REVIEW: ENNARA AND THE FALLEN DRUID BY ANGELA MYRON

Wow . . . I meant to review this book a month ago, but this has been the busiest August in recent years and I just didn't have the time. I have a small problem with overcommitment . . . :P I released a cover reveal for this book weeks ago, but am only now getting up the review. But it was worth the wait. This is a really delightful book.

I'd just about given up on fantasy these days. The worlds and situations had become so stale and stiltedly predictable, with a dash of really annoying whine and--increasingly--highly suggestive or even morbid erotic or torture plotlines. I prefer cheerful, positive characters because remaining good attitude in this hard life is truly courageous and courageous people are the ones who truly deserve a book to be written about them. But I was briefly  part of a blog network that required me to take books from a particular site and the only one up my alley at all was a children's fantasy book by Angela Myron.

I ended up being delighted. While keeping all the tropes--magical amulets, vaguely medieval setting, children with special fates and powers, evil monsters, and so forth--the tone was very different. Ennara, a young girl with rare gifts as a magic girl (or caul) has to go on an adventure to retrieve the magical sword of a King Arthur type king named Gisilfrid from an ancient city at the bottom of the ocean. A "druid" magician who ends up being little help because he goes into a coma after being attacked by ghosts also travels with her, as well as two boys and a large, rather smug cat with power over the water. The pacing was brisk and Angela built a detailed world without sacrificing action. The tone and sets were extremely similar to the new Voyage of the Dawn Treader movie, perfect for young readers with short attention spans who just want a fun, light action read instead of a lengthy saga. It's rare for me to enjoy a review book enough to want to read the sequel, but that's the case with this one.