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Guardian
Decisions can haunt you.
Five cycles ago Y’keta’s fear of responsibility drove him into exile. Now, settled in a new village, he faces the same choice again.
The Utlaak horde is on the move. Destroying village after village in their search for the mysterious Lifebinder Crystal, and Siann, the young shaman who controls it.
Soon, they will find his village, and her.
On that day Y'keta must decide if he will risk losing everything he has come to love, or will he finally become what he was meant to be? The Guardian.
Five cycles ago Y’keta’s fear of responsibility drove him into exile. Now, settled in a new village, he faces the same choice again.
The Utlaak horde is on the move. Destroying village after village in their search for the mysterious Lifebinder Crystal, and Siann, the young shaman who controls it.
Soon, they will find his village, and her.
On that day Y'keta must decide if he will risk losing everything he has come to love, or will he finally become what he was meant to be? The Guardian.
361 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 8, 2019
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
October 26, 2021
Guardian is the second book of the Sky Road Trilogy, a Literary High Fantasy YA series by Canadian author Sandra Hurst. I recommend this book highly for both YA readers and adult readers—the writing and worldbuilding here is stunning and masterful.
If you haven’t already read Book 1, Y’keta, definitely grab a copy as it is also an excellent read, but you could start with Book 2 and not feel completely lost as the first couple chapters will ease you into the storyline. We open to find the Utlaak have been attacking villages in greater numbers and higher frequency, tearing the communities apart. What they lack in strength, the Utlaak make up for in sheer quantity, and the warriors of the villages are growing tired. A mystery unfolds as they learn more about their enemy.
Y’keta, once exiled from his homeland for reasons I won’t spoil here, finds himself faced with accepting his own destiny of becoming a Guardian. Siann, an incredibly powerful young shaman who holds the Lifebinder Crystal, is faced with her own destiny as she grapples with her growing power and the ways it risks changing her forever. Meanwhile, as the villagers fight the enemies that threaten them from beyond their borders, once-trusted friends prove conspirators from within their ranks.
At times heartwarming and at times heartbreaking, this book delivers a tremendous depth of human emotion in a gorgeously rendered mythology-based fantasy environment. I was on the production team for this book, so I do have my biases, but I can honestly say I adored this book, have read it recreationally and not just professionally, and recommend it to others any chance I get. Minimal to no swearing or sexual content with mild to moderate violence, if you’re a parent scoping books for your teens (comparable to Harry Potter or Hunger Games or other YA, to my best recollection). Includes LGBTQ+ diversity representation very tastefully and skillfully done.
A powerful and beautifully written story with richly crafted fantasy, breath-taking action, vivid characters and character development arcs that won’t be soon forgotten. An absolute must read for anyone who loves high fantasy YA. I can’t wait for the conclusion to this series!
If you haven’t already read Book 1, Y’keta, definitely grab a copy as it is also an excellent read, but you could start with Book 2 and not feel completely lost as the first couple chapters will ease you into the storyline. We open to find the Utlaak have been attacking villages in greater numbers and higher frequency, tearing the communities apart. What they lack in strength, the Utlaak make up for in sheer quantity, and the warriors of the villages are growing tired. A mystery unfolds as they learn more about their enemy.
Y’keta, once exiled from his homeland for reasons I won’t spoil here, finds himself faced with accepting his own destiny of becoming a Guardian. Siann, an incredibly powerful young shaman who holds the Lifebinder Crystal, is faced with her own destiny as she grapples with her growing power and the ways it risks changing her forever. Meanwhile, as the villagers fight the enemies that threaten them from beyond their borders, once-trusted friends prove conspirators from within their ranks.
At times heartwarming and at times heartbreaking, this book delivers a tremendous depth of human emotion in a gorgeously rendered mythology-based fantasy environment. I was on the production team for this book, so I do have my biases, but I can honestly say I adored this book, have read it recreationally and not just professionally, and recommend it to others any chance I get. Minimal to no swearing or sexual content with mild to moderate violence, if you’re a parent scoping books for your teens (comparable to Harry Potter or Hunger Games or other YA, to my best recollection). Includes LGBTQ+ diversity representation very tastefully and skillfully done.
A powerful and beautifully written story with richly crafted fantasy, breath-taking action, vivid characters and character development arcs that won’t be soon forgotten. An absolute must read for anyone who loves high fantasy YA. I can’t wait for the conclusion to this series!
Displaying 1 of 1 review