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Md Abul Mia

Reviewed on Dec 23, 2024

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Sun Child of the Moor" is a fantasy young adult novel in which Tricia D. Wagner proves to be a fine craftsman in weaving this compelling

Synopsis

What manner of legends might darkness conceal?

Darkness, no fourteen-year-old should fear. Or so Bastian believes until he discovers that, in the dark, hides a terror known only to old English legends—a terror that’s stalked him since the day he was born.

England’s Sylphic Kingdom, peopled with its Forest Children and Faeries, its Oakmen and Sunwalkers and Sprites, awaits the coming-of-age of its hero—the Sun Child. For at the hand of a Wight Witch, risen to great power, the Sylphic Kingdom stands on the brink of destruction. And with its fall, so too will perish the natural world.

To discover what hunts him, to understand why, Bastian must realize that some legends, holding both wonders and terrors, are real. And to protect his family, Bastian—a boy who fears the dark, who fears the fight—must face dire challenges and win Sylphic allies. And he must wake his courage. For to unlock the secret to the Wight Witch's defeat, he must embrace who he was born to be, even at the cost of his life.

"Sun Child of the Moor" is a fantasy young adult novel in which Tricia D. Wagner proves to be a fine craftsman in weaving this compelling work of folklore and bits and bobs of magic realism with an amazingly exciting and intoxicatingly interesting story of an adolescent boy in his coming-of-age stories. Over the ocean flies fourteen-year-old Bastian. He reads stories concerning the Sylphic Kingdom in England's mystifying Kingfisher Chalet-the land of the Forest Children, Faeries, Oakmen, Sunwalkers, and Sprites. This is as close as Bastian gets to his origins in connecting these ancient myths, sending him on a very dangerous quest of confrontation against a malevolent Wight Witch whose rise daubs afresh the tapestry of nature.


Wagner's prose is poetically beautiful, with vivid landscapes where the line between reality and fantasy dissolves. The moors and forests he so poetically describes become, in themselves, characters that enfold the reader deep inside. The lyrical quality of the author gives weight to the storytelling: rhythmic, engaging, and enchanting.


It tells a deep story of identity, courage, and the relation between nature and humanity. Most of the self-discovery about Bastian is elaborated very well in an authentic manner; thus, he presents himself as a character with whom one would wish to see grow. Relations to his family, especially those shared with his baby brother, are very warm and deep, hence emotional throughout the narration.


Wagner is one great world-builder, weaving the Sylphic lore with ease in modern times. The whole fantastic world of his begins to be subtly unwrapped until it is something wonderful and all that realism will permit. Pacing is just right; reflective moments intermingle with action throughout.


Setting and thematic depth have earned "Sun Child of the Moor" critical acclaim. Among reviewers, Reedsy Discovery Reviewer Mary Lanni writes, "A beautifully poetically rendered fantastic story that incorporates magic within realistic contexts in such an adorable manner, so believable." Going one step further, still another says it is "a really wonderfully written, poignant coming-of-age novel with a great atmosphere and themes of self-discovery."


Sun Child of the Moor" is an enchanting novel that no doubt will glue its readers, especially those into reading fantasy for its depth in emotion and lyricism. Tricia D. Wagner has woven a tale that entertains, yes, but more so makes one contemplate the legends that shape us and the courage it takes to stand up against the darkness both within and without. This is a tale that no young adult fantasy enthusiast should miss in search of such a tale that shall be intellectually as satisfying as magical.


"Sun Child of the Moor" is available on Amazon.

Reviewed by
Md Abul Mia

Abul Mia is my name. I give my thoughts regarding the books I read. I appreciate reading a variety of books and figuring out what makes each one unique. I assist people in finding books that inspire and enchant them, whether they be poetry, true stories, or stories.

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