Fantasy Review: Capering on Glass Bridges (The Hawk of Stone Duology, Book 1) by Jessica Hernandez

Capering on Glass Bridges (The Hawk of Stone Duology, Book 1)
by Jessica Hernandez

Released: August 21, 2016

Description:
The Utdrendans have spoken, and everything has changed as a consequence. People normally avoid the fog surrounding the cursed Kingdom of Mar, but now they are asking sixteen-year-old Kaia Stone to venture into it. The Utdrendans implied that there is something special about Kaia. They claimed that she could help free the land; she need only carry out their instructions and deliver a message to the Marian king.

Mar, however, is a land in which dark secrets abound, and many will stop at nothing to ensure that it remains forever cursed. Determined to work against Kaia, unfriendly forces have already begun to gather.

Will Kaia choose to abandon the only life she’s ever known—perhaps indefinitely—in pursuit of the greater good…in pursuit of her purpose?

My Review:
Well, this one was a bit surprising. Capering on Glass Bridges is a fantasy adventure in which Kaia, a young girl, is called upon to deliver a message that could release the country, Mar, from a curse. It starts off heavy on family dynamics, focusing on Kaia’s struggles not to be jealous of her younger sister’s pairing with her new companion, Ree. Then the family is summoned, and the plot broadens.

I like that I wasn’t able to guess the book’s outcome, though there are hints at some of the revelations I just didn’t pick up on the first time through. My first reaction upon putting the book down was, “Crazy!” Of course, I didn’t want to just post that word alone without explanation. I meant crazy as in surprising, I didn’t guess that, and wow.

Anyhow, I also like the stories sprinkled in throughout the book. The one the sisters made up was pretty creepy, and they never did finish it, but I liked it. And the others explained elements of history and culture in the world of the book, but they’re told like proper, complete stories. Nicely done.

The main thing I found difficult in the story was keeping up with all the names. There are a lot of characters, and they’re brought into the story in packs, with a mixture of modern and fantasy names. Once the cast was reduced to a manageable size, it became a lot easier to keep up.

The other thing I found difficult links to there being so many characters. There were a couple of places where I had to flip back in a conversation to retrace who was saying what. Not impossible when it’s only two characters speaking, but there were times this happened with group conversations. There are hints in the things they’re saying, but it was easy to get lost.

Overall, I really liked this story, particularly because it had a surprising outcome. Fans of fantasy quests and adventures will likely enjoy this story.

I received the review copy of this book from the author.


Book Links:
Amazon.com
Goodreads


About the Author:

 

Hello, everyone! My name is Jessica. Pleasure to make your acquaintance. :) Allow me to share a bit about myself with you. I was born and raised in the beautiful, sunny state of Florida. I attended the University of Miami, where I spent more time than I care to admit daydreaming of a faraway land called Acu. Upon graduating with a degree in English and Political Science in 2014, I put pen to paper and brought Acu to life—so was born the Hawk of Stone duology.


Author Links:
Goodreads
https://jessthestoryteller.wordpress.com/  
Twitter @jessy_marie77