LitPick Review
Once upon a time, in a land so far away we've not even heard of it... Hai, a young girl living under Wyvern's Court, is basically a rouge. Half-family with royalty, she's an exile- a half-breed. She was born to a falcon mother that forgot her and a cobra father who'd died years ago. Her magical powers are strong; although so strong, she can only partially control it. That is, with the help of her friend, Nicias, the royal guard, who'd saved her life once before. However, when the ruler of Cobriana (snake country) leaves the throne to run off with her girlfriend, Hai's visions go wrong- everything from King Salem dying, to the destruction of a whole generation, to Wyvern's Court burned to bits. Worried for her land, Hai's prepared to sacrifice everything, even the trust of her people.
Opinion:
I believe my opinion may be affected by the fact that I didn't understand much of the book- I'd not read the first books, so the setting and characters were completely alien to me. However, although the writing was beautifully and poetically done, the characters seemed almost without a shred of humor- and when they laughed, it was something morbid that caused it. It seemed on the darker side of fantasy- maybe too dark for me. I don't think it's appropriate for young children, just because of this dark, complicated style, and although it's a lovely tale of suffering and suspense, I didn't enjoy it as much as I'd wished I had.
