Reviewed by Breia "The Brain" Brickey for TeensReadToo.com
The story begins with the disappearance of a Prince. The heart of the Kingdom is the City, the heart of the City is the King, and the heart of the King is the Prince. After the disappearance of the Prince, many things go wrong, from the city to the farthest outlying villages.
Timou lives in a remote village where her father is a powerful mage. When the damage to the Kingdom becomes too much for them to ignore, Timou's father, Kapoen, makes a trek to the City to attempt to find the cause of it all. When he doesn't return, Timou decides it is up to her to unravel the mysteries in the Kingdom.
The world Ms. Neumeier created is very well put together and the characters are very distinctive. There were some elements that I wonder if they were suitable, such as the King's first illegitimate son being identified as Lord Bastard throughout the story, but I came to realize that it was really one of many talking points that teens can discuss with their parents.
THE CITY IN THE LAKE is listed as a young adult story, but I feel it would also be very appealing to adults. There were many layers to the Kingdom, just as there are many layers to this book. It was well written and inviting . I found the story to be very descriptive and it felt like a movie playing in my head. I enjoyed the book very much, but there may be elements in the story that some parents don't feel they are yet ready to introduce their children to.
The story begins with the disappearance of a Prince. The heart of the Kingdom is the City, the heart of the City is the King, and the heart of the King is the Prince. After the disappearance of the Prince, many things go wrong, from the city to the farthest outlying villages.
Timou lives in a remote village where her father is a powerful mage. When the damage to the Kingdom becomes too much for them to ignore, Timou's father, Kapoen, makes a trek to the City to attempt to find the cause of it all. When he doesn't return, Timou decides it is up to her to unravel the mysteries in the Kingdom.
The world Ms. Neumeier created is very well put together and the characters are very distinctive. There were some elements that I wonder if they were suitable, such as the King's first illegitimate son being identified as Lord Bastard throughout the story, but I came to realize that it was really one of many talking points that teens can discuss with their parents.
THE CITY IN THE LAKE is listed as a young adult story, but I feel it would also be very appealing to adults. There were many layers to the Kingdom, just as there are many layers to this book. It was well written and inviting . I found the story to be very descriptive and it felt like a movie playing in my head. I enjoyed the book very much, but there may be elements in the story that some parents don't feel they are yet ready to introduce their children to.
