The Thirteenth Tower by Sara C. Snider

By: Unknown on Tuesday, November 18, 2014

Title:  The Thirteenth Tower
Series:  Tree & Tower #1
Author:  Sara C. Snider
Published:  May 2014 by Double Beast Publishing
Length:  271pgs
Format:   ecopy
Genre:  Fantasy
Shelf:  Review
Rating: ★★

Back Cover Blurb:

In adversity lies strength beyond imagining.

Abandoned as a baby, young Emelyn’s life as a housemaid in the quiet village of Fallow is unremarkable—and empty. That is, until a host of magical creatures arrives and inflicts terrible misdeeds on the townsfolk. Inexplicably immune to their enchantments, Emelyn joins a pair of Magi intent on stopping the cause of the trouble—and who claim to know of her parents, promising Emelyn answers to a lifetime of questions.

But the answers Emelyn seeks prove to be more elusive than she hoped, and the world outside Fallow more perilous than she imagined. Magical creatures roam the land over, attacking yet another town before coming after Emelyn. The key to her survival—and finding her family—lies deep within her, if only she can conquer her doubts and believe she is more powerful than she ever dreamed.

In a journey that explores facing one’s fears amidst the uncertainties of an unknown world, The Thirteenth Tower is a magical tale of discovery, growth, and of love’s enduring strength.

My Review:

The world that Snider creates is definitely one where readers feel at home, neither challenged nor lost. I did, however, find Snider’s writing style and tone a little hard to connect with. As much as I was intrigued by the premise and wanted to learn more about this world and its inhabitants, I found myself repeatedly putting down the novel as I couldn’t connect with the author. It was a bit of a paradoxical situation for me. While I enjoyed the premise, the adventure, and the world I really couldn’t get into the story.

The characters, though well developed in some aspects remain rather superficial in others. I found them quite difficult to connect with. I neither liked nor disliked them. They simply were. I didn’t feel the need to cheer for them (or against them) but I also didn’t have any ties binding me to them. Snider ensures that we get to know all of the major players in the story quite well, developing them on many levels. The dialogue was also quite natural, with an easy flow to it.

Although this story was well written and I thoroughly enjoyed the premise behind this novel, I simply couldn’t get into it.

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