Diane Magras

With a slight gamer flair, this is a quick adventure with interesting creatures, forming friendships, and more than a little action.

Nora's father died when attacked by a terrible beast, and Umbrae, and when she almost losses her mother in a similar attack, she realizes that she can and should do something to stop the beasts. While adults die from a single bite of these monsters, Nora and other children are immune. Despite her father's wish for Nora never to become one of the knights, she contacts the government and soon finds herself heading off to training. Nora has a talent for fighting the beasts and is quickly placed on a team and given a mission. But as she heads out to fight the beasts, secrets begin to emerge, which places more than a few things in a new and concerning direction.

Nora is an energetic and kind character, who cares quite a bit for her family, friends and team. Despite her fighting talent, she never comes across as arrogant or overly tough, and works very well with her team. But then, the relationship with the various members is positive and supporting as well. Her team members are there for each other and do what they can for one another. Even many of the adults offer their support and encouragement. So, there's a very positive atmosphere, in general, which is good because the plot itself has darker tones.

This read takes a rougher twist offering tenser moments and harsher fight scenes. The creatures are dangerous and the attacks brutal. So, while this maybe isn't for overly sensitive readers, it's nothing beyond the middle grade range, either. The tension stays high, but there's still a nice balance between action and slower moments.

At the beginning of each chapter, there's a cube with sayings, information, or thoughts which added a nice touch. The writing itself flows well and keeps the pacing high. There is, however, a little missing in the descriptions and background information, which made the world and setting a little unclear, at times. I hope that some of this will be explained and deepened in an upcoming book...which I'm saying, although I'm not sure there will be more or not and can only hope that more adventures are to come, since this would make a nice series.
I received an ARC and found it to be a gripping read.… (mer)

After reading some "happy sigh" books lately, I'm tempted to turn this into a "happy sigh" book only blog. I mean, why waste time with ho-hum regular books when you can enter another time for a few hours and emerge with a "happy sigh"? The last fifty pages of this book were me reading as slowly as possible so it wouldn't end.

Before this adventure, Drest trained to be as tough as her five brothers and father named, "Mad Wolf." She believed all their one-sided war stories completely. When a band of knights captures them all, Drest is left alone to save them. During their capture, she sees one knight attack another leaving him for dead. This is her first glimpse into the reality that not everyone is who they say they are.
Along with the injured knight, who may or may not be her new friend she attempts to rescue her family. The story isn't just an adventure, in many ways, it is a coming of age story as Drest learns more about her family and some of the terrible things they have done in the name of war. Even in medieval days deciding that you aren't going to behave like your family is an unsettling part of growing up.

Drest and her adventures held me spellbound, and for the time I was reading, I felt immersed in medieval Scotland. The Authors Notes and Glossary show how meticulously accurate this story is. I'm wishing for a sequel or better yet a series featuring Drest, a tough, fair, female knight.

Verdict- Buy- Especially all you homeschoolers we're just starting our medieval year, and this fits perfectly into a living book list for grammar or logic stage history. It's not too young for high schoolers either if you need something light to balance out some source reading.

I received an ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!… (mer)

This is one of the rare books that lives up to the hype. It would have been a five-star book if the ending had been more of an ending and not felt like it was just a convenient stopping place. Drest, though, is an amazing character and her companions, Tig and Emerick, are worthy co-adventurers. The three face danger, betrayal and menace on their journey, but they also experience people at their best and most helpful. I'm always a fan of a girl-with-sword novel and this is a strong entry in that sub-genre and, I hope, the opening to an equally strong series.… (mer)