the stone of sorrow

3.0 stars

This is a good first book in a new YA Fantasy series that weaves Norse mythology and magic into the story of a young woman embarking on a quest to save her sister and clan.

Syr is a powerful runecaster for her clan and keeper of a magical gem called a moonstone. The moonstone magnifies her power and is essential in her clan’s survival. Runa is her younger sister. Syr is training Runa to be a runecaster, but Runa would rather sail away and explore the world like their father. One day another clan under the spell of an evil witch raids their village and kidnaps Syr. After most of her clan is killed or put into a sleep-like trance, Runa sets off to rescue Syr. Along the way she is joined by a fallen Valkrie and the handsome half-elf heir of the rival clan that attacked her village. Both have their own reasons for aiding Runa’s cause. With each challenge Runa faces on her quest, she becomes more adept at magic and gains the confidence she’ll need to face the evil queen.

This is a fast-paced, easy, read. I consider this “fantasy-lite” as there is almost no world-building and few characters, but it’s still an entertaining story. As with most YA books, there is no descriptive violence and no sex. Runa’s character development is unrealistically quick and choppy, but considering the book is short for a fantasy novel, I guess the author needed to abbreviate her journey. This isn’t a book that is thought-provoking or will spur hours of conversation with your friends, but it’s still a fun, quick read.

I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.