Spirited characters in a carefully crafted world will charm young readers.
Great for fans of Maya Motayne’s Nocturna, Robin LaFevers’s Igniting Darkness.
SF/FANTASY/HORROR
A Seed Once Sown: A Misplaced
Adventures Novel
Jessica Raney | Cursed Dragon Ship Publishing, LLC
212p, trade paper, $19.99, ISBN 978-1-951-44552-2
A resilient bounty hunter saves the life of three urchins in Raney’s brisk first installment of the young adult fantasy series Huntress and
Harvester. Olive-skinned Magdalena Verran, called Mags, gathers souls for the sibling gods
Matchi the Huntress and Kohoc the Harvester, using a blue cobalt scythe that magically springs from her arm. With 999 souls caught during her 300 years in servitude, Mags only has one more before she’s free. Delaying her imminent liberty are three young would-be highwaymen—stoic Ava, her irritating brother Eldon, and helpful lug Dane—who attempt to ambush her. After a stray crossbow bolt hits Mags, the trio leave her for dead. But her fast healing powers revive her, and she’s on their trail. Good thing, because they’ve been kidnapped by the bumbling chieftain Angmere and his crafty sorceress Geta.
Raney builds a traditional fantasy realm filled with taverns, brothels, angry gods, and smelly barbarians, but the strength of the story is the well-defined characters and the multi-layered quid pro quo plot. A screaming voice inside Mags’s mind compels her to save the kids, but Angmere will not release them unless Mags agrees to locate two women who stole something of value from him. To cement Mags’s participation, Geta summons Matchi and promises the goddess that if she allows Mags to take the job, Geta will reveal the location of the mysterious Black Archer. To sweeten the deal, Mags offers to extend her service to find the gods three more souls instead of one.
The simply written text propels the action at a comfortable speed, with dangers, secrets, and betrayals lurking about, and young adults learning to trust and grow. Even Mags, who prefers the company of her beloved horses to people, softens enough to make friends. This is an earnest start to a fantasy series filled with fun-loving characters, frequent humor, and questionable warriors. A delightful treat for young adult readers.
Cover: A | Design & typography: A | Illustrations: – Editing: A- | Marketing copy: A