by Kit Berry
ISBN: 095514390X
I had heard about these books on different forums and had read the some brief reviews in a few magazines. I bumped into the author at an event in London, and she was kind enough to autograph the book, and its sequel for me. I was looking forward to reading them as they promised to be a great series of fantasy books. The first thing I have to mention is the number of typographical errors in the print run I possess. I am pendantic about typographical errors because they tend to jar me away from my reverie when reading a good story, and I was struggling somewhat in places as it was.
The story centres around Sylvie, a fifteen year old girl from an unnamed city in England who goes to live at Stonewylde. Sylvie seems to be allergic to all that she encounters in the city, so when a doctor introduces Sylvie and her mother to the Magus, the head of the Stonewylde; community, Sylvie is overjoyed to find her mother agreeing to move to the mysterious community in Devon. Sylvie thrives in her first weeks at Stonewylde, but it is not the idyll the Magus promised.
The other central character is Yul, a young villager who has never left the Stonewylde community, which is divided into two classes: Villagers and Hallfolk. Yul is sent to work in the garden of the cottage occupied by Sylvie and her mother as a punishment. Soon, he and Sylvie develop a dangerous friendship, despite the Magus' warning.
After years of reading non-fiction titles and watching as many movies, I find that I can forsee some of the twists and turns in this book, which is a shame (for me), because it makes it seem less believable. As a pagan, I found myself diagreeing with the insertion of some festivals, and the "history" of Stonewylde grated somewhat with my own understanding of historical Britain. I am aware it is fiction and poetic license is perfectly acceptable, its just a personal quirk.
The only other quibble I had was that you have to read the whole series of books, in order to reach the conclusion of the central plotline. Perhaps I have just had enough, having done the same with the Harry Potter books. Kit Berry does leave you on a cliffhanger, though, and that can be frustrating if there is a large gap between release dates.
Kit Berry excels at making her characters believable and distinguishable. At no time, did I lose track of the personalities involved and her pre-histories are made clear and discernable with just a few words. Her ability to set the scene with descriptive prose allows the reader to wallow in the atmosphere of Stonewylde alone, for a few moments, before the characters arrive and the narrative continues; a rare treat indeed.
For all the criticisms I have levelled at this book, I read it in one sitting. I could not put it down - despite the pace being a little stilted in places. Now I find myself waiting for book three in the series of five that are to be published. I did feel the book was aimed at a teenage market, given the age of the main characters and the exploration of sexual themes, but it does appeal to adults as well.
I look forward to reading the whole series.