Coelho (The Alchemist) returns with the jaunty story of a master archer who dispenses philosophical advice. Using a fablelike framework, Coelho spools out short chapters that are interspersed with simple but evocative artwork. The story begins as a young boy leads a stranger to the local carpenter, Tetsuya, whom the stranger claims is a master archer in hiding. The stranger requests a competition to prove he is more skilled than Tetsuya, but when Tetsuya takes his turn, he aims for his target while balancing on a rickety bridge. Tetsuya's lesson is that the stranger can not compete, because--though he performs well in ideal, controlled situations--he cannot be a master until he can also perform well under difficult, trying situations. After the stranger leaves, Tetsuya and the boy return to the carpentry shop, and Tetsuya holds forth with meditative gems meant to teach the boy the skill of archery as he himself had been taught, such as "never hold back from firing the arrow if all that paralyzes you is fear of making a mistake," and "once the arrow has been shot, there is nothing more the archer can do, except follow its path to the target." The narrative is simple, and the act of holding a bow and shooting an arrow is a fairly obvious metaphor for doing one's best and striving for excellence. Despite this, fans of Coehlo's koanlike narratives will find much to ponder. (Nov.)

In a fable about an archery guru, Coelho returns to his New Age niche. This is a loose agglomeration of half-baked philosophical principals masquerading as a novel. The plot is thin: At an indeterminate time in a place vaguely resembling Japan, a stranger comes to the village where Tetsuya, a former master archer, has chosen an anonymous existence as a carpenter. This is the classic sensei-apprentice scenario, the Karate Kid with everything removed but the aphorisms. The stranger has flushed out Tetsuya, with the mixed motives of wanting to show off his own bow-and-arrow chops and ask for pointers. Tetsuya puts the stranger's skills to the test. The stranger, the archer, and a local boy who will become his apprentice head for a rickety bridge suspended across a chasm. From this precarious perch, swaying in the wind, Tetsuya fires off a perfect hit--piercing a peach at 20 meters. But the stranger is rattled by the danger and misses. Thereby hangs a rather obvious lesson--it's important to train for difficult as well as optimal circumstances. Spoiler alert: This is the book's last action sequence, and it's only the prologue. The novel proper takes the form of Tetsuya's lectures to the boy as they return to the village. The "way of the bow" so imparted can be summed up as: We are what we continually do; find your tribe; preparation is everything; breathe; maintain elegant posture; be here now. Such tenets, of course, serve any number of disciplines. The ultimate takeaway is confusing--the thing you are best at may not be the thing you love, and you should always embrace the latter as your ultimate calling, as Tetsuya has chosen carpentry. Imagery by Niemann, the compact format, and plenty of white space make this look like an ideal gift book, but the platitudinous text is an afterthought. Check it out for the charming illustrations. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

A boy hears tales of a master archer, but the archer has long since retired and pursued carpentry instead. Still, the boy wants to learn the secrets that made the archer legendary. Thus begins internationally best-selling Coelho's (Hippie, 2018) newest tale. Read at face level, this slim volume seems to offer little beyond rudimentary instruction, but the deeper message of the archer is that mastery requires one to delve into the heart of any endeavor. More than perfect technique, it is a matter of patience, intention, hard work, and a willingness to be vulnerable. In other words, the journey is about intersecting with the soul. Evocative, brushed illustrations in black, white, and gold from Christoph Niemann don't always seem to fit the text, and Coelho's mystical, aphoristic style will not be to everyone's taste. Some readers will see deep truth in the spare sentences; others will find this allegorical tale a trite yawn. Whether this book will be a life-changer or not will depend very much on what the reader both brings to and seeks from its pages.

The next visionary work from the internationally best-selling author of The Alchemist features a boy who asks questions about the life of Tetsuya, a famous archer who has withdrawn from public life. Tetsuya uses his bow and arrow to illustrate his answers, showing that thought and action must be linked. Backlit by illustrator Niemann's art.