REVIEW: "Leviathan" by Zachary Harper

Hero lives a blessed life. He is married to the woman of his dreams, his strength is legendary, and he is revered the world round. When Death comes to kill his love, Beauty, and change his perfect world into one of pain and loss, Hero is set on vengeance. With some prompting from the Snake, Hero sets out to exact his revenge on God Himself.

An epic poem by Zachary Harper, in the style of "Beowulf," "Leviathan" is a "parable of modern man's response to the guilt and pain of death." During Hero's journey to avenge his loss, he affects change in a number of ways. His mind focused on his mission, he doesn't even notice whose lives are altered by his actions. When Hero eventually finds his way to Leviathan, the meeting doesn't go quite as planned, leaving the reader to think about what it all was for. It also offers the opportunity to think of how Hero's journey relates to your own life, as I found myself reflecting on my own journey.

Although I studied "Beowulf" back in high school, this is admittedly not my typical genre choice for reading material. That being said, it was a refreshing experience to engage in this poetic tale. I particularly liked the last chapter and thought it fitting closure to the adventure. For fans of this genre, or if you're ready to try out a new type of adventure, this is a good bet.

4 /5 stars

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