Shadowcry
Jenna Burtenshaw’s Shadowcry is the first book in the Wintercraft series. In the isolated, island nation of Albion, there are people who can see the veil that divides life and death. With their Skilled powers, they can heal and return the dead back to life, but they are a dying breed with dwindling powers. To win a war, Albion’s wardens hunt down the Skilled who are in hiding, leaving destruction in their wake. Days before the Night of Souls, when the veil between the living and the dead is the thinnest, wardens descend upon the town of Morvane, where fifteen-year old Kate resides with her hidden powers.
Kate Winters lived a fairly average life working at a book shop. As her mother and father had died long ago, she lived and worked with her uncle Artemis and her best friend Edgar. As main characters go, she is unremarkable. She shows no personality until half through the book, and, even then, her only traits are kindness and determination. This can be partially attributed to the bland writing style and the lack of focus on her character development. Shadowcry is an average read. The pacing is well done and rarely slows, but the plot follows the same linear plot progression as many YA fantasy stories. The story is also lacking when it comes to characters. The main character is the most bland and uninteresting person in the entire cast. the supporting characters have some personality, but as the story progresses, personality traits are relabeled. The only characters that stood out were the villains. Both antagonists had comparatively complex personalities and were interesting to read about. Some people will be delighted to know that there is absolutely no romance, but the signs or a love tringle start to materialize. What the book lacks in characters, it makes up in world building. A lot of time must have been poured into the setting, creating a complex land with an interesting history. Jenna Burtenshaw created eerie yet enticing world as she artfully describes the cold and bleak land of Albion. The magic system was also well crafted and intriguing. It dealt with the idea of necromancy and the boundary between life and death. While the moral dilemma of bring the dead back to life didn’t come up, it will likely be in future novels. Hopefully the mysteries of the veil will be further discovered in future installments. I give this 311 page book 3.5 stars. |
WintercraftIn the isolated island of Albion, there are people who can see past the veil of life and death. These people can bring back the dead and heal grave injuries, but it is a dying art. Fewer people are being born with the gift and the power is weaker. To make matters worse, the government of Albion hunts down these gifted individuals and forces them into a war.
More books in the SeriesComing Soon
|