Book Review: Waking Ursa Minor by Helen Rygh-Pedersen
Waking Ursa Minor was an island-hopping adventure full of fascinating creatures, a rich history and a young woman learning to find her way to be the hero she deserves.
The islands of Riverda are suffering as the magics that once protected the world become unbalanced. Now divided, the islands only hope is for an ancient prophecy to bring them together once more. However, if the islands are to unite, the same prophecy promises an ancient evil will rise and stake their claim to Riverda once more.
Serakela is an orphan, sheltered from the dangerous past her parents left her. Her innocence is shattered suddenly when the woman who took her in guides her to the papers of her past. Within these pages is a message, one that would unite the islands forever.
Hunted by Brother Okrafkus, a trained assassin monk of the Separamus, Serakela must tackle a new life on the run, full of found families, learning to both trust and keep on her guard and maybe find love along the way.
Waking Ursa Minor was an epic, adventure filled coming of age story that provided just the right amount of interesting plot with childlike whimsy.
The standouts to me here were the prose, plot and worldbuilding. The prose in Waking Ursa Minor was captivating and beautiful. It was immersive, easy to read and poetic without being overly flowery. It was so easy to pick up this book and be immersed in the story. Each time I started a new reading session I was immediately back where I had left off. This carried through the entire way through the book without any dips or lulls in my ability to visualise and feel a scene.
The plot while on the outside seems straightforward, we have a chosen one with a prophecy to fulfill, was made so deliciously rich by a layering of character arcs, different species and complex emotions from the very first page to the last. The reader is invited to a world full of different creatures from all walks of life, each sharing a rich history, including, past grievances, present misdemeanours, and future fears. Leading me to the worldbuilding.
The book is split into three parts, one part for each of the major islands (although a portion of this book also takes place underwater .. WILD RIGHT?). Each island has its own set of histories and inhabitants that we get to experience with Serakela as she spends time there interacting with the land and folk of that section. This made the island-hopping experience feel all the more real for me as a reader to be able to visualise.
I had a great time with Waking Ursa Minor, it was a solid debut and I cannot wait to see what the author does next. I can already see Helen Rygh-Pedersen becoming an auto buy author!
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