Searching for Zen is a coming-of-age fantasy novel that morphs into an adult fantasy novel that depicts the tale of a young man who discovers he has magical capabilities. Searching for Zen takes readers on a journey of discovery. Originally introduced as a nameless character, readers will follow along with Zen’s story as he seeks to understand his new abilities, the quest that he must embark on, and the discoveries he makes along the way.
Searching for Zen reaches out to readers with a cover that depicts a young woman in a white dress, with her back turned. It appears that she is stepping through what could be interpreted as a portal or doorway. Behind her, another character is shown in a cloak with a hood drawn over their head. Who is this mysterious character with a spark of magic glimmering in their palm? The only way to discover the answers to these questions… dive deep into this book!
At the beginning of Searching for Zen, author Albert T. Franklin paints a picture of a world ground down by the powerful. In the first chapter, the reader is given familiar elements to grasp onto; the influential controlling the information the masses receive such as, who to be against and who to stand with. This seems to be setting the stage for a story that takes place in a more modern-day era. However, Searching for Zen is set on a somewhat modern Earth with a more medieval feel to it.
In the first few pages, author Franklin begins to lay out the bones of the story, an angel looking for a child with a good heart. Someone who, if they pass a specific test, will have the opportunity to better their world, not just for themselves, but for all who live in the world, in the present, and in the future.
As Searching for Zen progresses, Franklin tells the story of a young boy who is growing up without a father who was lost in the wars. One would think that the mother would seek another to marry, but she never does. The expectation that will come next is that surely this will cause problems with the lord whose lands they live on. For a time, it appears that this is not the case, which is a nice change of pace from how things typically are expected to unfold.
Instead, author Franklin shifts to show the boy who will become the main character of the story being distant, despite his mother’s attempts at showing him how much she cares. But it’s as the boy continues to grow that life throws a twist into his life. Sickness. One day he becomes ill and with this illness comes his change.
This first change is just one of many that will be shown throughout Searching for Zen. It will be one that will further set him apart from not just his mother, but also the people of the village that he lives close to. All coming from one selfless act – the miraculous healing of his mother seconds before she dies despite the villagers already believing her gone from this world. People tend to fear what it is that they don’t understand, and in this case…this is no exception.
Searching for Zen is a fantasy novel told from the third-person perspective and has hints of religious elements sprinkled throughout. The boy, that readers are introduced to in the beginning of the story, becomes known as Zen, as he becomes the newest Zendaria, a champion for the people. As the story progresses he will acquire various items as well as grow and develop a variety of skills and talents.
This book’s storyline takes on an ebb and flow like the tide. The story will draw readers in with engaging elements that range from the introduction of new characters to interesting scenes that depict Zen utilizing his newfound talents. When the story settles into the more “mundane” elements of the story or their travels, then the story will act as a guide to what happens next.
Drama pops up here and there as the characters find that their path is far from being a smooth one. Danger will pop up here and there as Zen finds evil in many places throughout the lands.
Thanks to Zen’s powers, dealing with the threats that challenge them won’t be too much for him to handle. There will be some obstacles interspersed throughout the story though, so don’t think that everything will always go their way. As a fantasy novel, readers can expect to find a variety of characters and races within these pages. Some characters, along with Zen, have unique magical skills. Are any as strong as Zen? Some are, and then there are others who are weaker, while there are a couple of anonymous characters who are stronger.
Searching for Zen envelopes quite a bit within its storyline. Readers will get romance, danger, magic, surprises, a touch of humor here and there, and some rather unsavory characters. For readers looking for romance that develops along with the story. You’ll be pleased that this is the case between Zen and the one who falls for him. There is no insta-love here. Instead, it grows behind the scenes only being drawn to the forefront in conversations between the characters.
This novel is intended for older readers because of the variety of scenes and situations found within the pages. Readers will find some fight scenes scattered throughout this story. Most, if not all the scenes will depict our hero going up against those who would try to harm the group. It’s safe to say that there are no “needless” fight scenes. Simply put, the fight scenes serve the purpose of showcasing Zen’s character in more ways than one.
That being said, there will be a few descriptions and scenes that some readers may find themselves uncomfortable with. The romance will develop into a couple of sexual scenes, but the ones that are described aren’t overly detailed, so readers who wish to would be able to easily skim over those and not miss much of the story’s plot. There are some descriptions, however, and a scene or two of non-consensual situations.
Searching for Zen has its highs and lows. The highs would be the drama and some of the action scenes. One of the lows would be the lack of detail and storyline building giving readers insight into Zen’s youth after he discovers his first gift. Also, the dialogue left some things to be desired as it doesn’t flow naturally.
While Franklin does take this story in some expected directions, he makes sure to throw in some surprise twists as well. With the final chapters of this book, the author throws a final big twist at readers that will leave them wondering…is this really the end? We think that there may be a following book to this one, but only time will tell what truly happens to Zen.
All in all, the big question is…would we read more of this story if another book were to come out furthering Zen’s story? The answer would be…yes! There is further room for character development and for more of the story to be told. Searching for Zen is a book that readers who enjoy fantasy with a touch of Christianity mixed in should consider picking up.
Pros:
- Interesting characters
- Good amount of drama
- Storyline has engaging moments
- Development of romance over time
- Open ending
Cons:
- Lacks background
- Dialogue doesn’t flow naturally
Scribble's Worth 
Thank you so much for a great review! So well done!
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