FERRYMAN
The Ferryman, Book #1
by Claire McFall
Walker Books
YA Paranormal Romance
320 pages
After a deadly train crash, the afterlife is waiting for Dylan. But that's only if she and her intriguing Ferryman can make it across the demon-infested wasteland--and if she can bear to let him go.
When Dylan wakes up after her train has crashed, she thinks she has survived unscathed. But she couldn't be more mistaken: the bleak landscape around her isn't Scotland, it's a wasteland--a terrain somehow shaped by her own feelings and fears, a border to whatever awaits her in the afterlife. And the stranger sitting by the train track isn't an ordinary teenage boy. Tristan is a Ferryman, tasked with guiding Dylan's soul safely across the treacherous landscape, a journey he has made a thousand times before. Only this time, something's different. The crossing, as ever, is perilous, with ravenous wraiths hounding the two at each day's end, hungry for Dylan's soul. But as Dylan focuses her strength on survival, with Tristan as protector, challenger, and confidant, she begins to wonder where she is truly meant to be--and what she must risk to get there. An international bestseller with a phenomenal following, the award-winning Ferryman (with its sequels Trespassers and Outcasts) is in development to be a major motion picture.
When Dylan wakes up after her train has crashed, she thinks she has survived unscathed. But she couldn't be more mistaken: the bleak landscape around her isn't Scotland, it's a wasteland--a terrain somehow shaped by her own feelings and fears, a border to whatever awaits her in the afterlife. And the stranger sitting by the train track isn't an ordinary teenage boy. Tristan is a Ferryman, tasked with guiding Dylan's soul safely across the treacherous landscape, a journey he has made a thousand times before. Only this time, something's different. The crossing, as ever, is perilous, with ravenous wraiths hounding the two at each day's end, hungry for Dylan's soul. But as Dylan focuses her strength on survival, with Tristan as protector, challenger, and confidant, she begins to wonder where she is truly meant to be--and what she must risk to get there. An international bestseller with a phenomenal following, the award-winning Ferryman (with its sequels Trespassers and Outcasts) is in development to be a major motion picture.
GOODREADS / AMAZON / B&N / KOBO / BOOK DEPOSITORY
MY TIDBITS
Dancing into a bit of mythology, this tale weaves around death, adventure and a lovely romance.
Dylan is on her way to see her father for the first time in many years, but when the train enters a tunnel, everything blacks out. Climbing out of wreckage, Dylan makes her way out of the wreckage to discover a strange landscape and a guy, who calls himself the Ferryman. As they journey hours upon hours, she slowly realizes that she has died, and that he's leading her to where ever it is her soul should go. But the journey isn't easy as wraiths and demons try to consume her soul with only the Ferryman separating them from their goal.
The surmise on this one caught my attention, and I was excited to dive in. The tale is well done with wonderful world building, action, and adventure. From the very first moment, the reader is pulled in and follows Dylan through a well-done death and into an amazing world. It's not hard to figure out what's going on long before Dylan figures it out, but then, this is done in the POVs of both main characters. Still, the wraiths and demons add more than enough tension as do the shifting emotions of Dylan as she tries to figure everything out. I did enjoy reading this one from beginning to end, and am looking forward to see where book two continues.
There are quite a few secrets and unknows despite the double POV. Dylan comes across as a clever, very kind and alert girl, who is forced to go way past her comfort zone...which she does even when she wishes she didn't have to. Her personality does draw in and comes across pretty naturally. The Ferryman, on the other hand, stays a bit more at arm's length away. There are reasons for this, which make it very understandable, and yet, it would have been nice to get a bit more from him. For example, he claims he knows everything about Dylan's life, and yet, this amazing tidbit doesn't come into play much at all...as if he doesn't really know her, since he finds her so intriguing and surprising at times. Also, the questions behind some of the world's logic and rules are left unanswered, but there's still a book two and three, so I'm going to assume that will take care of a lot of this.
The romance is very well done. The two are slowly drawn to each other, letting this one build. I'm not sure how all of this works out, since there are huge differences between the two (and by no means easy ones), but I guess, that's some of the fun. The interactions pull back and forth but are always warm underneath. If there had been a bit more plot twisting and depth, I would have been over the moon for this read. Still, it's more than enjoyable, and I definitely recommend it and will be looking to grab the next book in the series because I'm not done with these characters yet.
1 comment:
What a great book, and a great review. Will look for it. Thanks!
Post a Comment