Straight Reading from the Library: Ennara and the Fallen Druid by Angela Myron

Goddess Fish Promotions sent Ennara and the Fallen Druid to The Library to review as part of Angela Myron's virtual book tour. Leave a comment to win an “Ennara and the Fallen Druid” coffee mug to one randomly drawn commenter (US only). You can see the other stops on the tour here: http://goddessfishpromotions.blogspot.com/2013/08/virtual-review-tour-ennara-and-fallen.html.

READ THE BLURB

Eleven year-old Ennara Gaern has a serious grudge against the dragon on her right hand.

Born with a caul—a mask that foretold magical powers—she was immediately inked with the fiendish, fire-breathing tattoo that forces her to study boring texts, cover her hand continuously, and worst of all, keeps her from visiting the beautiful capital city, Dordonne. But her quiet life changes when one night she is attacked by a shadowy demon.

Tork, an old friend and wizard, is enlisted to help. But when he arrives, he informs Ennara’s parents that she is her world’s only hope of finding the legendary Sword of Gisilfrid, which is needed to destroy the curse that is creating the demons. Ennara doesn’t want to leave on the dangerous quest, but when she learns the curse threatens her world, she reluctantly agrees.

Ennara and the wizard begin a perilous journey to the Sunken City, pitting them against dangerous oceans and pirates intent on claiming Ennara’s magic as their own. With only her friends at her side, including the intelligent, aquatic cat Smoos, Ennara must defeat monsters guarding the sword and servants of the Fallen Druid. When her world is covered in darkness, will she know how to dispel the curse?

READ THE REVIEW

What a charmer of a book! I loved the character of Ennara. She's feisty and ready to meet the challenges that are thrown her way. She was born with a caul and, because of it, the midwife--by law-- was obliged to tattoo her hand. This pretty much keeps her from leaving the small village she belongs to because of her parents' fear that people would harm her in their desire for her magical abilities.

The author does a wonderful job portraying this world and the dangers that lurk. She does an equally good job in making all the characters live--not just the main characters, but the secondary characters as well are fully developed.

I really liked the way Ennara, along with the help of her friends, go on a quest to find a legendary sword--the only thing that will destroy a curse that is threatening Ennara's country. They have an adult with them, but when he falls (the Fallen Druid), it is up to the kids to save the day--a situation all the middle graders at the library will love!

There are some laugh out loud moments when Ennara first starts working her magic (please see the excerpt for an example). I'm very glad this is the first book of the series. I'm looking forward to Ennara's next adventure!

ENJOY AN EXCERPT

Ennara shuffled to the rear of the cheese vendor’s stall, crouched low, and aimed. “Mag gwihuwo!”

A fine finger of black smoke curled toward the meat shop. As the ashy spell landed on the animal parts, they twitched. A woman walking by the stand shrieked. The butcher looked up, his eyes bigger than eggs and his mouth in an “O.” Several shoppers shouted in astonishment. Others yelled and ran.

A passing monk cried, “The devil is among us!” as six headless hens wriggled their way off the hooks and scrambled on the ground, flapping their featherless wings.

Then the lamb legs got free, and there they were, bouncing round the empty area in front of the butcher’s stall. The crowd parted. Some ran home. Others ran inside stores and shut the doors, but many stayed to see what would happen. The center of the plaza was clear except for the butcher, who hid in his stall clutching a cleaver, the city sentinel, still holding Kithe, Mr. Dulfsnark, a dozen reanimated chickens, five dancing legs of lamb, and a menacing zombie hog.

The watchman spun around as the gathering dispersed and saw the reanimated meat. “What the…?”

A chicken bolted for the man’s leg. He released his grip on Kithe and punted the creature away. The chicken flapped its wings as it whizzed through the air and smashed into a vegetable cart.

Mr. Dulfsnark made a mad grasp at a bouncing leg of lamb and struggled to hang on to it.

“Hey!” the butcher called, “You’ll be paying for the lamb, Dulfsnark!”

MEET THE AUTHOR

Like many writers, I have a full life in which I juggle many duties and joys. I love to cook, garden, and play with my twins. As a mother to toddlers, I write whenever I am not helping them navigate their day--which typically means in the early mornings and early afternoons when they sleep, and sometimes when Grandma comes to visit.

I was twenty-two when writing became a passion of mine. I've been doing it in one form or another ever since. But it took me a very long time to follow my heart's desire to tell stories.

For years, I simply journaled. I delved into writing articles for newsletters and grant proposals. I settled into technical writing, often finding myself a one-person writing, editing, design, app development, and publication team. I learned the basics of journalism, and finally, when on maternity leave with my twins, I turned to writing fiction.

I am grateful for every reader I have. Writing can be a solitary pursuit, but it can also be a dialog, a meeting of the minds. I invite you to connect with me:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/AngelaMyron
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/myron.angela?fref=ts
Website: http://www.angelamyron.com/
Buy the book at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Smashwords, or iTunes.