Sorceline

by Sylvia Douye

[Rach Wood]

Welcome to the gloomy and super scary Island of Vorn, where mythical creatures roam free and only the brightest students are invited to study. Our main character, Sorceline, has just arrived for a summer apprenticeship with the zoologist Archibald Balzar. She wants to study cryptozoology, meaning amazing creatures most humans don't think exist, like elves, fairies, unicorns and dragons. But she has some competition: other kids who dream of becoming specialists in legendary creatures.

To become Balzar’s assistant, Sorceline must follow a few rules and learn to tame powerful beasts—including her own inner demons. Unfortunately, she doesn't think about the impact of her words very often. And, when strange things happen, she might be the one responsible. She needs to control her fiery temper and search for answers, even if they are far darker and more personal than she expected.

The artwork is delightful (from colours to perspectives), but I think the story is not well executed, even though there was plenty of misdirection to keep me intrigued. There’s so much going on that’s hard to follow, and sometimes the jumps between scenes feel slightly disjointed. Besides that, I obviously enjoy the concept and read the book in less than three hours. I’m curious about what’s next, especially because of the unexpected cliffhanger, but I hope the bickering between characters is over.

Thank you to NetGalley and Andrews McMeel Publishing for providing me with an eARC in exchange for my honest review.