Scan barcode
A review by nannyf
The Cathedral of Cliffdale by Melissa Delport
4.0
As a teenager I loved stories which involved mythical creatures. This continues today, and I am always looking for a new series of books to indulge my fantasy cravings. When I was asked by the author if I would like to read the first in her fantasy series I was more than happy to oblige.
There are a lot of different strands to this story. We have a young woman who is raising her niece and nephew following the death of her beloved twin sister. She is doing a great job, and loves them as if they were her own. But this isn't just a simple case of sisterly love. The sisters were, first and foremost, guardians of a secret city called Summerfeld. The city has been protected by the guardians, and magic, for many years. The purpose of the secrecy, and indeed the guardians themselves, is to protect the last remaining magical creatures from vampires who are set on killing them all.
The number of guardians needed to properly fulfil these duties is twelve. If a guardian is killed another will be called upon to fill the space. However following the death of Quinn's sister, Avery, her successor has failed to appear. Quinn is called back to Summerfeld to fulfill her destiny as a guardian, but refuses on the basis that she must find her niece and nephew who have been hidden from her as a way to ensure she returns.
The story then takes quite a surreal turn when Quinn settles in another town, trying to discover the whereabouts of the missing children, and finds herself making friends with the most unlikely of people.
There are so many magical strands to this story, so many new creatures to meet. I found it a little difficult at first trying to keep up with everyone the author was introducing. But once I got into the book I was totally sucked in. There are quite a few different storylines happening at the same time, all which work together to turn this from a simple story into something which promises so much more to come.
Many thanks to the author for a copy in exchange for an honest review. I will be moving on to book two as soon as I can.
There are a lot of different strands to this story. We have a young woman who is raising her niece and nephew following the death of her beloved twin sister. She is doing a great job, and loves them as if they were her own. But this isn't just a simple case of sisterly love. The sisters were, first and foremost, guardians of a secret city called Summerfeld. The city has been protected by the guardians, and magic, for many years. The purpose of the secrecy, and indeed the guardians themselves, is to protect the last remaining magical creatures from vampires who are set on killing them all.
The number of guardians needed to properly fulfil these duties is twelve. If a guardian is killed another will be called upon to fill the space. However following the death of Quinn's sister, Avery, her successor has failed to appear. Quinn is called back to Summerfeld to fulfill her destiny as a guardian, but refuses on the basis that she must find her niece and nephew who have been hidden from her as a way to ensure she returns.
The story then takes quite a surreal turn when Quinn settles in another town, trying to discover the whereabouts of the missing children, and finds herself making friends with the most unlikely of people.
There are so many magical strands to this story, so many new creatures to meet. I found it a little difficult at first trying to keep up with everyone the author was introducing. But once I got into the book I was totally sucked in. There are quite a few different storylines happening at the same time, all which work together to turn this from a simple story into something which promises so much more to come.
Many thanks to the author for a copy in exchange for an honest review. I will be moving on to book two as soon as I can.