Kirsten Reviews: A Turn of Light by Julie E. Czerneda
A Turn of Light by Julie E. Czerneda
Night's Edge #1
The village of Marrowdell is an isolated pioneer community, but it is also the place where two worlds overlap, and at the turn of light--sunset--the world of magic known as the Verge can briefly be seen.
Jenn Nalynn belongs to both Verge and Marrowdell, but even she doesn't know how special she is--or that her invisible friend Wisp is actually a dragon sent to guard her... and keep her from leaving the valley. But Jenn longs to see the world, and thinking that a husband will help her reach this goal, she decides to create one using spells. Of course, everything goes awry, and suddenly her "invisible friend" has been transformed into a man. But he is not the only newcomer to Marrowdell, and far from the most dangerous of those who are suddenly finding their way to the valley...
A Turn of Light by Julie E. Czerneda is the first in her Night’s Edge series, and is a heavyweight, both in terms of length and the worldbuilding done in order to establish this universe.
Marrowdell is an isolated village, and the site of an overlap between two worlds. In Marrowdell, magic is simply another part of life, and the audience slowly realizes how different their life is in a series of small touches that make it clear, but not overdone. The book’s protagonist, Jenn Nalynn is a part of both Marrowdell and the Verge, a world of magic, but as is the case in many fantasy stories, she is unaware of her own importance. In fact, she doesn’t even know that her invisible friend Wisp, is a dragon tasked with keeping her safe, and preventing her from ever leaving the valley.
But Jenn, wanting to see the world, makes up her mind that if having a husband might help accomplish her goal, she'll make one herself. Then, things go slightly wonky, and her formerly invisible friend is suddenly a man. However, there are more strangers coming to Marrowdell, and not all of them are friendly.
This book is not a quick, or light read, as there is quite a bit of plot to set up and several worlds in need of careful construction. For this reason, the pacing is quite leisurely, and readers who are impatient for a story to get moving will be frustrated by this book.
Also worth noting is the fact that the audience is aware of very nearly everything going on, while characters are ignorant or oblivious to what’s happening. This may become tiresome for readers who figure out very quickly where the story is going and prefer to have more twists in their fantasy stories. But, for those who are more interested in fantastic beasts, a village that is a character in and of itself, and magic, this book will be worth settling in to savor.
(Received a copy from the publisher)
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