Review: The Age of Larkspur

THE AGE OF LARKSPUR by Aleighsha Parke

Fiction, Fantasy, YA Fantasy

4****

Blurb: Flora has spent her entire life hiding in the trees and ignoring the cursed, poisonous larkspur growing from her ankle and eating away at her life. She lets her anxiety and fear control her, but fate forces her hand when her adopted mother is kidnapped by a cruel witch. The only way to save her is to find the magic shards of her family’s amulet scattered throughout her land. With no time to waste, Flora sets out with her best friend, and along the way they meet a darkly intriguing stranger. But Flora is running out of time and can’t succumb to distractions. If she trusts the wrong person or lets her anxiety win, Flora risks losing more than just her mother …

Thoughts: This was an intriguing young adult fantasy (note: I’d say slightly older YA because of some rather graphic gruesome scenes, especially at the end). The author does an amazing job of setting the scene and building the world. We are immersed in Flora’s life from the first page. Based on Icelandic folklore, the myths and old sagas are woven throughout with a deft hand.

The story moves along quickly as Flora and her best friend Anise set out on a quest to find the four parts of an amulet in order to set their world to rights and save Flora’s foster mother, Rosie. Along the way, they meet Kanaan, a rather interesting character. Flora is immediately drawn to him, but he is a lot more than he seems. All the characters have issues that make them relatable. And the secondary characters were as unique as the main three.

The end was a tad gory for my tastes, but in keeping with the story and the myths. And the result was perfect. Without giving anything away, I loved how Flora deals with the end, possibly opening up room for future stories in a possible series. Nicely done.

Recommended.

Disclaimer: Disclosure of Material: I received a final and/or advanced reader copy of this book with the hope that I will leave my unbiased opinion. I was not required to leave a review, positive or otherwise, and my opinions are just that… My Opinions. I am posting this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”