Hipster cat is back, ladies and gentlemen, so that means it’s time for another installment of EYE ON INDIES! My pick for the merry month of March 2012 is the lovely high-fantasy-feeling “Slumber” by the awesome Samantha Young! I should have done this long ago but due to being overwhelmed by a lot of reviews, I’ve only gotten around to it now.
“Slumber” is a wonderful tale of a world separate from this one, using “Sleeping Beauty” as a base to build upon to create a story that’s not a retelling, but something all its own. We don’t see through Haydyn, our “Sleeping Beauty” in this story, but through the eyes of her BFF, Rogan, and the adventures that ensue to make sure that Phaedra doesn’t fall apart as a kingdom and Haydyn doesn’t die as their queen.
As I said in my review, one of the reasons why I love this story is because it explores some of my favorite genres that are so rare in YA – that of high and epic fantasy. There’s very little good high/epic fantasy to be found within YA, and I think that the “Fade Chronicles” series is definitely a step in the right direction and deserves a lot more attention than it’s gotten so far. The second book, “Sneak Thievery”, will be out in May, and a companion novella should be out later this year. I was hoping that the “Fade Chronicles” would be longer, but three books is better than one. That’s the high/epic fantasy fan in me (where series can be as many as fifteen or more books long!), I guess, but I love this world, and I want more to live more in it in the way that only Young can deliver.
“Slumber” is now available in both ebook and paperbook formats through Amazon – and at only 99c for “Slumber” in ebook format, it’s a huge bargain for an absolutely fabulous read. Go forth and read it, guys! And tell me what you think of it!
birth of a new witch. 