Review of Sacred Crossroads
7 posts
[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Sacred Crossroads" by Mitch Russo.]
How would you feel if tools sang songs, shadows danced unnaturally against the light, objects rearranged themselves, bread told stories, and wood whispered of forests? This is what happens in Sacred Crossroads: The Path Appears When You Take the First Step by Mitch Russo, a magical realism novel that follows the life journey of Noble Manning.
Noble owns an old hardware store, Manning's Hardware, in Cedar Springs, Massachusetts. Founded by his grandfather, the store holds many secrets that Noble hasn't yet decoded. Although he notices many anomalies in his store—oddly moving shadows, tools rearranging themselves, unusually warm tools, discrepancies in inventory—he ignores them. He believes in precise, measurable facts rather than wonder and magical stories. However, the women in the book—Jenny, Eleanor, Rosa, and Sarah—differ from him.
Jenny, who works at Manning's Hardware, not only notices the anomalies but also believes that the store is enchanted and the tools have minds of their own. She possesses a gift just like her grandmother, Rosa. While working in the store, Rosa had organized the objects not by logic but by their purposes, ensuring that the tools found the right people and that the store served its true purpose of helping customers build their dreams. Now, Jenny follows in Rosa's footsteps, serving as a bridge between Rosa's magic and Noble's reality. Eleanor, Noble's wife and Sarah's mother, was also gifted; she had visions and tried to capture moments between moments using her camera. She first met Noble during a story assignment and immediately recognized his magical gift. Her photographs of Noble showed him surrounded by golden light, portraying his connection to the store. But Noble feared the way the store responded to him and didn't acknowledge his gift. Eleanor tried hard to show Noble the truth about himself, the store, and also other magical worlds in Cedar Springs through her photos until her death, but in vain. Sarah has inherited her mother's gift. She works as a curator in Seattle, patiently waiting for the store's transformation.
Presently, Noble notices an increase in anomalies, which confuses him. One day, a strange astronomical alignment called the "celestial crossroads" happens in the sky, leading to the store's awakening. Jenny senses the awakening and is ready to face it. Meanwhile, in Seattle, Sarah notices her grandmother's key glowing and realizes that the store is calling her back home—to the store. At night, Noble, Sarah, and Jenny meet at the store. Noble learns about the secrets his family has been guarding, which overwhelms him. Now he has to make a choice—to stay in his old, measured life or to follow the magical path toward awakening. He also meets a Night Walker who gives him an ancient key and asks him to choose a path. What is the family secret? Which path will Noble choose? What will happen to the store and Cedar Springs? Find out by diving into this magical journey where magic and reality blend, and the boundaries blur.
I loved the author's poetic writing style. The vivid descriptions brought the scenes right before my eyes, especially the scenes involving the visions. The pacing is good, but sometimes it tends to be on the slow side, especially at the start, which didn't bother me as it created a soothing, magical ambience that I loved. The pacing increases a bit in the second half, adding a thrill element. The characterization is well done. I just noted a minor profane word and no sexual content, which I appreciated. This is the first book in the series, and I would love to read the next book to learn what happens in Noble's world.
While reading, I noted more than ten errors. One more round of editing might help the book. Another thing I personally felt is that, though I loved the descriptive writing, sometimes it felt a bit overboard. Other than these, I found no other issues. So, based on the positives and the negatives that I noted, I would rate the book 4 out of 5 stars.
This calming read made me wish magic were in our lives. Sometimes we need some magic to move forward, embracing wonder instead of fear. We must take the first step bravely for the path to appear. Rather than leading a mechanical life, we should find joy in simple things around us. This book reminded me of these truths.
Readers who love narratives that portray a world where magic and realism meet, while inviting them to ponder over their lives, will enjoy this novel. I believe that readers who prefer fast-paced narratives might not enjoy this one.
******
Sacred Crossroads
View: on Bookshelves
How would you feel if tools sang songs, shadows danced unnaturally against the light, objects rearranged themselves, bread told stories, and wood whispered of forests? This is what happens in Sacred Crossroads: The Path Appears When You Take the First Step by Mitch Russo, a magical realism novel that follows the life journey of Noble Manning.
Noble owns an old hardware store, Manning's Hardware, in Cedar Springs, Massachusetts. Founded by his grandfather, the store holds many secrets that Noble hasn't yet decoded. Although he notices many anomalies in his store—oddly moving shadows, tools rearranging themselves, unusually warm tools, discrepancies in inventory—he ignores them. He believes in precise, measurable facts rather than wonder and magical stories. However, the women in the book—Jenny, Eleanor, Rosa, and Sarah—differ from him.
Jenny, who works at Manning's Hardware, not only notices the anomalies but also believes that the store is enchanted and the tools have minds of their own. She possesses a gift just like her grandmother, Rosa. While working in the store, Rosa had organized the objects not by logic but by their purposes, ensuring that the tools found the right people and that the store served its true purpose of helping customers build their dreams. Now, Jenny follows in Rosa's footsteps, serving as a bridge between Rosa's magic and Noble's reality. Eleanor, Noble's wife and Sarah's mother, was also gifted; she had visions and tried to capture moments between moments using her camera. She first met Noble during a story assignment and immediately recognized his magical gift. Her photographs of Noble showed him surrounded by golden light, portraying his connection to the store. But Noble feared the way the store responded to him and didn't acknowledge his gift. Eleanor tried hard to show Noble the truth about himself, the store, and also other magical worlds in Cedar Springs through her photos until her death, but in vain. Sarah has inherited her mother's gift. She works as a curator in Seattle, patiently waiting for the store's transformation.
Presently, Noble notices an increase in anomalies, which confuses him. One day, a strange astronomical alignment called the "celestial crossroads" happens in the sky, leading to the store's awakening. Jenny senses the awakening and is ready to face it. Meanwhile, in Seattle, Sarah notices her grandmother's key glowing and realizes that the store is calling her back home—to the store. At night, Noble, Sarah, and Jenny meet at the store. Noble learns about the secrets his family has been guarding, which overwhelms him. Now he has to make a choice—to stay in his old, measured life or to follow the magical path toward awakening. He also meets a Night Walker who gives him an ancient key and asks him to choose a path. What is the family secret? Which path will Noble choose? What will happen to the store and Cedar Springs? Find out by diving into this magical journey where magic and reality blend, and the boundaries blur.
I loved the author's poetic writing style. The vivid descriptions brought the scenes right before my eyes, especially the scenes involving the visions. The pacing is good, but sometimes it tends to be on the slow side, especially at the start, which didn't bother me as it created a soothing, magical ambience that I loved. The pacing increases a bit in the second half, adding a thrill element. The characterization is well done. I just noted a minor profane word and no sexual content, which I appreciated. This is the first book in the series, and I would love to read the next book to learn what happens in Noble's world.
While reading, I noted more than ten errors. One more round of editing might help the book. Another thing I personally felt is that, though I loved the descriptive writing, sometimes it felt a bit overboard. Other than these, I found no other issues. So, based on the positives and the negatives that I noted, I would rate the book 4 out of 5 stars.
This calming read made me wish magic were in our lives. Sometimes we need some magic to move forward, embracing wonder instead of fear. We must take the first step bravely for the path to appear. Rather than leading a mechanical life, we should find joy in simple things around us. This book reminded me of these truths.
Readers who love narratives that portray a world where magic and realism meet, while inviting them to ponder over their lives, will enjoy this novel. I believe that readers who prefer fast-paced narratives might not enjoy this one.
******
Sacred Crossroads
View: on Bookshelves
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