Ratings:5 Stars
Genre: Fantasy
ASIN:  B00HTJ04UG
File Size: 976 KB
ISBN-10: 076533755X
ISBN-13: 978-0765337559
Pages: 400

I don’t normally read a fantasy, but I found Flight of the Golden Harpy by Susan Klaus to be an entertaining and captivating read. The characters are complex and well developed. The plot is original and allegorical. The pace is fast–there is never a dull moment.

Susan Klaus creates Dora, a world full of colors and strange creatures. Among these are the Harpies, gentle winged creatures with human features. When man arrives, they hunt the Harpies for their wings and genitals, and those of the golden harpy are prized among all. Almost hunted to extinction, the last male golden, Shail battles to protect his flock. In his attempts to do so, he is subjected to cruelties that break his spirit and almost kill him.

Kari as a child was saved by Shail and fell in love with him. As a result, her father banished her to earth for ten years. Unable to adjust to living on earth, Kari languished until she could return to Dora. Once back, Kari dreams about Shail and falls in love with the harpy. Her love for him results in his being hunted and captured.

Flight of the Golden Harpy is more than a complex love story. The underlining themes of fate, racial discrimination, destruction of the environment, the struggle between good and bad, and questions about revenge and forgiveness make this book a worthwhile read for anyone above thirteen. I hope you will enjoy it as much as I have.