Review + Giveaway: Storm Child by Sharon Sant

Storm Child by Sharon Sant

Release Date: 21st April 2016
Publisher:  Lightfoot Press

Genres: Young Adult Fantasy

In a Victorian era where the industrial revolution has been replaced by superstition and magic, Britain is a place where wolves roam freely and children with magic are snatched from the streets. This is home for thirteen-year-old witch, Annie and her baby sister, Georgina. When their mother dies, Annie and Georgina find themselves saved from the workhouse by the mysterious Ernesto Black. But Black’s motives are far from pure and soon Annie faces new, even more dangerous threats. What does Ernesto want from Georgina? And can Annie trust the other teenagers living with Ernesto: Polly, who has her eye fixed firmly on inheriting Ernesto’s fortune and will do anything to make sure she gets it, and the charming Isaac, who would do anything to win Polly’s affections – legal or not.

Fearing for Georgina’s safety, Annie is faced with a terrible choice: she can try to guard her sister from the ever-present threat of Ernesto, or she can leave the child out in the wilds of the New Forest in the hope she’ll be found and taken in by a new family, ignorant of her powers. Annie chooses to leave Georgina’s future to chance and steals her away from Ernesto’s house in the dead of night.

But Annie’s troubles are far from over as her actions set in motion a chain of events that will take her and Georgina into danger she could never imagine. This danger drags country girl, Charlotte Harding into the fray and threatens every one of the teenagers, and it leads them right into the heart of the powerful organisation responsible for the assassination of Queen Victoria, an organisation that wants only one thing: Hell on Earth – quite literally…

FROM THE BEST SELLING AUTHOR OF THE MEMORY GAME AND THE SKY SONG TRILOGY, STORM CHILD IS BOOK ONE OF THE STORM CHILD TRILOGY.

Excerpt

The basket the girl carried was almost as large as her and she gasped as she stumbled, nearly dropping it.  It had been dragged on a stolen handcart along dark, silent roads until she reached the edge of the heath. The cart was useless on the dense undergrowth here and now she walked with her precious cargo, crooning to it as she laboured under its weight. 

Biting back tears, she took one last look around.  Her gaze returned to the lights of the tiny house.  Was this close enough?  Would the basket be found?  What would happen if it wasn’t?  But the girl had no choice.  The alternative was a fate far, far worse. 

She opened her mouth and clear, high notes rang out across the darkened terrain.  A few moments passed, the girl singing in the darkness, until a shadow appeared on the horizon and crept towards her.  The wolf approached and bowed its head. 

‘Thank you,’ the girl said.  ‘You will protect her until she is claimed.  After that, your will is your own again.’

The wolf stared at the girl, as if in a trance.  Then it sat next to the basket and turned its eyes to the heath.

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While this book has been categorised as a Young Adult book I recommend that EVERYONE reads it as its completely suitable even us oldies! I'm 45 years old and totally adored it. Sharon Sant's wonderful writing style helped carry the reader along in the story with great pace, excitement and adventure. There was magic and mystery too and lots of wonderful characters such as Polly and Issac to get to know, love or hate. Set in Victorian Era England, magical children are haunted along with the wolves that roam the countryside. Such children are forced to keep their magic a secret for fear of abuse from those who wish to exploit them and the powers they possess. 

Young Annie is 13 years old and is forced to look after her baby sister Georgina when their mother dies. From the workhouse they find themselves in the employ (street urchin) and under a type of guardianship from the mysterious Ernesto Black. Annie soon realises that Georgina would be safer away from Ernesto's clutches as she cannot protect her from him. Georgina is very special. Annie simply carries too many secrets about herself and Georgina. So, she leaves her sister on the moor in the hope that a kindly soul will take her into their home and their heart. Georgina is found by Charlotte and thus begins an adventure that no-one could ever have predicted. Dark powers are at work and must be stopped! But at what cost?

I won't give any more of the story away here because I really think you should read this book. Its fantastic! I loved the personalities of all the characters and thought Polly was such an enigma. Sometimes I felt I knew what she was all about and then she does something unexpected! I really enjoyed the exchanges between Polly and Issac and felt they added a touch of humour to the story. The dialogue was brilliant and I found myself reading it with a Cockney accent! Poor Annie carries such responsibility on her young shoulders and I felt quite sorry for her. The level of maturity she displays in such difficult circumstances with her main goal protecting her baby sister always at the forefront of her mind and her actions.

If you enjoy a good fantasy book that is interesting, well written and exciting then this is definitely the book for you. Highly recommended.

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ABOUT SHARON SANT

 

Sharon Sant was born in Dorset but now lives in Staffordshire. Aged eight she wrote a poem about ET, which received the ultimate praise of being pinned onto the classroom wall, and from that moment on she knew she'd never stop writing. She graduated from Staffordshire University in 2009 with a degree in English and creative writing. She currently works part time as a freelance editor and continues to write her own stories. An avid reader with eclectic tastes across many genres, when not busy trying in vain to be a domestic goddess, she can often be found lurking in local coffee shops with her head in a book. Sometimes she pretends to be clever but really loves nothing more than watching geeky TV and eating Pringles.

Young adult novels Sky Song, The Young Moon and Not of Our Sky (the Sky Song trilogy), The Memory Game and Runners were all released in 2013 to glowing reviews. Dead Girl Walking followed in 2015 and she has a new trilogy planned for 2016, the first book of which, Storm Child, is due for release in April.

Sharon also writes children's fiction under the name of Summer Hopkiss.
To find out more you can follow her on twitter where she's always happy to chat: @sharonsant or find her on facebook. You can also go to her website: www.sharonsant.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sharonjsant/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/SharonSant

Goodreads Author Page: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6888220.Sharon_Sant

Blog: www.sharonsant.com

Website: www.sharonsant.com