SYNOPSIS
If the first book was “…a riveting tale about personal strength and hidden magic” (Foreword Reviews), this next one is about working together to defeat a great enemy in the magical Riven Isles.
Following Tinderbox, the acclaimed first title in The Tales of the Riven Isles, the story of magic and revenge continues with Tarotmancer.
Harper holds the Gift of Divination. Red is the infamous Reynard the Fox, fugitive shapeshifter. When his past finds him, Red is taken to the Kingdom of Vale within Underneath so he can pay for his crimes and Harper is taken as hostage. With the Rot drawing on the hatred of the citizens, including Harper as she realizes she must put her feelings aside and save Red from the punishment of the Cesspit. As the Rot continues to grow, all must take control of their emotions and join to protect Vale.
About the author
W.A. (Wendy) Simpson has been writing since the age of five and finished her first novel at fourteen. An Associate Member of the Science-Fiction & Fantasy Writers Association, she lives in Delaware and shares her home with her brother and two diva cats. When she’s not writing, she’s reading, working in her garden, or gaming and streaming on Twitch. Her debut novel, Tinderbox, was published in 2022 by Flame Tree Press to rave reviews; its follow-up, Tarotmancer, will be
Tarot is something I was very interested in for a long time. I even had a couple’s reading which was an interesting event. The cards are supposed to speak to you about what is potentially to come. Not in the way that this book would depict as such but they are supposed to give you a general focus.
This book has such a great premise and I think the style of writing is vivid and does a great job at making you feel that you are there.
The question I ask myself is how far would you go if you had the knowledge through your magic that someone was convicted of a crime, and was to be executed but was innocent?
That is a hard question as in our world you wouldn’t be able to since magic and seers don’t really exist in the same way.
Harper the Diviner who uses tarot to see what is. She has a good heart and seems to have a mania for the truth and ensuring justice will be done.
Red is a younger person who is saved by the diviner but he is a thief as he claims and I can see that he is going to be a good person who will do what he can.
I have always been fond of the psionic abilities especially those who can see the future. Presight is what I have always called it when you know what is going to happen. This is almost something like truth seeing.
The story itself is extremely entertaining and I find it compelling story with characters that feel real. I do believe that this is going to be a great book and it shows in the style of writing and the plotting.
Magic is not as rampant in this book but what there is, magic in the creatures that they have made come to life. I believe that it’s a unique take which has kept me wanting more.
Part of what I really like is the book isn’t as dark as what I normally read and have felt burn out because of this it makes the book more sweet. The same as this is not a strong character driven book but more about the plot.
If you are more into action and adventure than this book won’t be for you. This book is about the storytelling. The characters while great are secondary to the story and I am thrilled. This isn’t normally what I prefer but this is so well written.
I feel that a lot went unsaid leaving open the possibility for a sequel or a series. This book was very good and I think it had so much going for it especially as it is mostly story based. The characters weren’t the strong points that I normally go for but wow the story makes up for everything.
Crazy Canadian Writing 