EMERALD HINTERLAND

In Edge’s YA fantasy novel, a teen with gender dysmorphia attempts suicide and awakens in a strange world filled with magical creatures in the midst of a war against evil.

In 1984, a teenager named Ángel struggles with their gender in their hometown of Belfast, Ireland, where bullies, and Ángel’s own father, victimize them for being different. One day, Ángel attempts suicide, and, as their body lies comatose in the hospital, their consciousness is transported to a city called Caer in a parallel universe. Located in the magical land of Albion, Caer finds itself at a crossroads, as an evil organization known as the Claste has been using wolves and skeletal soldiers to wage war and is set to deliver a final, brutal blow: “a more sizeable army is gathering under the oversight of Zariomaste, the head of the order of the Claste. The wildmen have pledged allegiance to them, and several dragons have come under their influence.” Now happily existing in a female body, Ángel joins forces with the creatures of Caer, including the brave giant Stellan and another visitor from Ángel’s home realm, to take down the Claste once and for all. Edge has crafted a detailed world full of creatures that will be familiar to regular readers of fantasy fiction. Many violent battles occur over the course of the novel, but they’re never gratuitous or gory. Ángel’s emotional growth throughout the novel is certainly inspiring. The author, though, largely expresses Ángel’s feelings in stilted dialogue instead of showing them through action: “I can’t believe that not long after I tried to give up my life, society is starting to change, and people like me are beginning to be accepted. For the first time in a long time, I feel positive about what the future may hold.” This stylistic choice ultimately makes for a flat read that stands at odds with its exciting plot.

An imaginative fantasy with an inspiring message that unfortunately gets lost amid awkward execution.