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The Mapmaker's Daughter
Sharra's world is a terrifying place. Violent seismic 'Shifts' and outbreaks of an all-consuming black fire radically alter landscapes on an increasingly frequent basis. Only the Map Makers can predict where the Shift will fall, and Sharra, daughter to one of the most famous Map Makers, yearns to join their ranks and break a cultural taboo which forbids female cartographers.
Sharra's father, Lord Milton, is one of the few to challenge the current order, but his shadowy past limits his political reach and his second wife, Lady Ivory, is determined to manipulate him to ensure a privileged future for herself and her daughter, Jayne. The main obstacle standing in Ivory's way is Sharra.
Sharra's father, Lord Milton, is one of the few to challenge the current order, but his shadowy past limits his political reach and his second wife, Lady Ivory, is determined to manipulate him to ensure a privileged future for herself and her daughter, Jayne. The main obstacle standing in Ivory's way is Sharra.
- GenresFantasyYoung Adult
208 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 17, 2014
4 people are currently reading
134 people want to read
About the author
Caroline Dunford
50 books48 followersLike most authors I did several jobs before I settled down to writing full time. I've been a journalist, a development officer, and a psychotherapist. I am a novelist, short story writer, mentor, tutor and playwright.
Throughout my life I've been fascinated by people - to the extent I even did a psychology degree before training in psychotherapy. I firmly believe that we all make sense of the whole through narrative- even if it's only the one inside your own head.
My Euphemia Martins Mysteries are inspired by my maternal great grandmother, who left a life of luxury to go into service.
However, everything I do inspires me. The best way of me to make sense of what often seems a very chaotic world is to tell stories. And in those stories I'm always asking questions.
Recently my play Burke has gone into its third production. It tries to make sense of what Burke and Hare, still the UK's most successful (?) serial killers did what they did. How they started.
You'll find traces of questions like this is the Euphemia stories where I often explore why people can and do do unpleasant things.
But - and this is a big but - I also believe that if you want to look at the darker side of human nature you must also pay homage to the lighter side, the truly selfless and generous acts that all humans are capable of doing.
And you need humour. Life can deal all of us harsh knocks and laughter is one of the greatest weapons in our armoury - along with love.
Throughout my life I've been fascinated by people - to the extent I even did a psychology degree before training in psychotherapy. I firmly believe that we all make sense of the whole through narrative- even if it's only the one inside your own head.
My Euphemia Martins Mysteries are inspired by my maternal great grandmother, who left a life of luxury to go into service.
However, everything I do inspires me. The best way of me to make sense of what often seems a very chaotic world is to tell stories. And in those stories I'm always asking questions.
Recently my play Burke has gone into its third production. It tries to make sense of what Burke and Hare, still the UK's most successful (?) serial killers did what they did. How they started.
You'll find traces of questions like this is the Euphemia stories where I often explore why people can and do do unpleasant things.
But - and this is a big but - I also believe that if you want to look at the darker side of human nature you must also pay homage to the lighter side, the truly selfless and generous acts that all humans are capable of doing.
And you need humour. Life can deal all of us harsh knocks and laughter is one of the greatest weapons in our armoury - along with love.
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
August 18, 2021
This is a wonderful Young Adult Fantasy book that follows the adventures of Sharra, she is the daughter of a mapmaker. Their role is to warn the world when the earth shift. When shifts happen danger and death follow.
Sharra is not like most girls her age, she's a bit of a tom-boy, gets into trouble and is interested in the skill of map-making. This skill isn't just your average map-making, it is a skill that literally can move mountains. Girls and women do not possess this skill, but then Sharra's mother had the skill so it can happen.
This is a really enjoyable fantasy story, it has some magical intrigue to it and it is easy to follow. I would say that this is more a lighter fantasy book and it would work very well for younger readers. There is enough description to keep the plotline flowing and plenty of mystery and intrigue to keep the attention. I soon found myself caught up in this book and quite unable to leave it until I had finished it.
The character of Shanna is an interesting one, she has a stepmother who is always on at her, a father who is trying his best and also the stereotype of what society expects of a young woman of her position. This gives several elements that make for interesting reading. Add into this the danger that Shanna is in from those who want to have more of a hold over the map-making skills and it makes for a good action-adventure story.
I really enjoyed this, it is a good Young Adult Fantasy that I read in one sitting, I did find it wrapped up a little quick for me, and I could have quite easily read another 50 pages or so. I also think there is the potential here for another follow on book and if that is the case I would definitely be picking that one up. This is a fantasy, coming of age type story and one I would happily recommend.
Sharra is not like most girls her age, she's a bit of a tom-boy, gets into trouble and is interested in the skill of map-making. This skill isn't just your average map-making, it is a skill that literally can move mountains. Girls and women do not possess this skill, but then Sharra's mother had the skill so it can happen.
This is a really enjoyable fantasy story, it has some magical intrigue to it and it is easy to follow. I would say that this is more a lighter fantasy book and it would work very well for younger readers. There is enough description to keep the plotline flowing and plenty of mystery and intrigue to keep the attention. I soon found myself caught up in this book and quite unable to leave it until I had finished it.
The character of Shanna is an interesting one, she has a stepmother who is always on at her, a father who is trying his best and also the stereotype of what society expects of a young woman of her position. This gives several elements that make for interesting reading. Add into this the danger that Shanna is in from those who want to have more of a hold over the map-making skills and it makes for a good action-adventure story.
I really enjoyed this, it is a good Young Adult Fantasy that I read in one sitting, I did find it wrapped up a little quick for me, and I could have quite easily read another 50 pages or so. I also think there is the potential here for another follow on book and if that is the case I would definitely be picking that one up. This is a fantasy, coming of age type story and one I would happily recommend.
October 5, 2014
I received a copy of this book thanks to the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review, my thanks for the opportunity.
Sharra's world she lives in is like no other, horrific seismic "shifts" and outbreaks of consuming black fire change and alter the landscape on a regular basis. Only the Mapmakers can predict where the shifts will occur and warn people before disaster strikes.
Sharra yearns to be a Mapmaker too, she feels pulled to the art of cartography but it's not accepted that females work as Mapmakers, it's unheard of and forbidden. Still Sharra feels a strong pull, that her destiny lies in the maps. She doesn't understand why women are not allowed to be part of this great and important art.
I felt the book got off to a slow start, there is a lot of character building and information around Sharra and her life living with her father, Lord Milton and her Stepmother who despises her and she knows not why, Lady Ivory.
The political landscape of the Mapmakers is shaky and there is much at stake, it's becoming a case of who can be trusted. Not all is as it seems.
As Sharra realises she has more enemies than she thought but does not know why she is realising she is running for her life and looking for allies not knowing who is on her side truly. At this point the book got a bit more interesting but still I found it lacked something astonishing that should have been there. However there was still some good moments here and there.
She looked down. The last fragments of earth were gone. Instead, below her, was a swirling pool of darkness. Shades she could never have imagined circled fiercely between lines of silver. So this was what the black fire looked like. It was mesmerising. It was awful. It should not exist.
I found the plot seemed to start to pick up pace eventually after a slow start but then seemed to jump around too fast to the end scenario. It's hard to explain, I just felt it did not flow smoothly and at times felt a bit bored with detail of journeys and unimportant events took over.
I liked the ending, the ending is the best part of the whole book, lots of action, adventure, and finally some explanation around Sharra and her pull to the maps that she is not allowed to touch. Her destiny awaits. I enjoyed the finale a lot and feel the book is positioned for a sequel the way it ended.
This one was an okay read for me. I did feel the book had huge potential to be brilliant but too much time spent on the unimportant details and not enough on the plot itself. I didn't love it, I didn't hate it, I sit in the middle, neutral on this one. I think some will really like this book and others won't.
Sharra's world she lives in is like no other, horrific seismic "shifts" and outbreaks of consuming black fire change and alter the landscape on a regular basis. Only the Mapmakers can predict where the shifts will occur and warn people before disaster strikes.
Sharra yearns to be a Mapmaker too, she feels pulled to the art of cartography but it's not accepted that females work as Mapmakers, it's unheard of and forbidden. Still Sharra feels a strong pull, that her destiny lies in the maps. She doesn't understand why women are not allowed to be part of this great and important art.
I felt the book got off to a slow start, there is a lot of character building and information around Sharra and her life living with her father, Lord Milton and her Stepmother who despises her and she knows not why, Lady Ivory.
The political landscape of the Mapmakers is shaky and there is much at stake, it's becoming a case of who can be trusted. Not all is as it seems.
As Sharra realises she has more enemies than she thought but does not know why she is realising she is running for her life and looking for allies not knowing who is on her side truly. At this point the book got a bit more interesting but still I found it lacked something astonishing that should have been there. However there was still some good moments here and there.
She looked down. The last fragments of earth were gone. Instead, below her, was a swirling pool of darkness. Shades she could never have imagined circled fiercely between lines of silver. So this was what the black fire looked like. It was mesmerising. It was awful. It should not exist.
I found the plot seemed to start to pick up pace eventually after a slow start but then seemed to jump around too fast to the end scenario. It's hard to explain, I just felt it did not flow smoothly and at times felt a bit bored with detail of journeys and unimportant events took over.
I liked the ending, the ending is the best part of the whole book, lots of action, adventure, and finally some explanation around Sharra and her pull to the maps that she is not allowed to touch. Her destiny awaits. I enjoyed the finale a lot and feel the book is positioned for a sequel the way it ended.
This one was an okay read for me. I did feel the book had huge potential to be brilliant but too much time spent on the unimportant details and not enough on the plot itself. I didn't love it, I didn't hate it, I sit in the middle, neutral on this one. I think some will really like this book and others won't.
January 12, 2015
As a mapmaker myself, I really wanted to love this book. While the premise was amazing, the way in which the story was told fell a little flat for me.
The world is in danger. A terrible darkness threatens to swallow the land and only the Mapmakers can show people where the safe areas are to live and farm. Sharra knows that women are not allowed to make Maps. So then why does she feel so drawn to her father’s MapMaking study, and why does she feel the urge to draw so much? There’s much more to being a Mapmaker than just drawing on paper.
The magic system in the Maps is just amazing, and the world being attacked by the evil forces sounds like it as well, but it is frustratingly out of reach in this book. I kept hoping that the Mapmaking process would be explained more in-depth, or that Sharra would actually do a little more Mapmaking, but all I got were bits and pieces.
There’s a romance aspect in this story that I thought was really unnecessary, and also a little weird. Maven has lost his fiancée and is bent on revenge against her killer. Why on earth would he hook up at all with Sharra? Apart from that, I loved Maven. He was rude enough to be funny and still helped Sharra when she most needed it. Sharra herself was okay I suppose, quite horrified at her own abilities but unable or unwilling to use them to her advantage. Not really hero material just yet, but I’m sure there’s more of this story coming.
This is only a short book, but it had slow pacing at times and didn’t flow very well. Once the action got underway, Sharra and Maven sort of jumped around all over the place and finally ended up in a pretty exciting finale.
3 Stars – While it may sound like I didn’t enjoy reading this book at all, I actually did, honest! The world-building and magic system were fascinating, but I would have loved to read more about them and less about life at Sharra’s father’s house.
This review was originally posted at Tea in the Treetops blog in January 2014.
The world is in danger. A terrible darkness threatens to swallow the land and only the Mapmakers can show people where the safe areas are to live and farm. Sharra knows that women are not allowed to make Maps. So then why does she feel so drawn to her father’s MapMaking study, and why does she feel the urge to draw so much? There’s much more to being a Mapmaker than just drawing on paper.
The magic system in the Maps is just amazing, and the world being attacked by the evil forces sounds like it as well, but it is frustratingly out of reach in this book. I kept hoping that the Mapmaking process would be explained more in-depth, or that Sharra would actually do a little more Mapmaking, but all I got were bits and pieces.
There’s a romance aspect in this story that I thought was really unnecessary, and also a little weird. Maven has lost his fiancée and is bent on revenge against her killer. Why on earth would he hook up at all with Sharra? Apart from that, I loved Maven. He was rude enough to be funny and still helped Sharra when she most needed it. Sharra herself was okay I suppose, quite horrified at her own abilities but unable or unwilling to use them to her advantage. Not really hero material just yet, but I’m sure there’s more of this story coming.
This is only a short book, but it had slow pacing at times and didn’t flow very well. Once the action got underway, Sharra and Maven sort of jumped around all over the place and finally ended up in a pretty exciting finale.
3 Stars – While it may sound like I didn’t enjoy reading this book at all, I actually did, honest! The world-building and magic system were fascinating, but I would have loved to read more about them and less about life at Sharra’s father’s house.
This review was originally posted at Tea in the Treetops blog in January 2014.
April 21, 2014
I really enjoyed this book and found it to be a gripping page-turner; finishing it in just 3 short sittings over a very busy weekend. I found myself fully immersed in the world created by Dunford's descriptive writing and quickly built pictures of the characters, and forged strong allegiances with Sharra, Milton & Maven.
I was disappointed when the book ended as I feel there is much more of this story to be told. What became of the True Map, the Central Archives and Hold politics? Were Sharra and Milton able to restore balance and "Hold Back Death"? Did Sharra and Maven ever cross paths again?...I do hope so! Fingers crossed for a sequel!!
I was disappointed when the book ended as I feel there is much more of this story to be told. What became of the True Map, the Central Archives and Hold politics? Were Sharra and Milton able to restore balance and "Hold Back Death"? Did Sharra and Maven ever cross paths again?...I do hope so! Fingers crossed for a sequel!!
August 28, 2021
Caroline Dunford's The Mapmaker's Daughter is an interesting tale of political wrangling, betrayal and ecological disaster.
The Shift moves across the land bringing devastation in its wake. The Mapmaker's work to prevent this, but their battle to stop the Shift is becoming harder to predict.
The story starts with our MC, Sharra and her socially conscious sister Jayne being Waylaid by a man delivering maps to two towns. However, after his horse breaks it's leg, he has to commandeer a horse. Enter Sharra and Jayne. The Two Daughters of master Mapmaker, Milton.
It is from here that the story springboards off to give a view of the current happenings within the Milton household and the plot, which whilst having a slow start, full of intrigue and political machinations, eventually careers off to become a full blown adventure story.
The book is essentially a story of two halves, with the first half set in the Milton household, and the second half being set in the wider world. For me, I found that as well as being two halves to the book, there was also two tones to the book, with the first half feeling like gothic horror, reminding me very much of Daphne du Maurer's Rebecca, accentuated by the fact that Sharra's mother is a ghost like presence seeping through the essence of the first half of the story. We get constant hints that she is there and that there was some tragedy surrounding her death. Add to that the creaking eeriness of the house and it's forest like library that women are not allowed to enter as they may disrupt the balance. And the second half of the book becomes more of an action/adventure story.
It is obvious that Caroline Dunford likes fairy/folktales as she manages to bring in various tropes of fairy tales such as the evil stepmother who marries the father after the mother has died in tragic circumstances, and is totally selfish, only concerned with her own status, hating the stepdaughter and favouring her own. She also manages to get the tale of Stone soup in there, which is one of my favourite tales as a child.
On top of this she manages to bring in some prescient topical subjects with the main antagonist of the story, the Shift, which reflects current topics such as climate change and the effects of over resourcing the planet. And whilst Sharra's stepmother, Ivory, is the villain of the group (I didn't think I would ever get a Zappa skit in a review😁), the ecological threat of the Shift is the thing that drives the story as it affects the whole of the world that Caroline Dunford has built, and also the what the magic system is based on.
However, for me, one of the main themes that runs through the story is the consequences of our actions, both on a micro level and on a larger scale, and this permeates throughout the book. Now I don't want to go into it too much as this would be major plot spoilers so let's leave it at that shall we?
Now I have talked a lot about topics and themes, but what about the characters. Well, I have to say I liked the characters of the story, especially Sharra, who I liked due to the fact that she is not a perfect character and there are subtle shifts in her personality throughout the book. Initially, she is precocious and at times exasperating. However, midway through the book, she becomes more vulnerable and less sure of herself when she is taken out of her environment, which added to her character and making her more likeable.
Unfortunately, I wasn't that struck on Ivory to be honest. Her character is good, but I wished that she got more page time in the second half of the book, and some more development time, as I felt that she was more of a device to move the story along rather than being an actual part of the plot.
Maven, the other character moves the story along, and quite interestingly harks back to one of my earlier points, in that the book is about consequences, as Maven has being directly affected by certain events in the book, which has a significant effect on the story. Again, I won't go into that part of the story due to spoilers, but it took me by surprise, and I like being surprised!
Now one thing that I found, is that there were a few characters and storylines that I wanted to have a little more depth with, and in my opinion, felt they fell by the wayside due to the brevity of the book. One of these being Gory. I found him to be quite interesting and a bit of a Lord of Misrule type of character that initially sows seeds of chaos, but he kind of disappears in the latter part of the story. I found myself wanting some more depth to him and explore how he could affect the story. Similarly, Dale's story seems to be on the sidelines and when he becomes a little more prominent in the story, I found that the impetus of him and the mercenary army threatening Maven's village was a little bit lost. And I think for me personally, that these two things could have been expanded on.
The magic system is quite intriguing. As you can guess it is based on maps, and I liked the idea of how it works. It is nicely woven into the details of the story, but as time moves on in the book, it becomes a part of the plot.
There are loads of things that I liked in this book, the way it starts as a character driven book but then metamorphoses into a plot focussed story. The pace of the plot, the intriguing magic system and the characters as a whole. And added to the fact that Caroline Dunford's prose is really easy to get along with. I mean, it took me about two days to read this book, so I think that that in itself shows how much I enjoyed it.
So there you have it, my thoughts on The Mapmaker's Daughter by Caroline Dunford.
As an aside, I would like to thank the publishers and Zooloo's tours for a chance to read this book.
The Shift moves across the land bringing devastation in its wake. The Mapmaker's work to prevent this, but their battle to stop the Shift is becoming harder to predict.
The story starts with our MC, Sharra and her socially conscious sister Jayne being Waylaid by a man delivering maps to two towns. However, after his horse breaks it's leg, he has to commandeer a horse. Enter Sharra and Jayne. The Two Daughters of master Mapmaker, Milton.
It is from here that the story springboards off to give a view of the current happenings within the Milton household and the plot, which whilst having a slow start, full of intrigue and political machinations, eventually careers off to become a full blown adventure story.
The book is essentially a story of two halves, with the first half set in the Milton household, and the second half being set in the wider world. For me, I found that as well as being two halves to the book, there was also two tones to the book, with the first half feeling like gothic horror, reminding me very much of Daphne du Maurer's Rebecca, accentuated by the fact that Sharra's mother is a ghost like presence seeping through the essence of the first half of the story. We get constant hints that she is there and that there was some tragedy surrounding her death. Add to that the creaking eeriness of the house and it's forest like library that women are not allowed to enter as they may disrupt the balance. And the second half of the book becomes more of an action/adventure story.
It is obvious that Caroline Dunford likes fairy/folktales as she manages to bring in various tropes of fairy tales such as the evil stepmother who marries the father after the mother has died in tragic circumstances, and is totally selfish, only concerned with her own status, hating the stepdaughter and favouring her own. She also manages to get the tale of Stone soup in there, which is one of my favourite tales as a child.
On top of this she manages to bring in some prescient topical subjects with the main antagonist of the story, the Shift, which reflects current topics such as climate change and the effects of over resourcing the planet. And whilst Sharra's stepmother, Ivory, is the villain of the group (I didn't think I would ever get a Zappa skit in a review😁), the ecological threat of the Shift is the thing that drives the story as it affects the whole of the world that Caroline Dunford has built, and also the what the magic system is based on.
However, for me, one of the main themes that runs through the story is the consequences of our actions, both on a micro level and on a larger scale, and this permeates throughout the book. Now I don't want to go into it too much as this would be major plot spoilers so let's leave it at that shall we?
Now I have talked a lot about topics and themes, but what about the characters. Well, I have to say I liked the characters of the story, especially Sharra, who I liked due to the fact that she is not a perfect character and there are subtle shifts in her personality throughout the book. Initially, she is precocious and at times exasperating. However, midway through the book, she becomes more vulnerable and less sure of herself when she is taken out of her environment, which added to her character and making her more likeable.
Unfortunately, I wasn't that struck on Ivory to be honest. Her character is good, but I wished that she got more page time in the second half of the book, and some more development time, as I felt that she was more of a device to move the story along rather than being an actual part of the plot.
Maven, the other character moves the story along, and quite interestingly harks back to one of my earlier points, in that the book is about consequences, as Maven has being directly affected by certain events in the book, which has a significant effect on the story. Again, I won't go into that part of the story due to spoilers, but it took me by surprise, and I like being surprised!
Now one thing that I found, is that there were a few characters and storylines that I wanted to have a little more depth with, and in my opinion, felt they fell by the wayside due to the brevity of the book. One of these being Gory. I found him to be quite interesting and a bit of a Lord of Misrule type of character that initially sows seeds of chaos, but he kind of disappears in the latter part of the story. I found myself wanting some more depth to him and explore how he could affect the story. Similarly, Dale's story seems to be on the sidelines and when he becomes a little more prominent in the story, I found that the impetus of him and the mercenary army threatening Maven's village was a little bit lost. And I think for me personally, that these two things could have been expanded on.
The magic system is quite intriguing. As you can guess it is based on maps, and I liked the idea of how it works. It is nicely woven into the details of the story, but as time moves on in the book, it becomes a part of the plot.
There are loads of things that I liked in this book, the way it starts as a character driven book but then metamorphoses into a plot focussed story. The pace of the plot, the intriguing magic system and the characters as a whole. And added to the fact that Caroline Dunford's prose is really easy to get along with. I mean, it took me about two days to read this book, so I think that that in itself shows how much I enjoyed it.
So there you have it, my thoughts on The Mapmaker's Daughter by Caroline Dunford.
As an aside, I would like to thank the publishers and Zooloo's tours for a chance to read this book.
August 24, 2021
I’d like to thank Zoe from Zooloo’s Book Tours for arranging his tour and inviting me to take part.
I found this book very easy and quick to read. I was instantly fascinated by the world of the map maker’s and loved the world building the author had put in place. The idea of physical shifts happening without warning had a climate change ring to it that made the book feel quite relevant to our current climate situation.
I’m slowly starting to enjoy reading fantasy books more and more and this one certainly hit the mark. It had just the right amount of magic and supernatural elements to keep me interested as a reader without overloading on information.
Sharra was a brilliant character. She had so much strength when it came to her beliefs and need for survival that you couldn’t help but want her to succeed. Despite being an outcast she never let this stop her from perusing her goals or trying to change the ways of the map maker’s. Lady Ivory certainly didn’t make it easy for her and she played the role of woman scorned/evil step mother perfectly!
Considering the book is only 240 pages there was plenty of action. From the moment Sharra left her family home she faced obstacle after obstacle. The drama and action certainly kept my intrigue and when Maven was introduced I found there was a level of humour added to an already great read. Whilst some may argue the romance wasn’t entirely necessary between Sharra and Maven I for one enjoyed this added nugget. Given what they had been through it was inevitable that some chemistry would stir between them.
In summary this was a fast paced, intricately planned fantasy tale that had me stuck in my chair till it was over. My only question is will we see Sharra again? Will we ever find out what happened next?
I found this book very easy and quick to read. I was instantly fascinated by the world of the map maker’s and loved the world building the author had put in place. The idea of physical shifts happening without warning had a climate change ring to it that made the book feel quite relevant to our current climate situation.
I’m slowly starting to enjoy reading fantasy books more and more and this one certainly hit the mark. It had just the right amount of magic and supernatural elements to keep me interested as a reader without overloading on information.
Sharra was a brilliant character. She had so much strength when it came to her beliefs and need for survival that you couldn’t help but want her to succeed. Despite being an outcast she never let this stop her from perusing her goals or trying to change the ways of the map maker’s. Lady Ivory certainly didn’t make it easy for her and she played the role of woman scorned/evil step mother perfectly!
Considering the book is only 240 pages there was plenty of action. From the moment Sharra left her family home she faced obstacle after obstacle. The drama and action certainly kept my intrigue and when Maven was introduced I found there was a level of humour added to an already great read. Whilst some may argue the romance wasn’t entirely necessary between Sharra and Maven I for one enjoyed this added nugget. Given what they had been through it was inevitable that some chemistry would stir between them.
In summary this was a fast paced, intricately planned fantasy tale that had me stuck in my chair till it was over. My only question is will we see Sharra again? Will we ever find out what happened next?
August 30, 2021
A huge thank you to @zooloosbooktours for my #gifted copy of this book for this tour.
This book was a really good start. I absolutely love the idea behind it and Dunford really knows how to write.
I absolutely love Sharra, her character was so easy to like and you couldn't help route for her. I liked the sort of feminism this book has in regards to females not being allowed to be Map Makers. Something Sharra desperately wants. You can tell she is skilled and it calls tp her.
The Shift is very interesting and it certainly made the story on edge and action-packed.
I felt this book was however a bit slow for me and even though it's a historical fantasy, I'd say this book is a very light fantasy. For me that made the book lack a bit. I'm so used to conplex, adult, high and epic fantasy, this was just extremely gentle. This is certainly a good book for people thinking about getting into fantasy.
Theres a lot of pros and cons with this book for me personally. The writing is exceptional and Dunford is an amazing writer and you can see that in the book. I liked the idea of the plot and feel if it was more fantastical I'd of absolutely loved it. I really liked all the characters and there journey, especially Sharra and how she grows in this book.
This may not be a perfect book for me, but I definitely see many people loving this book. So give it a go and see.
This book was a really good start. I absolutely love the idea behind it and Dunford really knows how to write.
I absolutely love Sharra, her character was so easy to like and you couldn't help route for her. I liked the sort of feminism this book has in regards to females not being allowed to be Map Makers. Something Sharra desperately wants. You can tell she is skilled and it calls tp her.
The Shift is very interesting and it certainly made the story on edge and action-packed.
I felt this book was however a bit slow for me and even though it's a historical fantasy, I'd say this book is a very light fantasy. For me that made the book lack a bit. I'm so used to conplex, adult, high and epic fantasy, this was just extremely gentle. This is certainly a good book for people thinking about getting into fantasy.
Theres a lot of pros and cons with this book for me personally. The writing is exceptional and Dunford is an amazing writer and you can see that in the book. I liked the idea of the plot and feel if it was more fantastical I'd of absolutely loved it. I really liked all the characters and there journey, especially Sharra and how she grows in this book.
This may not be a perfect book for me, but I definitely see many people loving this book. So give it a go and see.
August 25, 2021
This is another of those books that i ordinarily wouldnt have picked up, not thinking it would be my thing. Yet it has become one of those books that has taken me by suprise and sucked me into its pages, and told me its story, and let the world carry on around me without my noticing.
It is the story of Sharra, a young girl in a world where females are expected to be homemakers, obey and not ask questions.
The different Hold's are ruled by Mapmakers, of which Sharra's father is one. His first wife, Sharra's mother, died when she was very young. His second wife does not like Sharra at all, but how far will she go to get her out of the way?
As always I find with a book of this type, it takes a while to get into the strange worlds, names, customs etc. However, once I did, I was engrossed. I love Sharra, she was such a feisty smart young woman who wasnt afraid to question the hierachy. She comes across a young man Maven, who despite being grumpy, surly and rude throughout, was strangely likeable. He is a good man at heart.
The story is cleverly set up so incidents early on come back later and make sense and the conclusion was very clever, and not something I could have predicted.
It is the story of Sharra, a young girl in a world where females are expected to be homemakers, obey and not ask questions.
The different Hold's are ruled by Mapmakers, of which Sharra's father is one. His first wife, Sharra's mother, died when she was very young. His second wife does not like Sharra at all, but how far will she go to get her out of the way?
As always I find with a book of this type, it takes a while to get into the strange worlds, names, customs etc. However, once I did, I was engrossed. I love Sharra, she was such a feisty smart young woman who wasnt afraid to question the hierachy. She comes across a young man Maven, who despite being grumpy, surly and rude throughout, was strangely likeable. He is a good man at heart.
The story is cleverly set up so incidents early on come back later and make sense and the conclusion was very clever, and not something I could have predicted.
October 27, 2017
Tsja, dan blijkt dat er wel 3 boeken met dezelfde titel zijn. Dit was duidelijk niet het boek waar ik naar op zoek was.
Omdat het nou eenmaal op de e-reader stond toch maar gelezen.
Fantasy is duidelijk niet mijn ding hoewel ik in sommige passages nog wel een soort analogie zag naar reële situaties.
Soms was het spannend maar er zaten ook onverklaarbare dingen in. Overals is kaarsverlichting, iedereen rijdt in een koets maar er wordt niet verklaard hoe het dan mogelijk is om enorme kokers met documenten door ondergrondse tunnels te verplaatsen en hoe het kan dat er lampjes branden in al jaren verlaten tunnels.
Een kleine 3 sterren, eerder 2,5.
Omdat het nou eenmaal op de e-reader stond toch maar gelezen.
Fantasy is duidelijk niet mijn ding hoewel ik in sommige passages nog wel een soort analogie zag naar reële situaties.
Soms was het spannend maar er zaten ook onverklaarbare dingen in. Overals is kaarsverlichting, iedereen rijdt in een koets maar er wordt niet verklaard hoe het dan mogelijk is om enorme kokers met documenten door ondergrondse tunnels te verplaatsen en hoe het kan dat er lampjes branden in al jaren verlaten tunnels.
Een kleine 3 sterren, eerder 2,5.
August 24, 2021
I thought this was a very well written book , if you are looking for a young adult fantasy book then check this one out !
In this book we meet Sharra , violent shifts and outbreaks of black fire alter the landscape, only a mapmakers can see where the shifts are going to be , Sharra wants to break the rules and become a mapmaker , we follow her journey are will her on through it all , everything that is put in her way!
A brilliant book that will have you hooked on it , great descriptions of the characters and setting adding depth too the book and means you can picture it while you are reading it, I can't wait to read more from this author !
In this book we meet Sharra , violent shifts and outbreaks of black fire alter the landscape, only a mapmakers can see where the shifts are going to be , Sharra wants to break the rules and become a mapmaker , we follow her journey are will her on through it all , everything that is put in her way!
A brilliant book that will have you hooked on it , great descriptions of the characters and setting adding depth too the book and means you can picture it while you are reading it, I can't wait to read more from this author !
August 27, 2021
"The Map Maker's Daughter" is a gentle YA fantasy novel, that calls for feet up, a pot of tea, snacks, and a blanket. The main character, Sharra, is easy to connect with and I found myself cheering her on at several stages. The world is fascinating and has been crafted well. The writing is easy to read and enjoyable. Will there be more from the world of the Map Makers? I hope so!
This review was written voluntarily and is entirely my own, unbiased, opinion. My thanks to zooloo2008
This review was written voluntarily and is entirely my own, unbiased, opinion. My thanks to zooloo2008
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May 8, 2024Interesting, story line. It felt a little like the characters were still being developed as the book ended and I did not understand how some of them were feeling what they said they were feeling. Clearly leading into the next book in the series.
June 12, 2017
Sort of boring. It had too much love, and not enough action.
April 6, 2018
started out good, but died for me about half way. I ended up just wanting it to end. I love the concept and world but Sharra just irritated me to much.
November 21, 2014
The Mapmaker's Daughter has a unique premise. I don't think I've ever encountered a world quite like the one presented here, but I never had a complete sense of the landscape, the politics, or the laws of magic. I suppose the same is true of the main characters since Sharra isn't familiar with the word 'consort,' let alone the implications I don't think I would have scrutinized the universe so closely if I'd connected with the characters at all, but neither Sharra nor Maven work for me. Sharra doesn't seem to grow much as a character until the ending and at that point, I didn't believe either
Unfair though it might be, I was frustrated with Sharra because she doesn't have (m)any plans or insights of her own. I admire her courage (I guess), but I can't applaud it because her actions are so entirely uninformed and Sharra doesn't try to acquire more knowledge before she acts or reacts. Under the circumstances, one would think she might. Maven, on the other hand, struck me as inconsistent. He's so furious after the loss of his fiancée that he wants to kill a Map Maker for negligence, despite the consequences to the world, his family, and himself.
The plot felt similarly disconnected. Every moment, I expected Sharra (or Dame Ivory or Jion or Lord Milton) to set it in motion, but their actions seemed to have far less impact than all the fuss would imply. When the story finally got underway, it threw me off because Sharra seemed out of her mind. Every twist, from , seemed more unnecessary than the last. That said, I like Sharra's backstory and her relationship with Jayne. I would've loved to learn more about both subjects and I suspect I would've enjoyed the book more if it had focused on Sharra's mother and Dame Ivory. Maybe Sharra's father, too.
I wanted to like The Mapmaker's Daughter as it was, but nothing seemed to work. The writing had its moments, but looking back, I remember the godawful copy editing more clearly than any turn of phrase. The world felt inaccessible to me and neither the characters nor the romance made much sense. While the ending seems to suggest a sequel, I can't imagine where it would go and I'm not terribly keen to find out.
Unfair though it might be, I was frustrated with Sharra because she doesn't have (m)any plans or insights of her own. I admire her courage (I guess), but I can't applaud it because her actions are so entirely uninformed and Sharra doesn't try to acquire more knowledge before she acts or reacts. Under the circumstances, one would think she might. Maven, on the other hand, struck me as inconsistent. He's so furious after the loss of his fiancée that he wants to kill a Map Maker for negligence, despite the consequences to the world, his family, and himself.
The plot felt similarly disconnected. Every moment, I expected Sharra (or Dame Ivory or Jion or Lord Milton) to set it in motion, but their actions seemed to have far less impact than all the fuss would imply. When the story finally got underway, it threw me off because Sharra seemed out of her mind. Every twist, from , seemed more unnecessary than the last. That said, I like Sharra's backstory and her relationship with Jayne. I would've loved to learn more about both subjects and I suspect I would've enjoyed the book more if it had focused on Sharra's mother and Dame Ivory. Maybe Sharra's father, too.
I wanted to like The Mapmaker's Daughter as it was, but nothing seemed to work. The writing had its moments, but looking back, I remember the godawful copy editing more clearly than any turn of phrase. The world felt inaccessible to me and neither the characters nor the romance made much sense. While the ending seems to suggest a sequel, I can't imagine where it would go and I'm not terribly keen to find out.
August 1, 2014
Review also available on my blog!
Read my interview with the author Caroline Dunford!
Hi guys!
In The Mapmaker’s Daughter, you are thrown straight into the fantasy world Sharra lives in. I’m not sure if the world has a name but it has two moons so it isn’t Earth. This world has very violent Shifts which the Mapmaker’s predict and makes maps to tell people where is safe. This idea of Maps and Shifts is really imaginative and I loved the originality of the idea and the direction Dunford chose to take with this plotline. Although being thrust straight into this is a bit confusing to start, once you grasp the idea, you are really immersed into this world like any good fantasy book should do. With such an original idea I found it difficult to predict what was going to happen and therefore the ending was pleasantly unpredictable.
Although this is a fantasy book with a different world, it wasn’t filled with pages and pages of historical description of world. This works in cases such as Lord of the Rings and Game of Thrones but it is very tricky making it readable and if it goes wrong then it can ruin a book. I enjoyed how The Mapmaker’s Daughter leapt straight into the story and the action. It made this a very quick and gripping read - I read it in one sitting - as you are eager to know what happens. However, although I enjoyed the quick pace of this book, I think Dunford could have included perhaps more information about the world’s history. Not too much but a little more as although you knew enough about the Shifts to understand them, more historical information typical in fantasy would have given this book the depth which I felt that it lacked.
I enjoyed the variety of characters. There was a real mix of good and evil as well as others who were a mix of both. However, I felt much more description of the characters was needed. You are never told Sharra’s age or appearance. Only that Jayne (her step-sister) is two years older than her. But we are never told Jayne’s age! I pictured Sharra as about 15 years old in this book due to her childish nature but maturity to soon be getting married. However, as we are never told her age, she could be anywhere from 13-18! Her appearance isn’t mentioned either, I simply pictured her as the girl on the cover. I found this particularly strange as certain characters, such as Gareth, through the use of similes I could easily picture in my mind, but many others I simply had to guess. This was a major downfall, in my opinion.
Overall, a very promising book with a wonderfully original plot but would have benefited with more depth in terms of characters and the history of the world it is set in.
3 stars.
Have you read this ebook? What did you think? :)
-Molly
Read my interview with the author Caroline Dunford!
Hi guys!
In The Mapmaker’s Daughter, you are thrown straight into the fantasy world Sharra lives in. I’m not sure if the world has a name but it has two moons so it isn’t Earth. This world has very violent Shifts which the Mapmaker’s predict and makes maps to tell people where is safe. This idea of Maps and Shifts is really imaginative and I loved the originality of the idea and the direction Dunford chose to take with this plotline. Although being thrust straight into this is a bit confusing to start, once you grasp the idea, you are really immersed into this world like any good fantasy book should do. With such an original idea I found it difficult to predict what was going to happen and therefore the ending was pleasantly unpredictable.
Although this is a fantasy book with a different world, it wasn’t filled with pages and pages of historical description of world. This works in cases such as Lord of the Rings and Game of Thrones but it is very tricky making it readable and if it goes wrong then it can ruin a book. I enjoyed how The Mapmaker’s Daughter leapt straight into the story and the action. It made this a very quick and gripping read - I read it in one sitting - as you are eager to know what happens. However, although I enjoyed the quick pace of this book, I think Dunford could have included perhaps more information about the world’s history. Not too much but a little more as although you knew enough about the Shifts to understand them, more historical information typical in fantasy would have given this book the depth which I felt that it lacked.
I enjoyed the variety of characters. There was a real mix of good and evil as well as others who were a mix of both. However, I felt much more description of the characters was needed. You are never told Sharra’s age or appearance. Only that Jayne (her step-sister) is two years older than her. But we are never told Jayne’s age! I pictured Sharra as about 15 years old in this book due to her childish nature but maturity to soon be getting married. However, as we are never told her age, she could be anywhere from 13-18! Her appearance isn’t mentioned either, I simply pictured her as the girl on the cover. I found this particularly strange as certain characters, such as Gareth, through the use of similes I could easily picture in my mind, but many others I simply had to guess. This was a major downfall, in my opinion.
Overall, a very promising book with a wonderfully original plot but would have benefited with more depth in terms of characters and the history of the world it is set in.
3 stars.
Have you read this ebook? What did you think? :)
-Molly
May 21, 2014
An imaginative idea that a select group have the talent to change the lie of the land through their drawing skills. The story is centred on the struggle between those who want to make the world better and those with self serving interests. Sheera has this talent to draw changes on a map that cause irreparable damage. The story centres on her capture and eventual rescue. The story really felt uneven in the timing of plot points. A lot of time was spent on setting up Sheera's character and those close to her but then the action quickly jumped to her kidnapping, her escape, her recapture, her escape again and so forth. I felt the style also needed refining as it lacked sophisticated control.
December 20, 2015
Interesting world but the writing failed to grab me. Dnf
June 12, 2015
Left me wondering if there will be another adventure with the map makers daughter.
August 11, 2015
The Mapmaker's Daughter
This was an interesting novel-- I loved the premise and idea but hated the self-sacrificing heroine storyline. It was an enjoyable read.
This was an interesting novel-- I loved the premise and idea but hated the self-sacrificing heroine storyline. It was an enjoyable read.
Want to read
February 27, 2016Read through netgalley.com
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