The Narrative Gardener

Category: Fantasy

  • Book Review: Land of Perpetual Night

    written by Miri C. Golden

    0.5 of The Blood Forest series

    *I was given an ARC by the author. I am happy to post this review.

    In Land of Perpetual Night we are introduced to Troa Travay, a young, very successful, Ranger squad leader in the highly-Casted land of Sideer. Immediately I was thrown into the unrelenting pressure of the world Troa and her friends live in. The society, the laws the citizens live by, and the parched land itself create a feeling of almost despair. But with her position, I began to think that perhaps Troa had risen above the harshness of the society; I soon learned I was wrong.

    The province of Shinador has long been looked down upon as the basest, most wild province in the Sideerian Empire, yet it inspires a vow of deep reverence in Troa, which she has vowed to fight for endlessly. But when that same vow is seemingly thrown away by her role model, her mother Shekyva, Troa’s world fractures in an instant. We follow Troa on a runaway train of hard lessons that hammer home standing firm for what you believe in is not as easy as it seems, nor are circumstances always what they appear to be.

    This book is a prequel (hence the 0.5 designation) to the forthcoming Blood Forest series. It provides a solid indoctrination into Sideer, Troa and her friends Omi and Benn as the main characters, and the evils lurking beneath the Caste system of the realm. Magic is present but held in the hands of the most privileged, adding to the brainwashing of the lowest classes. It appears later in this book, clearly setting the stage for the next installment. The “gift” forces Troa to wrestle with what she knows and what she now sees, opening her eyes to more of the injustices of her beloved statutes.

    How I imagined much of the province of Shinador

    The author, Miri C. Golden, skillfully creates tension throughout the novel, using well-crafted scenes, loads of action, and opposing character motivations, all of which will keep you turning pages for large blocks of time. An author’s job is to make us care about the characters in order to draw us along on their journey, experiencing their highs and lows with them; Ms. Golden makes us care about Troa because Troa CARES. Add in the confidence and energy of late teenage youth, casual romantic rendezvous, and fierce devotion to each other, and the events fly fast and furious. Oh! and there is even a new phraseology that still has me calling things “rotting” and using “shrike” as a ubiquitous verb.

     This book was a departure for me from my favored fantasy subgenres; it is more on the darker spectrum than I usually read. However, the author’s style drew me in and kept me coming back time and again. Branching out into new reading territory is always beneficial, and I am happy that I did. Land of Perpetual Night is an excellent darker fantasy adventure to embark upon, as long as you bring your crossbow and your courage. Come along for the ride!~

    A must-have in Shinador…

  • A Review of The Circle

    The Circle by Cindy Cipriano

    *I was given an ARC by the author, and I happily leave this review.*

    shows the cover of the book reviewed

    That was fantastic! Is the next book already out?

    Those were my exact thoughts when I turned the last page of The Circle. From the first page, I was ensnared. I sat in my round chair all afternoon, with rampant FOMO on what happens next in the small North Carolina town the Sidhe call home in our world. I was reluctant to put the iPad down and make dinner, and couldn’t wait to settle in later that night to finish the tale—it was truly a fun read.

    Having spent time in Ireland studying folklore and history, I was already familiar with the Sidhe of legend, and Ms. Cipriano’s modern twist is a wonderful adaptation.

    The story begins with the disappearance of one of three boy cousins as they play among the Sidhe and human worlds. We learn quickly that distance is not measured linearly, and passing between the realms is instantaneous. Some Sidhe have opted for leaving their mounds in favor of life in the human world, making a small North Carolina town their home instead. Calum’s family is one of these, along with his cousin Hagen’s family. They travel back and forth as they wish, and must, to keep their faerie powers strong.

    The protagonists in this story are 6th graders, (it has been classified as both Middle Grade Children’s and Fantasy), but that does not restrict the story to a younger audience. Calum, Hagen, and their duine daonna (non-Sidhe) friend Laurel struggle through the school year, facing the usual trials of bullies, schoolwork, and emerging emotions, even as they discover they are all linked by the disappearances of their loved ones. Family bonds and trust are themes the trio must navigate as their respective pains bring them closer together, and to their goals.

    One aspect of the story I enjoyed was Kenzie’s Siopa Leabhar, the bookstore and cafe she runs in town. For some reason, I am always drawn to stories and book covers that feature bookstores. Most likely this is because a bookstore is one of my favorite places to be, but they are often places of stability, grounding, and constant for the characters in the stories. This one is no different. Kenzie’s store is a fixture in the community; a place to stop in the morning for coffee, where the protagonists study, research, and plan, and where the Sidhe realm leaves its mark on our world in the verses encoded on its shelves. A bookstore that guides a patron to the answer to their questions? I’m in! Where do I enter?

    The author’s writing style is engaging and descriptive; her merging of the human and Sidhe worlds is seamless. The magic draws on ancient lore, yet is injected with imaginative details that I truly marveled at. Several times I paused in my reading to appreciate the uniqueness of Ms. Cipriano’s magic system. Such new idiosyncrasies give the book a fresh feeling and leave me wanting to know what’s next.

    The Circle is not a 300+ page novel like I usually read, so I had the pleasure of finishing it in a day—which was perfect because I had a difficult time putting it down. The story moved at a lively pace, pulling the reader forward into the events with clear, modern dialogue that revealed plenty of details about the characters and their lives.

    I thoroughly enjoyed meeting each of the members of Calum’s extended family, and keeping their lineages straight is part of the fun in a clan-based story such as this. Each character’s persona is well-crafted and consistently reinforced by their actions. Some of the main story threads are resolved in this installment, but others are left open for the next, putting the second book, The Choice (out soon!) high on my TBR list.

    If you are a lover of Irish folklore-based fiction, I highly recommend The Circle. Sit down with a cup of tea on a rainy afternoon and you will hardly notice the time pass as The Circle carries you between this world and the mounds of the Sidhe. But beware! an hour you can only remain, in a mound not of your own clan. Happy reading!~

    Are they fairy mounds? Humans will never know.