Thursday, February 17, 2011

Personal Favorites: The Ruby Key

Synopsis:
With their father presumed dead and their mother sick, siblings Genna and Dan decide to go into the woods at night to collect magical tree sap, something no one in their village does because of a truce with the nightlings.  There, they meet a nightling slave named Yarri, and learn that their village leader has promised the evil nightling lord villagers in exchange for power.  The siblings concoct a plan to defeat both leadesr and head on a journey with the nightling and a talking cat through the moon roads, in search of a man named Doyati who they believe has the power to save everyone.

Review:
Character: 
Genna: The story is told from Genna's perspective.  She's a strong character and doesn't back down.  Even when she gets separated from the others she carries on, unwilling to save herself if it means sacrificing others.
Dan: An annoying younger brother type, he's more rebellious than his sister, but he is just as determined to save their family as she is.
Yarri: Though she puts herself at great risk by doing so, she befriends and helps the siblings as much as she can.
The Cat: A mysterious man who is only talking the form of a cat to hide and will not reveal his true identity for fear that his enemy will find him.  He and Genna often argue, but he helps them to use the moonroads and continue on their quest.

Plot:
While I was drawn to this book because of its beautiful cover, I found the story very engaging.  The whole concept of the book was a refreshing take on the quest to save what's dear.  How the characters interacted could easily have come across as cliche but it worked.  The concept of the moonroads was intriguing as well.  There were moments that dragged a bit, but overall it was enjoyable, and it was a great setup for book 2, which was even better (I will review book two in a couple of weeks).  Sadly, the only true downfall is that there is no news of a 3rd book, and this series is desperately in need of at least one more book.

1 comment: