Sunday, July 5, 2015

Into Trouble: World of Change Book 2 / Gordon A. Long


Reviewed by: ?wazithinkin

Genre: Fantasy/ Adventure/ Young Adult

Approximate word count: 75-80,000 words

Availability
Kindle US: YES UK: YES Nook: YES Smashwords: YES Paper: YES
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:

?wazithinkin said...

Into Trouble is free right now for Nook and at Smashwords.