The Thirteenth Tower (Tree and Tower, #1)

by Sara C Snider

[Beth C.]

Emelyn is a servant. She is also an orphan - abandoned at the door of the home she works in, taken in by the cook. She is accustomed to her her life of servitude, only wondering why her parents would abandon her. One day, her life changes when magic comes to town, and she learns that she can be more than she ever dreamed possible.

The Thirteenth Tower is quite a fun read - what I would call a "beach read". Sort of fluffy and interesting, but not really breaking new ground. I could see one of the plot twists coming a mile away - but here's the thing: I *still* enjoyed reading the book and waiting for it. That in itself is fairly unusual and speaks to the character connection that Snider manages to evoke.

The story also takes a darker turn towards the end (no spoilers here), so it's not like your regular pretty fairies live happily ever after kind of fantasy. This harkens back to the *true* fairy tales, where death and bloodshed were common, even expected. I think it's that darker turn that makes this story better than it otherwise might have been.

The book is the start of a series, though I can't seem to determine the planned length of said series. However, the ending - while providing some definite closure to the current book - definitely gives away that another book is coming.

Overall, I would happily read the second book in the series again. It's interesting, the characters are done extremely well, and the darker elements definitely add interest.