Author: Lloyd A. Meeker
Publisher: DSP Publications
Pages/Word Count: 240 Pages
At a Glance: Traveling Light is a deep and thought provoking story.
Reviewed By: Maryann
Blurb: An eye for an eye….
Ian McCandless is a hospice nurse, training to become a shaman. When his mentor orders him to make peace with his estranged family, Ian reluctantly agrees, anticipating another conflict-filled visit. On their way from the airport, Ian’s older brother Will interrupts a convenience store robbery and is shot. As he dies in Ian’s arms, Will begs Ian to avenge him.
Ian uses his shamanic abilities to track down the killer, but his quest soon becomes a hunt for revenge—forbidden to any shaman. His actions jeopardize his relationship with the spirit-world, endanger the lives of those he loves, and threaten to banish him from the path that gives his life meaning. Ian must choose between vengeance and service to community as the root of his shamanic covenant. Evil or noble, every choice is sacred to the Great Web, and every choice has consequences.
Review: Ian McCandless is a hospice nurse. He not only cares for individuals who are terminally ill, but he shares his knowledge and gives them encouragement as it comes close to their time to move on. With his experience as a practicing shaman, his patients have requested him to be there to guide them in their final moments.
Ian finds himself in a dilemma when his brother, Will, is murdered during a robbery. Ian wants to use his shamanic experience to find the murderer and seek revenge, but revenge and hate are not the types of emotions a shaman can succeed with. As a shaman, he also has to control the urge not to choose a person’s path for them. Each person has a thread, and when a shaman holds that thread, he can see the future of that person. Whether good or bad, a shaman cannot interfere with anyone’s ending. Ang, who is Ian’s mentor, fears for Ian if he cannot let go of his anger.
Before Ian can be a true shaman he has to clear up his own issues. He needs to make peace with his family. I felt that he had guilt over his brother’s death—since they had been arguing at the time, there was no closure between them. Then Ian has to face a situation with his boyfriend, Sam, who tells Ian he’s afraid of him and can’t accept him as a shaman. When Sam’s sister is hurt, he seeks Ian out for help, but still denies Ian’s shamanic abilities.
On one of Ian’s shamanic journeys, he crosses paths with Ta-Kuat. From my point of view, this is where the story turned into a mystery about the existence of the “Door-Stone.” Ta-Kuat is from the Anasazi Village, in the year 1250. He is on a journey to find the “Door-Stone” for his mentor, which has the ability to help Ta-Kuat’s village survive. This meeting of Ian and Ta-Kuat also begins a unique relationship.
Traveling Light is a deep and thought provoking story. There’s a bit of a unique romance in the book as well, but the focus of the story is really on Ian and his endeavors to become a shaman. Mr. Meeker takes us on a mystical journey through different realms within the “Great Web”: All-Times-In-This-Place, All-Places-In-This-Time and All-That-Is. We meet a variety of spirit-guides: Raven, Joreb, Shining Women, Wolf-Lady and more. The author made these characters and places come alive with a colorful writing style and descriptions. Traveling Light is a story about faith, love and hope and being pure of heart and spirit, and the decisions Ian will make which will help him gain peace of mind. I highly suggest reading Traveling Light if you enjoy mysticism and spiritual journeys.
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