Arrow of the Mist: 1

An original, mystical adventure 5 stars Wow! It's easy to see when books have been created with passion and skill, and even easier to see when the craft of writing has been taken seriously by both author and editor. Arrow of the Mist is an amazing journey through not only a magical and dangerous land, perhaps just off the beaten path near your house, but it's also an exploration of the idea that nature will care for us if we care for it. Herein, the author does everything right. Characters are vividly drawn, interesting, and reveal their personalities through speech and actions. Dialogue carries the story forward capably without becoming stale or wooden. The conflict is real, compelling, and amazingly, doesn't require the heroes to hack and slash their way to victory. There's an interesting puzzle needing to be pieced together, and woven throughout the text are lyrical bits of riddling poetry handed down through generations, harkening back to the poems and lays in Tolkien's masterpiece. Here, these serve a dual purpose, both as a way into the deep culture the author has brewed up, and as a means for piecing together the history and mystery set up within. Pacing is good, and we have the extra added bonuses of both amazing cover art, and cool chapter headings. Overall, this book is everything I would hope to find when cracking open traditional fantasy. Which is why it was such a struggle to decide on four or five stars. See, the book was touted as a YA Fantasy, but it's difficult to see a young person reading it without serious difficulty. The vocabulary is lush, including words (like lissome) that I was forced to look up. Entire paragraphs are chock full of not only this, but fantasy cultural slang words, strange (made up?) names for herbs and plants, and fantasy names for trees. I've decided to award the book five stars due to sheer awesomeness, but parents are warned that the material may be a bit rough for young teens to handle (it's rated PG, but difficult because of the reading level), and are therefore encouraged to read and discuss with their children. I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This review appears on behalf of AIA (awesomeindies.net) -Brent Meske

This is an accomplished novel that pulls off a number of magical tricks of its own. It manages to capture the rich feeling of the myth and practice of Celtic herbal and tree lore without indulging in any purple prose or mumbo jumbo. The author has created a plausible and coherent world and has peopled it with a believable variety of denizens. She has created a strong, but not willful or angsty, teen heroine. We follow a tale in which we learn that "she is the one", but that feels neither preordained nor labored. There is a remarkable balance between excitement and suspense on one hand and the practical/mystical aspects of the Celtic lore on the other hand. The book is both quiet and gripping in equal measure. Everything is restrained and balanced. There is a touch of romance, but no swooning. There is some intrigue, but not endlessly complicated plotting. There are stretches of exposition that don't read like lectures and stretches of magical fantasy that provide clues to what is happening without being maddeningly obscure. The entire project is remarkably assured. Everything fits together; everything, (no matter how fantastical), feels real; everything ultimately makes sense; everything builds to a satisfying conclusion. Along the way we are never abandoned by the author or subjected to self-indulgent overwriting. This isn't sword and sorcery, it is mind and magic, which is a lot different. That kind of story can easily be overthought and over written. This story feels natural, calm and deep. Filled with grace notes and nicely turned phrases it zips along with great appeal and reward. A very nice find for when you are in the mood for a fantasy you can contemplate and in which you can immerse yourself. Please note that I received a free ecopy of this book in exchange for a candid review. Apart from that I have no connection at all to either the author or the publisher of this book.

Spellbinding imaginative concepts and fantastical worlds will transform your dreams into reality as soon as you begin to read! Any child (or teenager) will find this magical tale hugely impressive, for as soon as you delve into this dazzling debut it unlocks a portal of wonder. In the midst of danger and deception lies an undercurrent of strength, in the form of fantastic main protagonist Lia, whose likeability instantly pulled me along her journey. This is a fairytale like no other; set within an alternate Irish setting, the world of Nametona is a place shrouded in dark ambiguity and secrets. Containing all those elements one would hope to find in classic `high fantasy' such as epic quests, magical creatures and a great destiny this story was solid and full of substance. Targeted towards the younger reader (middle-grade) `Arrow of the mist' is an enchanting story that will delight fans of fairytales and Harry Potter! With a mystical setting that sends shivers down the spine to curious creatures who intrigue...this book really does encapsulate fantasy fiction in a compelling story. Exceeding all expectations with a convincing storyline and well written narrative, here is a book which will be read and re-read again and again. I would like to thank Christina Mercer for providing me with an e-copy of her brilliant book to read and review, as I not only thoroughly enjoyed it but cannot wait to delve into book 2 with interest and anticipation. The transfixing combination of the beautiful, eye-catching cover and fascinating storyline is a winner; as I was keen to explore an entirely new `twisted fairytale' version.

Barbed roots are breaking through from the land of Brume, and terror strikes the kingdom of Nemetona. When Lia's father is poisoned Lia, her grandfather, her cousin Wynn and his best friend Kelven, travel to the forbidden land of Brume to use Lia's herbal knowledge to find a cure. The further Lia travels into Brume the more she grows in tune with the land and with many ingredients to find and a powerful enemy to defeat, is Lia able to create the cure in time. Arrow of the Mist is a nice light fantasy book which a good adventure for children and older. However, I felt the book went into too much depth with certain subjects while barely mentioning other important stuff, this means that the book did not flow easily. I liked Lia, but I felt she and the other characters did not grow in the book, even when she discovers new things about herself, she does not change. Also the romance was a bit bland as it was wrapped up with in the first half of the book and then was not really mentioned again; therefore we did not see the romance expand. I however, liked seeing the different mystical creatures and how this book remained me of classic fantasy novels. Arrow of the Mist is a nice light read and I would recommend to fans of classic fantasy books for children or YA.

Lias father and a few others in her village have been struck down with a mysterious illness. They get pricked by some thorns and end up getting very sick. Her grandfather knows where the thorns come from, Brume! Its a place shrouded in fog and very few come out of there alive. Lia knows she has no choice but to venture into the unknown to save her father. She sets off with her grandfather, Wynn (her cousin)and Kelvin (her cousins friend)to find a cure but will they be on time? I went into Arrows Of The Mist not having read too many reviews. I didn't know what to expect and was pleasantly surprised with it. I really liked Lia, she is well able to look after herself and is brave and courageous. She has no problem going into an unknown place and facing what she has to do. She follows in her grandmothers footsteps and has a gift for plants and healing potions. The little bit of romance in Arrows Of The Mist was really sweet. Lias love interest was evident from the start but I felt it could of been developed a bit further. We don't get to see alot of Kelvin and his relationship with Lia was basically non existent. I would of enjoyed it better if Kelvin went with Lia instead of Wynn. Arrows Of The Mist was a quick read. The story progressed really quickly and was action packed but there wasn't much character development though which is why I gave it 4 stars.