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Elsie Lind #1
The Lost Daughter of Easa
After falling through a portal, seventeen-year-old Elsie Lind awakens with amnesia and lost in a forest. She must draw on her instincts of self-preservation to escape ravenous wild beasts, goblins, demons, and a dark witch who knows the secret of her past. Locked deep within Elsie's mind are haunting dreams and childhood memories that hold the key to her survival. She is now in the battle of her life; the struggle to claim her identity. However, bad choices and trusting in the wrong sort of guidance leave her a criminal on the run. Now, in this medieval realm where magic influences technology and beings of folklore are as real as the demons they fight, an ancient threat endangers the entire land. Her struggle allies her with two brothers conflicting with their own character flaws and dislike for each other. Between these three unlikely companions, an evil must be stopped before its power takes hold of Authora and The Lost Daughter of Easa.
353 pages, Paperback
First published August 24, 2011
1 person is currently reading
20 people want to read
About the author
J.L. Mulvihill
16 books24 followersBorn in Hollywood and raised in San Diego, CA, J.L. Mulvihill has made Mississippi her home for the past fifteen years. Her debut novel was the young adult title The Lost Daughter of Easa, an engaing fantasy novel bordering on science-fiction with a dash of steampunk, published through Kerlak Publishing.
J.L. also has several short fiction pieces in publication, among them "Chilled Meat", a steampunk thriller found in the Dreams of Steam II-Of Bolts and Brass, anthology (Kerlak Publishing) and "The Leprechaun’s Story", a steampunk urban Fantasy found in the anthology, Clockwork, Spells, & Magical Bells (Kerlak Publishing)
J.L. is very active with the writing community, and is the events coordinator for the Mississippi Chapter of Imagicopter known as the Magnolia-Tower. She is also a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI), Gulf Coast Writers Association (GCWA), The Mississippi Writers Guild (MWG), as well as the Arts Council of Clinton, and the Clinton Ink-Slingers Writing Group.
J.L. also has several short fiction pieces in publication, among them "Chilled Meat", a steampunk thriller found in the Dreams of Steam II-Of Bolts and Brass, anthology (Kerlak Publishing) and "The Leprechaun’s Story", a steampunk urban Fantasy found in the anthology, Clockwork, Spells, & Magical Bells (Kerlak Publishing)
J.L. is very active with the writing community, and is the events coordinator for the Mississippi Chapter of Imagicopter known as the Magnolia-Tower. She is also a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI), Gulf Coast Writers Association (GCWA), The Mississippi Writers Guild (MWG), as well as the Arts Council of Clinton, and the Clinton Ink-Slingers Writing Group.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
January 26, 2013
One feature of childhood for baby boomers was an imaginative journey to a world of witches, wizards and magic. We could reach it with movies, TV and...great books.
This is why I found THE LOST DAUGHTER OF EASA, (Kerlak Enterprises), such a treat. Its author, J.L. Mulvihill, pens a story based on nightmares she had when she was young. This yarn has has a number of mythical icons we can recognize, (witches and goblins), but it also has unique creatures Mulvihill apparently invented herself, (living rocks, trees that grab people and giant spiders). But what is most noteworthy is that Mulvihill has selected a theme I have not seen in many stories of similar folklore. The theme is a character on a journey of trying to discover her true identity, (here in the most literal sense - she has amnesia).
LOST DAUGHTER is the story of Elsie Lind, of Colorado. We meet her as a teenage girl who grew up with a soul hardened by an abusive uncle who had raised her since her parents died in a fire.
After her uncle's death, she falls through a magical spider web and finds herself in another world that is mystical and filled with strange creatures. Once she arrives in this land, she has no idea who she is or where she came from.
After she is chased by wolves, she befriends a giant named Bergle, who takes her in and explains to her that she's in the Ancient Forest, in the land of Authora. From Bergle, Elsie learns that this medieval world was the scene of some great war between a Queen Maites and the Queen of Easa. Maites killed her brother and her sister-in-law, with their baby, who would have been the last heir of the Dragon's Eye, a talisman of great power.
Bergle takes Elsie to the land of Authora Daya where she meets a no-nonsense innkeeper named Bains. Bains lets Elsie live with her, where she, (Elsie), does chores, cooks stew and Bains treats her well.
Later we are introduced to Queen Maites, who is imprisoned in a fortress called Nia Ni. Known in the region as the Spider Witch, Maites creates an oafish slave creature she names O'ffal. Since Maites can not leave the fortress herself, she commands O'ffal to do tasks for her to help her escape.
His first duty is to capture Elsie, who is still struggling with amnesia. He travels to Authora Daya and tricks Elsie into leaving Bains by telling her that she is engaged to Maites' son Boham and he is supposed to help her return to him.
O'ffal takes Elsie to Maites' prison where Boham meets her and convinces her that they are indeed lovers. He instructs her to journey to a faraway city called A'n Cathorga, where the Alfar people live. The Alfar were the enemies of the Spider Witch during the war. Boham wants Elsie to request their king give her a magical key to Maites' prison so he can be released from it.
O'ffal guides Elsie to petition the king for the key. The king refuses but O'ffal steals it. On their return to Nia Ni, O'ffal abandons Elsie.
Lord Finnavar, (the King of the Alfar), sends a bounty hunter named Torsten to capture Elsie and bring her into questioning about the missing key. Torsten detains Elsie, who is starting to realize she can no longer trust Boham. When Torsten has a fight with his bitter brother Viggo, Elsie escapes with Viggo, without knowing he was hired by O'ffal to capture her.
When Elsie is injured by an Ellidar, (a tree that attacks people), Viggo takes her to Asmund, a wizard healer. When Elsie recovers, Asmund agrees to travel with them and Viggo is more sympathetic to Elsie's situation.
Meanwhile Boham, O'ffal and women called hags, transport the body of Maites, (who has temporarily ended her life), to the Crystal Mountains on the Northern flank of Authora, with the intent to restore her life in an underground chamber called the Crystal Cavern, so she can again rule over them as the Spider Witch.
Towards the end, Torsten and Viggo form an alliance with Asmund and a band of beings called the Green Vine People, who join the group to help fight Maites. Elsie forms a friendship with Amber, one of the women in this group of warriors.
The hags succeed in resurrecting the Spider Witch and the green people soon encounter her for a frightful showdown in her underground chamber.
The book ends with a few unresolved conflicts that (I prefer to believe), could set the stage for a wild sequel I hope Mulvihill would consider.
But we are left with a moment of joy at the end, when Elsie discovers her true identity and remembers her past, which one would call a triumph in its on right.
I found little problem with the story's structure, beyond it being slowed at times with thought processes of some of the characters in their moments of doubt or frustration. But the patient reader is well rewarded by the intrigue and excitement as the story develops.
I will therefore look forward to reading more of Mulvihill's works in the future.
This is why I found THE LOST DAUGHTER OF EASA, (Kerlak Enterprises), such a treat. Its author, J.L. Mulvihill, pens a story based on nightmares she had when she was young. This yarn has has a number of mythical icons we can recognize, (witches and goblins), but it also has unique creatures Mulvihill apparently invented herself, (living rocks, trees that grab people and giant spiders). But what is most noteworthy is that Mulvihill has selected a theme I have not seen in many stories of similar folklore. The theme is a character on a journey of trying to discover her true identity, (here in the most literal sense - she has amnesia).
LOST DAUGHTER is the story of Elsie Lind, of Colorado. We meet her as a teenage girl who grew up with a soul hardened by an abusive uncle who had raised her since her parents died in a fire.
After her uncle's death, she falls through a magical spider web and finds herself in another world that is mystical and filled with strange creatures. Once she arrives in this land, she has no idea who she is or where she came from.
After she is chased by wolves, she befriends a giant named Bergle, who takes her in and explains to her that she's in the Ancient Forest, in the land of Authora. From Bergle, Elsie learns that this medieval world was the scene of some great war between a Queen Maites and the Queen of Easa. Maites killed her brother and her sister-in-law, with their baby, who would have been the last heir of the Dragon's Eye, a talisman of great power.
Bergle takes Elsie to the land of Authora Daya where she meets a no-nonsense innkeeper named Bains. Bains lets Elsie live with her, where she, (Elsie), does chores, cooks stew and Bains treats her well.
Later we are introduced to Queen Maites, who is imprisoned in a fortress called Nia Ni. Known in the region as the Spider Witch, Maites creates an oafish slave creature she names O'ffal. Since Maites can not leave the fortress herself, she commands O'ffal to do tasks for her to help her escape.
His first duty is to capture Elsie, who is still struggling with amnesia. He travels to Authora Daya and tricks Elsie into leaving Bains by telling her that she is engaged to Maites' son Boham and he is supposed to help her return to him.
O'ffal takes Elsie to Maites' prison where Boham meets her and convinces her that they are indeed lovers. He instructs her to journey to a faraway city called A'n Cathorga, where the Alfar people live. The Alfar were the enemies of the Spider Witch during the war. Boham wants Elsie to request their king give her a magical key to Maites' prison so he can be released from it.
O'ffal guides Elsie to petition the king for the key. The king refuses but O'ffal steals it. On their return to Nia Ni, O'ffal abandons Elsie.
Lord Finnavar, (the King of the Alfar), sends a bounty hunter named Torsten to capture Elsie and bring her into questioning about the missing key. Torsten detains Elsie, who is starting to realize she can no longer trust Boham. When Torsten has a fight with his bitter brother Viggo, Elsie escapes with Viggo, without knowing he was hired by O'ffal to capture her.
When Elsie is injured by an Ellidar, (a tree that attacks people), Viggo takes her to Asmund, a wizard healer. When Elsie recovers, Asmund agrees to travel with them and Viggo is more sympathetic to Elsie's situation.
Meanwhile Boham, O'ffal and women called hags, transport the body of Maites, (who has temporarily ended her life), to the Crystal Mountains on the Northern flank of Authora, with the intent to restore her life in an underground chamber called the Crystal Cavern, so she can again rule over them as the Spider Witch.
Towards the end, Torsten and Viggo form an alliance with Asmund and a band of beings called the Green Vine People, who join the group to help fight Maites. Elsie forms a friendship with Amber, one of the women in this group of warriors.
The hags succeed in resurrecting the Spider Witch and the green people soon encounter her for a frightful showdown in her underground chamber.
The book ends with a few unresolved conflicts that (I prefer to believe), could set the stage for a wild sequel I hope Mulvihill would consider.
But we are left with a moment of joy at the end, when Elsie discovers her true identity and remembers her past, which one would call a triumph in its on right.
I found little problem with the story's structure, beyond it being slowed at times with thought processes of some of the characters in their moments of doubt or frustration. But the patient reader is well rewarded by the intrigue and excitement as the story develops.
I will therefore look forward to reading more of Mulvihill's works in the future.
August 3, 2013
I would say this is a great novel, but I wrote it. So Yes I say it's an enjoyable story because I enjoyed the story while writing it and I still enjoy the story as I write the second novel. So I hope if your reading this novel, you are enjoying it, and if you like it please let me know.
October 18, 2020
This is the foundation of a great book, but poor editing makes it feel like a draft rather than a finished work. The middle drags a lot, and the ending feels like a set up for a sequel rather than a satisfying ending. There's a constant clash between a classic fairy tale tone that comes naturally to the story and dark edgy tones that feel forced into it. It is a fun read from a storytelling perspective, but from a technical perspective, it just feels unfinished and unpolished as a final publication. One of the biggest strengths of this work is its interesting world, but there is significantly more time spent on "developing" a group of uninteresting characters instead of world building.
June 3, 2016
Was a little slow in the middle but had me hooked again by the end. Defenently a fascinating and original story.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews