The Kindling of GreenFyr by Mark Freeman (1 ARC Tours)

Pages: 552

From Amazon, and back cover:

The Kindling of GreenFyr is the story of Owen McInish, an awkward fourteen-year-old bullied at school and friendless except for his pet cat, Piper. That is until a snow leopard is chased through the woods behind his house by three huge gray dogs with glowing green eyes. Owen saves the leopard from her pursuers, but the animal escapes him as well, only to return later. The cat’s behavior is peculiar, nothing like a wild animal, making Owen even more curious as to its origin. Eventually, the cat allows Owen to pet her. Owen finds himself experiencing friendships as he has never before. Adventures as he has never imagined. And political intrigue as two worlds, long separated, begin to collide.

Review:

After saving his backyard-snow leopard from some Death Dogs that appointed to get rid of the Sylvan Princess, Owen has yet another shock when the suspected snow leopard turns out to be a Fey, a Sylvan--shape-shifter, that is. Not to long after this revelation the pair come to find Owen's parent frozen to stone, setting off the beginning of the plot line, that is The Kindling of GreenFyr. After being forced to take Owen with her into her alternate world, Orla, the Sylvan Princess quickly realizes if it not were for Owen she would not have the ability to discover her mysterious abduction and alleged murder attempt. As the pair journey through the woodsy forests and mountainous climbs, they soon come upon various travelers, who soon become a part of their small renegade band. Continuing the trek to Quailan, Orla's kingdom, the group separate for a duration before the death of a Sidhe and the surprising secrets kept by the house keep, deter the grounds unsafe for the human or the princess. Determined to get to the bottom of Orla's abduction and memory loss, as well as safe retrieval of Owen's parents, with a group of worshippers and honor-bound creatures, they once again set off to a new destination for more accurate answers. They new destination is the capital, Narsus, where they know Orla's father, King of the Sylvan will be, and every other representative of all the kingdoms in that world, for discussion of the Re-Unification of the Worlds. Also knowing that Owen's parents will be there, as well. With the accumulating members to their small band, they come across battles against followers that must be dealt with, and villains that must be destroyed.

I have to say that from the beginning, Boone, the Duine Madra, Owen's best companion, is my favorite character because of the instantaneous bond between himself and Owen. Talk about man's best friend. Did I forget to mention that Boone is the average triple-sized dog...

In this creative, unique, debut novel Mark Freeman does a wonderful job at creating an alternate world, where all the creatures in fairy tales roam. From Fey to Sidhe, goblins to dwarves, trolls to gnomes, even Vam-Pyrs. The creepy ones, I mean. And so much more! The Kindling of GreenFyr: Book One of the Reunification Conspiracy is a refreshment to the YA fantasy genre. In this third-person novel, Owen accumulates all different types of friends, that all have their shared feelings narrated by the phenomenal Mark Freeman. Recommended to all YA readers out there that are looking for something new, exciting, adventurous all in one! You will enjoy it, guaranteed.

Grade: A-

LiLi