Welcome to DSN's 8th annual YA Fest. This little tradition was created quite by accident, and somehow I have been able to keep it up since 2017. And this year, we are starting with Kindling by Traci Chee, a YA fantasy novel that follows a group of warriors whose magic has since been outlawed now that the war is over, but that does not mean the fighting has ended.
The Situation: Young Leum has a goal, and this is to make it to Ifrine, and out of Amerand. But plans change when she comes across a young girl begging for help. Leum would love to be able to ignore her, but also cannot help coming to her aid when she is brutally harassed by a group of locals, and the other person to come to her aid is none other than Amity. Seeing another kindling - children who were used as soldiers during the war for their magic and fighting ability - while traveling is not the strangest thing, but finding Amity, the Twin Valley Reaper herself, is difficult to believe. And like Leum, Amity is restless. She also cannot ignore the young girl's pleas for help for her village.
The Problem: The village of Camas has been under persistent attack, and while Amity may be a legend in Amerand, even she knows she will need a small army of kindling to help her new cause. Leum signs up, and they are eventually joined by five others, all searching for a place to belong now that the war is over, and all with their separate hurts and memories. They are all children who were used for some bigger purpose, their magic making them special, while also effectively cutting their lives short. As preparations are made for battle, it is clear that this fight is a risk. And after a startling revelation from Amity, the group's fearless leader, the small army of kindling are not sure where they stand.
Genre, Themes, History: This is a fantasy young adult fiction novel set in the fictional land of Amerand, with most of the action taking place in the small and troubled village of Camas. At the core of the story are seven kindling, Leum, Amity, Ket, Emara, Ben, Kanver, and Siddie. Each one has their story told through second person perspective, in alternating chapters, as they prepare for and fight the battle. At various levels of skill, and with their own specialties, each of them have memories and a history to come to terms with. While one may have made a decision to never kill again, another may be looking for a fight, as another wants desperately to prove themselves, and their neighbor only looks for the next drink to help them forget. Their magic made them special during the war, while also shortening their life span, and now they do not know where they belong.
My Verdict: The choice to tell the story using a second person perspective - as if the reader was the one doing the action as the characters - was off-putting at first, but I was able to get past it. Unfortunately, other aspects of the novel turned me off from the overall narrative, and at a little past halfway through the book, I found myself simply trying to get through the rest of it. The multiple character perspectives are refreshing, although this eventually led to a slow-moving battle scene, while many of the plot points were predictable. And by the end, there were too many loose ends to overlook, too many questions unanswered. The villain also felt flat, and while I am not against killing off a character or two, I am against tragedy for the sake of adding tragedy.
Favorite Moment: Any moment when Leum loosened up and showed a little humanity was a great opportunity to see the child she should have been allowed to be.
Favorite Character: Emara has her issues just like the rest of them, but she also has a sense of humor. Her ability to call the situation what it is, and still have fun, is something I can admire. Sometimes the choice is between laughing or crying, and Emara chose laughing.
Recommended Reading: I recommend Chee's The Reader series. All three books are worth the read.
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