Heroes Arise

In her debut novel, Laurel Anne Hill explores young adult fiction of the fantasy genre. She creates a world where savagery and revenge are commonplace, and where the Kren (who seem to be a lizard or reptilian-like tribe) are nomadic warriors who wander in the desert, trading, while protecting their customs and mythology from outsiders. The protagonist, Gundack, is a tribal leader whose wife has been murdered by the Tarr, a splinter group of Kren who are a mountain-dwelling people. According to the customs of his people--and to defend his honor, so he may marry Eutoebi, a fellow tribeswoman--he must seek revenge. Along the way, Gundack meets a human, Rheemar, who is searching for her sister who has been stolen by the Tarr. Thus is formed an unlikely, and tentative, alliance. Rheemar seems to know many mysterious things about the Tarr that enable her to assist Gundack in fulfilling his quest, while simultaneously providing herself with the muscle with which she hopes to fulfill her own. In the end, all are challenged to review deeply-held beliefs, not only about each other, but also about their own individual cultures, as well as what defines a true 'hero'. Hill is very adept at building the world of the Kren; the reader gets a sense of how the people live, including what they eat and what they worship. She gives the Kren an honor code that is unmatched by anything human, and a thirst for vengence that would give pride to any warrior culture. Because she chooses to unveil these details in a slow manner, the world is seemingly built around you as the narrative grows. I'm not a huge Fantasy fan, but I found the world Hill created engrossing. The action in this book is well-written and fast-paced. The escalation from scene to scene develops smoothly and seamlessly, Some of the dialogue is a bit repetitive and stilted, and, well, somewhat corny. Dialogue is often the most difficult bit for a writer to master, and so I believe Hill will likely refine her technique in future novels. Also, some of the back-and-forth between the two main characters seemed repetitive and unnecessary. Gundack questioning Rheemar once or twice would have made sense, but more than that seemed overdone. As a side note, I found the illustration a bit boring and unnecessary. I could have easily done without it, and found it distracting as opposed to enhancing. However, I am the type of reader who prefers to imagine these things in my mind; I know a lot of young adult readers do enjoy a bit of illustration to go along with the story, so I have mixed feelings about it overall. All in all, a decent effort, if a bit hampered by some beginners' mistakes. I believe readers will enjoy the world Hill has created, as well as the exciting battle scenes. In her debut novel, Laurel Anne Hill explores young adult fiction of the fantasy genre. She creates a world where savagery and revenge are commonplace, and where the Kren (who seem to be a lizard or reptilian-like tribe) are nomadic

"Laurel Anne Hill's language is both exquisite and sharp. In HEROES ARISE, she transported me to distant time, space, and culture, yet the emotional impact hit home. A gripping adventure with a twist." Teresa LeYung Ryan http://lovemadeofheart.com/blog/