Thursday , March 28 2024
Thief's Covenant: A Widdershins Adventure will move and intrigue teen and adult readers of dark fantasy.

Book Review: Thief’s Covenant: A Widdershins Adventure by Ari Marmell

Coming in February, Thief’s Covenant: A Widdershins Adventure will be a welcome addition to young adult dark fantasy, and will also sustain the interest of adult readers.

A warning to parents: this is a very dark fantasy, with a lot of violence and death. It is intended for teens and not for younger readers.

Born Adrienne Sati in the city of Davillon, somewhere in space and time, and orphaned at an early age, a young girl survives by her wits on the streets until, in a true Cinderella fashion, she meets an older mentor who is a member of the aristocracy and who takes her in and grooms her as the daughter he never had. But then Adrienne gets mixed up with a foreign god — not one of the recognized Pact of 120 gods worshipped in Davillon — and a terrible thing occurs, and through fire and blood Adrienne becomes Widdershins, back on the street again and forced to hide her true identity because she is suspected of mass murder. But now Widdershins is not alone. She has a constant companion, the god Olgun, living inside her head. Olgun is a weak god, but is still capable of a little magic, which sometimes comes in handy.

In a town awash with crime and political intrigue, Widdershins and Olgun fight to survive and to find answers: who killed Olgun’s other followers, who wants Widdershins dead, and why?

It soon becomes apparent that Widdershins is fighting not only other humans, including those of her own Guild, but something older, more powerful, and far darker as well.

Be prepared: No character is safe in this book. Ari Marmell began his career writing for games such as Dungeons and Dragons and it shows. There is a lot of very graphic suffering and death in this story.

But if you like dark fantasy, you will be engrossed, moved and intrigued by this intense adventure, whether you are a teen or an adult. Thief’s Covenant is a powerful fantasy and a riveting story.

About Rhetta Akamatsu

I am an author of non-fiction books and an online journalist. My books include Haunted Marietta, The Irish Slaves, T'ain't Nobody's Business If I Do: Blues Women Past and Present, Southern Crossroads: Georgia Bluesand Sex Sells: Women in Photography and Film.

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