Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult, Middle-Grade
Published: Aspen & Thorn Press, April 2024
My Rating: 4/5 stars
"Why do we grow more scared as we get older?"
"Because we know better."
Every now and then you come across a new release that feels like you’re reading a modern classic. Whether it be the themes, the writing itself, or how reminiscent it feels of another classic; there’s a certain charisma to these stories that makes them feel special. This week I’ve had the pleasure to read not one, but two of these stories. One of them, Impossible Creatures, has already garnered plenty of well-deserves praise and love. The other is an upcoming indie title, that I’m therefore even more excited to put on people’s radar.
With vibes of The Neverending Story, a world reminiscent of Miyazaki, and a story that feels like a folktale told at night around a campfire: this is a release to keep your eye on.
The Story:
In a world blanketed in a never ceasing fog inhabited by nightmarish creatures, humans are confined to isolated settlements that sail the fog like ships. Ogma lives in one of these settlements, and is part of the team of children guarding the walls and sounding the alarm whenever one of the fog-phantoms approaches. Her job is an important one, and one only children can do, as the older you grow, the more susceptible you become to the fogs treacherous calls.
One day, Ogma’s town is attacked by shadows from the fog. In an attempt to save those she loves, Ogma sets off on a journey into the unseen, where she must rely on her wits and her friends in order to survive.
What I loved:
The immediate standout here is the quality and depth of the worldbuilding Lehnen put into this story. From the setting of the fog-drowned world with its floating settlements, to the fearful creatures that inhabit it, to the history and lore of the wizard-war that created this situation: it feels like Lehnen knows this world inside out, and is excited to take you on a journey through it.
The plot offers a good balance between action and character interaction, and Ogma and her traveling band make for great companions on this trip. I especially love how Ogma was a strong female character, that isn’t afraid to recognise that she still needs help and support from her friends (something that unfortunately is quite rare in Young Adult fiction).
Another element that made the story feel similar to modern classics like The Neverending Story is how well it translates to different age-ranges of reader. I would classify the story somewhere between the upper-end of middle-grade and the younger side of YA (12 to 15 years), but it’s core-themes of friendship, fear, growing up, growing older and growing apart translate perfectly to adult readers as well.
What I didn’t love:
Fog and Fireflies is a debut novel, and has some struggles typical of that. Most notably, it struggles a little around the half-way point. After a fascinating beginning, there’s a bit of a drop in pacing, as well as a very quick expansion on the world and magic-system that doesn’t quite feel like it gives the reader enough time or information to adjust. Although the author seems to know the lore of his world inside out, he struggles at times to keep the reader up to pace. I hope the next book in this series will expand further on this worldbuilding and fill in the gaps that were left in my understanding.
That brings me to my second point of critique: I wish the Goodreads page and marketing had been a little more clear about the fact that this is the start of a series, not a standalone fantasy. To me, this wasn’t a problem, but know before going in that this is a satisfying story in its own right, but it does have some open ends after you flip the final page.
As a final aside, I’m happy to let you know that I had a great mailexchange with the author, in which he stressed how much he values accessibility, and an audiobook is in the making so visually impaired readers can enjoy the story too. If you know me, you know how deeply I appreciate an author (especially indie!) thinking of such things.
Many thanks to T.J. Lehnen and Netgalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
You can find this book here on Goodreads.
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