I have an awesome read for you!
One thing I can say without doubt: writing, then reading other people’s writing, leads one to REALLY appreciate good writing. Whether one can take the excellence one sees and apply it to one’s own writing, is another question!
I’m late to the party on this book—this series, I should say. I just discovered author Shannon Messenger when I read Keeper of the Lost Cities, the first in what I believe is now a series of four. Published in 2012, it appears to be Shannon’s debut novel, and it’s a big-time winner!
Here’s the summary:
“At age twelve, Sophie learns that the remarkable abilities that have always caused her to stand out identify her as an elf, and after being brought to Eternalia to hone her skills, discovers that she has secrets buried in her memory for which some would kill.”
Kids discovering they are wizards is now old hat, thanks to the prevalence of Harry Potter, but this is the first time I’ve seen a child discovering she is an elf. It’s fabulous! Like so many good story concepts, it makes me wish I’d thought of it!
The summary above doesn’t touch at all on the real magnet in this story—wonderful characters and their powerful web of relationships—strangers, friends, family—relationships in the making, wonderfully alive and rich. Shannon creates great characters that I very much look forward to being with again in the next books.
Ms. Messenger also has that quality I prize so very highly: an agile imagination, and the ability to use it to weave a wonderful story. I especially like the inclusion of animals (fantastical ones, in this case), and the special bond the girl hero, Sophie, has with them.
I’ve planted the seeds for some of that at the end of Becoming Piper Pan, available now on Amzon. Something to look forward to in book three!
If you missed Friday’s Becoming Piper Pan launch video, here’s the link, just for you Merry Band Members!: https://www.piperpanandhermerryband.com/becoming-piper-pan/
The fun of coming “late to the party” and discovering a wonderful writer who has been writing for a while, is the potential for reading not just one, but several books by that author. Ms. Messenger has a Young Adult series out as well.
As always, happy reading—by now your local librarian should be used to your visits as you put these excellent Keeper of the Lost Cities books on hold!