Tristan Parrish

From Midwest Book Review
Lynn Burton
Reviewer
Wizard of Arabah is a novel of historical fantasy. From the first page, we're drawn into Solomon Magus' young life as he's on a voyage with his family. Through unforeseen circumstances, he's orphaned and shipwrecked. He soon finds himself on an island in the company of a sorceress who teaches him about magic and love. As a young man, he sets out on his own to find understanding of the world around him and its people. His strength and determination alone against such obstacles make him a worthwhile character.

With great story telling and colorful descriptions, you won't just read this story, you'll be right there along for the ride with Solomon. "There is nothing quite like it. Light sprays of salt water caress the skin; the unique fishy odour of the ocean fills the nostrils; waves slap against the wooden hull of the ship as it plows its way through the water, and a stiff wind fills the sail".

Elements of magic and eroticism make this book an overall winner. But along with that, be prepared to be a bit shaken. It's not all a nice ride; there are those nasty pirates and other elements that threaten to destroy Solomon. And if the ending is any indication, there will be more tales of Solomon to come. I hope so. Wizard of Arabah is Tristan Parrish's first published novel.

From TCM Reviews
Rachel Olivier
Reviewer
Solomon the Strange, who will later become Solomon Magus, is an intelligent, industrious, and inquisitive little boy. When he grows up he keeps those characteristics in his travels around the world to do good works in Shakti's name and to fight against the evil of Shiva, whilst spreading Bliss to all those who seek it (yes, that means what you think it means).

Tristan Parrish's The Scrolls of Solomon Magus: The Life and Times of a Wizard from Arabah is written in memoir format from the point of view of the title character. In this one story Parrish includes several stories of Solomon growing up, learning magic, breaking curses, fighting evil, and spreading bliss. He makes good use of melding alternate fictional history with real history and has created a believable "Arabian Nights" feel. The memoir format felt a little awkward to me, but that is because I think that method of writing tends to make the protagonist sound pompous. Parrish does not quite fall into that trap, however. I also had some issues with the Bliss scenes. They were not quite erotica and not quite "fade to black" romance, and were fairly male-centric. Despite that, they worked. They had the same feel as similar scenes in, for example, Roald Dahl's "My Uncle Oswald." Plus, they were not necessarily gratuitous, and did a fairly good job of pushing the story along. If you're looking for a book with an Arabian Nights feel "a rich world where there are tales within tales" then I think you will enjoy this one.… (mehr)