Lark Rising (Guardians of Tarnec, #1)

by Sandra Waugh

[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.