Jayel Gibson, The Wrekening

The Wrekening

Jayel Gibson

Synergy, 2006, $14.95

ISBN: 19333538309

Niece to the Dragon Queen Yavie and daughter of one of the Guardians, Cwen of Aaradan is estranged from her family, as they condemn her as evil for having been captured and raped by their enemies. She, in turn, rejects anything related to her heritage, even the magic she can employ, as she leaves her home behind.

However, her Aunt the Queen is worried with open hostilities already killing many. Yavie has learned that the enemy is plotting to gather the thirteen ancient crystal shards invented by the Wyrms that are scattered throughout their world. Though created by the ancient and long since vanished Wyrms to protect the world from evil; the plot calls for using the crystal to raise an invincible unit of underground stone soldiers. The Queen sends her niece and four companions (Talin, Caen, Brengven and Klaed) to prevent that from happening.

On the surface, THE WREKENING will sound somewhat similar to the Tolkien tales (which in turn paid homage to Beowulf), but it has a freshness of its own due to the heroine, who leads her band on the quest, while coming of age during the adventure. Cwen makes the tale as, in spite of loathing her mother Nall who condemns her as being weak and her people who assume she is tainted, she accepts her Aunt Yavie's mission to save their world. Her fellow travellers are fully developed, and in subtler ways coming of age too, especially her best friend Talin. Fantasy readers will appreciate this fine Ancient Mirrors saga.