Call of Kythshire

Keepers of the Wellsprings Book 1

Young Adult - Fantasy - General
356 Pages
Reviewed on 09/16/2016
Buy on Amazon

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Author Biography

Missy Sheldrake is an epic daydreamer and a muse of positivity who weaves worlds full of character-driven, complex fantasy adventures.

In 2014, she dusted off an unfinished, Tassy Walden Award-winning manuscript from her college days, started writing her first novel, Call of Kythshire, and never looked back. In four short years, she completed the five-book Keepers of the Wellsprings series, an epic high-fantasy young adult adventure that was awarded the Golden Squirrel Independent Book Award in 2017 for Best Fantasy.

When she isn't writing, Missy can be found creating fantastical artworks in paint and clay, wandering hidden forest paths, and concocting plots for imaginary people who are beyond real to her. Find out what she's up to next at www.missysheldrake.com, on Instagram @m_sheldrake, on Twitter @missysheldrake, and on Facebook as Author/Illustrator Missy Sheldrake

    Book Review

Reviewed by Kayti Nika Raet for Readers' Favorite

In Call of Kythshire, the first book in the Keepers of the Wellsprings series by Missy Sheldrake, Azaeli Hammerfel is a young girl training to become a Squire and join His Majesty's Elite. After a hard fight to earn the honor, she is shocked to discover that her name is left out of those going on the King's Quest. Her parents and the rest of her guild are going, even a rival she soundly managed to beat has been bestowed the honor. Despite the slight, she doesn't get a chance to dwell on the injustice long, as tragedy befalls the party. Her mother is missing and her father is gravely injured, raving about mysterious creatures. Determined to find out what happened, Azaeli enlists the help of her best friend Rian. Together they discover the existence of fairies as well as the plot to wipe out the mysterious creatures and steal their magic. Now, Azaeli must not only find out what has happened to her mother but save the kingdom whose fate lies in the balance.

Call of Kythshire by Missy Sheldrake is an engaging young adult fantasy novel. The text is enhanced by bright and lively illustrations that detail many key scenes and characters. Sheldrake unfolds the plot at just the right pace, doling out mystery and intrigue in such a way that Call of Kythshire is nearly impossible to put down. The romance is light and sweet, as most of the focus is on Azaeli's personal growth as opposed to romance. Still, Rian and Azaeli work well together, sacrificing and helping each other achieve their goal which is a big theme in Call of Kythshire. An enjoyable read for fans of young adult fantasy.

Lilly

By the time I finished, I was in love! I normally am not too into fairies, but by the end I found myself tempted to leave out sugar cubes on my window.
The characters feel real, the fairies are slightly familiar, yet very fresh, and I found myself invested to the end.

Good Fun Story!

This was a great story. I'm not usually a fan of the First Person narrative but the story made me forget and I didn't find myself continuously thinking about it as I tend to. I find this story empowering to women. The lead is a squire and becomes a knight as was her mother. The leader of the small guild is a woman and it's written as if that is just how it is which I enjoyed. It's an epic journey filled with excitement and fantastical creatures that leaves you waiting for the next installment of the series.

Dan

I had one reservation before I started reading this book - it's written in present tense. I have tried reading a few other novels in present tense and have not been able to finish them. Before the end of the first chapter, I knew that wasn't going to be a problem with Call of Kythshire. The prose is smooth, the descriptions are vivid without being overwhelming, and the story drew me in completely. I also enjoyed the magical system introduced. It has some unique origins, rules, restrictions, and consequences. The author seems to have put some real thought into it and how it works within her world.

The first half (or so) of the book is well paced with some action, a little backstory, and good character development. It kept me interested and coming back to the story when I had some free time. At this point it was a solid 4 star read. That changed somewhere past the halfway point, when Azi started to figure things out and the action part of the story picked up. That's when it became hard to put down and I started neglecting other things in order to read "one more chapter". Obviously, that's when it became a five star book.

Even though this is part of a series, the story is complete with a satisfying ending.