Review: Fantastic Read
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 07 16, 2013
Being different is never easy. Gethyon Rees learns that at a very early age. Even as a six-year-old he is tormented and teased. His twin sister, Callon, fits in just fine. The twins are being raised by their grandfather after the death of their father. Their mother dropped them on her father-in-law's doorstep and abandoned them. Gethyon cannot understand why his world seems so different from everyone else's. But when he inadvertently triggers powers that he never knew he had, he begins to realize just how different he is.Pippa Jay has written an action-packed, fast moving, and very powerful story. Gethyon is a complex young man, and he is easy to identify with. He has no idea how he manages to open up gateways to other places. He doesn't understand who he is or how he got his abilities. But he learns all too quickly that the Siah-dhu, a dark entity, is seeking him because of his powers.Not only is Gethyon a strong character, but the others he interacts with are also richly drawn. Callon loves her brother even though she doesn't always understand him. Embar, their grandfather, is a very sympathetic character. He is still mourning the death of his son who had fallen in love with a woman from a different world, and he has no idea what to do with Gethyon. And Quin, the twin's mother is very complex. She has left her children so that they might have a chance to live a normal life, not realizing that Gethyon has inherited her powers. We learn of her heartbreak at the death of her husband and the loss of her children, as she, too, has to keep running from the Siah-dhu.The various settings for this novel are rich in detail. The reader can easily move right into these strange worlds, seeing and feeling the environments. The plot line is simple in the overall arc. Gethyon has to figure out his powers, save his family, and try to conquer the darkness. But the reality of these tasks is far from simple or straightforward, and the obstacles are overwhelming at times.Gethyon is a wonderful coming-of-age fantasy novel. It contains a depth of understanding that goes beyond the action adventure. Topics such as family, loss, the use of force, and good versus evil, are all dealt with skillfully and sensitively. I can recommend this book to anyone who enjoys reading well-crafted fantasy.Originally posted at Long and Short Reviews