Outcasts of Skagaray by Andrew ClarkeSkagaray is a harsh world, and its residents must be harsh to survive. They are mainly hunters divided into a strict class system, and they serve a cruel god called the Kirkil.
Tarran, however, is a teenager who is questioning the Skagaray way of life. That questioning, along with his compassion for animals and hesitancy to fight others, attracts unwanted attention from the Elders, who put Tarran to the Proving.
When he refuses to kill two bear cubs, he must flee Skagaray and live in the Wild. Tarran is expected to be dead by the next morning, but he survives and soon finds he is not the only Outcast. The conflict between the Outcasts and the people of Skagaray ultimately grows into a larger battle between good and evil.
This battle kept me tense, and I completely invested my emotions in what would happen to Tarran, the other Outcasts and the people of Skagaray. I was most touched by Tarran's character--his struggle to live in the best way possible and to learn the concept of sharing in a selfish world.
In this coming-of-age tale, Clarke subtly weaves Christian themes throughout a dark world in a style that is reminiscent of J.R.R. Tolkien. Yeah, it's that good.
For more information about Clarke, check out his blog Shared thoughts.
Favorite quotes:
Music was rare on Skagaray.
The greater the number of beasts a Slayer had overcome, the more hide he collected and had the right to wear.
Tarran had only ever known the ways of Skagaray. He had never seen a way of life that was not savage and harsh. But something inside him was sure that people could be different, that they could avoid acting like the wild animals they hunted.
He remembered how the ewe had licked Lelden's teary face on the night of the storm. They [sheep] were not just livestock. They were a sort of companion.
The True God was teaching these people not to be proud, because there are things they do not control, and even the strong can be left helpless...the True God will sometimes let humans have what they ask for to let them learn that it does them no good.
Tarran had learned that certain dreams were more than just idle stirrings of the brain.
