The Namer of Spirits review by Junebug
Age Range - 8 - 12
Genre - Fantasy

LitPick Review

Profile Picture
Age at time of review - 12
Reviewer's Location - Kittitas, WA, United States
View Junebug's profile

     Ash Narro can name things and not just choose names; she can give them their true names. She has a blanket named Nester and a bottle named Aisling. The names whisper to her. She can change anything into what she wants it to become just by naming it.

     Every child in Ash's dried-up little village knows what the warning bells mean. One means a storm is coming, two means the dao fora enemies who live in the forest are attacking, and three means an illwen has been spotted. Illwen are destructive forest spirits that can take any shape. No one has ever seen one and lived to tell the tale. When an illwen comes, the best thing to do is hide and wait for it to pass. 

     One day, a dao fora boy finds his way into Ash's village. Everyone is afraid. In fact, it seems to Ash like a spell of fear has been cast over everyone, especially her mother. All the villagers decide to lock the dao fora boy up and avoid him. Even so, Ash can't help but make friends with the boy.

     Soon, another illwen comes to the village, and everyone hurries out of harm's way, except the dao fora boy. Ash runs to the dao fora boy to free him, but something still stands in her way: the illwen. Somehow, Ash is able to tame the raging forest spirit and help the boy escape, using her naming power to change the illwen into a playful puppy.

     But Ash has no choice but to leave with with the boy and her new puppy because her village now distrusts her for freeing the dao fora boy and taming an illwen. Ash's last hope is to leave her only home and break the fearful spell cast on her village. Will she and her new friends be able to do the impossible?

Opinion: 

     This book is a little slow at some parts but is definitely worth it in the end. It has a few plot-twists that completely blew my mind, and Ash and her puppy are a perfect pair. The way the book describes illwen is super cool, and the last few chapters are spectacular and incredibly exciting.The only things that I didn't love were the slower parts in the middle and that Ash and her puppy were the only really likable characters. Fen, the dao fora boy, was pretty good, but I feel like he wasn't in the story enough. I like the way he asks way too many questions, and I like his attitude toward everything. Anyway, if you like amazing and dramatic endings with mind-blowing plot-twists, this is definitely the book for you!

Rating:
4
Content Rating:

Content rating - nothing offensive

Explain your content rating: 

Great for any age 12 and under.
KEYWORDS

ME, YOU, OR THEM: 

CHARACTERISTICS AND EMOTIONS: 

ACTIVITIES, HOBBIES, PLACES, AND EVENTS: 


Read more reviews by this Litpick Book Reviewer: Junebug
Recommend this book and review to your friends on Facebook