The Mapkeeper and the Rise of the Wardens

(Copy provided to The Kindle Book Review.)
From Goodreads:

“Lucy Barnes was an ordinary girl.

She lived with her two brothers and her father in future North America under a tyrannical government called the Commune.

Until her world was turned upside down.

Lucy discovered that she was heir to a magical map which transported her to another world called Praxis, where she was expected to learn to use the map’s magic to help save Praxis from the stirrings of a dark, ancient force.

Now an entire realm is relying on her...

Lucy must push herself to her limits and learn to harness her new-found gifts before the Wardens annihilate all the creatures of Praxis. As the Mapkeeper, Lucy’s abilities are the only power strong enough to save them from destruction. But enemies are all around her, sometimes disguised as friends. With time running out, who can she trust?

Will she discover the truth before it’s too late?”


~~~~~ This was an interesting way to mix two genres--the post-apocalyptic feel of the Hunger Games with the medieval situation of Merlin or any other Arthurian saga. Lucy is a relatable as a main character--she's compassionate, she trusts her brothers and has a good relationship with them, and she seems fairly intelligent, figuring out the map's magic on the fly. And the map's magic has a logical consistency--always nice to read a book that has the magic figured out.

On the flip side, this book was prone to the same problems that plague most first-time writers--a lot of the characters were blank slates and lacked a discernible personality, the romance felt shallow and contrived, and there was a lot of telling instead of showing. One detail that really bugged me--Lucy and her siblings seemed to be preternaturally gifted in medieval skills, such as horseback riding and archery, picking them up far too quickly. And the Wardens were a little too easily defeated.

However, both worlds were solidly built, the pacing was good, and the descriptions were excellent. (THERE WAS FOOD. Yup, still salivating. Anyway....) Despite the ending feeling like it was all over the place, I would happily to read the sequel and see how and why the worlds tie together, and who the real evil mastermind is.


Gentle Reader Alert: I found nothing of concern.