Warrior Pose by Susan Rogers and John Roosen – Aligning the past with the present (Audio Book Review)

Virabhadra, a group of asanas composed of five poses, is often misunderstood. The words “Warrior Pose” invokes an image of violence, of a deadly confrontation. Their true purpose subverts expectations. Viras, as they are nicknamed, are all about transcendence; emerging from the chaos of base emotions, and finding balance by devoting all of oneself to the movement.

The discovery of a skull in New Zealand’s South Island, buried beneath a defunct chemical plant, and the absence of a definitive set of human remains in a small village in Jambi, Indonesia drive investigations into the missing persons connected to Ric Peters in one way or another. A series of tragedies attached to his emotions are brought to the forefront, weighing him down like the heavy anchors cast into the Marlborough Sounds.

The impending exchange of nuptials to his now fiancée will require mutual trust and transparency from the parties involved. Ric must resolve the past, reign in his stubbornness and make room for forgiveness, for the sake of his much desired future with Elaina. Any loose ends should be tidied before the couple can even begin to contemplate tying the knot. That includes what took place in Indonesia less than two years prior. And the distance between him and his father, created by the information surrounding Ric’s grandfather’s death that his father had chosen to withhold from Ric all those years ago.

Spoiler-Free Plot

The island nations of New Zealand and Indonesia—both forged from the elemental wars waged by fire, water and wind—as well as the characters in this book are split into never-ending branches of dichotomies: bloodshed and meditation, honesty and corruption, charity and greed, damnation and redemption. They wander down beaten dirt paths and tarmacked roads, traverse through dense emerald forests in their search for information, accompanied by the grief of their memories along the way.

Ric, paired up with Elaina stumbles into a mystery during their visit to Nelson, while Flynn O’Neil joined by his friend and accomplished tracker, Henrik Anderson, charge straight into dangerous territory where asking the wrong kinds of questions could land you in front of a twelve man firing squad, deservedly so or not.

Buried in the soil on the fringes of small settlements are sources of great wealth, unnatural additions to the ecosystem they have been planted into. The profits they yield are pocketed by a selfish few. They leech life from the earth in more ways than one, from the dirt and the people who live close by. Like the mythological hydra, severing a single head from the body of the problem might only halt the advancement of criminality temporarily until an alternative scheme presents itself, ready to be exploited.

Since the events that took place in Tasmania, Ric has decided to steer his relationship with Elaina down a more traditional route by arranging a meeting with his parents. The discomfort lingering between Ric and his father is clear to see. It is most present in the words left unsaid, adding tension to the atmosphere as they exchange pleasant yet superficial conversation.

The secrets they have both harboured for years are justified when viewed from their own individual perspectives; a father trying to shield his son from the stain of mankind’s brutality upon their family, and a son following in the footsteps of someone who succumbed to the very lifestyle that brought him a sense of fulfillment. All the while, Ric grapples with the risks associated with his line of work versus keeping his loved ones safe. Sooner or later, a choice must be made.

My Take on Warrior Pose

Aside from Kiri’s first session at the Cliff House, and a few mentions scattered about, there seems to be an absence of Yoga related scenes, far fewer when compared to their features in the previous books in this series. Without fixed knowledge of the total number of books the authors have planned to complete before wrapping up Ric and Elaina’s compelling adventures in this Yoga Mat Mysteries—only vaguely recalling mentions of a five book total—I can only assume that Warrior Pose serves as a hinge in the series.

Like the motion of reversing Warrior II in a vinyasa, long standing conflict introduced in Dead Man’s Pose has been resolved by confronting the affairs that had once been avoided head on, the thematic pause might precede a change of direction where a different approach could then see the invigorated return of the much enjoyed Yoga element, or something else altogether.

Mature romances that are well written are fairly hard to come by, doubly so when intersecting with another genre. Somehow, Susan and John have elevated both the mystery and romantic aspects of the story up to equal standing. Neither feels like a subplot. They are inextricable from one another, sometimes lending each other the centre stage position for a scene or two before melding back together again, producing one of the most organic partnerships I have come across in all my attempts at reading books, that which claim to be successful at executing both these elements.

Given the extraordinary circumstances that are now commonplace in Ric and Elaina’s lives, their interpersonal worries are still universal. Readers are immersed in a darker world that is revealed to exist beneath the veneer of the mundane from a safe distance as curious spectators, but the romantic aspects of the story mirror what almost everyone on the planet will experience, to varying degrees, at some point in their lives.

On the topic of transcendence presented by the choice of the titular asana, it feels as though this book is preparing readers for the finale of a series we all secretly wish—despite all reason—could run forever. We must ground ourselves in preparation for the end, hold ourselves steady in the face of the inevitable emotions drawn from the bittersweet ending that is to come. Reconcile the coexistence of gratitude and dejection within us. The Warrior Pose serves the readers as much as it does the characters. Paul Sweeny was right when he said, “You know you’ve read a good book when you turn the last page and feel a little as if you have lost a friend.” We are drawing closer to the unavoidable post-book blues.

I am as keen as ever to see what comes of the fifth installment of the series. There is one loose end left untightened—the matter of an assassin on the lam, one with a grudge against Ric for his unwitting escape from elimination at his hands a few months prior to Tasmania. Other than that, there haven’t been many clues as to the possible antagonistic force the protagonists will have to overcome next. There are endless possibilities! Any other twelve to eighteen month wait won’t ever feel as long as this one will, but as the saying goes, good things certainly do take time.

Overall, this book is a gripping, emotionally mature blend of yoga-themed mystery and romance, Warrior Pose deftly balances global stakes with deeply human relationships, setting the stage for a powerful, bittersweet finale to the Yoga Mat Mysteries series.

Voice Artist Review

Would it be strange to consider purchasing an audiobook for its voice artist, as opposed to its author or its content? In the downtime between Yoga Mat Mystery releases, it would be nice to throw a Rupert Degas narration somewhere into my roster; as a nice rainy day selection, guaranteed to bring some light into those dull days, or to pluck me out of a reading slump whenever I find myself in one. Rupert’s voice is a reliable remedy to any and all afflictions of the literary kind; teaming him up with Susan and John has formed a formidable storytelling trinity.

Somewhere early on in the story, I noticed a change of tack from the previous narrations that almost went undetected, especially for a listener like me—one who has had to wait patiently (or, truthfully, quite impatiently) for the release of the next installment in the series. Certain voices, particularly those of the female characters, sound rounder than they once did. In my opinion, there isn’t a version that is better than the other. I do believe this difference complements the shifting energy as the series progresses. As women tend to use their voices as tools for a greater range of expression, the singsong, slightly pitchy tones aligned with the excitement brought about by new experiences.

Further along the timeline, normalcy has been established in the adrenaline inducing moments that would’ve once produced a stronger reaction, hence the milder, more subdued speech. As the characters learn to accommodate the oscillations of their lives, settling into the rhythm of it, so too do the readers. I’m unsure if this was intentional on the part of the voice actor, but it was interesting to observe, nonetheless. Another brilliant job done by Rupert!

Age Rating

16 years and above

Content Warning

Corruption, Death, Drug Abuse, Foul Language, Weapons and Violence.

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