Books4Tomorrow: REVIEW: "THE GRAVELANDS OF FATE" (Little Orphan Anvil, book 3)

“THE GRAVELANDS OF FATE”

(Little Orphan Anvil, book 3)

by Joseph Beekman

REVIEWED BY: Ellen Fritz

OVERVIEW

In this final installment to the tale of magic and metal, the fate of the robots will be decided across the gravelands of a forgotten realm. From the haunted wilds of the icy, dark north, two mysterious "others" have surfaced to claim the witch's soul as their own - and to lay to rest the heretics of their dark magic. But as fate would have it, the little orphaned robot, Anvil, has returned from the grave to embark on a strange journey with old friends that will take them from one side of the realm to the other in a final attempt to crush an ancient darkness...that has now become a monster!

REVIEW

After the evil witch had been thoroughly buried at the end of the previous book, “Shades of Fate”, I thought that the good people of the land of Iron and Anvil would live in peace. Unfortunately such evil has a habit of popping up again and again. In “The Gravelands of Fate” the three teens, Tabitha, Jonathan and Haley, Tinspar the swamp dweller, Aleria the spirit sorceress, and old Will must set out again to undo the work of two other witches and ultimately that of the once again risen evil witch. The group, accompanied by Anvil the robot droid, travel through strange lands and numerous perils to accomplish their goal.

Once again the author's wonderful ability to tell a story drew me into the world of the realm and its many lands. The very realistic and highly entertaining characters, who already feel like old friends to me, took me with them on this great and dangerous quest.

With action from the very first paragraph and high adventure in every chapter, this book has absolutely no dull moments. Short, to the point descriptions of surroundings and weather conditions enhances the air of menace necessary for such a tale of adventure. It also creates a deliciously scary atmosphere which will make the hairs on the back of your neck stand on end.

This book is a wonderfully creative and absolutely unique combination of science fiction and fantasy. It is suitable for readers of all ages but will definitely give our younger readers the thrill of their life. The fact that the author does not use foul language in his books impressed me and makes this book even more suitable for younger readers. The gentle manner in which the characters interact and the caring they show towards one another really touched my heart.

“The Gravelands of Fate” is an absolute must read but I would advise readers to read the first two books in the series before this one. I hope we'll see many more books from this most talented writer.