Reviewed by Rosie Malezer for Readers' Favorite

The Legend of Skaluni is a tale of awakening, superstition and fantasy written by Bruce E. Arrington. A young boy, Skaluni, is confused by the scornful looks given to him by the village onlookers. Just six years of age, Skaluni had been seen as cursed due to his unique looks. After an elderly villager, Kalaj, takes Skaluni under her wing and raises him as her own, she discovers that Skaluni has unique and special powers in his ability to be able to manipulate reality. Kalaj and Skaluni are forced to live away from the village as she raises him into a bright, strong young man. Skaluni’s twelfth birthday, however, brings upon them all a horrific occurrence which threatens to end the world. Young Skaluni knows of a way to save them all, but after years of the villagers treating him as an abhorrent outcast, he carefully ponders as to whether any of them are actually worth saving.

I have to say that this was truly the most remarkable story I have ever read. While a short read, The Legend of Skaluni takes the reader’s mind to a fractured, phantasmagorical world. Bruce E. Arrington’s unique tale is one filled with innocence, confusion, superstition and fear. Skaluni is blamed for the deaths of his parents simply on the basis that he was born. What is sad is that it parallels the reality of so many lives in this world in this respect, regardless of the book being a fantasy. Bruce Arrington’s ability to form the most incredible images from the words he has written is astounding. As a Deaf reader, I rely heavily on visual imagery as I read, and was able to “watch” each chapter unfolding as if I were watching a high quality film with a George Lucas budget. While I will not provide spoilers to those who read this review, I will state that I have not read such a well-written tale in a very long time, and find myself now seeking out more of Bruce Arrington’s books for future reading. I wholeheartedly recommend The Legend of Skaluni to young and old alike who enjoy high-quality fantasy with a surprising and shocking twist.