Title: The Dawn of Skye
Author: E. B. Heimdal
Type: Fiction
Page Count/Review Word Count: 314
Rating: 4*/5
E. B. Heimdal – The Dawn of Skye
Disclaimer: While I aim to be unbiased, I received a copy of this for free to review.
I almost gave up on this book, but I’m glad that I didn’t – after soldiering on with it, I decided it was definitely worth it, although I also thought it was just the right length. It essentially follows the story of a group of kids in a world without adults who are just trying to survive. I wouldn’t quite call it post-apocalyptic, but rather like an interesting spin on fantasy that starts to resolve itself throughout the novel.
Still, it leaves the reader with plenty of unanswered questions, which is a good thing if you want to get hooked on a series but not so much if you’re looking for a standalone. I thought it was fun enough though, and I’ll pick up the next book if I come across. I just wouldn’t go out of my way for it.
I don’t want to go too much further into the plot, but what I will say is that the mechanism behind the sickness in the story was quite interesting and definitely worth more exploration. Likewise, there were some great character–driven moments that could only exist because the characterisation throughout was pretty solid, although I didn’t like Flo because she felt like too much of a stereotype. She was just a jealous little girl who put lives at risk because she didn’t get things her own way.
All in all, I was impressed. I’m not sure whether this is a debut novel or not, but that in itself should count for something. The world-building and the story line was good although the pacing was occasionally slow, and it earns bonus points for the cover.
E. B. Heimdal
