Title: THE SHAMER’S DAUGHTER
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Series: THE SHAMER CHRONICLES – BOOK ONE
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Author: LEME KAABERBØL
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Genre: FICTION, SCIENCE FICTION AND FANTASY
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Length: 240 PAGES
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Publisher: PUSHKIN CHILDREN’S PRESS
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Received From: NETGALLEY
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Release Date: SEPTEMBER 10, 2019
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ISBN: 978-1-78269-225-6
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Rating: 5 OUT OF 5 STARS ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
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DESCRIPTION:
The first step into the thrilling middlegrade fantasy world of The Shamer Chronicles
Dina has unwillingly inherited her mother’s gift: the ability to elicit shamed confessions simply by looking into someone’s eyes. To Dina, however, these powers are not a gift but a curse. Surrounded by fear and hostility, she longs for simple friendship.
But when her mother is called to Dunark Castle to uncover the truth about a bloody triple murder, Dina must come to terms with her power – or let her mother fall prey to the vicious and revolting dragons of Dunark.
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MY REVIEW:
“Birches is not a big Town, but we do have a smithy, an inn, and the mill … not to mention eleven different houses and farms of varying sizes… In almost all the houses were families, and almost all of the families had children, some as many as eight or ten. You would think, with so many to choose from, that it would be possible for me to find a friend or two, or at least some playmates. But no. Not me. Not the Shamer’s daughter. Two years ago I could still sometimes play with Sasia from the inn. But then it became more and more difficult for her to look me in the eyes, and after that, things became kind of difficult. Now she avoided me completely, just like everyone else.”
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Dina wants to be like everyone else. However, try as she might, it is impossible for people to treat her normally. She has Shamer’s Eyes.
Dina’s mother is a Shamer and Dina is already showing traits of the Shamer she will become.
” I knew that it would be so much easier for them if I simply stayed away. But I hadn’t asked for the damned Shamer’s eyes; I couldn’t help being my mother’s daughter… Didn’t I have a right to be here? Someone to talk to, someone to be with…”
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Author Lene Kaaberbøl has created a brand new world peopled with both good and evil characters and has brought to life the idea of a Shamer – a person who can read your mind and detect any and all actions you are ashamed of. That power brings people face to face with the shame they feel and can (and often does) bring grown men to their knees. A Shamer can also tell truth from lies and her services are often called upon to determine a person’s guilt or innocence in criminal matters.
That talent and the repercussions of seeing inside someone’s heart and mind are what gets Dina and her mother involved in matters of which they would rather have stayed out of.
The concept of a Shamer is unique and after reading THE SHAMER’S DAUGHTER, I completely understand why this book series has garnered Lene Kaaberbøl fans around the world, of which I now count myself among their number.
The target audience for this book series is middle grade to young adults, but I am forty six years old and I enjoyed reading this tale immensely, and as such, I am labelling THE SHAMER’S DAUGHTER as good for all ages.
With characters readers will be invested in and a fast paced plot full of continuous action and the entire tale being essentially a story of good versus evil, I rate this book as 5 OUT OF 5 STARS ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐.
* Thank you to #NetGalley for providing me with a free copy of this book.*
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
An award-winning and highly acclaimed writer of Fantasy, Lene Kaaberbøl was born in 1960, grew up in the Danish countryside and had her first book published at the age of 15. Since then she has written more than 30 books for children and young adults.
Lene’s huge Internationally breakthrough came with ‘The Shamer Chronicles,’ which have been published in more than 25 countries selling over a million copies worldwide.
To learn more about this author, visit the following links:
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