Jennifer
Arntson
Author,
dreamer, and sworn enemy of Caillou
Jennifer
Arntson has a long history of crafting tales that people find unbelievable, but
often true. As an observer of human and social development through the ages, a
curiosity of faith, and dedication to the underprivileged of the developing
world, Jennifer finds her creative outlet in stories and fables. She lives in
the Pacific Northwest with her husband and two children, and a mini-farm of
otherwise useless animals where the family eagerly caters to their every need.
Synopsis:
Stripped of their birthright and shunned by the people of
Ashlund, Una and her family are forced to live on the fringe of society as
Scavengers. When the family experiences a sudden change of circumstance, Una
takes new freedoms, free from the Authority, her family and possibly her fate.
Pulled between the life she's always known and a world where status and rituals
are everything, Una struggles to understand a culture that has rejected her
family and celebrates death. Time is running out and she can't stop thinking
about what she fears the most: the coming of her womanhood and her subsequent
price when she's taken to the Sellers Stage. As the Festival of the Three Moons
draws near and she learns who she really is, will Una find the courage to do
what it takes to ensure her family's survival, or will she find the faith to
follow her heart?
My
review:
I love a bit of fantasy and this book fits right into that genre. The
synopsis I was sent didn’t give too much away which is how I kind of prefer to
receive books. I can then really make up my own mind.
Right from page one you are thrown into the harsh world of Ashlund,
where Citizens live by strict rules under the power of the priests and the
threat of being excluded from the high society. On the other side of the coin
you have the Scavengers (or Reclaimers). They live on what they can grow and
find and make themselves. They also live in constant fear of being hunted,
tortured and murdered by the Authority, who makes this their sport of choice.
Una is a teenage girl on the brink of womanhood, who has only ever known
living as a Scavenger with her parents and two brothers. But things are
starting to change. With the upcoming Atchem festival where girls are pretty
much sold based on whether they are fertile or not, strange things start happening
around her. She has dreams that too real; a horse they reclaim seems to
understand every word she says.
And then there is Blue. The Citizen that pays Una the attention a lover
pays to his sweetheart. And behind Una’s back a plan is being hatched between
Una’s parents and Blue’s grandfather that would change her life forever.
But revelations within her own family threaten everything Una knows and
she sets of on a dangerous path decisions that will shape everyone’s future.
The bonds within her family are threatened and only her own instinct and
understanding can stop a disaster.
I don’t want to give any more away. I loved the book and can’t wait for
the next installment. A massive thanks to the author for sending me the book – I
was very happy to share my review.
My rating: 5/5
Available to purchase
from:
Thank you for picking it up! I'm overjoyed that you liked it. You know I'll be knocking again when Talium (book 2) is ready!
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