the Yoruba answers no, and once Gerard says, basically, that's good because he couldn't afford to pull the others. I can understand why Kastensmidt does this - he wants to answer the question that most readers are wondering - what about the rest. It also shows Gerard in a good light (though Kastensmidt does not make me too modern as seen in the other installments). Yet, Oludara's disregarding of the other men rings false - would this really be his reaction, especially considering his reactions in the other volumes? It just felt like there should be more here. It was too simply done. It felt off, as if Oludara would have tried something more.
But Oludara is the star, he is the central. He isn't simply the wise black friend who the white guy seeks advice from. He isn't the moral speaker. In the first volume, it looks like it might be the case, but in 2 and 3, Oludara is central stage. He is the one who gets the love interest while Gerard simply plays the best friend, the second fiddle.
Which is kinda nice.
The first three installments (each averaging around 40 pages) are pretty good. Is it the best fantasy I have ever read? Well no, but the idea is interesting, there has been editing, and the characters are likable and believable.
Gerard has a problem; he wants to explore and make a forture; however, no company will have him because he is Dutch and Protestant. Additionally, while his heart does seem to be in the right place, he isn't the sharpest sword in the armory. Fortunately, he runs into Oludara, a warrior from Africa, who has been sold into slavery. Oludara is a Yoruba, a ethnic group from the area of today's Nigeria and Benin. Because Oludara has the intelligence to answer a question of stragedy, Gerard determines to free him (by buying him and then freeeing him) and to do earn the large amount of needed money, Gerard must see Sacy-Perey, a Brazilan prankster god/creature. He's like Loki, but younger, darker, nicer, and missing a leg.
The second and third volumes find Gerard and Oludara interacting with the Tupinamba people and eventually becoming part of the tribe. While the interact of Gerard with the native tribes might be a bit too modern for it to be truly historically accurate, the books do have a clear eye to detail about the culture as well as poking fun at what the Europeans think of the Tupinambas. The series is quite fun in the terms of the use of legends and myths of Brazil.
The only false note is in the first volume when Gerard buys Oludara. Oludara does sound out Gerard, making sure of the man who buys him and that is not the false note. Oludara was only one of many men brought on a slave ship to be sold to millers and sugar farmers. When Gerard asks Oludara if any of the other slaves are family, the Yoruba answers no, and once Gerard says, basically, that's good because he couldn't afford to pull the others. I can understand why Kastensmidt does this - he wants to answer the question that most readers are wondering - what about the rest. It also shows Gerard in a good light (though Kastensmidt does not make me too modern as seen in the other installments). Yet, Oludara's disregarding of the other men rings false - would this really be his reaction, especially considering his reactions in the other volumes? It just felt like there should be more here. It was too simply done. It felt off, as if Oludara would have tried something more.
But Oludara is the star, he is the central. He isn't simply the wise black friend who the white guy seeks advice from. He isn't the moral speaker. In the first volume, it looks like it might be the case, but in 2 and 3, Oludara is central stage. He is the one who gets the love interest while Gerard simply plays the best friend, the second fiddle.
Which is kinda nice.
(Photo Source Goodreads)
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