Book Review: Griffin Rising by Darby Karchut

***2011 Debut Author***

Reading Level: Young Adult
Publication Date: June 2011
Pages: 174
Series: 1st in a series
Acquisition: received for review

Summary:

For centuries, rumors have abounded of a lowly caste of supernatural beings known as the Terrae Angeli. Armed with the power to control Earth, Fire, Wind and Water, these warriors secretly serve as guardians for mortals in danger.

But for one young angel-in-training, Griffin, life is hell as a cruel master makes his apprenticeship a nightmare. On the verge of failing, a new mentor, Basil, enters his life and changes it forever.

Taking on the identity of father and son, Griffin and Basil forge a special bond where honesty and trust go hand in hand to secure Griffin’s destiny as a Terrae Angeli. Griffin’s belief in himself and the love of a mortal girl are the perfect combination in overcoming the darkest days of his life. But will it be enough for him to succeed?

For Griffin, it’s time to angel up. (from author's webpage)

My thoughts:
A short and sweet coming of age story with some pretty cool paranormal elements. I very much enjoyed this book. Told as a series of journal entries, as a reader, we are treated to a few different characters and their POVs. I really liked this aspect of the book as It helped me feel connected to each character in a different way. Each journal entry was so personal - the core of each character was right there - I felt drawn into the story very quickly and even with it's short length, the power and strength of story was very well played out.

My favorite aspect of Griffin Rising is it's characters. In the world Griffin finds himself in, his life very easily could have turned out very different. I loved his interactions with Basil and it was uplifting to see how much they loved and took care of each other. Perhaps a little confusing when a new character, Katie, was added into the mix but it passed quickly as I got used to her voice and looked forward to seeing her take on Griffin, Basil and their strange life.

A quick read with lots of background details that kept me interested and a strong cast of characters that gave the story depth. A book I really think younger male readers would really enjoy.

I'm keeping my eye on Darby and I would definitely read more of her books in the future.

Overall Rating:

4 / 5 Stars

Books in the Series:
Griffin Rising
Griffin's Fire (April 2012)

Linkage Love:
Twilight Times Books
Author's Website
Goodreads