Reviewed
by: ?wazithinkin
Genre:
Fantasy/ Adventure/ Young Adult
Approximate
word count: 75-80,000
words
Availability
Click
on a YES above to go to appropriate page in Amazon, Barnes &
Noble, or Smashwords store
Author:
“Brought
up in a logging camp with no electricity, Gordon A. Long learned his
storytelling in the traditional way: at his father’s knee. He
spends his time editing, publishing, travelling, sailboat racing and
writing fantasy and social commentary, although sometimes the
boundaries blur.
He
also adjudicates Speech Arts Festivals, writes and directs plays and
competes in agility with his Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever,
Josh. (Actually, Josh competes. Gordon runs around and looks like
he's contributing).”
Mr.
Long is also a contributing author at Indies Unlimited, a resource
guide for Indie authors.
Description:
“Just
as Mito seems to be solving her problems, Aleria’s hopes for a
solution to her own difficulties fade as the dreams increase and her
dissatisfaction with her life deepens.
A
mission to obtain information leads her to a more subtle danger; is
Lord Fauvé a clever rebel, or is he a very tempting solution to her
search for a place in life?
But
again the world she has been so sheltered from reaches out and slaps
her in the face. Suffused with rage at her ultimate degradation,
Aleria goes about taking her revenge with methodical skill.
Returning
home, she discovers that she is even farther from the old traditional
life she had always avoided. She still feels the same, but the
attitudes of everyone else towards her have changed. No one knows
quite how to treat her. And when social conventions threaten her
friendship with Mito, Aleria decides it’s time to straighten out
the whole lot of them.”
Appraisal:
As
Aleria immerses herself into advanced battle arts lessons with Master
Ogima as a way to deal with her nightmares stemming from the
rebellion in Out of
Mischief, another
situation arises. Bandits are stealing merchandise, which is
traveling by cart, in Lord Fauvé’s land around Taine. Aleria seems
to think she can handle going undercover for a fact finding mission
by going to visit Shen Waring and his family near Taine with the hope
of getting invited to stay at Lord Fauve’s castle, with her being a
Lady and all. The ploy works and Aleria insinuates herself by helping
Lord Fauve’ planning parties and making rounds with the Lord to
visit his holdings and meet the farmers.
It’s
all very interesting seeing how Lord Fauvé
runs his domain and meeting the farmers who work the land. When the
bandits strike again Aleria watches Fauvé closely, but things go as
she imagines it should. She finds no connection between Fauvé’s
behavior and the bandits. She also has been keeping Lord Raif Canah
updated through coded love letters which are delivered to Mito and
then she delivers them to Raif. I found the story had an even pace
until a tragic turn of events, which happens at the end of chapter
eighteen, spins everything upside down. At that point, two-thirds
into the story, I couldn’t put the book down until the last page.
It is engaging, terrifying, suspenseful, and surprising. I think the
political intrigue was expertly handled and executed as was the
dialogue. At this point towards the end the castle staff has a larger
presence which I enjoyed immensely.
I was
a little disappointed that the romance I thought would develop in
this book didn’t, however I am still pleased with how things worked
out. Aleria is continuing to grow and I hope she finds her place in
the world. Mr. Long seems to have her figured out, she is a wonderful
character.
FYI:
This
story contains rape, it is not depicted as graphic, but it is there
nonetheless.
The
author uses Canadian spellings.
Into
Trouble is book 2 of the
World of Change
series. Book 1, Out of
Mischief, should be read
first to properly enjoy the subtleties between Aleria, her parents,
Mito, and Lord Raif Canah.
Format/Typo
Issues:
A
small number of proofing errors.
Rating: ***** Five stars
1 comment:
Into Trouble is free right now for Nook and at Smashwords.
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