SPIRITCHILD

A young woman explores her mysterious origin while battling dark forces in this epic fantasy novel.

In the forest of Il’arys, Fae lives among elves in the tree-based city of Arolynos. The orphan knows that she’s different from others in her society because her ears have yet to develop points and her eyes are green, not gray. One day, some youngsters chase through the canopy of the gigantic oachoa tree and cause a segment of it to break. The Great Tree is supposed to be enchanted by Aethyrial magic, so this event, coupled with the fact that its leaves are dying, causes concern. Later, Fae receives an intense, unexpected vision from the Aethyr spirits showing humans in distress and a spreading darkness. The council of Eldra decides to send scouting groups out into Arland to meet with the humans and dwarves to learn more. Although Fae isn’t among the scouts, she’s determined to learn why she’s suddenly communicating with the Aethyr. Meanwhile, Laina, a human woman who founded a traveling medical team known as the Peacekeepers, has her own vision of darkness. Her group’s primary mission is to counter the Unity, a violent human movement whose members self-centeredly follow the tenet of “every man for himself.” Lauren begins her epic firmly in J.R.R. Tolkien territory, with a narrative structure that places numerous traveling bands of diverse characters on roads that eventually converge. The prose often focuses on natural beauty, as when the “sun finally crested the ridge, flooding the sky with a blaze of orange and pinks”; this strengthens the principal theme of environmental well-being. Fae’s thoughts echo modern concerns about climate change: “She couldn't ignore it any longer, no matter that the rest of her people seemed content to feign ignorance.” Patient readers will find the twists in Lauren’s storyline extremely satisfying, and Fae’s interaction with the cosmic shows the grand potential of a sequel.

A vividly written fantasy that touches on philosophy and environmentalism.