Pathfinder by Angie Sage

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A Todhunter Moon adventure. Bloomsbury, 2014. ISBN 9781408858158
(Age: 8+) Highly recommended. Angie Sage's highly anticipated Pathfinder delivers an exciting twist on the popular fantasy genre. The novel's storyline is both crazily unique and compelling as the author guides the reader through a tale embracing the themes of personal strength and friendship. Each individual character brought something special to the novel and no two were similar. The idea of multiple points of views throughout the book gifted the reader with a window into the individual's life which provided a sense of 'knowing' the character. I would have loved to read more about the antagonist of the book who appeared to be a fun character and hopefully, the sequel, if there will be one, will provide us insight into the character's uncanny mind.
The tale begins with an ancient but equally powerful Pathfinder ceremony which is being led by Dan Moon, the father of Alice TodHunter Moon, the heroine in the novel. Two months later, Alice has lost her father, who never returned from his fishing trip and resides in her childhood home with her not-so-beloved Aunt Mitza. Her loyal and budding friend, Oskar Sarn has also felt an incredible loss as his twin sister; Ferdie had been kidnapped and hadn't been found since. Alice lives a quiet but dreary life until she departs her childhood home in an effort to escape creatures that are intent on ending her life. With Oskar by her side, Alice leaves her beloved Pathfinder village behind, intent on rescuing Ferdie but what she doesn't know is that she will enter a magical world that was kept from her until now. With new powers and her true self blossoming by the minute, Alice must do what she can to protect her friends and succeed in ridding her world of darkness.
The conclusion of this book leaves certain parts of the story at a cliffhanger and leaves you wondering whatever will happen next. Books that are comparable to this novel include Christopher Paolini's Inheritance Cycle series and Michael Scott's Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flammel series.
Samantha May (Yr 10 Student)

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