[XIK]∎ [PDF] Arrow of the Mist eBook Christina Mercer

Arrow of the Mist eBook Christina Mercer

Download As PDF : Arrow of the Mist eBook Christina Mercer

Arrow of the Mist eBook Christina Mercer

First of all, my compliments to the cover artist. How awesome that it wasn't another typical dragon or princess cover. Love that. Also, that colour scheme is really eye-catching.

Secondly, I really enjoyed this book. The main female character, Lia, is certainly one to contend with. Her quick wit and overall presence made this book an easy read to love. I get tired of the fantasy novels where all of the women seem to need rescuing every other minute. It was nice to see a head with some brains in it.

I love that so much of this book focuses on riddles, herbs and animals. This is the main reason why I love fantasy in general, and this author handled it very well. Good enough, in fact that it makes me wonder why I had not heard of said her until recently. I never felt like I was reading a rehash of someone else's work during this. Points for originality.

I appreciated the way this book progressed. It was fast enough to make me keep turning pages, but not so quickly paced that I felt I didn't have the chance to get to know each character. Everyone has a reason for their actions and I wasn't lost at any point.

The descriptions the author used were more than just adequate. The surroundings come alive through her use of good word choices and her ability to describe the sounds, tastes, scents and sights of things in vivid detail.

I would definitely recommend this book to other lovers of the fantasy genre. If you don't read it, you will be missing out.

This review is based on a digital ARC from Netgalley and the publisher.


Tags : Arrow of the Mist - Kindle edition by Christina Mercer. Download it once and read it on your Kindle device, PC, phones or tablets. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading Arrow of the Mist.,ebook,Christina Mercer,Arrow of the Mist,JUVENILE FICTION Fairy Tales & Folklore General,JUVENILE FICTION Fantasy & Magic

Arrow of the Mist eBook Christina Mercer Reviews

I finished the book in a couple of hours and I must say I wasn't expecting much. It proved me wrong as in the end it was a satisfying read. Lia likes herbs and helps her grandfather care for the sick. They live in a village where 2 giant quartz tower are, bordering Brume, a land hidden in a murderous fog. Nobody goes to Brume, but her grandparents used to go there to gather plants, her grandmother even died there. All of a sudden, a black thorny plant attacks the villagers and starts killing them. When Lia's father is hurt, the girl, together with her granddad Luis, cousin Wynn and friend Keleven are forced to go to Brume to search for a cure. And then things start to unravel it's like all the creatures and all the dangers ever present in fantasy story appear in Brume faes, dwarves, witches, stone giants, magic trees, ghosts, unicorns, grimoire, riddles, power crystals, etc. It's a bit too much if you ask me, even with special gifts, it is hard to believe everything will end up well. It does, and that is one weakness of the story. What saves the book is the tree lore, how Lia grows into her magic and the connection she shares with the natural world around her.
Had I rated this after reading the first three quarters, I would have given it a solid 5 stars. Christina Mercer does some amazing things here in creating a very believable world of magic and daily life. Her descriptions delighted me with the unique turns of phrase, and I found myself eager to solve more of the mysteries of the Grimoire. I even learned some new words (which is very rare for me because my working vocabulary is vast); Mercer's herbal training shows, and it adds a neat layer of depth to the main character. I'm definitely going to haul this book out when I want to show examples of literary devices done well.

Somehow, however, by the last 10%, I felt like I was slogging away to the end. The climactic good vs. evil battle was great, and the whole thing would make a spectacular movie, but the wind-down afterwards felt very slow. Since a sequel is apparently in the offing, I sort of wish some of the exposition tucked at the end of this book could have been saved for the next book so I could close the final page with my heart still pounding a bit.

All that said, I got this originally in ebook form when it was on sale. I liked so well that I bought the paperback version, too. When a hard copy of a book makes it to my shelf, that's a mark of honor because I'm very picky. I want to be able to recommend heartily everything in my library, and I certainly can recommend this novel to fantasy lovers of all ages old enough to read it.
This book is a textbook example of what I love most about the children's genres a strong lead, incredible fantasy world, an imaginative plot, absolutely gorgeous prose, and a lingering depth to the story that I can take away with me and mull over later. I can't think of a single negative. I was completely captivated by this one.

Lia has a botanical gift. She knows the ancient names, ancient uses, and ancient lore for every plant. Unfortunately, the king has outlawed such practices as well as entry into the mystical lands of Brume that lie hidden behind the curtain of mist. But when Lia's father and several others contract an unknown sickness, she and her cousin must journey into the unknown land to find the cure. There Lia learns secrets of her family's past, gains abilities she never would have imagined, and encounters dangers beyond her worst nightmare.

I loved that Lia's ability to wield magic stems from ancient herb lore. She's a fantastic lead, strong, brave, and heedless of the disapproval others might have for her. Instead, her focus lies on the job she must do. Her cousin, Wynn, isn't quite as developed, but he's loyal and brave and makes a necessary accompaniment to Lia on her travels. And their path takes some wildly unforeseen turns. Brume is an incredible, well thought out world with mysterious characters at every turn.

And now to share some examples of Ms. Mercer's beautiful writing style

"Lia turned her head from their scorn and swallowed down the retort growing bitter on her tongue."

"Dunley Meadow sprawled out in front of them, a blanket of golden stalks bending to the whispering breeze."

"When he stopped and answered her, his words were slow and deliberate, like a steady drizzle of rain seeping deep into the soil."

"The day dragged against the sky, and the dimly lit sun melted into the horizon."

Breathtaking, isn't it? The ending implies another episode to follow. I'll be standing in line.
First of all, my compliments to the cover artist. How awesome that it wasn't another typical dragon or princess cover. Love that. Also, that colour scheme is really eye-catching.

Secondly, I really enjoyed this book. The main female character, Lia, is certainly one to contend with. Her quick wit and overall presence made this book an easy read to love. I get tired of the fantasy novels where all of the women seem to need rescuing every other minute. It was nice to see a head with some brains in it.

I love that so much of this book focuses on riddles, herbs and animals. This is the main reason why I love fantasy in general, and this author handled it very well. Good enough, in fact that it makes me wonder why I had not heard of said her until recently. I never felt like I was reading a rehash of someone else's work during this. Points for originality.

I appreciated the way this book progressed. It was fast enough to make me keep turning pages, but not so quickly paced that I felt I didn't have the chance to get to know each character. Everyone has a reason for their actions and I wasn't lost at any point.

The descriptions the author used were more than just adequate. The surroundings come alive through her use of good word choices and her ability to describe the sounds, tastes, scents and sights of things in vivid detail.

I would definitely recommend this book to other lovers of the fantasy genre. If you don't read it, you will be missing out.

This review is based on a digital ARC from Netgalley and the publisher.