TEURITH OF LORING

Consisting of two intertwining storylines, this fantasy follows two young women as they are confronted with the responsibility of saving their realm from destruction, even at the price of their own happiness—and sanity.

Teurith, the daughter of a village blacksmith, is 14 years old and too young to travel with her father when his business takes him to faraway places. So—as her mother died under mysterious circumstances when she was an infant—Teurith reluctantly stays at the local inn, owned and run by a minor lord named Magus. But her stay quickly turns nightmarish: Three evil witches, posing as benevolent travelers, attempt to assault her—or worse. Before Teurith escapes, she steals a pouch belonging to the witches. The pouch, Teurith discovers later, contains a stone artifact that gives the teen the ability to communicate with her ancestors and offers her glimpses into the future and the past. On the run from the witches, Teurith sets out on a painful but revelation-filled coming-of-age journey. Sixteen years earlier, Princess Egrith—in love with a commoner (Dirk, son of the royal blacksmith)—must maneuver through a dangerous political minefield when her father’s kingdom is threatened by treachery and war. Heartbroken after being forbidden to see Dirk by her father, Egrith discovers a secret passage in her deceased grandmother’s room. Inside a chest in the hidden corridor is a leather pouch that contains a rock that grows warm in moonlight. The rock lets her briefly communicate with her grandmother, who warns her that war is on the horizon and to guard the stone at all costs. As both storylines unfold, readers begin to understand the deep connections between Egrith and Teurith, and their struggles in life.

The character of Teurith in Cowgill’s story is an obvious strength. Her odyssey from naïve child dreaming of being a mapmaker to courageous warrior and leader makes her a protagonist whom readers will live vicariously through. And because of her flaws and insecurities, she also becomes endearing and relatable. But the same cannot be said for Egrith, whose character seems weak-willed and passive. Her deep love for Dirk—which appears to be pure and eternal—is quickly forgotten once another suitor, who comes across as a self-centered young man, gives her attention. Aside from Teurith’s deeply developed character, the overall worldbuilding (although an infrequent focus) is noteworthy when it’s a priority. In this excerpt, for example, the author immerses readers in the opulence of a royal celebration: “The servants…wear their best—long flowing skirts, billowy blouses and painted leather corsets. Torches light up the green, and younger maidens dance in a circle around a pole strewn with long ribbons. A mammoth boar on a spit roasts above a fire in the center of the yard. Servants carry pitchers of wine and mead, moving through the throng as they replenish flagons.” Lastly, Jaffe’s illustrations at the beginning of every chapter beautifully complement the tale’s dark, fantastical tone. Unfortunately, the novel’s critical flaw involves the numerous holes in the plot. Too many questions arise concerning unexplained plot points. Where did the artifact originate? Why did the witches want the stone? Why is only one magical creature mentioned? What is the prophecy referenced by the witches?

A vivid but imperfect fantasy about two heroes’ journeys of self-discovery.