Review: The Awakening by Dorine White

The Awakening by Dorine White

Nightmares really do come true, and for fifteen-year-old Kyler Birkwood, they are just beginning. Raised on a farm by his Aunt Martha, Kyler has no clue about the magical heritage swimming through his blood. When he discovers evidence of a mythical creature, a terrifying beast thought only to exist in fairy tales, his safe world shatters.

Left at a school of magic to hunt for clues, he is overwhelmed and disbelieved. As loved ones begin disappearing and Orcs roam the land, Kyler must undergo a journey that takes him from the High Courts of the King to the unknown forests of the East. His magic just awakening, Kyler is the lone hope for a world that will not listen.

The Awakening is an action packed adventure from beginning to end. Dorine White has magically woven a tale with intriguing characters that delight and entertain. The story pulls you in and doesn't let go until the end.

When Kyler realizes the power he holds, there is no stopping him and he will do whatever it takes to protect his friends and family. He learns quickly, maybe a little too quickly, to harness the power inside him, yet the impetuousness of youth brings unexpected help and hindrance. Not every battle is a winning one, and he doesn't always save the day. It's nice to see a hero share the lime light with his companions. I also love that he doesn't take to fighting with a sword, but searches out other methods to fight and protect himself and his friends.

Darcy is a gem. Not your typical princess. With a hungering desire to prove herself in a world of swords and magic, she literally fights her way to the center of everything. She is independent and skilled with the determination to use her talents to protect her friends. She hates the very idea of anyone being worried about her because she is a girl and yet this can also be a weakness that endangers her friends. She is willing to fight to the death, hopefully not her own. This character is very real to me and yet a part of me hungers to see the feminine side of her. Women can be fierce, but there is always a softer side and I would have loved to see more of Darcy's softer side.

The loyal friend, Henry, becomes a hero in his own right, harnessing his own powers and offering the measure of deliverance to his friends that could actually turn the tide of evil. He is a bit of a third wheel to the trio of friends and yet he has valuable skills, some of which come to fruition just at the nick of time.  I like the friendship that develops between these three though it would be nice to see more growth as the story progresses. 

As a stand alone novel it was written very well, especially for the younger audience. I thoroughly enjoyed the story and the reality of the characters personalities as they interacted with each other. By the time it ended I didn't want it to end. I felt like there could be more. There were times when the story moved so quickly that I wished it would slow down and yet I didn't want it to stop. Dorine White delivers twists and turns to the plot that will keep you turning the pages.