Reviews

Heart of the Mountain by Jeanette O'Hagan

katkinney's review

4.0

A delightful novella with excellent world-building and lush, gorgeous descriptions that left me feeling like I’d been transported into the pages. When siblings Delvina and Retsa find an injured above-grounder during a snow storm, they intend to take him back as a trophy…. Or for dinner. But as the characters are slowly revealed and O’Hagan allows us to see the details of the oppressive underground world in which they live “in the heart of the mountain”, a far more complex society is revealed. The scene where the Overseer announces two children must be chosen and sacrificed to the Dark Ones, a boy and a girl, had me shivering with serious Hunger Games vibes. Zadecki, who is not only an eagle shifter, but can shift to multiple forms, was super cool, and completely stole his scenes. This was delightfully done, and I could have eaten up another hundred pages of it!

Please excuse typos/name misspellings. Entered on screen reader.

adamdavidcollings's review

5.0

An underground society, a mix of magic and technology, and a race of shapeshifters. With youthful adventure, political intrigue, and plenty of thrills, this novella packs a lot into its small package. Not only is this a great read, but it launches an ongoing fantasy series that feels fresh and exciting with every new instalment. You'll be glad you found this undiscovered gem.

calissa's review

This book is an entry in the Aurealis Awards for 2016, for which I am a judge. Any review will be withheld until the results of the awards are announced.