Review: It's your Destiny to read this book.
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 02 12, 2013
As part of a 3 book tour with Novel Publicity, I decided to read Veiled Mist by Eleanor T. Beaty. I expected light and Young Adult, Sci-fi/fantasy, myth based something. . . I got all of those, but I got something else very interesting out of the deal. I'm going to reveal to you, or perhaps elude you as to what I think destiny, or my destiny is. Maybe.Have I mentioned I'm a cynic, and possibly and elusive gypsy/witch in disguise of something else...I didn't expect greatness, but it was a pleasant surprise. Sort of. This is the book you end up reading at the 'right time' for no apparent reason what-so-ever. (But not really, it's a tricky book like that.)Veiled Mist was all those good things. It's totally Young Adult and probably middle aged adult enjoyable. (Am I middle aged? I'm not sure...I feel old most of the time....but not senile?)It created a mystical world in my head, and was quite vivid. I had a lot of fun following around Hanna, and I had even more fun following Ornella's story. I was completely charmed and won over by Count Dracula (not a vampire). It also created a world that traveled all over the globe, and made me reminiscent of the days that Carmen Sandiego was somewhere.Years ago, I would have said my destiny was to be a globe-trotting spy/explorer, or that I could be a space explorer 'for real'.Unfortunately, and perhaps because of wonderful campaigning skills, the book also made me ponder.What is my Destiny? What is Destiny? Does it matter? If it matters, who does it matter to? Does it matter to me even if it doesn't really matter?Clearly this could have taken a dive for the depths of despair, but fear not, there is a silver/gold lining to this tale.MmmmWAHaaaaHaaaaHaaaaStatistically speaking, whether I have a destiny or not is probably not all that cosmically important in the grand scheme of the universe. That said, what I perceive to be my destiny may or may not be very important to me at any given time (subjectively of course).I feel like I sound like Spock.Am I Spock?!I am probably not Spock. If this were a Cracked article you would now see a picture of something with a sad face and the words. "Why can't I choose my own destiny?" *pout*. But, it's not, it's a very serious book review. I swear I'm not on cracked...yet.There's a point to this. At a time when perhaps I'd like to have chosen a slightly less shall we say 'bumpy' path in life, I end up reading a book about destiny. Yes, it's young adult and I'm supposed to be mature, but I don't think that means I can't get something out of a book.I did read it with my own bias and cynicisms in tact of course, and as a result, some of the dialogue was ANNOYING. In a very, hilarious, made me identify with the chronological age and audience the book is aimed at. I probably reacted to the book the same way I would have reacted if I read it as a young adult. I am a character in that book, I can identify with one or more of the characters who are like and not like me.It made me remember my own experiences, and it made me think about the path I took or didn't really get to choose to take, all the what-ifs, and maybe, could have, should have, never in a million years, would have been.There was a point to all that destiny 'crap' (it's a cynical kind of day, can you tell :P ). It's simply this, I think we lose the child's sense of destiny much to early in life. This might book helped bring a little bit back into mine, even if it was just to remind me that once I believed I had a grand destiny to roam the universe in a spaceship with . . . well you know.It probably doesn't matter whether or not I have a grandiose destiny as much anymore, as long as I'm happy doing what I do. Read the book, there's hope there in the mist. There's also a crazy amount of darkness and amusement and really well written story telling.