Arrow of the Mist Blog Tour: Review & Giveaway

Arrow of the Mist
Author: Christina Mercer
Genre: YA Fantasy
Release Date: March 21, 2013
 
Buy Links: Amazon / Barnes and Noble 

Description:

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.  

Arrow of the Mist is a young adult fantasy novel that follows leading lady Lia as she goes on a journey with her Granda, cousin Wynn, and family friend. They are going into the forbidden land of Brume - a harsh part of the country outside of their town's borders in order to gather valuable herbs to make a remedy for the mysterious illness that's attacking people of their village. During their journey, Lia's Granda becomes ill and it's up to Lia and Wynn to finish the important quest. Will they be able to gather the necessary plants and herbs to cure Lia's father and the others who have fallen ill? Or will the creatures and the dangerous truths of Brume claim Lia for their own?

This was a beautifully written and magical novel that immediately had me hooked from the first paragraph. I loved learning as much as I could about the kingdom of Nemetona, which was inspired by Celtic history. The back story of the land and its people was fascinating and I enjoyed discovering all the secrets that the Brume had to offer. I also loved learning about Lia's family history, especially her grandmother and their special powers that revolve around healing, magic, and herbs. I was totally intrigued by all the information that the author provided and I eagerly devoured each page. The characters were all well rounded and easy to like, especially that of Lia. She's a strong female lead character who is a great role model as well. She's smart, focused, devoted to her family, and skilled in several important areas like hunting and working with herbs to heal others. Like all realistic heroines, Lia must face ridicule from other people who don't understand her and don't like her for being different. On top of these outside obstacles, Lia also has to learn to trust herself, believe in her gifts, and also discover enough about herself and where she comes from to gain the strength to do what needs to be done. She matures quite a bit throughout the novel, and I loved seeing her character grow. The plot was wholly original and a wonderful addition to the YA fantasy genre. There was a mix of genres present in the story - it has a bit of action, fantasy, adventure, suspense, mystery, and even some romance thrown in, so it's sure to be a hit with fans of all types of fiction. The writing was incredibly well done and shows the great talent the author possesses. It has a fast pace and flows effortlessly throughout the novel, so it has the reader eagerly turning each page to see what will happen next. Highly recommended for fans of YA fantasy and also for those who want to escape into a magical and mysterious land for awhile.

Christina Mercer writes fiction in addition to mothering two young adults, a pack of large dogs, and about 100,000 honeybees. Her varied interests prompted her to study creative writing, earn her official degree in Accounting, become a CPA, acquire a certificate in Herbal Studies, and keep honeybees. She took Writer’s Best in Show at the 2012 SCBWI CA North/Central Regional Conference and was a semi-finalist in the 2010 Amazon Breakout Novel Award Contest. You can find her at www.christinamercer.com or working as the Reviews Director at www.indie-visible.com

Author Links:

Website: http://christinamercer.com/

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6980508.Christina_Mercer

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/christinamercerwrites

Twitter: https://twitter.com/cwritebuzz

 Giveaway: (1) ebook copy of Arrow of the Mist + bookmark

*Please Note: If the winner is from the US/CAN, they will receive both the ebook and the bookmark; if the winner is INT, they will receive ONLY the ebook, no bookmark.

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