Reviewed by Dan

TITLE:   Dark Heart of Yal

SERIES:   Forest Dwellers #1

AUTHOR:     Kristene Coleman

PUBLISHER:     Self-Published

LENGTH:     197 Pages

RELEASE DATE:   January 16, 2016

BLURB:

Sharlan Bellman is the younger son of the Hammet innkeeper, a village in the Dark Heart of Yal. Living deep in the Dark Heart, he has been warned from birth never to go into the forest. Stories of the beast have travelled all the way to Yalan – home of the king but the people of the meadowlands scoff at the tales. Safe in their cities beneath the sun, free of the shadows of the forest, they laugh at the foolish beliefs of peasants.

The villagers of the Folger Forest do not laugh. Too many go missing on the paths between the villages. Occasionally, someone escapes. They babble of the forest itself coming alive, vines whipping out to pluck riders from saddles and hothrer from harnesses.

Only path walkers travel between the villages. The beast never ventures from the trees and Sharlan – a child – never leaves Hammet. He feels safe and secure surrounded by the love and warmth of his large family. But all that ends during his eleventh winter when he discovers a girl hiding in his father’s barn.

A shocking truth is revealed that causes him to doubt everyone – including those closest to him. Fearing for his life and determined to find justice, he uses the long wait for his majority to investigate the sinister dealings filling the Dark Heart.

REVIEW:

You should always pay attention to that little line on Amazon that gives you suggestions.  I’m not sure what I was looking for this morning, maybe a blurb for another book that I had finished reviewing, but this book caught my eye.  I’m really happy that it did, because it has given me an enjoyable day’s reading!

I’m unfamiliar with the author, and I only see the one book on Amazon, so I’m guessing it might be her first book.  She is a high school English teacher from Australia, and she has hooked me into her tale….completely!

When he is only ten years old, Sharlan Bellman, the son of a well to do innkeeper, loses his innocence.  He sees something which shakes his beliefs in the good of the military, his neighbors, and even his family.  When he meets a strange girl in his family’s barn, little does he know that her desperation to move her magical armband over to him will change his life forever.  Within minutes she has run into the woods with the soldiers in pursuit.  When he hears what the soldiers say on their way back, and recognizes one of their voices, nothing will ever be the same.

There is something dark in the forest.  Something that takes lives.  Is it a monster?  Or is it bad men?  I’ll leave that for you to find out.

I really enjoyed this story, and would highly recommend it to anyone who likes a good fantasy read.  It does have gay male characters, but isn’t smutty.  This one is age appropriate for anyone from teens to retirement in my opinion.  This crotchety old man enjoyed it!   I’d recommend picking it up today.  The only problem, the story keeps going.  It was kind of a cliffhanger, which I detest, but I’m OK with that for now.  I just hope the next one is already in the works!

RATING:

BUY LINK: 

Amazon