I’m so happy to be taking part in the blog tour for The Legend Of Black Jack by A.R Whitham. Massive thanks to Dave of The Write Reads for my invitation and for the ARC of the book to bring you my honest and unbiased review.
Prepare to be whisked away to another realm in this epic fantasy adventure, perfect for fans of Neil Gaiman’s Stardust characters or Patrick Rothfuss’s prose in The Name of the Wind.
Jack Swift can remember anything—even the horrible things he’d like to forget. To keep his guilt-ridden memories from haunting him, and to dodge his abusive foster mom, he buries himself in any book he can find, dreaming of his ultimate escape: becoming a doctor.
But fate has another escape in mind.
At 3:33am on his fourteenth birthday, Jack is kidnapped by a monstrous rhinoceros and whisked away to another sphere of existence: the land of Keymark. Though this world is filled with pixies, monsters, pirates, elves, warriors, and all sorts of mythical wonders, it is without healing magic—that magic was stolen by an evil, immortal prince hell-bent on domination. With no understanding of medical science to heal their wounds or illnesses, Jack’s kidnappers ask the impossible of him: use his knowledge to save a life…or be trapped in this bizarre world with no chance of rescue.
Jack doesn’t have secret magic, a great destiny, or any medical experience.
Why do they all expect him to become a legend?
A young adult fantasy story by a brand new author to me. A.R Witham has written a magical story that I would say is great for a wide range of ages (I for one am 51!). The cover itself is wondrous, one that, for me, evoked all sorts of ideas of how this story would go. With these in mind I sat down to read.
About 2 hours later I came up for air, that’s how much I was captivated by Jack our main character. A lad who, up until his 14th birthday had experienced the loss of his dad and been shuttled of to some of the worst homes he could have been. Then his 14th birthday brought the most amazing surprise to him. He finds himself in another world. One that is so much more than he could have ever imagined! I mean… when a giant rhino just arrives and transports you away! Wow!
Jack is such a colourful and clever character. In his everyday life he had already dealt with much more than an average child. Then there is his absolute addiction to books and knowledge. I wish I had his memory too, if there was ever a character I wished I could be Jack has beaten them all.
A.R Witham’s world-building has beaten most of the other authors up to now for me. His attention to detail, the vivid story telling. These all combined really whisked me away with Jack. I was totally enveloped in this world. The story itself is such fun. It definitely kept me so entertained as I read. I found I was turning the pages so fast, it was that good.
A story packed with adventure as well as bravery and is a perfect example of why we need books in our lives. The richness of the storytelling makes it a book I won’t forget in a hurry. It isn’t all sweetness and light though, there are more serious issues brought to story as well, this is what makes it a book for older readers as well.
I totally appreciated the way the author has woven this spellbinding tale together. From characters you take to your heart to the brilliant world-building with a plot that takes the reader completely put of their own world and into Jack’s, this is a fantasy story I can say I am so happy I read. A recommended read.
Buy Link
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B09QJ24S76/ref=cm_sw_r_apan_X43C2CP3FNV07DPSGKKQ
Author Bio
A. R. Witham is a three-time Emmy-winning writer-producer and a great lover of adventure. He is the world’s foremost expert on the history of Keymark. He loves to talk with young people and adults who remember what young people know. He has written for film and television, canoed to the Arctic Circle, hiked the Appalachian Trail, and been inside his house while it burned down. He lives in Indianapolis.
Twitter: @ARWitham
Facebook: ARWitham
Website: http://www.arwitham.com
sharonbeyondthebooks.uk 
Fantastic review!!
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