Song Breaker

Annette
Lyon
Genre: 
Paranormal

HISTORICAL/FANTASY/FAIRYTALE:  Aino’s mother is quite excited when a special person at the market makes an ordinary shopping trip quite extraordinary. The mother and daughter discover he is a powerful singer named Vane. Rumors of his wizardry are shrouded in magic and myth. Aino tries to move away, but Vane makes eye contact and weaves an enchantment to keep her still.  Aino's brother, Jouko, challenges the wizard to a duel for his sister's honor.  On the verge of losing, with his own life at stake, Jouko offers Aino as a trophy in order to save himself. With only hours left to break the enchantment before her wedding, Aino is desperate for a solution.  Will Aino find a way to break the curse?

Right off the bat, author Annette Lyon does something to draw readers to this book — she puts a Finnish guide right at the start to aid her audience. Beyond that simple thing, a truly unique and beautiful story unfolds. One will not simply read words on a page, but rather watch this world completely encompass them. With such precise imagery comes a steep  price— one can see clearly when a character is lacking depth, as is the case with the sister and father. They both appear to be nothing more than placeholders. With that said, "Song Breaker" is a provocative read, and one that begs to be read more than once. 

Yannie Sorensen