Books and Chat

Spiral’s of Destiny, by Jim Bernheimer

This is the first book in a new fantasy series by Jim (Dead Eye: Pennies for the Ferryman) Bernheimer. As with Dead Eye, Jim takes his time establishing the world and characters of his series. And the details really pay off.

In this world we have unicorns, fierce, loyal, magical creatures written unlike any unicorn tale I’ve ever read. We also have in this world, Battle Maidens. Girls who find that they have a deep connection with a unicorn and a feel for magic - Earth, Air, Fire, Water…elemental magic. In Spirals we meet Majherri a unicorn who has lost his rider and should have died never getting a new one, and Kayleigh Reese, the young lady who will surprise everyone by becoming Majherri’s new rider, something she shouldn’t have been able to do. Once the connection Kayleigh finds with Majherri clicks into place Kayleigh leaves all she has known of goes to train with the Battle Maidens. She is a bit older than the other girls and is not treated very well, but she perseveres. Majherri is also having his own troubles finding that he has another rider and didn’t die as he should have. Neither is treated very well by their contemporaries. We read about the training, girls and unicorns resorting to back stabbing (think Mean Girls but with magic and unicorns!) and a blossoming of a relationship between Kayleigh and her Mejherri.

Then one day, they are off on what should have been a simple mission when all Hell breaks loose and both Kayleigh and Mejherri realize that everything they’ve known or learned up till then has been a lie.

We have here a wonderful blend of good and evil, a fantastic set up book for what is yet to come. This book is highly appropriate for both adults looking for something both whimsical AND bone shivering evil. And it also very appropriate for the younger adults. A perfect seamless blending of story for both generations of readers. I loved just reading about the everyday life of the girls and the unicorns and the magic, and then all of a sudden out of left field very unexpectedly…corruption and evil that I never saw coming.

This is a book with very well developed characters, a fresh and new idea with seamless plotting and a book that ends with a cliff hanger, one that will definitely leave you wanting more.