Author: Joanne Mallory
Genre: Fantasy
Expected Publication Date: January 17, 2017
Publisher: Crooked Cat PublishingCrooked Cat Publishing
Pages: 145
This product was given to Black Fox Book Review in exchange for an honest review.
My Star Review: 3 out of 5
Book Blurb:
Thea Lavelle has a lot to juggle: a teaching career that is ramping up, keeping tabs on her globetrotting family and fine tuning her craft.
Thea is a hereditary witch whose gift came late. She’s still learning exactly what her wayward magic can do, but on meeting Marc, her best friend’s brother, she soon discovers her magic has some firm ideas about it wants.
The fates have been pushing Marc back home, to the bay of his teenage years. He knows that grief and guilt have left him burnt out, and that his family’s particular skill with healing is the best place for him.
He’d left home not knowing what he was searching for. Could it be that she’d been in Langston Bay all along?
Thunder Moon is the first novella in a trilogy of love, family and age-old magic.
Review:
First off, let me admit that I totally judge books by their cover. And when I saw this cover, I swooned a little bit. It drew me in, and convinced me that this story about a witch discovering her gifts would be a magical treat. This will be author Mallory's debut novel, not due to be released until January 2017.
I really enjoy Mallory's description of the novel's setting: a beach village where the locals all know each other. I can feel the sunny breezes, and the salt of the rising tides. I assume the story takes place in England, judging by the author's vernacular. And though the town of Portsmouth is mentioned several times, a bit more detail on the location would probably be helpful to the average American reader.
Mallory's detailed depiction of the area's scenic nature lends itself to the magical plot. Thea draws her power from the area, and frequents a copse of trees where the spirits speak to her. Now, I am absolutely no stranger to magical fantasy novels. I was, however, taken aback at how REAL the magic in this story was made out to be. I am a bit uncomfortable with how commonplace and natural the characters' magic blends into the real world. Thea never has to struggle to hide or explain her powers to non-gifted people, which I thought was a missed opportunity for dramatic development. She is still learning what she can do, but there is nothing incredulous in her experience. She just seems to accept it far too smoothly and easily.
My main criticism of the novel is the length. At 145 pages, it doesn't allow for adequate character development and growth. I really enjoy Thea, Ellie, and Marc. I feel like we became fast friends in a short time. However, I wanted to know more about their background. I wanted them to have to struggle through a few more obstacles before we reached a happy ending. And, to be honest, I wanted more fantasy. Too much of the book felt like regular old adult fiction, in a lovely beach setting, with some erotic love scenes thrown in for good measure.
Aside from these few gripes, and a few editing errors, I enjoyed Mallory's writing style. I hope to see her grow as an author in the future.
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