Northlander

Tales of the Borderlands #1

by Meg Burden

Foreword Magazine’s Book of the Year 2008; first (gold) award for young adult fiction

Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult, Teen, High Fantasy

252 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2007

About the author

Meg Burden is the award-winning author of Northlander, Book One of the Tales of the Borderlands series, which she began writing when she was twenty-two years old. She's currently twenty-seven and has lived in rural Nebraska for most of her life.

At fourteen, she went to college via Mary Baldwin College's Program for the Exceptionally Gifted in Virginia. She graduated with a degree in music in May 2000, the day before her eighteenth birthday. After taking a year off to spend time with her family, she headed back to Virginia, this time to UVa, and spent a year in a PhD program for music. Somewhere in there, she fell in love, got engaged, adopted two cats, and figured out that she wanted to be a writer.

Meg and her husband currently live with a lot of cats and their toy Poodle in a neat old house in a tiny Nebraska town.

In addition to writing, Meg raises Siamese cats. In the past, she has been a waitress, a bartender, a pizza cook, an assistant parrot breeder (her mom used to raise birds) and a graduate teaching assistant.

Meg has been a fan of science fiction and fantasy all her life. One of her earliest memories is of crying at the end of the cartoon version of The Hobbit, and she read the book soon after that and was hooked for life. Most of her favorite books growing up are still favorites today, and the authors whose works transported her to other worlds when she was growing up, like J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Patricia McKillip, Lloyd Alexander, and Susan Cooper, have places of honor both on her bookshelf and in her heart. Meg hopes to bring the same sense of wonder, escapism, and possibility to the books she writes.

Reviews

[Angie · Rating 4 out of 5]

First off this book has actually been in my possession for an embarrassing almost two years and I don't know what kept me from it, given that I originally purchased it based on Leila's review over at Bookshelves of Doom. And she never steers me wrong. But I did undergo a pregnancy in between buying NORTHLANDER and reading it and so maybe that had something to do with it. Those pregnancies. They can wreak havoc on your mental state. In any event, I was pleased to see it pop up as the selection for this last month, particularly as I had heard the sequel had been published in the intervening time and I was looking forward to being able to run right out and read the second book if I ended up loving Meg Burden's first Tale of the Borderlands. That's the only good thing about waiting to read the first in a series, isn't it? And I held the knowledge of a sequel out before me like a promise. But more on that later.

Ellin Fisher and her father have come to the Northlands in secret and under pain of death. Her father--a noted Southling healer--has been summoned illegally to work his arts on the Northlands King. The king is dying and none of the leeches they call healers in the North have been able to do anything to ease his pain or stop the rapid decline. And so a few of his highest councilors do the unthinkable and smuggle a hated Southling healer and his red-haired daughter into the royal city as a last resort. Despite the fact that the king has specifically outlawed evil Southling magic and despite the fact that their southern neighbors are looked down upon like the plague. And so Ellin finds herself forced to hide out in a country where she is reviled and watch her father attempt to save the life of a man who would have them both flayed alive if he knew they set foot in his kingdom or dared to lay even a finger on his royal person. Then one freezing night Ellin is out fetching the ingredients her father needs and returns to the city gates only to be turned away on the grounds that she has no papers. And it turns out that the young guard who so acrimoniously shuts her out in the cold is the king's youngest son Garreth. But when Prince Garreth realizes it is Ellin's father who stands the only chance of saving his father and that Ellin herself possesses an unusually gifted talent for healing as well, things become a little more complicated. As Ellin works to reconcile the unfriendly, raw land she's come to with the friendship of Garreth and his older brothers her perspective begins to change and it is only the first in a long line of shocks she will have to endure before she and her father will be allowed to return home. If they aren't killed first.

I fell into step with Meg Burden's writing style from the first page. The easy, fluid writing reminded me a bit of early Tamora Pierce and Patricia McKillip, with a little bit of The Blue Sword thrown in for good measure. Ellin's relationship with her father is a strong one, even though they occasionally keep things from each other because of their love and desire not to see the other hurt. Her mother's death was hard on them both and it's a difficult and dangerous process allowing yourself to care about more people who might betray you by dying at any time. Which is why the Northlands princes pose a particularly uncomfortable problem for Ellin as it becomes clear that it will be impossible to hate them, with their blond hair and boyish charm and the way they seem to have of including her in their escapades. Even grumpy, dumpy Coll who is only interested in horses and wants Ellin in his home about as much as he wants an incurable disease. And they all clearly love their father, tyrant though he may be, and that is an emotion Ellin can relate to. Here is a scene early on, in which Ellin begins to see the castle and its inhabitants in a slightly different light:

He leads me through the hall Garreth brought me in and then into the castle's great room, where I stop with a quiet gasp and look around. I had thought this place dark and forbidding, but now, with sunlight streaming through the high windows, I realize I was wrong.

The darkness made all the furniture look black and heavy, but now I see that the large tables are deep red, with carved legs and polished to gleaming. The banners and tapestries are richly dyed, scarlet and deep green and dark blue and gold. And they're beautiful, worked with ornate pictures of wolves and horses and snow cats and other Northlands creatures. A fire crackles orange in the huge hearth, keeping the room warm despite its size, and benches and chairs are gathered in front of it, waiting for a storyteller and listeners to pass the cold nights.

Ahead of me, Erik stops and turns. "What's the matter?"

"This place," I say slowly, still dazzled. "It's beautiful."

He looks around, too, and shrugs."This? It's not bad."

I shake my head, realizing that this room has to be larger than the main room at Alder's inn, back home in Harnon. "It's so big. How many people live here?"

"At the castle?" Erik's brows pull together in thought. "Well, there's Da, and us. That's six. Nan and her girls make ten, add the stable boys, Jana the cook, Lord Ivan, Lord Erfold the Wise and his wife, Master Thorvald the Physician, Master Fenrik the Smith and his family . . ." he shrugs. "Twenty-five? Thirty? Alaric would know exactly, and could tell you without blinking an eye," he adds with a grin. "I'm not really sure."

I nod, a little overwhelmed at the idea of living with so many people. "So, do they call you Erik the Uncertain?" I ask, teasing, as we leave the room.

He grins again. "Erik Archer. Actually."

"Because you're as quick to shoot with a bow as you are with your mouth?"

"Not as quick as you," he retorts, half-laughing. "Or as sharp, apparently."

"And the others?"

"Well, they call Alaric the Golden."

"I know that one."

He nods. "And then Coll Horse Master. Officially, at least," Erik adds with a wicked smile. "Everyone calls him Coll the Fat, though."

"And he doesn't mind?" I ask, trying not to giggle.

"Course not. He is, isn't he?" Erik waves one hand dismissively. "Then there's me; they call Finn--actually Finnlay, by the way--'the Deaf,' of course, and Garreth the Youngest."

"I see Northlander names aren't always flattering."

"No. But they're always true."

The characters in this book surprise each other. They live in a world of absolutes and yet somehow manage to reach across borders--quite literally--and form friendships where only enmity existed before. That is why I loved them and NORTHLANDER. They succeeded in surprising and endearing themselves to me and all I wanted to do was spend more time with them. Not to mention the enticingly dangled hints at the real history between these two countries and these two families and what it might mean down the road.

And so we come to the subject of the sequel. By all accounts, The King Commands--the second installment in the Tales of the Borderlands--was published on April 12th of this year. That's right. Just under two months ago. And yet an actual copy of this book is nowhere to be found. Or it's going for more than $50 used on Amazon, which amounts to the same thing for me. What gives? I know some of you out there have read it. So help a girl out. What happened to make this book disappear in so short a time? I'm mystified. I realize Brown Barn Books is a small publisher and so on, but did they only print like ten of them and then, once those were gone, that was it?! Because, if so, then I have a problem on my hands. I need this book. I'm going insane here. I have to find out what happens to Ellin Fisher Healer, to Alaric the Golden, to Finn the Deaf, to Erik Archer, and, of course, Garreth the Youngest. Who can help me? Anyone?

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very good story with some amazing strong characters that I loved and rooted for through the whole book. This book was so much fun to read. I am going to buy a copy and read it with my girls. The world was interesting and well developed and you could feel the cold right along with the characters. This book had a depth that I felt and loved. I am sad and surprised this author has only written two books. This is a stand alone book but it does have a sequel. It finishes well but you can feel there could be more. This book had no romance but you could feel one building that will be in the second book. This was clean except for some mild swearing and some violence, killing and fighting that is not detailed. 12 and up

[Valerie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book I just picked up because my sister checked it out. I didn't have a notion of what to expect from this book except what the blurb showed. This book reminded me of a more traditional YA fantasy. And by traditional I mean when I was new reader and they only had one shelf for YA. I guess I mean what I consider traditional fantasy. Maybe it was the nostalgia or maybe this is a great book but I truly loved reading it.

I can see how this book isn't more popular because there isn't a lot of epic fight scenes and there isn't a sweeping romance, but I was still hooked. Ellin is a Southlander (which are despised by Northlanders) who goes to the Northlands with her father to help heal the Northlander king. There is unrest between Southlanders and Northlanders, more than even Ellin could've expected and she hates Northlanders.

What I liked about this fantasy is that there was magic, plot, tension, and all that but there was a great deal of focus on Ellin's relationships. Her relationship with her father, and new friends. It wasn't focused on a romantic relationships which I always see as a pleasant surprise. I could feel myself expecting it, and though there is a hint of it, it's more of a sub-sub plot. I could even get over the fact that the author did the cliche of killing off the mother thing because I loved Ellin's relationship with her Dad.

I know that there is a sequel, and I want to read it. I saw the cover though and it is uuuuugly. Thank goodness that this cover wasn't that ugly or my shallowness might've won out and I wouldn't have read the book.

[Anna · Rating 2 out of 5]

I got this book for 50 cents at the local library bok sale. As such i wasn't super hyped about it, but didn't have a bias against it either. I also had absolutely no idea what it was about. In the very first chapter the poor writing and Elementary-esk feel of the book are established, except that every once in a while someone will swear. If the author hoped to raise her writing style by adding swearing to the dialogue she was mistaken.

Half-way through the book i seriously considered stopping. I could think of nothing else that could possibly happen to the MC. I felt that halfway through the book I had already reached the main climax. There was I felt no need to read further. However, I continued, against my better judgement, to finish the book.

The Last half of the book is much better than the first, but also rather confusing and not at all logical. Although I understood the path the author was trying to take with the book, i didn't think she portrayed characters in the correct lighting to reach her goal.

Now I'm going to talk about characters . . . Let's start with the princes. I do not believe that any kingdom is that slack about letting random people into the castle. I also feel that the trust established between Ellin and the princes was hashed together much too quickly. At first the princes are portrayed as harsh and cold, but then only a paragraph later they act like 5 year olds and are practically bouncing up and down. This I did not understand.

I am not going to read any more books in this series.

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having traveled with her father, a master healer, hastily and in secret from the Southlands, Ellin Fisher quickly learns she is neither liked nor wanted in the cold Northlands. Both of which are made perfectly clear one night when she is locked outside the city gates -- during a blizzard -- simply for having the red hair of a Southling. Fuming and in danger of freezing to death, Ellin takes refuge in a guard cottage only to be intruded upon by the same guard who earlier denied her entrance. Only this guard is now crying his heart out over the impending death of his father. The King of the Northlands. Whose father Ellin came to heal (I'm sure you can imagine his change of heart). Not willing to stand by when perhaps she can help, Ellin convinces the young Prince Garreth to taking her to the King's bedside where she attempts an illegal healing using abilities she has is still only learning herself. Of course, by taking that first step into the King's presence, Ellin is brought into the inner circle of the five young Northern princes whose world she is about to turn upside down. That is, if they don't manage to muck hers up first.

Obviously if you couldn't already tell, Northlander stole my heart. I found it extremely refreshing to see such a character like Ellin who is constantly out of her element but who is still willing to learn and admit to her mistakes. And constant is the key here. It seemed as if Ellin flew head-first from one dangerous adventure to another, yet I never once felt that her story was forced or implausible. Unexpected, yes -- but still utterly believable in context. The five Northern Princes were also a complete breath of fresh air! Alaric, Coll, Finn, Erik, and Garreth all stole my heart in their own way (probably around the time they each wormed their way into Ellin's heart too). Meg Burden did an excellent job of creating believable and unique relationships between Ellin and each of the Princes. Seldom do you find YA books that manage to include well-drawn friendships between males and females. Northlander is one of those rare books that will continually surprise you with it's endearing characters over and over again. So very glad I decided to read it along with my good friend Chachic!

[Erin · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

This was such a relaxing, nice little book. I can't put my finger on why, but it totally ticked all my boxes. There was a big ensemble cast with diverse personalities (not ethnicities, though... just anti-ginger fake "racism"), two feuding kingdoms, and love-hate relationships galore. Those are always fun for me to read.

Synopsis! Ellin, a girl from the Southlands, goes with her father to the Northlands to heal their dying king. Except Southlanders are patently unwelcome in the Northlands. Ooh, and using one's healing powers is a death penalty type of crime. While they're in the castle, Ellin meets a ton of Northlanders and forms a unique relationship with each of them. (This is something I really appreciated, by the way. It's hard for writers to develop the specific, one-of-a-kind relationships that one person can have with a dozen other people.)

The romantic element of the story was a little weird, but I feel okay about it. The back of the book poses a rather hilarious question: "Is the young rebel a betrayer or a lover?" and I'm happy he turned out to be... neither? Just a power-corrupted douchebag. Ooh, and I kind of ship Ellin with Erik? Sorry not sorry.

I wish I hadn't waited so long to review this, because I have now run out of things to say, but I am quite happy I chose to read this book. :)

[Heather · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ellin, a girl from the Southland, is forced to go with her physician father to heal the Northland king, even though Southlanders are despised and feared throughout the cold country. Ellin must find a way to battle both the people from the North and then her own people, the Southlanders, to survive in a icy and hostile land.

I really liked the first part of this book. The plot was exciting, the characters real and believable. Then it seemed like in the middle there was a shift. It went from great descriptions, conversation, and action to choppy dialog, a plotline that barely fit together with all the vagueness and new elements thrown in with no explanation. Overall disappointing.

[Tammie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Northlander has been on my to-read list for a year. I don't know why I waited so long to read this! I loved the main character Ellin and her father. The five Northlander princes were all likeable and a pleasure to read about. I fell in love with all five of the princes. I would not mind if Ellin ended up with any one of them, but I have to say, if she does, I'm leaning toward Finn. I am going to have to read the sequel asap!

[Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Accidentally purchase this book but it left an impact to me from first to the last page i really love that's why im looking forward in the next book of meg burden.
Plot twist it may look like in this book men is superior but he truly loved the woman.

[Kit · Rating 4 out of 5]

Highly enjoyable. I wish the publisher would have let the author continue the series...

[Jamie Dacyczyn]

DNF at page 67. I'm not buying into this one. The premise is basically that you've got the Northlands and the Southlands, divide by a river. The Northlanders seem to be more advanced (they have a castle) and despised the Southlanders because they have red hair and MIGHT have psychic powers and good healing skills.

Ellin is a Southlander, whose father is secretly helping to heal the Northlander king. The book starts with her arriving at the castle gate too late after doing some herb gathering, so the guards refuse to let her in. She faces the likelihood of freezing to death outside, but then one of the guards sneaks her into a guardhouse for the night. Then, one of the other guards, the douchiest one, shows up and turns out to actually be one of the king's sons. He brings her inside, where she miraculously heals e king enough for him to live through the night. Instantly, all of the princes (of whom there are several) are Ellin's best friends.

So....what wasn't I buying? First off, a river is going to have to be absurdly huge and possibly magical if the villagers on one side, like Ellin, are completely ignorant about cold whether, and then on the other side it's so cold that she risks losing her feet to cold after spending a couple hours outside. Just doesn't seem to make sense from a meteorological standpoint.

Then, the princes' friendship with Ellin seems way too fast. Despite a lifetime of ingrained xenophobia, the princes (who all seem her age or older) act like a bunch of kindergarteners who've never had a new friend before. They're instantly buddies with this strange girl, despite calling her Southling trash only a few hours prior. Ellin is allowed to wander around the castle at will (and literally does just that for the first day or so) and no one else in the castle seemed alarmed, despite the aforementioned regional xenophobia. Not very good security.

Then there's the writing. Not bad enough that you can really point to an example, but just elementary enough to be off putting. One of my usual pet peeves was there....the inability to have simple dialogue tags like "said" (or in this case, "say" because everything was in present tense), and insisting that everything be embellished with adverbs, or by not using a tag like "I say" or "he asked" but instead just describing motions in their own sentence. He nods his head. I shake my head. He grins. He laughs. I inhale.

So, I'm dropping this one. It's been on my to-read list forever, and now I can take it off.

[Karen Healey · Rating 3 out of 5]

First in a series, this is a neato fantasy adventure about the tension between two nations narrated by a very strong voice. WITH PSYCHIC POWERS! I love me some good first-person, yes I do! And Ellin is a delight.

- It is a book FULL of crushworthy dudes, most of whom are brothers. Kudos, Meg Burden!

- I am such a sucker for "OH NO! THIS HORSE WILL DIE WITHOUT DANGEROUS HEALING!" that I cannot even tell you. The only thing I am MORE of a sucker for is:

- RED-HAIRED TELEPATHS AHAHAHA AWESOME.

- It's another White Fantasy World, and it's a little weird because here it's oppressive Northlanders (blond) versus pacifist but potentially powerful Southlings (redheads). So I appreciate the general "prejudice is bad and segregation laws are tyrannical!" message, and especially the moments where "helpful" Northerners want to "fix" Ellin's hair, and she is not at all happy about it. But mostly I think they are potentially useful to white readers who might need insight. There are no actual CoC, and thus we get representation!fail. Also, genetics don't work like that I'm just saying.

- A lot of the story is driven by people witholding information from Ellin until the most plot-useful moment she eventually finds out their Intentions Are Bad. It makes some sense, because she's nominally a fairly powerless person people don't necessarily want to keep informed of their plans, but she's actually a telepath. And she's very proactive in a number of other situations, so I'm not sure why she doesn't push to learn more when she knows quite well people are keeping things from her.

[Jennifer Wardrip · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reviewed by Allison Fraclose for TeensReadToo.com

The Southling Ellin has been summoned with her father to the Northland kingdom. In a land where they are despised for their red hair and feared for their magic, their hand in the healing of the Northland king is a secret. However, the healing powers that have been banned by law may be the only thing that can save the ailing king.

On a crucial night, Ellin must fight against the prejudice that threatens to keep her from fulfilling the oaths that her father, as a healer, took, and that she will take on the day she is of age. Her determination manages to pull the monarch through the worst, but, while she learns that the potential for peace among individual Northlands and Southlings exists, she and her father are forbidden to return to their homeland until the king regains consciousness.

The friendships that she forges will bring her through a time when all she once understood about her life is destroyed, and she must find a way to come to terms with the power she's inherited and the truth she has grown to understand before a war sweeps away everything she has left.

I thoroughly enjoyed this story, and recommend it to all who have found themselves on both sides of a drawn line. The characters are easy to identify with, and the plot rich and relevant. I will be keeping an eager eye out for Book Two.

[Kathy * Bookworm Nation · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've been super busy this past week and was only able to read a few chapters at a time. It has been a while since I've spent so much time on just one book. Overall I enjoyed the story; it was unique in some ways, and a bit predictable in others. The story starts with our heroine, the young healer Ellin, getting locked out of the city for being out after curfew. Through a series of events she is eventually let into the castle to attempt to help heal the ailing King. In the Northlands it is illegal for Southlings to use their healing powers. Despite this law, Ellin decides she will do whatever she can to save the king. Eventually reunited with her father, they are able to bring him back from the brink of death. As he continues to heal she soon becomes close friends with the five princes. I enjoyed this part of the story; I really fell for all five princes. I wonder who, if any, young Ellin will end up with (I’m rooting for Alaric). Unfortunately, there isn’t much romance in the book, some things are barely hinted at, but I was left a little disappointed on that. This is the first in a trilogy; I look forward to reading the others, but am a little unsure where things will go. The first book ended as almost a stand-alone book would, so I’ll be curious to see what happens with Ellin in the next one.

[Abby Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ellin is a Southling. She knows she's not welcome in the Northlands, yet there she is, helping her father heal a king who has forbidden the Southling healer to touch him. Abused and unwanted, Ellin has no idea why her father would bother to heal a king that hates them... but when she's unexpectedly thrust into the healer role, she knows that she can't let the king die. She can't not heal him if it's in her power to try. So she breaks the law. She touches the king and saves his life. And that action starts her on an adventure, both terrible and beautiful.

The plot twists and turns so much that I was constantly surprised and couldn't put the book down. You're thrust into the action from the beginning, but details about the past are provided as you go. Meg Burden has created a rich fantasy land filled with multidimensional characters. Ellin is a kickass heroine who stands up for herself and who examines prejudices and fears and tries to figure out how to conquer them. An excellent novel and I can't wait for the next one!

Recommend this one to fans of Shannon Hale, Tamora Pierce, and Cynthia Voigt's Fortune's Wheel books.

[Jess · Rating 4 out of 5]

The set-up reminded me of classic Robin McKinley - a girl in a strange place, plenty of intriguing characters, a hint of magic. There's an unexpected (to me) shift halfway through the book, and I found myself missing the first half and wondering what on earth was going on, but soon enough the plot revealed itself, and a few more dimensions were added to the story. It's not super fast paced, but I think it's pretty accessible for middle school/teen readers (and grownups) who like that slight fantasy with a hint of historical fiction sub-genre. The plot felt like an enjoyable excuse to observe the dynamics between Ellin and the five princes. The characters in general were great - I hope there are more books to come in the series, because I know I'll enjoy spending more time with them. I'm also curious to see how things work out plot-wise - while things were mostly wrapped up at the end, enough was left hanging for a meaty sequel or two.

Reread before reading the sequel.

[Jeffield · Rating 5 out of 5]

From the first paragraph I was hooked. This is a tale of a girl who, with her da are taken to a neighboring land to heal the king. They are not welcome in this land and look forward to when they can go back home. While they are in this Northland the girl learns things about herself that are life changing. The king is healed and for various reasons the father and daughter are imprisoned. They do escape and return home but things are not safe for them there either. She ends up returning to Northland on a journey she is not too sure about.

The characters are people you want to know and be with. I was moved to tears in a few different moments. This tale has characters that can enter others minds and this usually makes me nervous but in this tale it is done in a way that makes you think.

I can't wait for the second book to come out.

[Arya · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great story! Kings, princes, war, subterfuge, romance, healers . . . I loved it! I will certainly finish this series!!

Addendum:

I would recommend The Shifter to anyone who likes this book (though probably not to be read immediately following). It has similar aspects to it - such as "racial" divides, royalty, healers, a main character that has a power she does not understand and lots of action and "potential love interests".

After reading Northlander I was thinking it reminded me of something, and I finally remembered what it was - The Shifter. Both of these series are great, and their authors are imaginative. Both good books, with solid plots - and differences - along with several similarites. . .

[Sheila Ruth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Northlander is a moving, layered fantasy with many unexpected plot twists, rich world building, and deft character development. Northlander is a book that continues to surprise the reader. At first it seems a standard, cliched us vs. them: the evil Northlanders are prejudiced against the good Southlanders. But it turns out to be so much more than that. I can't say too much without giving away some of the surprises, but this is a book painted in a rich palette of many shades of gray, not just black and white.

Read my entire review

[Claire · Rating 2 out of 5]

Stilted and preachy. I actually bought this one, since it was on the Cybils SF/F shortlist but not at any of our consortium libraries, and I was awfully disappointed. A heavy-handed allegory of two diametrically-opposed regions -- the Northlands and the Southlands -- and a girl who bridges them thanks to her psychic and healing powers. Eh. It lacked thoughtfulness and contextual realism: I'll suspend disbelief any way you want as long as characters are fully drawn, and this really fell short. Luckily all the loose ends and conflict wrap up neatly in the end, so I was left with absolutely no temptation to read Book Two.

[Tanja · Rating 3 out of 5]

The world Burden has created in Northlander is a very interesting world. I like the characters she created and even the conflict between them. When Burden talks about how cold it is in the north, I could sympathize because it has been so dang cold here. I liked the use of magic and that the main character is a healer. But, I really got tired of the descriptions she would use. For instance, "he was interupted by a jaw-cracking yawn." I must have read the sentance 5 times or more. Repetition is not my friend when I read. It drives me nuts. Despite that I will probably read on when the next in the series comes out.

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fantasy set in a land divided between North and South. In the North, Southlanders and their characteristic red hair are ridiculed and unwelcome. Ellin and her father are healers from the south who have been requested to travel North to help heal their dying King. Ellin's special healing powers earn her the friendship and admiration of the five Northlander princes. I loved the princes and her friendship with them. I loved Ellin's relationship with her father. An engaging story that left me wanting more, although book 2 is proving difficult to track down unless I am willing to buy it on Amazon.

[Theresa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought this was going to be just another book so I put off reading it to read other stuff. It turns out that this book was much better than the other stuff I read. It incorporates elements of fantasy without being over the top (which was unexpected since I didn't know about the fantasy part before I started even though it said it right there on the book). Even though the story was fairly simple, the characters made it so much more interesting and worth reading. Book two is not out yet but I won't mind rereading this one.

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved the setting (though I'm pretty much guaranteed to love anything with quasi-Vikings), and there were a lot of interesting ethnic politics, with a neat undercutting of the initial hat-colour allocation halfway through. I CAN HAS SEQUELZ NAO PLZ? My only problems were that the princes were a little uncomplicated and that she'd plumped for present-tense narration, which I find difficult in a novel-length story because I keep *noticing* it. Also, I don't think phobias work like that. But overall, they were minor problems in an awesome book that deserves to be more widely read.

[Julie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was enjoyable while reading but not the sort of novel that sticks with me long after I finish. It's a morality tale about the dangers of segregation, set in fantasy. I liked Ellin and the princes; I wish I could have seen Ellin and her father's relationship develop more maturity. The romance-the-wasn't-quite-a-romance distinctly gave the impression of More To Come (there is a sequel.) I saw most of the major plot points coming before they arrived, but that made the read easy, rather than boring. I'll probably search out book #2.

[Liz · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this first book, but I have high hopes that lots more will be explained in the 2nd book (which I am reading right now). The thing I liked about this book is that the characters and storyline were so strong that I didn't really miss the fact that there wasn't much of a love story. That said, I think the author tried to start a love story, but there just wasn't much there.....that's why I'm hoping more is to come in book 2.

[Monae · Rating 2 out of 5]

This story was fairly interesting, but too short. There is no real plot development leading up to the climax, and then the author alludes to a love interest that doesn't really make any sense. The characters however, are very interesting and she spends a lot of the book developing them (at the expense of the plot). I will read the rest if there are more to come...maybe they will explain the 'sort of' love story!

[Li · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yet another Angie rec, and one I'm glad I listened to. NORTHLANDER is one of those coming-of-age stories that I tend to love, and this one was done well. It reminded me very much of Tamora Pierce (her early books). Having said that, the story felt slightly like a tale of two halves though and I wonder if it could have been two (possibly slim) books. I want to know what happens next and will be picking up the sequel.

[Kaiti · Rating 2 out of 5]

The way this handled privilege/oppression was super awkward and not thought out at all. At the end, the message I got was "well, they were oppressed for good reason! They made us do it!" and "It is Very Bad to fight against oppressors!"

Things just weren't developed well enough, there was barely any explanation for history or geography even though those were both really relevant to the story and idk it was just a decent idea really poorly executed.

[Lisamarie · Rating 3 out of 5]

As long as they keep publishing YA coming of age fantasy with characters who have surprise magic powers and turn out to be the chosen one, I'll keep reading it. I don't mean that to sound unenthusiastic -- this was pretty good and had a lot of surprises. And some weird veterinary details too. I want to know what happens next.