Blindsighted Wanderer
Author: EC Hibbs
My Rating:5/5 Stars
The Wall has
long kept Elitland Valley safe from the demons on the other side. For centuries
the villagers have avoided speaking of the Wall or the creatures it protects
them from.
Upon their return from the annual Country Fayre, the older
Atego brothers learn of their father’s passing. When fifteen year old Silas
Atego learns the mysterious illness that took his father might have been a curse
from a demon, his need for answers draws him to the one place he must not go.
The far side of the Wall.
When Silas is still missing days later, his
older brother Raphael sets out on his own to bring him home. On his journey,
Raphael learns how it was his ancestor who was cursed by a demon creature from
the Lake and had the Wall built to keep them out. More desperate than ever to
find his brother, his search draws Raphael to the same terrifying
barrier.
Along the brothers’ individual travels they face their greatest
fears, make lifelong friends, and more importantly, learn the truth of what
happened centuries ago.
Blindsighted Wanderer is a tale about how truth
and forgiveness will set you free. Where myths are transformed to legends that
last a lifetime. The brothers leave their home as desperate boys but return to
their family as honorable men.
MY
REVIEW:
Blindsighted Wanderer has been labelled as a story
of pure genius and a coming of age masterpiece; once sitting down and devouring
this book I have to agree to everything that’s been said about it.
This
was just one of those stories that I found myself leaning back into my chair and
saying, “whoa!” I barely had time to come up and take a gulp of fresh air before
I was pulled under the excitement and adventures of our leading characters,
Raphael, Silas and the royal mermaid Merrin. From the beginning Hibbs paints us
a backdrop of a world filled with wonder and fantasy but also with an element of
mystery when referring to ‘the wall’ and the family curse.
Hibbs opens
up her first scene to a picture of two lovers’ secret rendezvous during a late
night in the middle of the lake. Here we meet a young man named Adrian and the
mermaid princess Merrin. What I had perceived to be an intimate encounter
quickly and shockingly turned into one of the highest betrayals, costing
Adrian’s not only his life but also placed an ongoing curse onto all the boys
belonging to his bloodline. We are then shifted to the present day where we are
introduced the Artego brothers, Raphael and Silas who are descendants of
Adrian.
Obviously a lot of thought went into Hibbs’ characters, giving
them a multi-layered design that felt so real I was sure I was going to put the
book down and find them standing in the room continuing on their conversation.
Her ability to breathe life even into the smallest of details from the Country
Fayre in Elitland Valley down to the gentle rain during their father’s funeral
was inspiring.
From the first exchange of words I felt the brotherly
connection between Raphael and Silas bloom like an open flower, and in turn I
immediately cared for them as they obviously cared for each other. They were
faced with the tragedy of their father’s passing, prompting Raphael to step
forward and become the new man of the household. It was this event that got
Silas’ mind ticking about their family misfortune, and after speaking to the
priest about the curse he’s hunger for the truth becomes so extreme that he must
go against everything he’s ever been taught. Silas leaves to search beyond the
wall and into the depths of the unknown. Distraught with concern as Silas
remains missing, turning hours into days, the older brother Raphael quickly
pursues after him.
Back to our mermaid princess Merrin, Merrin isn’t
just perceived as the nasty, scoured woman who’s intent of holding onto her
vengeance till the end of days but as a well-rounded character who deep down
doesn’t want to only remember her hate. We see a softer side of her, a more
vulnerable and insecure side especially when the title of ruler is passed down
onto her and her fears of being an unfit ruler presses to the surface. I haven’t
read any mermaid books before now and I feel Hibbs was a promising start to a
new fad.
With twists and turns pulling me through their adventure I was
constantly sitting at the edge of my seat, laughing and holding my breath when
unexpected encounters occur during the storyline (I don’t want to reveal
spoilers by accident, sorry for my vagueness). The characters were able to learn
from one another, especially between Merrin and Raphael as I loved all of their
scenes together. Hibbs had the ability to switch from each character’s focus and
not lose her momentum. Her writing style was easy to follow with a natural flow,
I even found myself thinking ‘wow it’s like reading poetry’; it was THAT
impressive. I felt her pacing was beautiful, allowing me to really breath in the
surroundings and get to understand the Artego family before the curiosity of the
‘wall’ dragged the two brothers towards a truth they weren’t
expecting.
It’s a story of learning, forgiveness and overcoming your
inner demons. A truly beautiful and inspiring book that I can see myself reading
again and again.
