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Book Review: The Thickety: A Path Begins by J. A. White

The Thickety: A Path Begins by J.A. White, illustrated by Andrea Offermann

Katherine Tegen Books, an imprint of Harper Collins, 2014

ISBN-13: 978-0062257239

Available:  Hardcover, Paperback, Kindle edition

Welcome to De’Noran, a village reminiscent of a Salem-era town, where witch hunts are a village event.  Those familiar with M. Night Shyamalan’s The Village will find De’Noran to be its evil twin: a secluded village cut off from The World and full of condemnation and heavy-handed rules. In De’Noran, children are raised under the laws of their founder, Timoth Clen, who taught that magic is the ultimate evil, and that village inhabitants should never enter the Thickety– the dark and ever-encroaching forest separating De’Noran from The World.

A Path Begins immediately pulls readers into a dark and sinister story of good and evil, sadness, secrets and family bonds. The hero is quiet, self-reflective 12-year-old Kara Westfall who, as a five year old, witnesses the brutal murder of her mother at the hands of the villagers within the first few pages of the book. Kara is left to deal with the aftermath of being the child of a condemned witch: a father who is emotionally scarred, a sickly younger brother, a farm that is primarily hers to tend to, and the constant torments of the villagers.

A Path Begins is full of heavy, dark imagery and frightening events. It is not a light read. However, it is also full of a wonderful depth of both character and storyline. It is easy to feel the pain that Kara is left with at her mother’s death and the protective nature she feels toward both her father and her brother. The story maintains a steady pace and is full of intrigue, secrets and stunning revelations that make it difficult to put down. Through it all, characters are required to make difficult choices between compassion and personal gain.

The cover illustration is a perfect fit for the story, dark and enchanting with ominous tones. The dark simplicity of the chapter opener line art adds just enough visual effect to connect with the storyline.

The Thickety: A Path Begins is not for children who are easily frightened, but will be a very compelling read for those who are looking for an age-appropriate, scary tale. Recommended for ages 10 and older.

 

Contains: Violence, witchcraft

Reviewed by Heather Hurley

Posted on May 1, 2015 by , Reply

Book Review: Dirge by Tim Marquitz

Dirge by Tim Marquitz

Permuted Press, 2015

Available: paperback and e-book

ISBN-13:  978-1618684301

The Necrolords have invaded the kingdom of Delham, bringing death and destruction with their control of the walking dead. Kallie is a young woman freed from years of abuse in a dungeon by Relian, a priest with the Brotherhood of Sorea. Relian has trained her to become the mysterious assassin Dirge, and gifted her with great powers. so she can protect her people and defeat the Necrolords.  Disguised as Dirge, Kallie does the bidding of the ruthless emperor to earn the money needed for her people’s survival. Now she is thrust into a deadly game, a pawn of both the emperor and the lord who moves against him. Sent on a mission to capture a living Necrolord, she is torn between what is right and the revenge she wants.

Tim Marquitz has created a beautiful world of dark fantasy, complete with zombies, murder, and mayhem (though the walking dead take a back seat to the scheming and action of the story). Characters are well developed and you definitely feel something for all of them, be it hatred or sympathy. Kallie is a strong female protagonist, but not without flaws, and I found it easy to empathize with her and the difficult position she finds herself in. The story is full of amazing detail and depth, and you can imagine this world existing somewhere. Dirge is how dark fantasy should be done. I look forward to reading more about the people of Delham and Kallie’s story. Highly recommended

Contains: violence and bloodshed

Reviewed by Colleen Wanglund

Posted on April 21, 2015 by , Reply

Book Review: Scarlet Tides by David Hair

Scarlet Tides (The Moontide Quartet, 2) by David Hair

Jo Fletcher Books, 2014

ISBN-13: 978-1-62365-829-8

Available:  Hardback, Paperback, eBooks(Kindle), AudioBook, MP3 CD

 

The Third Crusade has begun: Rondian Legions are flooding into the East.  The Inquisitors lead the charge in their windships, flying the banner of the Church’s darkest members: The Sacred Heart.  The crimson-clad invaders slaughter and plunder their way across Antiopia in the name of Emperor Constant.  Vast treasure is being collected, but the most precious is still missing: the Scytale of Corineus, the powerful artifact that is the source of all magical power.  Resisting the Rondian invaders are the armies of the peoples of Antiopia.  Mixed in with the masses are a trio of unlikely heroes: Alaron, a failed mage from the West; Cymbellea, a gypsy and renegade friend of Alaron’s from their days at the Mage’s Academy; and Ramita, the once lowly market-girl who now carries the unborn children of the powerful mage, Antonin Meiros.  All of them have made the same pledge– to end the cycle of devastation, and restore peace to their land.

Scarlet Tides  is much better than the first installment in this series, Mage’s Blood.  The tone that was established in Mage’s Blood continues, and is maintained as the war unfolds.  The suspense builds, with plenty of twists and turns to keep the reader turning pages. The plot twists were easier to follow in this volume, and the story flowed much better than in the first book, providing much-needed clarity and making Scarlet Tides a much better read than the Mage’s Blood.  Hair just spent too much time world-building at the beginning of the series, but the payoff here is that he is free to create without having to provide backstory, and he really takes off.

The descriptions were superb and meshed perfectly with the action.  The carnage of the war felt really accurate.  Hair did a fantastic job of  maintaining the characters’ voices were maintained and showing their growth and development as more as the reality of going to war settled in.  This was great read and I am looking forward to reading volume three in the future.  I have previously read Mage’s Blood by this author. Recommended.

Contains:  sexual situations, cursing

Reviewed by Aaron Fletcher

 

Posted on April 19, 2015 by , Reply
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