Lark Rising (Guardians of Tarnec, #1)

by Sandra Waugh

Full of romance and nature magic, this debut fantasy is perfect for fans of Shannon Hale, Juliet Marillier, and Kristin Cashore.
 
Lark has foreseen two things—she will fall for a young man with sage green eyes,and he will kill her.
 
Sixteen-year-old Lark Carew is happiest close to home, tending her garden and gathering herbs for medicines. But when her Sight warns her that monsters called Troths will soon invade her village, Lark is summoned on a journey to seek help from the legendary Riders of Tarnec. Little does she suspect that one of the Riders, Gharain, is the very man who has haunted her visions. Or that the people of Tarnec have called her there for another reason: Lark is the Guardian of Life, the first of four Guardians who must awaken their powers to recover four stolen amulets. Together, the amulets—Life, Death, Dark, and Light—keep the world in Balance. To take back the Life amulet, Lark will have to discover her true inner strength and give in to a love that she swears will be her downfall.

“A beautifully realized world, a unique voice, and a compelling, action-packed story. This is a striking debut novel with a lovely folkloric flavor.” —Juliet Marillier, author of Wildwood Dancing

• ISBN10: 0449817490
• ISBN13: 9780449817490
• Publish Date: 23 September 2014 (first published 1 January 2014)
• Publish Status: Remaindered
• Out of Print: 11 August 2016
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: Random House Books for Young Readers
• Format: Hardcover (Library Binding)
• Pages: 372
• Language: English

Reviews

[lizarodz]

WOW!  As a lover of fantasy, I pay attention to the recommendations of other trusted bloggers.  Among these is Alyssa from The Eater of Books and since she loved Lark Rising, I had it in my TBR list for a long while.  What an amazing trip this was, I which I could share this book with everyone.

Lark and her cousin Evie have been raised by their grandmother since their parents died in an attack when they were three.  Lark has the gift of sight which to her it feels like a curse since it makes it difficult for her to interact with other people.  Any close contact is overwhelming to her since she can 'see' that person's past.  She also has prophetic dreams that are sometimes disturbing.  But she also dreams about a breathtakingly handsome man that will be her undoing.  I know that some readers might find Lark’s character development kind of a cliché, but I found it endearing.  I liked to see how she went from a shy, insecure, naïve girl to a brave, accomplished and secure young lady.

Gharain is one of the Raiders of Tarnec, one of a dozen elected Riders that defend the weak and guard the balance of the world.  He seems to take an instant dislike to Lark, but it is more of a defense mechanism.  They have to work together to recover the amulets that were taken and restore balance to their world. At the end, he loves, understand, trusts and protects Lark.   Their relationship was so sweet and genuine.  I really liked them individually and as a couple.

The world building was very well done. From the map included in the book to the description of the landscape, the kingdom of Tarnec, the forest, the mountains, everything came to life within the pages of the book. This is one of the most important elements for me when reading fantasy because at a certain level I need to believe in it.  The writing is beautiful, poetic, lyrical, enthralling… I’m sure you get the idea why I loved it SO hard. I cannot wait for book two - Silver Eve - due to be published in September.

Overall, Lark Rising is a story of growth, faith, magic, love, and balance. A must read for fantasy lovers anywhere.This review was originally posted on Reading With ABC

[inlibrisveritas]

After months of not wanting to read anything, I was incredibly surprised when I picked up Lark Rising to read the first few pages and found myself halfway through the book before dinner time. Books that can re-ignite my love of reading are so hard to find, because I read everything and still remain picky, but Lark Rising kept my interest and had me fully invested.

Lark Carew is a sixteen year old who is happy to stay at home with her plants and helping her grandmother. However everything changes when she starts to receive signs that she is needed for something greater. What was supposed to be a trip to request help for an oncoming danger, turns into a battle for not just the village’s safety but the world’s. Lark learns of the delicate balance of the world and her role in it, and along with the riders she must make the first move in righting the wrongs that have fallen on Tarnec.

I loved that this is an easy to read Young Adult High Fantasy novel, because there seems to be so few that have quality story-telling behind them. Waugh introduces the lore and creatures in interesting ways, and avoids massive info dumps when at all possible. I loved getting to know more about the abilities that Lark and her cousin Evie have, and the fact that they play into the larger overall picture. There are troll like creatures called Troths, gnomes, and a super creepy forest that I don’t think I’ll ever want to visit. One of my favorite portions of this book were the descriptions and especially those dealing with one of an antagonist, which were really haunting and I have the desire to try and capture her creepy smile on paper.

I’m so glad I decided to dive right into this book right after opening the package because for the first time in months I actually WANT to read again. I definitely recommend grabbing this if you’re looking for a new fantasy series to start or know someone who enjoys high fantasy but hates to slough through 800 pages of description.