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Monday, January 6, 2014

Review for The Vanished Knight


Blurb:  
Since the death of her parents, Callan Blair has been shunted from one foster family to another, her dangerous secret forcing the move each time. Her latest foster family quickly ships her off to an exclusive boarding school in the Cumbrian countryside. While her foster-brother James makes it his mission to get Callan expelled, a nearby ancient castle holds the secret doorway to another land...

When Callan is forced through the doorway, she finds herself in the magical continent of Tardith, where she’s shocked to learn her schoolmates Gawain and Darrion are respected soldiers in service to the king of Nordaine, one of Tardith's realms. More than that, the two are potential heirs to the Black Knight—Nordaine's crown prince.

But when the Black Knight fails to return from a mysterious trip, the realm teeters on the brink of war. Darrion and Gawain set out to find him, while Callan discovers there is more to her family history than she thought. The elves are claiming she is their princess.

Now with Darrion growing ever more antagonistic and her friendship with Gawain blossoming, Callan must decide whether to stay in Nordaine—where her secret grows ever more threatening—or go to the elves and uncover the truth about her family before war sets the realms afire.

My review: 
Callan Blair's dark secret keeps her bouncing around from one foster home to another. When her newest foster parents send her to a rich boarding school, Callan finds things she didn't think possible: a friend, a link to her past, and a doorway to another world. She's dragged into this strange and beautiful medieval world. Though she makes friends and might find some answers about her parents, she knows she can never stay. The darkness in her would never make it safe. But what's more frightening: what's inside of her or the war erupting around her?

A marvelous tale that takes us from our modern world into a wonderful fantasy realm, one forgotten by the people of Earth. The world building is incredible. There's a rich history filled with unusual customs and folklore, and none of it is dumped on the reader. It's perfectly spread out through the book. This is the first book in a series, and I cannot wait to learn more about the land and its peoples.

What makes this book stand out from other YA fantasy tales is the cast of characters. Callan is a strong female protagonist. She has my sympathy as well as my admiration. And the mystery behind her dark secret is intriguing. Kaela is another great female character. She's a soldier with a powerful sense of duty and loyalty. Then there are all the charming males: Gawain, Quin, Darrion, and Ward. Not James. He wasn't charming at all!

THE VANISHED KNIGHT is a fantastic beginning to Misha Gerrick's series. I can't wait until the next one is released!

You can buy the book here: 
Amazon 

You can find Misha here:

20 comments:

  1. Wow, this book sounds incredible! YA fantasy has always been my sweet spot, and I'm really intrigued by the world building and strong female characters you mentioned. Will have to remember to check this out sometime!

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  2. I'm so glad you loved the story. :-)

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  3. I love me a bit of portal fantasy! Happy New Year, Christine.

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  4. Great review for Misha's book! She did good setting up the world for more stories.

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  5. Sounds like a great fantasy. Thanks for reviewing it. And Happy New Year!

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  6. Thanks for stopping in, everyone. Misha's book is terrific. Pick it up for some great winter reading!

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  7. Congrats to Misha on her release. I love series. It gives me lots of time to fall in love with a character.

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  8. Many congrats to Misha. The book sounds wonderful, and the cover is amazing!

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  9. Many congrats to Misha. The book sounds wonderful, and the cover is amazing!

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  10. I'm really looking forward to reading this novel. So glad to hear you enjoyed it.

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  11. It sounds like Misha really kicked butt in the characterization department. Great review, Christine! :)

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  12. Cool, the Vanished Night sounds so great. Strong female leads are hard to ignore. And the cover is beautiful =)

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  13. A definite must add to my reading list! Great review :)

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  14. Hi Christine,

    Good to read Misha's blurb. Now that I have found out that a blurb is not some kind of indigestion.

    Such an excellent, encouraging review. Nice of you to do this, Christine.

    Look at me, doing a happy dance for Misha. Yay!

    Gary :)

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  15. That is a wonderful review. I am really excited about getting this story in front of me so I can read it :-)

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  16. Such a great blurb! Thanks for the review. I'll be sure to pick this one up.
    Yay Misha!

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  17. The Vanished Knight sounds like a wonderful book to add to my reading list, and my teens list. I love stories with strong female protagonists. Thanks for the review.

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