Wednesday, May 22, 2013

Annealed (The Pipe Woman Chronicles) / Lynne Cantwell



Reviewed by: ?wazithinkin

Genre: Urban Fantasy/ Contemporary/ World Mythology

Approximate word count: 55-60,000 words

Availability    
Kindle  US: YES  UK: YES  Nook: NO  Smashwords: NO  Paper: YES
Click on a YES above to go to appropriate page in Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or Smashwords store

Author:

Ms. Cantwell is the author of seven fantasy novels and is a contributing author at Indies Unlimited where she shares her knowledge about Indie publishing and promotion. She also writes a monthly column for The Indie Exchange. Ms. Cantwell has a master’s degree in fiction writing from Johns Hopkins University and currently lives near Washington, DC. You can connect with her at her blog or on Facebook page.

Description:

“It’s zero hour… Naomi has just two weeks to find a new home for Joseph's grandfather. The old Ute shaman is fighting for his life against a mysterious injection of toxin he received at the hands of the Norse Trickster god Loki. If Naomi is to defeat Loki once and for all, she must learn what it is he seeks under the old man's wickiup. She has just one week before she must mediate between the Earth's pagan gods and goddesses and the Christian God. If her efforts fail, all of humankind will suffer the consequences. And her baby is due any day.”

In this, the fifth and final book of the Pipe Woman Chronicles, Naomi is in a race against the clock to balance the demands of her body, her family, and her friends – and she must do it while the whole world is watching.”

Appraisal:

This has been one of the most entertaining urban fantasy series, which includes Native American folklore, I have read in a while. Ms. Cantwell drew me in with  controversial religious and socioeconomic elements that she intertwined into her characters lives. I think she accomplished an outstanding balancing act showing respect to all religions. There’s a big, world-changing event toward the end of this book that exemplifies what everyone should strive for. Another balancing point that Ms. Cantwell successfully accomplished was not trying to over teach or come across as an expert on the many different themes throughout the whole series. By taking key situations and relationships she has woven them into the tapestry of Naomi’s, Joseph’s, Looks Far, and Shannon’s lives bringing in a realistic human element. I was especially touched with the hunka ceremony when Looks Far was accepted into the Lakota Nation as a brother after the Sun Dance. The implications of this story will live with me for a long time. Bravo, Ms. Cantwell.   

This series has been structured on the concept of a Native American medicine wheel, one book for each cardinal direction, and one for the heart of the wheel. I feel like these characters have worked their way into the author’s soul and I have no doubt we will see more of them in the future. I really do hope that is not just wishful thinking on my part, I would love to see more about any one of them. I think this series spreads an enlightened message for all of humanity. “We are all connected. …Our choices impact everything and everyone …”  

FYI:

This book contains adult language.

Format/Typo Issues:

I read an advanced reader copy, so I cannot comment in this area.

Rating: ***** Five stars

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