Curse of the Shamra: Book One of The Shamra Chronicles

by Barry Hoffman

Overview

ONE GIRL STANDS ALONE, DIFFERENT FROM THE REST.
When the peaceful and isolated land of the Shamra is invaded and its people enslaved, a young Shamra girl named Dara must lead a ragtag resistance to defeat the enemy. But even as she fights the invaders, Dara grapples with self-doubt and is criticized by her own people for being outspoken and different.

Venturing into uncharted territory to seek allies, Dara encounters unusual creatures and dangerous lands. But is her rebellious spirit enough to help her overcome the patriarchal and oppressive rules of her own people and convince them that she is the only hope the Shamra have to regain their freedom?

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781887368681
Publisher:	Gauntlet, Incorporated CO
Publication date:	05/15/2011
Pages:	361
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.40(h) x 0.80(d)
Age Range:	12 - 18 Years

About the Author

Barry Hoffman has been a teacher, a publisher, an editor, and, of course, a writer. Hoffman's eight adult books have been well received by critics and most recently, he is the author of the popular young adult novels, The Shamra Chronicles. Barry believes that adolescent and teenage girls need to read books where there are positive role models with which they can identify. He has written all three Shamra Chronicles books: Curse of the Shamra, Shamra Divided, and Chaos Unleashed with the hope that girls will latch onto Dara as an independent, increaskingly mature young woman, rather than reading novels where the main female character is submissive and subject ot the whims of the boy over which she obsesses. Inspired by President Obama's call to give back to the community, Barry set out to donate 10,000 copies of his young adult novel Curse of the Shamra in 2009. He provided copies to schools (with a special focus on Title 1 schools in dire need of resources), libraries, military families, Girl Scouts, and other organizations with a young adult audience. He has already surpassed his goal, giving away 11,145 copies of The Shamra Chronicles to date!

What People are Saying About This

Geek Girl Reviews

�Sometimes , I pass books on to my 12 year old son. Sometimes he opens up the packages and run away with them. I don�t get much of a response for him regarding reviews. I have to gauge it in the time it takes for him to read it. Two days, it was done. Son said it was cool and wants another!�

Richard Christian Matheson

�Curse of the Shamra is a wondrous odyssey, abloom with magic and heart. Barry Hoffman�s writing binds spell, takes breath and weaves dreams.�--(Richard Christian Matheson, Screen Writer for �Knight Rider� and �The Incredible Hulk� )

Flamingnet Student Book Reviews

�Dara of the Shamra has always been different. She has never enjoyed the same things the other Shamra girls enjoy...She prefers the athletic competitions against the guys such as running, so she can feel the wind in her hair. ...I found I was captivated the entire time. ...I loved Dara's character ...Her journey to free the Shamra was a tale that enthralled and excited. I would definitely recommend this one.�

Midwest Book Review

�A fine fantasy that will inspire many young women. Curse of the Shamra is a top pick that is highly recommended for those looking for a new fantasy series.�

True Review

�Classic material drawn well.�

Richard Matheson

�A splendid journey into a world of intriguingly complex fantasy.�--(Richard Matheson, New York Times bestselling author of I am Legend on Curse of the Shamra)

Editorial Reviews

Dara has always been an outsider among the peaceable Shamra, but when her people are enslaved by the Trocs and their predatory Shriek birds, only she can lead the Resistance. Hoffman (Hungry Eyes, 1997, etc.) ventures into young-adult territory in the first of a trilogy based in a world inhabited by human/animal hybrids with very human problems. The blue-eyed, brown-skinned Shamra have marsupial-like pouches, froglike tongues and a happy, communal culture guided by a priesthood that fosters sharing, a casteless social structure, celebration and the complete subservience of adult females to their husbands. Orphaned Dara is a brown-eyed tomboy gifted with prophetic visions. On her adoptive sister Pilla's wedding day, their isolated domain is invaded by the Trocs, who resemble parasitic worms and quickly enslave the defenseless Shamra. Dara and a few others flee to the swamps, where Dara is anointed the prophesied One who will lead them to freedom--even though she is a female. When Pilla and her betrothed Wren mysteriously disappear, Dara realizes that she must follow her visions to seek help in the unknown lands beyond the surrounding desert. Accompanied only by her second-in-command, Heber, and her Bauble, Tyler (all Shamra have caterpillarlike companions that they carry in their pouches, but only a few Shamra realize that they can talk to them), Dara sets out to find the birdlike allies she has seen in her dreams attacking the Trocs' subservient Shrieks. Meanwhile, Wren's brother Glondel has discovered that the Trocs have much more in common with maggots than one might imagine. And treachery always lurks in the wings. Hoffman has constructed a world that is just alien enough to intrigue, yet familiar enough to entice. He has a didactic agenda, encouraging female agency and questioning religious dogma. However, as a novel, the story relies too often on authorial narration rather than showing the characters' interactions, and the climactic battle is surprisingly flat, although the action may amp up in the later volumes. A promising beginning, but readers will have to wait for the next volume of the Shamra Chronicles to see if that promise is fulfilled.

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