It IS true that one should never judge a book by its cover, and as a writer and reader, I follow this advice, BUUUUUUUUUTTTTT, I can and WILL judge this cover. IT IS GLORIOUS! I have never seen, as far as I can recall, a cover THIS beautiful, I mean, LOOK at it! It’s magical, a masterpiece on its own and for the first time in Scribbles Worth I will give a rating to a cover, (maybe I’ll make a thing about this from now on), and give this cover a 10/10. AMAZING!
Props to Callum Jager. AMAZING.
So, to the book!
The book starts with maps and character references to get the attention and comprehension of the reader, which succeeds in that aspect, and the first story lines are very well put, grabbing your attention and forcing you to make questions and pay attention to the next detail, very nice.
The interactions between Cat and Hyw are heart-warming, and one can clearly feel the tight brotherly love they have for each other, and how family bonds are emphasized in the book, something rare to see these days.
Dramatic descriptions and gripping scenes will make you hold your breath as the straight-forward narrative style of the author will keep your eyes peeled. That’s something that I find unique about Marie Powell, the author, she is able to keep the pace of the whole story narrative consistent, while keeping chapters as short as they need to be, leaving the reader ever more curious and engaged as the story progresses.
Although I am already an full-blown adult, as I read I could relate to the characters, specially Hyw while understanding the decisions and stances of the brave Bran, his father, and the always likable Prince, Llywelyn that made the story more interesting and gave greater depths to the story while filling it with some action and mystery.
There is a clear and stark knowledge of the Welsh culture, and it shows that the author did an EXCELLENT research for this book, which is an example to be taken to aspiring authors.
The reader will surely love the almost textbook descriptions of castles, realms and weapons, the always easy to understand and well put imagery and the twist on history that Marie Powell gave to this remarkable title of fantasy that is very well orchestrated and leaves no threads missing in the first of two book series that I totally recommend to the YA fantasy fans.
If you love fantastic yet realistic and relatable realms, and love historic tales, look no further than this jewel crafted by Marie Powell.
Pros:
- Stable, consistent and well paced narrative.
- Believable characters due to their uniqueness.
- Great interactions between characters.
- A consistent, yet unpredictable plot.
- A solid ending that makes us want more.
- No plot-holes detected.
- Nice moral lessons here and there.
Cons:
- Personally speaking, I would like more intense scenes. The scenes and plot are VERY well suited for the YA-genre and it’s great for kids and teens. So I understand the intention.
Favourite Character: Prince Llywelyn
Cover Score: 10/10
Final Score: 8.4/10
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