Review: Great Fantasy Story!
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 05 12, 2013
"Anything worth having takes time and effort.""While ever there's a glimmer of hope, you should never give up."On the night of Alloria's tenth birthday she discovers that there are many things she had not known, about herself and the world around her. (1) The people she has lived with all these years are not actually her parents, they found her in the cellar of their cottage, her only possession a rag doll. (2) The amulet that her 'parents' have given her opens up the secret and mystical labyrinth in their cellar, which she and her best friend Nat waste no time venturing into. (3) She has a grand and amazing destiny awaiting her, if she has the courage to believe in herself and those she loves. Although all these facts are unknown to her before this night, she will need to come to grips with this newfound knowledge and find the strength that lies in the heart of herself, if she wants to survive.*sighs happily* What can I say about this book? Well, basically, it was simply incredible. It takes two genres that I love (fantasy and young adult) and melds them together in a beautiful way that was not only thrilling to read but just plain downright fun!There were honestly so many things I enjoyed about this book that I hardly know where to begin. First of all, the characters are three dimensional and very well fleshed out. They have slight issues and flaws, but they are so lovable and empathetic that you find yourself rooting for them the whole way through. Speaking of characters, have I mentioned how much I love Bane? No? Well, he is AMAZING! So stong and sweet! You'll see what I mean when you read it for yourself! ;)Also, I love the storyline and the way that it flowed very smoothly. The characters went from one scenario to the next in a way that made me feel I was right there, experiencing it with them! Oftentimes in fantasy stories you may find the same tired tropes used over and over. Not here folks! Prepare yourself for a fun, fresh, truly unique story.I think however the aspect of this book that I enjoyed the most was the use of description. There was a lot of it, but not too much that it bogged the story down. But it was so lush and descriptive I really felt like I was seeing what they were seeing, tasting what they were tasting, hearing what they were hearing; and a few times I actually stopped after reading a particularly beautiful section and went back and read it over just to take it in more thoroughly.This book is a rare treasure and I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys fantasy stories!This review can also be found on my book review blog:[...]