Christina Mercer

Arrow of the Mist introduces us to Lia, daughter of Carin and Dylan, a young herbalist determined to keep the old crafts of potion mixing and magic alive. She is well-taught by her Granda, who in turn learned from Lia’s magical Grandma Myrna. Lia lives in Rockberg, a village bordered by a mysterious, fog-bound land called Brume. She tends a beautiful garden planted in a labyrinth pattern around a huge crystal rock formation. Lia and her Granda are suddenly faced with finding a cure for a terrible illness that is striking down the men of the village, including Lia’s father. Lia and Granda are convinced the only cure lies within the land of Brume, and, accompanied by Lia’s cousin Wynn and his friend Kelven, they embark on what becomes a life-changing experience for all of them. As soon as Lia enters Brume, she knows something has changed. She alone can hear the whispers of the shades that guard the fog. While in Brume, Lia and Wynn come to understand that they are descendants of royalty and it is their responsibility to bring magic back to their world. As Granda is stricken with the same poison attacking their home, Lia and Wynn embark on an adventurous quest to find the 13 ingredients needed to brew the curative potion. Along the way, they meet dwarves, unicorns, enchanted trees, and the master of the evil shades, Draugyrd, who has bound the spirit of Lia’s Grandma Myrna to his bidding. Will Lia and Wynn triumph? Will Lia and Kelven’s blossoming romance get legs? Will magic come back to Rockberg? Read this and find out! It is clear that this is the start of a series, which promises to be very good. All the elements of a great fantasy are here – good against evil, three children rising up against oppression, fantastic creatures, communion with nature, and a beautifully drawn fairyland – all knit together by skilled storytelling. There are some echoes of Piers Anthony and even a little Terry Pratchett, but Mercer’s Brume is all her own. The characters are likable, the plot captivating, and the writing whimsical and evocative. Highly recommended for middle school and up.… (more)

3.5

Arrow of the Mist is a creepy fantasy. I would feel comfortable letting my 9 year old read this, and it’s great for all ages.

Lia is a strong female character. She isn’t like the other girls in her village, and doesn’t care about wearing dresses or getting married. She loves mixing herbs for the people in her village. She’s just an all out strong person. She doesn’t let anything deter her. Wynn, Lia’s cousin, is funny. He thinks about what could happen if they go down a certain path, but ultimately has Lia’s back. They are family, and mean so much to each other.

There’s trouble at every turn for these cousins. They seem to constantly run into a life threatening situation. I do love how fairytales are brought to life in this book. Everything is based on nature. I think that helps show the significance of how we treat the wilderness to the forefront.

I definitely recommend this if you are looking for a strong character that can be looked up to. It’s a quick read, and I hope to read more about Lia and Wynn in the future.… (more)

Let me start this review off by saying that I had no idea that Arrow of the Mist was an Amazon Break-Through book - meaning, I had absolutely zero idea that the book was, essentially, self-published. And, as I started to read it on the plane during a recent trip I took, I was so impressed with the world building and the beautiful story that I found myself sucked in - in spite of the sheer uncomfortable nature of being stuck on a plane for six hours.

Read the rest of this review at The Lost Entwife on Dec. 5, 2013.… (more)