Name: Below the Dome
ISBN: 9781735900735

Stephen Arnold

"Stories are never just stories. Stories come from somewhere true, even if they themselves are not." Katchan has heard all the stories. Mighty men battling monstrous ghouls, Prophets becoming Kings, villages becoming great cities. Grandma Maggaline pounded them into his head since he was small, not that he cares. Those stories aren't true. They can't be true. But there was one she held back and never told. Not until the end, anyways.When Katchan reveals to the village elder that Grandma Maggaline left him an indecipherable story and an ancient red rock, he must run for his life. Chased out of the only life he has ever known, Katchan must face an empty desert in a desperate search for his only possible salvation. A new village. The village Below the Dome. A place where life is sustained by the fading sunlight of the evening. What he finds instead are the relics of an ancient past, men of memory who are lost in time, and a quest no one would ever believe. Who knew stories could be so dangerous? Follow Katchan through a dusty wilderness as he seeks the truth of the mysterious red rock and the last story his Grandma told that forces him to reconsider everything that he values.

Below the Dome

Can you imagine not being able to read? I get anxiety just thinking about it! Well here is a story about that! I was pleasantly surprised! 

The main character, Katchan, has a relationship with his grandmother that reminded me of the one I had with mine. He loses her in the process and embarks on a journey to learn to read the last message she leaves for him. I am so intrigued to find out what message was left on that parchment! I was happy to learn there will be more of this world with the continuation of the series. 

I enjoyed the flow of the story, usually middle grade stories are a hit or miss for me (maybe cause I’m older lol) but this story kept my attention, with that being said I think this would be great for all ages. The characters that Katchan met were definitely a huge part of the story and were definitely a big asset when it came to character and plot development. Katchan shows growth throughout the book thanks to the trials he goes through and the different characters he encounters. 

The moral of the story spoke to me, this is truly where the subtle Narnia element tie into. The love for family, the determination, and the meaningfulness of relationships. Katchan’s grandmother is such a big part of the story, it reminded me somewhat of the wise Aslan. The grandmother in the story was the motivation to travel under the dome to learn to read. Katchan takes a grasp at what the real world is like with all the trials he goes through. What really caught my attention was the maturity of Katchan throughout these multiple lessons, including greed and power. It’s always great to see a young character evolve into a resilient character. 

This book was definitely a great addition to my collection, I look forward to learning more! Thanks so much to the author for gifting me a copy.

Chiara Vitale Zelaia

Below the Dome is the sort of story that touches you and stays with you for a long while after you’ve read it. It’s a fairly short novella, and though it counts on an interesting cast of characters, it’s undeniable that its greatest protagonist were Stories. Simply stories. And I think to a lover of words, there’s nothing more touching.

This is the story of Katchan, a thirteen-year-old boy who is raised by his grandmother, who leaves him a red rock and a story written on a parchment when she passes away—a parchment that Katchan cannot read, for reading is an ability possessed by few. Katchan embarks on an adventure through the desert to find the people who live below the dome, hoping someone will be able to teach him how to read so that he may discover his grandmother’s last words to him.

I really enjoyed the writing. There was something almost familiar about the tone, so easy to grasp that it was like the author was taking me by the hand and guiding me through each page, learning more about the truthfulness of the stories Katchan’s grandmother had shared with him with each word. I’m not often a fan of young protagonists, but Katchan was wise beyond his years, and it was really easy to grow fond of this boy with a desire to learn and explore.

It’s hard to categorize this book fully. Sometimes I had the feeling I was reading a middle grade, and this is definitely a book that can be read by a younger audience, or even more, it can be read to a younger audience. It definitely has that storytelling feeling that one would get reading a C.S. Lewis book. However, this is also a story that can be enjoyed by an older audience. There’s many lessons to be learned about power, love, greed thanks to the characters we meet along the way. In short, this is a universal book, accessible to all and very quickly read. I was really excited to learn that this is only the first book in a series, even if the story reads like a standalone…well…for the most part. But you’ll have to read the book to know what I mean *wink wink*

Thank you to the author for sending me a copy!

Maria Elena Vitale Zelaia

“Stories are never just stories. Stories come from somewhere true, even if they themselves are not.”

This is the first time I start a review with a quote, at least that I remember. The reason I wanted to do it with this book though was because this quote is a perfect summary of what the whole story was about. It’s that sort of quote that stays with you even after the book is done. 

Below the Dome is a very fast read, both because of the length of the book but also by the way it’s written. The prose was easy to grasp and made one immediately connect to the characters, especially Katchan, the young protagonist of this story. I felt Katchan very close to me, because for a thirteen year-old, he was very mature, kind of like myself at his age. He’s pragmatic in a way but also a dreamer, obsessed with the idea that there is another village hiding below the dome, where the sun sets. 

Katchan grows up with his grandmother, and when she passes away she leaves him a red rock and a story scribbled on a parchment. Reading, however, is a gift possessed by few and turns good men greedy and jealous. Katchan cannot read it, and he’s forced to run from his village when the Elder tries to take these things from him. With nothing but the sack on his back and these two things his grandmother had left for him, Katchan decides to travel the desert and follow the path of the sun and find the people living below the dome, hopeful that they know how to read and can teach him in order for Katchan to read his grandmother’s last words. In his journey, he learns that the stories his grandmother had taught him were not just stories, and that by telling them to him she had given him the greatest treasure of all: knowledge. Will Katchan find the village below the dome? You’ll have to read to see!

I was delighted to find out that this is only the first in a series called The Saga of the Silver City when reading the afterword by the author. After all, with a book where the role of stories is so important, one could write many adventures. Though Below the Dome ends in a way that one could consider closed, there is one small detail that remains to be answered: I’m dying to know what Katchan’s grandmother wrote for him on the parchment. Hopefully in the next book, Katchan will learn to read and we will find out!

Below the Dome

Reviews

Highlights