3 out of 4 stars
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Summerbird Rises is the first in a series of three planned books and is the debut work of author Debi Ennis Binder. It’s a solid first effort and the author has managed to create an intriguing fantasy world full of magic, adventure, trickery, and even a little bit of romance. As is standard practice in many fantasy series, there are lots of characters and plenty of moving parts to this story. The book never feels bogged down by all of the details though, and it comes off as a light, easy-to-read fantasy tale where you'll be eager to find out what happens next.
In Summerbird Rises there are two worlds: Emythor, a land where magical beings live freely and thrive; and Isterr, a place where all magic is forbidden. Summerbird Asii, the heroine of this tale, was abandoned in Isterr as a child, forced to hide her magical blood and live in fear that she will one day be discovered. But, when a griffin (named Miffin) suddenly appears in her home and demands that she help him with a rescue mission, her life changes dramatically. She soon embarks on a quest to rescue the lord-governors of Emythor, learning more about herself and her magical abilities than she ever thought possible.
Summerbird is a good-natured and likable character who grows significantly as she comes into her magic and learns to live in the Fey-inhabited world of Emythor. She's the kind of character it's easy to root for. I appreciated the fact that Summerbird uses spunk and intelligence to deal with the challenges she faces. What I didn’t appreciate, however, is the fact that other characters, especially men, regularly marvel at her intelligence and her beauty. And, since nearly all of the other characters in the book are men, this phenomenon got old fast. Still, Summerbird has a lot of potential and it’ll be interesting to see how she grows throughout future books.
This being the first book in the series, there are some unanswered questions about the world and the motivations driving some of the characters. Some of this is by design (and these questions seem poised to be answered in the next installment), but some of this is due to the inexperience of the author. It felt like the author was too much in her own head at times, forgetting that the reader isn’t privy to the carefully planned plot she’s imagined. For example, it’s clear throughout the book that there’s more going on in the world of Emythor than Summerbird is told by Miffin Griffin. His full plan will surely be explained in future books, but even when the story was being told from his perspective, I found myself at a loss when trying to make sense of some of his actions. However, when I re-read the blurb after finishing the book, I found the answers to my questions spelled out in front of me. This tells me that the problem wasn’t the plot, it was the explanation. I hope that in the next book the author can focus on making sure plot details are as clear on the page as they are in her head.
In terms of editing, there were grammar and punctuation errors sprinkled throughout the book. There weren’t so many that my reading experience was significantly diminished, but there were still more than enough to be noticeable. I hope that future editions take care of this, but for now, those who are picky about errors should take note of this before reading.
Despite my misgivings about some aspects of this book, I still found it to be an enjoyable and engaging read. As soon as I finished it, I looked up the series, hoping to start the next book. (Sadly, it's not out yet.) My excitement about reading the next part of this story is what convinces me that this book deserves 3 out of 4 stars. It’s not a perfect book and there is certainly room for improvement, but there’s also a spark of something special. Fans of magical fantasy who are looking for something light should give this book a chance.
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Summerbird Rises
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