Arrow of the Mist by Christina MercerMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
Source: Netgalley (in 2013)
Genre: Middle Grade/Tween Fantasy
Book Description: Award-Winning Middle Grade Fantasy; YA Fantasy
Terror strikes the Celtic inspired kingdom of Nemetona when barbed roots breach the veil of a forbidden land and poison woodsmen, including 15-year-old Lia’s beloved father. Lia and three others embark on a quest to the forbidden land of Brume to gather ingredients for the cure. But after her elder kinsman is attacked and poisoned, she and her cousin, Wynn, are forced to finish the quest on their own.
Lia relies on her powerful herbal wisdom and the memorized pages of her late grandmother’s Grimoire for guidance through a land of soul-hungry shades, trickster creatures, and uncovered truths about the origin of Brume and her family’s unexpected ties to it. The deeper they trek into the land, the stronger Lia’s untapped gift as a tree mage unfolds. When she discovers the enchanted root’s maker, it forces her to question everything about who she is and what is her destiny. Ultimately she must make a terrible choice: keep fighting to save her father and the people of the lands or join with the power behind the deadly roots to help nature start anew.
My thoughts: I enjoyed Arrow of the Mist. It is a middle grade/tween fantasy that is easy to follow and has action and adventure.
Lia is fifteen. She is fluent in the ways of herb lore, but her village is moving away from the old traditions , she is looked down on and shunned by the girls her age. Her knowledge and skills come in handy when as strange plant begins to invade from the magical land of Brume. Lia embarks on a journey to save the men infected by the poison. She finds more than a cure, she finds herself, love, and the magic that has always been a part of her.
I loved that the story features a strong heroine, a normal girl who rises to the occasion when faced with a choice. She is fearful but does what she must. She has a strong support in her cousin Wynn. They are discovering the heritage that their grandmother left them.
The book moves at a moderate pace. I wasn't compelled to find out what happened next, but I was interested and wanted to continue reading the story. I have always loved the fantasy genre and this book lived up to my expectations on that point. It is written for middle grade readers so parts of the book are less detailed and skip a bit more than the books that I regularly read. I think it is a good fit for someone who loves fantasy books. I would happily one of my children read the book.
The book contains magic, evil, and mild romance (a kiss or two), and violence.
About the Author: (taken from Goodreads) Christina Mercer is an award-winning author of fiction for children and young adults. Honored titles include Tween Fantasy ARROW OF THE MIST & its sequel ARMS OF ANU, and YA Paranormal Romance HONEY QUEEN. In addition, she is a once-upon-a-time CPA who offers tips on accounting and taxes for authors in her BEAN COUNTING FOR AUTHORS guidebook. Christina resides in Northern California enjoying life with her husband, two sons, four dogs, and about 100,000 honeybees.
To learn more about her at her writing visit: www.christinamercer.com
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