Jacci Turner

4.5 stars

"Today we call forth nine more friends to join us as we serve. / To bring their gifts as offerings and strengthen us with nerve. / All the gifts are needed here we; honor every one. / Come forth you nine and join us now, your calling time has come."

Fifteen-year-old Mayten loves training as a tree singer, an esteemed position among her clan. But when she feels pain coming from the trees, she finds herself on an unexpected quest, one so dangerous she might never return home.

Now Mayten must use her unfinished training to face betrayal, fear, and a deadly foe. Is she a match for the ancient evil attacking her trees or will the entire kingdom fall to ruin?
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This was a super good middle grade, coming-of-age book! The cover is literally SO BEAUTIFUL, the characters are fun and diverse, the setting is vibrant and unique, and the writing is both simple and elegant.

Basically, everyone in Mayten's clan has a particular gift or "calling" that most of them figure out by the time they're 15-years-old. Mayten's family have always been Singers (her last name is Singer, too!) so her mother sings to plants and trees to help them grow and thrive, her father sings to wheat and grain in the same fashion, her sister is just a singer of history and stories, etc. There's also Hunters, Healers, Travelers, and so forth. I loved how it's like each of them has a special gift given to them by God and God is called the "Great Singer" (and the "Great Healer," the "Great Hunter," and the "Great Traveler" as well) showing that ultimately, all our talents and gifts are from Him and He was the original Creator in the beginning.

Mayten was a delightful character. She was smart and resourceful but also full of humility. The struggles she goes fights throughout the book (e.g. loneliness, doubt, fear, resentment, jealousy), are very real struggles that most teens have. Her journey from being a simple farm girl who hasn't known anything beyond her home and little village to the mature and brave girl at the end of the story was amazing. I also really liked how she fought to control her emotions (like her annoyance at Adven) and tried to see past that.

This book emphasized the strength and bonds of family and of friends. There was a clear fight between good and evil and it was kind of scary how people could end up using their God-given gifts for harm and eventually for evil just like a certain someone did. This is true in real life as well, of course, so definitely some really deep and insightful themes there. One thing I thought was a bit weird was like being "one" with everything that almost border on Hinduism beliefs. But I'm sure the author just meant it like respecting nature and letting it calm you and being a part of the beauty of it all, though. :)

There was no coarse language at all (at least I don't remember there being any) and some minimal romance between some characters (not saying who!). There was one brief scene of violence, blood, and gore that may be disturbing to younger readers and someone the MC knew was attacked and severely injured. Birth of a stillborn baby was mentioned as a memory but only briefly.

Would recommend!

Please note that I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are completely my own and I was not required to leave a positive review.… (más)