Carrying a story over the course of several books is no easy task. It’s the writing equivalent of running a marathon. Suz Eglington keeps the momentum going in Rebirth of Meredith Hallow: Kiara Noir Mother Nature Series, the third outing for her protagonist. In this volume, Kiara is straddling the line between adolescence and adulthood, trying to prepare to be a queen while still trying to understand - and control - her new powers. All this while trying to fulfill a promise to find and rescue Meredith Hallow. And not set herself on fire.I enjoyed the adventure, humor, and edge-of-the-seat excitement of this novel. Eglington does a wonderful job of capturing the naivety and indecision of a young woman on the cusp of adulthood. Her protagonist, Kiara Noir, has so much to deal with that it’s no wonder she’s confused, makes rash decisions, and questions her ability to be the person she wants to be. Nothing is quite what it seems to be, including friends, enemies, and love. Author Suz EglingtonTo add to her troubles, she’s traveling the lands to learn about the kingdom she’s going to rule and meet her future subjects. Even some of her traveling companions, like her cousin, Katana, seem to hate her and insult her at every turn. The story flows like their travels over this imaginary kingdom, slowing for character and plot building, then speeding up when things go awry. While the story is dialogue-heavy, it keeps the narrative flowing and helps to build the relationships and small details that make this story so rich. I also enjoyed the secondary/supporting characters. They were all unique and well-constructed, each with their own wants, needs, and motivations. In fact, I felt they carried the story as much as Kiara did. The magic, the history, and the world-building were also well done. It wasn’t difficult to immerse myself in this story because it felt real.The one thing that I felt was frustrating was Kiara’s habit of making bad rash decisions. Towards the end of this book she begins to learn, but in the preceding pages I found myself getting annoyed with her. Not that it’s a bad thing. Obviously, that was simply her character acting as she would.I really enjoyed Rebirth of Meredith Hallow and look forward to the next one. I think this story is great for a YA audience, and even for more mature readers who love a good fantasy. This review was originally posted at Reader Views. For more book reviews and recommendations, check out my Reading List page.RB
