Genre: YA Epic Fantasy/Coming of Age
Rating: 4.75/5
Evangeline is an elf who has just come of age. An elder gives her a stone and tells her of a prophecy that she is destined to fulfill. She sets off on her quest, stopping in the realm of the witches first. There, she meets Caleb. As Caleb and Eva travel to the various realms gathering allies, they discover a strength within themselves that they did not know existed. Evangeline learns more about her past, some of it heartbreaking. Defeating the great evil that has invaded the land will be costly, but Eva and Caleb are determined to do whatever it takes.
There is just that little "something" about this book that made it really stick with me. I don't read a whole lot of epic fantasy (although, I do enjoy Terry Brooks and JRR Tolkien on occasion), but this book was really refreshing and exciting to read. I loved the setup - there are multiple realms in this world: witches, vampires, elves, etc - and it is a really rich setting. There are multitudinous ways that the author could go with the stories in this universe, and I find that to be incredibly exciting.
The characters were well done, and the lessons learned were important. Great job, Alana Greig! I look forward to reading more of your work! (I am definitely planning on making this series a part of my children's library when they are older!) This book just made me happy! :-)