Courtney Schafer
Nightshade Books
Trade pbk, $14.99, ebook $5.99, 300 p.
In the acknowledgements to this first novel, the author states that the first draft of the book was written during NaNoWriMo 2007. That's encouraging because I'm participating in NaNoWriMo this year, and I can only hope to write something half this good.
This is a dark, at times disturbing, adventure story with villains who are deliciously evil, yet have believable motivations. The heroes are young, flawed, make mistakes, grow, and learn about themselves and the world.
The suspense is intense at times, and the passage across the mountains, especially after the blood mage attacks, is downright nerve wracking.
