As with Sarah Benson’s Born of Shadow, our featured book this time around has a great ensemble cast of characters, and it’s easy to have multiple favorites.
But before we get into the characters, I want to talk about setting.
Author Faera Lane has succeeded in assembling a rich, expansive-feeling world with multiple layers of society and population. This varied world is fraught with conflicting interests and uneasy alliances. There are troll-inhabited ice worlds, temperate forests filled with tiny piranha-like creatures (this continues to be one of my favorite scenes of the book), and sun-baked cities.
And the fact that it takes a bit of inter-dimensional travel to get there—well, that never hurt anybody, right? Right?
And it’s well worth mentioning that one of Faera’s strongest points is her gift for description. Her rich, vivid, detailed way of writing truly brings the story and world to life. You can all but smell the stench of decay permeating the domain of the Skeleton King, hear the echo of footsteps in the stone hallways of the castle, feel the damp air in your lungs when you’re trapped in underground tunnels…all from the comfort of your home. (By the way, while this is not a paranormal book per se, some of the character types definitely give you that feel. There are some gnarly species out there!)
But of course, that beautiful world would be for naught if we didn’t have an engaging set of characters to explore it with. While it’s tempting to give you a larger overview of the characters (for example Mrs. Ironsong, whom I just love), I think it best that I instead focus on the main three, starting with Guin.
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The 3 Names to Remember
Our leading lady Guin is relatable in many ways. The flaws and vulnerabilities she has are what help make her so real. She doesn’t always make the smartest decisions. She can be impulsive in both word and action. And to be honest, it’s not like she’s actually keen on this whole “hero” thingie. (Yes, “thingie.” It felt apropos.)
But at root she’s also a smart, courageous, witty, loving, and loyal young woman who has some serious steel hiding inside that package of frizzy curls and klutzy moments.
And while it may disappoint people looking at it through the lens of easy sparkle and fun, I think her reluctance to get involved is actually much more realistic than having her just eagerly jump right into an incredibly dangerous situation with people she doesn’t know while her own family is already in crisis separately. Going on an amazing adventure sounds great, but I think most people would pause if they were actually dealt that hand that’s given to Guin.
If you want to know how she did get pulled into that situation to begin with, you’ll have to talk to the royalty about that. Young Queen Matta and her even younger brother, Prince Lorn, have inherited the heavy burden of leadership at a young age after a savage war orphaned them and left them as leaders by succession.
Though good hearted and not a despot, Matta can actually be surprisingly intimidating when she needs to be. It makes sense, though; she’s a young woman abruptly thrust into her role and now tasked with keeping a kingdom together in the face of impending doom. She doesn’t have the luxury of being anything but strong.
But she’s still human, and she’s still hurting. Indeed, though both she and her brother have been hurt by the loss of their parents, I feel it’s Matta who shows more impact from it precisely because she has the aggravating factor of rulership and its stresses.
And speaking of that brother of hers…it’s time to talk about Prince Lorn. Our plucky young prince has a role that I would describe as co-lead of the Myriad characters. (More on that in a bit.)
Though he takes his responsibilities seriously and knows how to apply the leverage of his office when needed—especially when serving as the representative of his sister—he also has a real spark of brightness and mischief to him as well. (Though even so, Guin definitely gives the boy a major run for his money. Somehow I suspect it’s karmic payback for all the grey hairs he’s probably given his folks and sister!)
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Even though the target market is middle grade, the colorful and engaging characters, intriguing plot lines, and immersive, beautifully described world make for a story that I heartily recommend for older audiences as well.Click To Tweet===
A Dual Story
I somewhat think of this book as having three main leads, grouped across two main threads of the story.
The chief focus of the story is Guin’s quest, and I view her and Lorn as the two leaders of that quest, both as characters and in terms of their actual roles in the caravan.
But there’s also a very significant second story thread of watching Matta behind the scenes as she puts in the work required to keep the kingdom together while waiting to see the outcome of Guin’s journey. The world stops for no one but God, and as long as there’s a kingdom left to protect, Matta seizes that job. (I can tell you this much—Matta took some warming up to, but she was worth getting to know!)
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If you're a fantasy fan looking for magic, adventure, and a dash of political intrigue & the paranormal—or have a young friend who likes those sorts of books, as well—give Book I of The Myriad Chronicles a whirl!Click To Tweet===
Fun Across the Board
Even though the target market is Middle Grade, the colorful and engaging characters, intriguing plot lines, and immersive, beautifully described world make for a story that I heartily recommend for older audiences as well.
I will say that there are some gruesome moments and frightening imagery, so this isn’t necessarily a book for very young audiences. If any of you are Star Wars fans, I think Clone Wars CGI series (and its sequel, Rebels) is an apt comparison. The show was accessible for young viewers but also had the kind of depth and intensity that made it enjoyable for teenaged and adult audiences. The show also got a PG-V rating for the violence in it, and think this is also a pretty accurate rating for The Myriad Chronicles.
So if you’re a fantasy fan looking for magic, adventure, and a dash of political intrigue & the paranormal—or have a young friend who likes those sorts of books, as well—give Book I of The Myriad Chronicles a whirl!
And make sure to drop her an encouraging comment or two if you can. One of the ironies in life is that some of the most talented people will end up lacking confidence, while those who put out vile drivel seem convinced they’re the best thing since sliced bread. Faera’s the first type—a very talented writer who doesn’t know just how good she is.
By the way, Fay’s also a talented graphic designer (hence the numerous covers she’s gone through for her own works), and she can make Wattpad-ready book covers for a fee. Visit her page to get in touch with her.
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Ps. As is often the case for Wattpad books, the current draft of the text hasn’t been fully edited; you will find some typos and errors. But even as a “grammar hawk” myself [I refuse to call myself the other term…], I was able to overlook that and appreciate the core quality of the writing. This says a lot, especially since my time in writing groups has meant that it’s even harder these days to get out of editing mindset and simply enjoy the writing as a reader.
NOTE FOR PARENTS: There was something I’d had a bit of concern of during the first book, but it didn’t really pan out by the end. However, in the second book of the series, much to my hurt and utter disappointment, the author has indeed gone in that direction with one of her characters, normalizing abnormal, unhealthy sexual behavior/lifestyle choices.
Funnily enough, she expressed some surprise as I’d apparently been the first and only one to notice—or at least the only one who’d paid enough mind to comment on it. Tah, as I said, I’d already had an inkling of it in the very first book; I simply never brought it up since there was nothing concrete demonstrated.
In any case, the good news is that it may be subtle enough that it goes over younger readers’ heads.
But as a precaution, this may be a good time to talk to your children about the parameters of healthy, normal sexual conduct to avoid confusion on their part from the conflicting, disingenuous messages they’re constantly bombarded with these days.
Or at the very least, explain to your children that having some personal fondness of someone does not mean approving of or justifying everything they do. The fact that you have a friend who engages in a particular act in no way justifies that act. (And frankly, if I have to hear the “but I have a friend who…”
excuse one more bloody time….)
Also note that being a real friend involves things like honesty, real compassion, and caring about the other person’s greater wellbeing. If a friend is abusing drugs, the kind of mental and physical damage that does and the fact that it keeps someone from dealing with the deeper issues is more important than the fact that they want to take the drug or get some amount of enjoyment over it. A sweet-tasting poison like antifreeze is still a poison, and being a real friend to someone doesn’t mean encouraging them to take poison just because it tastes good in the short term!
That doesn’t necessarily mean that they need to go out of their way to speak out, especially if the person is stubbornly set in their ways. People get mad when told “no” or that they shouldn’t do something they want to. But at the very least, you shouldn’t encourage them to do wrong by others or themselves. That’s not “nice” or “kind” at all.
And for somewhat older children you can also explain that if you encourage someone to harm themselves or others, but that friend later changes and wants to do better, your refusal to be honest and look out for them earlier on is something that can destroy their trust and respect for you. It also makes you look like you were more concerned about your immediate wants—having some social fun with them—than about their well-being. That’s not behavior appropriate for true friendship. “I know you’re harming yourself and other people, but I’ll lie and say it’s okay to do that, so that the party doesn’t stop!” doesn’t exactly engender trust, and some people very much consider it an outright, willing betrayal. And betrayal, especially unrepentant betrayal, can be very, very difficult to forgive. Also, the more basic and fundamental the level of the dishonesty, the more difficult it is to have regard for someone.
What’s more, it makes it harder for them to trust other people in the future. I say that from very harsh experience—the more bull I’ve had to deal with from people, the harder it gets to take anyone seriously when they invoke concepts like “love,” “compassion,” “kindness,” or “friendship.”
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