Linden Falls
A young woman embarks on a winding quest to understand herself—and her place in a multidimensional war—in the epic fantasy novel Linden Falls.
In Joshua Hershey’s fantasy novel Linden Falls, a war between realms reaches a crescendo as a young woman discovers her magical heritage.
In an alternate version of Earth, the planet is divided into seven lands, each with disparate kingdoms vying for control. Mabel cares little for the political machinations of the kingdoms; instead, she focuses on her daily struggle to survive as an orphan. But then a book written in an ancient tongue awakens magic within Mabel, drawing her into a realm that exists between Earth and heaven. There, a war rages between good and evil; its conclusion will be determinative not just for Earth, but for all realms.
If the forces of evil led by the serpent god Lavian prevail, all will be subject to an endless purgatory. Mabel is given a choice by the forces of good: discard the book and return home or accept her calling as a witch. In the process, she evolves and becomes capable—traveling to the various realms, befriending unexpected allies, and unveiling information about her heritage.
Mabel’s initial ignorance of these circumstances means that she’s forced to learn and adapt to meet challenges—and the audience learns along with her. Still, while a complex world is suggested, insufficient context is provided. The book’s introductions of gods, demons, and monsters is swift, and a sense of their deeper roles is evaded. Even Lavin’s characterization is stereotypical and uninvolving. The characters with archaic names, shifting locations, and magical artifacts pique interest, but their finer aspects are glossed over.
Mabel and her friends sound like contemporary young adults; it is not explained why, when she’s journeying through the fantasy lands, she is capable of understanding and speaking the various languages she encounters. (For the broader audience, translations are provided in the footnotes.) As the novel continues, biblical intonations mark people’s conversations, and Mabel’s own voice becomes more formal in response; she eschews the jokes and colloquialisms that she was prone to early on.
A coming-of-age story set amid a battle against evil, the epic fantasy novel Linden Falls follows a witch as she comes into her power to assume her place in an ancient war between gods. Momentous battles follow one another; Mabel learns important details in the course of each, and then the stakes are raised even higher. This pattern leads into the emotional final battle, wherein Mabel has to think about her family, destiny, and the implications of her decisions.
Reviewed by
John M. Murray
Disclosure: This article is not an endorsement, but a review. The publisher of this book provided free copies of the book and paid a small fee to have their book reviewed by a professional reviewer. Foreword Reviews and Clarion Reviews make no guarantee that the publisher will receive a positive review. Foreword Magazine, Inc. is disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
