Columbine’s Tale by Rachel Nightingale
Published by Odyssey Books
Date: 15 September 2018
R.R.P. $24.95
Book 2 in the Tales of Tarya trilogy is about storytelling, bravery and integrity. It’s also about tragedy, mystery and dreams becoming reality. This book takes us on a journey of the ancient art of storytelling, centering around Mina and her rare powers that have a significant impact on those around her. Unfortunately for Mina, these powers mean she has no choice but to be on the run because of conspiring against her. This causes her to be suspicious of those that try helping her, particularly when she was being saved from the fate of drowning. Apart from the mysteries, romantic approaches towards Mina also prove to be a time of unknowns and uncertainty.
I have to be honest with you, this is not normally something I would read. I love reading teen books and historical fiction, but delving into the realm of fantasy is new for me. In reading this book I was taken on a journey through the world of creativity, ancient arts, mystery and a little romance. I felt a little lost to start with because I had not read the first in the trilogy, I am sure it would have made a whole lot of sense to me if I had, however the prologue gave me some some clarity as I delved into the book
Essentially, Mina is a strong character, she is definitely someone that thinks of others, including those trying to kill her. This says a lot about the person she is and her beautiful nature is probably what feels threatening to other characters in the book; it certainly made me like her even more than I already did.
The author, Rachel Nightingale, has a gift for being able to describe things well. Her description of a coat in one section meant I could picture it so vividly – …a coat lined in diamond shaped patches meant that the person was an experienced storyteller. It is the diamond shaped patches that made me visualising the coat, and the detail of being able to identify an experience storyteller by this coat gave more meaning to the sentence. Connections like this make me look out for other gems in the story.
One aspect that I struggled with quite a lot is the sheer number of characters in the story. At times it was quite confusing and felt like I needed to start writing characters and their connections down.
Overall, I believe the book will be enjoyed by many tweens/teens who enjoy reading the fantasy/Historical fiction genre. Being part of a trilogy means that Mina’s journey isn’t over yet so be sure to stay tuned in 2019 for the final book.
You can find out more about the author Rachel Nightingale and the Tales of Tarya trilogy at her website
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