Review: Unique & Interesting Fantasy Tale
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 12 7, 2013
I received a copy of this book for honest review. 'Unelmoija: The Dreamshifter' is the tale of a young woman named Amy as she begins to discover the depth of the magical powers she possesses.  She is learning about others like her while trying to decide if her father is trustworthy and attempting to figure out who's been trying to kill her and why.Amy's world gets turned upside down by a series of occurrences right at the beginning of the book.  Her father, a man she doesn't know, makes an appearance.  Then a man named Duncan shows up who is her opposite when it comes to their powers.  When someone tries to kill her, she realises something bigger is going on than she is aware of.  She's not sure about her newly found father's intentions but knows little about her own powers.  Who can she trust?The story is interesting and different and is told in an accessible way.  This definitely isn't your usual type of urban fantasy book.  It's set in Miami and the setting is well described but the story itself is more mysterious and moves at a slower pace than the urban fantasy books I'm familiar with.  It felt kind of like a paranormal mystery to me, as there are a lot of questions raised and little clues dropped as the story goes on.  Amy is working to find out who's trying to harm her and uncertain over whether she can trust her father, and at the same time she's trying to figure out who she is and what her powers mean.  The coming of age element to the story is well done and felt true to the character.For me the characters came to life most effectively whenever they were conversing.  I was amused by some of Duncan's turns of phrase and his sarcastic streak whenever he is talking to Amy's father.  There was also the possibility that his friendship with Amy will turn into something more as this is hinted at.  Amy was likeable and seemed quite uncertain of herself which was appropriate for her age.  These two characters were the most well developed.  I look forward to seeing more of Amy's mother and perhaps meeting her sister eventually as the series unfolds.I found the magic side of things intriguing.  It was quite different to anything I've read before and I read a lot of fantasy books.  It wasn't fully explained in this first novella but there was enough revealed to be able understand what was going on.  I'm keen to see how the story is going to play out and how Amy's powers develop.Overall this is a unique and interesting debut by new author Elle Boca.  I would recommend to fans of paranormal, fantasy, suspense, and mystery books.