TRIPPING OVER TIME

A young man’s new life in a small town teems with hardships and magical misadventures in this first fantasy novel of a trilogy.

After Niles and Lyon’s sister, Vyla, dies by suicide after a broken engagement, Niles commits a shocking crime that puts the brothers on the run. They flee their homeland of Lakadia and head south, ultimately stopping in the small town of Singing Cove. But before they get there, Niles befriends Hob, a wolf who’s able to communicate with him telepathically. Both brothers settle in Singing Cove, where Niles quickly falls for Nomya, a reputed witch who has the power of second sight and sells much-desired talismans and sea-charms to fishermen. Things go wrong for Niles, however, when he angers the wrong person and begins using and selling a mind-altering substance. To earn some gold, he joins a group as a professional tracker and hunter, using skills he’s honed during hunts with Hob. Niles’ unpredictable journey puts him in the company of dangerous individuals, including human killers and dark elves. Where that journey leads him is to a place he never thought was possible to reach—and where he may find himself lost. Handforth subtly weaves in common fantasy elements, including spells and mythological beings, while developing his characters: Hob’s bond with Niles feels organic, and Niles readily accepts Nomya for who she is. There’s nothing lighthearted about this opening installment, though, and it delivers one of a handful of violent sequences within the first several pages. Niles is an easy hero to sympathize with, despite his flaws, including an occasional inability to hold his temper. The author’s prose is engaging throughout; a description of a whip, “made from the thick, tough hide of a huge grey monster,” is particularly terrifying: “This vicious thing tears strips of flesh from the bone with even the lightest of strokes.” A startling final-act turn leads to an ending that makes continuing the series a necessity.

A rousing adventure that leads readers into a grim, magic-infused world they won’t want to leave.