Title: Silver Fire
I was given an ARC in exchange for a review
Name: Freya Pickard
Genre: Fantasy
Synopsis:
When Otta and Erl are banished from their village for angering the gods, they embark on a peculiar quest. Commanded by a wandering god, Otta is obliged to follow the strange, elusive “unicorn’s trail.” Her twin brother, Erl, has lost his memory and is struggling to discover who he is. As they travel further from the shelter of the Homestead, the siblings discover unpleasant traits in their personalities. They must learn to adapt and change before they are driven apart. Who is the wandering god? Just what is the “unicorn’s trail” and where will it lead? What are the kaerlings? And who are the brown-robed travellers that trespass in Otta’s dreams? Silver Fire is the first volume in Freya Pickard’s epic fantasy series The Kaerling.
My Review:
Silver Fire is one of those novels that deserves to be promoted in the SPFBO blog by Freya Pickard.
This is the gritty version of what a Western setting of Avatar the Last Airbener would look like. I think Freya has done a wonderful job with the descriptions of her character, the elegance of her prose, and the good dialogue that is interspersed within this novel.
Without much spoilers, I read a quote on twitter saying that a reader wishes to be in the world. I can say that Frey a must have researched Celtic Mythology/Norse Mythology because I didn’t feel it was too Christian inspired which is a good thing. Much of Christianity’s origins came from the adaption of Celtic/Roman Paganism for that matter. I also felt that Otta’s character was good, but her emotional development needed more scenes. I wanted her to feel more remorse for her actions, and to feel a bit more compassionate in terms of scene development. Erl on the other hand was like an empty vessel in the ocean with a sentient soul trying to figure out in the middle of the ocean where he was. Although I did not understand the desire he had when there were many women around.
I would ask Freya if she could upgrade her cover. Because I could easily see this novel being promoted by HarperCollins or Harpervoyager, and the writing is so smooth and fluid I am flabbergasted that she has not been picked up. Really I am. I’d be happy to finish this trilogy and I understand that due to budget costs this may not be possible. I am immersed into this world. I can clearly see a large range of diverse cultures. I want to see a map for one. I did not feel that Otta’s parents got enough scene development myself, and would have wanted to seen more in the novel. This is a fantastic read. You are missing out on a wonderful novel and seriously, this is a fantastic debut. Your proof-editor did a wonderful job. My rating: 5/5
Al-Alhambra Book Reviews 