Katelyn Kestrel is a 17 year-old girl who is incredibly
bored with her safe life in the valley of Haven. Nothing ever happens there and
no-one is allowed to pass the barriers of the valley. The rest of the townsfolk
don't seem too interested in what lies beyond the borders, but Katelyn isn't
like the others. She has a wanderlust that she can't explain. Something pulls
her to a mausoleum one night where she finds a pool of water that feels dry to
the touch and is surrounded by signs saying DO NOT LET THEM IN. Of course she
dives into the pool to see where it leads to and comes up face to face with an
injured Dragoon who is desperately
trying to get away from a Lurcher. So begins her introduction to a world
outside of Haven. Where battling princes, commanders, dragoons and the search
for lodestones and their abilities are commonplace. The problem is that the
people of this world seem to think that she possesses something they need and
intend to take it from her no matter the cost. Katelyn must dig deeply and find
a part of herself she never knew existed.
This is a fantastic, well-paced fantasy story I believe is
aimed mainly at young adults. I loved the idea of the abilities and the war
behind it all, as well as the clues interspersed here and there to link at a
later date and book. A world beyond your everyday life is what a lot of
adventurous people long for and in this case Katelyn got more than she
bargained for. The characters, plot and almost obligatory romance definitely
have a younger audience in mind. Everything had a box to fill and things fitted
very neatly. Even the violence is toned down and not too graphically explained.
In saying that though, I loved the world we were introduced to with the
continual references to the elements and the introduction of the beautiful
white tree. It may be a little light for some, but for an unhurried pleasurable
read with a logical plot, comfortable flow and flawed characters with great
personalities I highly recommend this, and look forward to the rest of the
books in the series.
Thanks to Netgalley for the chance to review the book.
No comments:
Post a Comment