Winterling

WinterlingWinterling (Winterling, #1)

by Sarah Prineas

245 pages of magical adventure – can you set evil magic right?

Since I finished reading Winterling last night it is growing on me.  I love books that keep coming back to make you wonder.  Fer lives with Grand Jane.  She is different and doesn’t fit in.  She is teased and taunted and nowhere feels right.  Being on the bus makes her feel sick.  Being in the woods feels glorious and there is so much to be curious about.  With kids her own age, she is always fighting.  In the woods she is always discovering and wondering.

It is during one of these escapes into the woods that she find a creature, a dog maybe, being attacked by wolves – something that doesn’t belong in her woods at all.  Of course she attempts to save the creature, there is no question about that – she fights the wolves back, discoveries an injured boy and thus binds his life to hers through the saving.  Through this one selfless act she discovers The Way, an opening to a world that makes Fer tingle with anticipation and excitement.  Somehow it feels right for her to be there – on the Other side.  All the things that made her so odd in our world help her in this.  The herb lore Grand Jane taught her, the talismans for safety and the art of questioning through the power of the glamorie work and help her here.  They help her help others, and though, she feels right she knows something is wrong.  Spring can’t or won’t come and, what’s worse, now that The Way has been opened the evil is spilling into Grand Jane’s world as well.  It’s up to Fer to make it right, and she doesn’t know how.

I appreciated the notion that caring and kindness wins the day.  I found the idea that there is a place for everyone that feel right comforting – I look for that place all the time.  I find the idea of glamories and glam intriguing and I want to learn out more.  I first came across that in Runemark by Joanne Harris, a story based in Norse legends.  Winterling has leanings in that direction too so I am curious.  What would you do in land that was forever waiting for spring?  Would you have the courage to question and the bravery to take action? Read Winterling to find out what Fer does and then let us know.