Month: December 2021

On the Trail of the Lonesome Pine…

Whilst ‘romance’ is a genre I have ordinarily neglected, what better time to indulge in a novel high on the feel-good quotient, than Christmas week? Moreover, in her latest novel (published November 2021), Christian author, M.C.Harrison has certainly tapped into the Christmas spirit and the magic that attends the festive season, whisking the reader away to the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia.

Miss Holly Bennett hails from Richmond, but when her unreliable boyfriend (Craig) disappoints yet again, the main character takes her sister’s advice and heads to the snowy slopes, with her dog ‘Skeeter’, for some retail therapy in the Victorian quaintness of rural Bethlehem.

Lifelong member of that community, Tyler Morris, is owner of ‘The Olde Yarn Bookshop’ and is also leading the local response to a bizarre drone problem besetting the townsfolk. Still, it is the palliative care of his mother and childcare of his orphaned nephew that dominate Tyler’s life.

The challenges for this star-crossed couple include creating the space for their natural chemistry to flourish, but also finding common cause in combatting local corruption and fashioning a very special Christmas celebration, the life-blood on which the town depends.

This is an easy read, over a gingerbread latte that oozes traditional values and charm. It also made this reader want to book into the ‘Sweet Betsy from Pike’ bed and breakfast immediately and inhabit a world not so much lacking realism, as simply filtering out some of the customary ugliness. Escapism – absolutely, but a welcome reminder perhaps that the sharing of life’s trials and tribulations can make the good times even sweeter. Certainly, in this COVID-dominated period, Ms Harrison has demonstrated that happiness can also be infectious!

Rating: 3.5 out of 5.

Wilt Wields, Others Yield…

5 December 2021 (13:35)

In “The Blood Within the Stone (Book 1 of the Wraith Cycle)”, published in 2017, T.R.Thompson seeks to establish an impressive cast of characters and introduce, in particular, professional thief, Wilt and his street urchin friend, Higgs. The accompanying world-building also takes in their home environment – ‘Greystone’, where Wilt modestly aspires to join the ‘Grey Guild of Thieves, but the growth of his precocious mental talents brings Wilt to the attention of more powerful forces that draw the friends to the mountain fortress of ‘Redmondis’. In this rarefied atmosphere, overseen by the sinister ‘Nine Sisters’, the skilled are nurtured (crafting, healing, apothecary, etc), while for potential ‘wielders’(those who can read and eventually control minds), a chance to train among the elite ‘Black Robes’ and develop their prodigious gifts.

The proverb, ‘absolute power corrupts absolutely’, is an underlying theme for the plot, denoted by the ruthless exercise of the collective might of the Sisters and their company of guards. However, Wilt and Higgs are able to rely on allies operating outside of Redmondis, able to offer some protection and insight into the seeping evil threatening to subsume and suppress the population. It’s a risky strategy, to place the youngsters at the heart of such a nest of vipers, but Wilt and Higgs must also develop their skills quickly, if they are not to be overwhelmed.

Of course, the ability to shape-shift is a useful skill to have, in the circumstances, but the awe-inspiring power of the mind and Wilt’s struggle to master his inner strength, for the good of others, without compromising his humility or jeopardising his spirit, is an interesting challenge. The book also emphasises the value of friendship and it is the circle of strong characters around Wilt who realise his potential, yet also keep him grounded.

This first book in the ‘The Wraith Cycle’ series, is necessarily required to familiarise the reader with this fantasy world, the nature of the key characters and their evolving relationships. Certainly, the author has seeded the reader’s curiosity around the onward adventures of Wilt, Higgs and their diverse crew. The description of something as intangible as the wielders’ ‘gift’, is an unusual challenge for the writer, to formulate images of coloured ‘welds’ connecting minds, but not in a reciprocal fashion, but rather at the bidding of a frighteningly powerful minority. It is an uncomfortable proposition for the reader! Still, T.R.Thompson has forged a gripping tale and I look forward to reading Book 2, “The Forked Path” and in the knowledge that Book 3, “A Flame of Song” is due to be released on 17.12.21. Happy holidays fantasy fans!

Rating: 4 out of 5.