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jdcunegan 's review for:
The Portal Prophecies: A Keeper's Destiny
by C.A. King
A Keeper's Destiny is a YA coming-of-age tale that buries itself firmly in several different lores and fantasies -- some well-known and others not so much. The result is a solid introduction to an ongoing series that promises to be more intense with each passing volume.
Early on, we meet Willow -- a seemingly ordinary girl who grows fruits and vegetables in her home world. But as a rival character makes a selfish choice in an effort to "put Willow in her place," it sets off a chain of events that see Willow discover realities she never once considered and find herself staring at an unfamiliar, uncomfortable world.
But along the way, one of her newfound friends is in trouble, kicking off a chain of events that will unfurl as the series continues. At the center of it all is Willow -- an unassuming, selfless person who is suddenly faced with more than she can probably handle.
To me, characters are what make books. We can wax poetic about style and plot structure and narrative all we want (and those things are certainly important), but if I'm not emotionally invested in the characters, the rest doesn't matter. Get me to care about the characters, and I'm along for the ride -- warts be damned.
There are warts -- specifically, writing that occasionally feels stilted and ordinary -- but King's ability to get you to sympathize with and relate to Willow makes up for that. For the occasional slow passage or dry paragraph, you're watching a girl grow into a capable young woman, and that journey -- more than anything -- is what makes A Keeper's Destiny worth your time.
This is the start of a journey -- both for Willow and for those of us fortunate to tag along.
Early on, we meet Willow -- a seemingly ordinary girl who grows fruits and vegetables in her home world. But as a rival character makes a selfish choice in an effort to "put Willow in her place," it sets off a chain of events that see Willow discover realities she never once considered and find herself staring at an unfamiliar, uncomfortable world.
But along the way, one of her newfound friends is in trouble, kicking off a chain of events that will unfurl as the series continues. At the center of it all is Willow -- an unassuming, selfless person who is suddenly faced with more than she can probably handle.
To me, characters are what make books. We can wax poetic about style and plot structure and narrative all we want (and those things are certainly important), but if I'm not emotionally invested in the characters, the rest doesn't matter. Get me to care about the characters, and I'm along for the ride -- warts be damned.
There are warts -- specifically, writing that occasionally feels stilted and ordinary -- but King's ability to get you to sympathize with and relate to Willow makes up for that. For the occasional slow passage or dry paragraph, you're watching a girl grow into a capable young woman, and that journey -- more than anything -- is what makes A Keeper's Destiny worth your time.
This is the start of a journey -- both for Willow and for those of us fortunate to tag along.