Review: Arrow of the Mist by Christina Mercer (Arrow of the Mist Series)

When I saw this cover flash by on NetGalley, I thought: 1) MAN that is a beautiful cover and 2) I should read that:

Terror strikes the Celtic inspired kingdom of Nemetona when barbed roots breach the veil of a forbidden land and poison woodsmen, including 15-year-old Lia’s beloved father. Lia and three others embark on a quest to the forbidden land of Brume to gather ingredients for the cure. But after her elder kinsman is attacked and poisoned, she and her cousin, Wynn, are forced to finish the quest on their own.

Lia relies on her powerful herbal wisdom and the memorized pages of her late grandmother’s Grimoire for guidance through a land of soul-hungry shades, trickster creatures, and uncovered truths about the origin of Brume and her family’s unexpected ties to it. The deeper they trek into the land, the stronger Lia’s untapped gift as a tree mage unfolds. When she discovers the enchanted root’s maker, it forces her to question everything about who she is and what is her destiny. Ultimately she must make a terrible choice: keep fighting to save her father and the people of the lands or join with the power behind the deadly roots to help nature start anew.

Originality: 7- This is much more fantasy then I expected, much more magical.  I liked the characters, especially Lia, but they were not very developed, and predictably intertwined.

Absurdity: 6- Young girl must save her village.  Of course she is an outcast, of course she has magic, and of COURSE the hunky boy loves her no matter what.

Paranormal Romance: 2- Womp womp. we get two kisses and some looks but this is a story of Lia and her cousin ( and since this is not a G.R. Martin book, these two are just FRIENDS and COUSINS.  Thank god).

Level of Harry Potter-ness: 5- This genre is YA Fiction, Middle Grade Fiction, and it is definitely closer to middle grade.  Still, I almost gave up but persevered pretty much because my flight was delayed and I was stuck in the airport with nothing else to read, but I was surprised at some of the twists and turns in the end.   Anyone who has a younger reader around, I would definitely recommend this for good clean story telling with some suspense!

FTC Full Disclosure: I received a review copy from Christina Mercer via NetGalley. Happy reading followed. (We do not accept or receive compensation for reviews at YAF and WS.)