I was given a free copy of the book "Mist and Whispers," the first book in the Weaver's Riddle series by C.M. Lucas, in exchange for an honest review. I'll share some prepared information I was given about the book and author first, then give my personal thoughts at the end.
The Weaver’s Riddle (Mist & Whispers)
By: C.M. Lucas
Summary from Goodreads:
Imagine a world in eternal darkness. A world where skeletal beasts lurk in the forest. Where the women are missing, and the men are in need of salvation…
In the West-English town of Little Wolf Green, Scott’s bookshop is about to close down. Convinced the bookshop holds the key to her mother’s identity, sixteen year old Anya Piddling vows to save Scott’s, whatever the cost.
When four books of magic and myth take the world by storm, Anya begins a journey to discover the truth about the author, known only as the Weaver. Followed closely by her friends, and one surly, bitter ex-boyfriend, Anya soon realises a whole new world awaits: a world gone very wrong, with maddening whispers in the forest, magical winged Kings and a dragon-boy that understands her, inside and out. But this world needs a saviour… and everyone is looking at her.
Erimus Hall
HIS HEART THRASHED against his chest, a prisoner desperate to be freed from this burden. There was no way out. He had a job to do, and if it wasn’t done at that moment, his entire plan would be over before it even began.
The earth was but sludge, encasing his feet as he struggled up the bank. Bullets of rain struck his face as the winds lashed around him, obscuring his view and leaving him helpless in the dark.
Then, as if a divine hand was guiding the way, a flash of lightning revealed his final destination; Erimus Hall. The Hall was only another hundred meters away, run down and deserted, his sanctuary nonetheless.
Resisting the temptation to rest against the stone wall at the top of the bank, he pushed on, clambering across it with the rain-soaked trunk in his hands. Once over and sure of his feet, he took a moment to look around. Any sign of someone following and he’d have to revert to his back up location, as even with his goal in sight, he wouldn’t allow himself the risk of assuming he was home safe.
A clap of thunder quickened his pace and a minute later he’d reached the doorway, where a century’s worth of ivy had claimed the oak as its own. He set on it straight away, teasing back the creeper with a gentle hand, the whole time fighting against the instincts that were screaming inside his head.
Just tear it down – you’re going too slow – someone’s going to see you!
No. He couldn’t leave a sign that he’d been there. It had to look natural.
Two more bursts of lightning gave him a glimpse of what he needed to allow his unmarked entry into the building. With the trunk safely inside he took one more look around, and with another strike of lightning, he was gone.
Claire Marie Lucas lives in South-East England with her husband and three children. She began writing stories from inside her wardrobe at the tender age of six and hasn’t stopped writing in obscure places since; her current favourite being the cupboard beneath her stairs.
The Weaver’s Riddle – Mist & Whispers is her debut novel.
So now for a few of my personal thoughts. For the most part, I enjoyed the story. It had an interesting premise, and there is a lot of room for it to continue. I liked the fact that, unlike most series that are written these days, the story did come to some sort of conclusion. There is nothing more annoying than investing in a story only to be left totally hanging and feeling like nothing has been tied up in the end. On the down side, there was so much action, that it was often hard to really get a feel for what was taking place. I like to be able to breath every now and then in order to connect more with the characters. I quite liked the main character, and can see where the author can really push her forward in the books to come. Romance flirted around the edges several times, but nothing came to fruition on this book. Hopefully future books will delve deeper into character development and growth.
Overall, I was entertained, and would definitely be willing to follow along with the series in the future. A great read for people who enjoy fantasy, and are prepared to race from action scene to action scene.
I have more of these book reviews coming up, but I'm also hoping to get a little more into my writing process here on the blog. I know it's quite a turn from my classical blogging style, but since I don't get many opportunities to travel anymore, this is what I have to work with for now. :)
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