Sunborn Rising (Sunborn Rising, #1)

by Aaron Safronoff

[Terri M. LeBlanc]

I’m not quite sure where to start with Sunborn Rising: Beneath the Fall. It was an unsolicited review request that came in via email that caught my eye. After a bit of research, I felt I had to give it a shot and the publisher, Neoglyphic Entertainment, Inc. was kind enough to send me a copy.

Once I received my copy, I was blown away by the quality of the book. For a paperback book, it’s heavy. And then you start fanning through the pages and see all the glorious illustrations. There are single page four-color images and two page spreads. Plus line drawings throughout the chapters. I’ve seen short picture books of this quality, but never a 300+ page novel. I had to immediately jump in…

Sunborn Rising: Beneath the Fall is a strong Middle Grade book. It teaches lessons about the environment, friendship and family. However, for me without the amazing illustrations, I would have struggled to understand the world of Cerulean and its flora and fauna. The world is a complicated system of trees, water and light that is never fully explained. In fact, until I watched the book trailer I don’t think I truly understood how the world was built and functioned.

Understanding how the ecosystem of Cerulean is key to the task at hand for our heros, Barra, Tory and Plicks. So I do wish the author has spent more time explaining this outside of the reference to a seal that Barra was examining at one point early on on the story. (I can only assume this was some analogy to how the symbiotic relationship between the trees, light and water, but it was totally lost on me.)

I did fall in love with the three main characters, Barra, Tory and Plicks. I identified with all three as they worked together to solve the problem plaguing Cerulean. I laughed with them and sympathized with them. Their journey through the depths of their world was filled with death defying and heartwarming moments. Each of them, in the end, learned important lessons.

As the publishing world has started producing more eBooks, Sunborn Rising: Beneath the Fall is a rare gem in its physical form. The combination of story and pictures brings Cerulean and all its amazing inhabitants to life. Fans of fantastical new worlds and fans with young readers in their lives will enjoy this adventurous tale.


This review was originally posted on Second Run Reviews