Lichgates, by S. M. Boyce

Here's another wonderful book I received free from www.bookbub.com.  The book just jumps right in without too much background to make the story slow.  What I love about it, is it transports you from the modern world to a world of it's own.  Some of the creatures you will be introduced to are traditional fantasy where others are completely unique to this book.  Are there some writing cliques in this book?  There is a tall, dark, mysterious prince that appears to save our main character, so yes there is, but it doesn't ruin the story.  The real story will be learning is he really the hero or the enemy in this book?

The book starts off giving you a little bit of background about Kara Magari, she's a college student whose mother has recently pasted away.  She spends most of her free time hiking to escape her mother's absence.  While hiking she discovers a new trail and stumbles on a lichgate or portal that just looks like a gazebo.  As she travels through it she continues on the trail and finds a door in the side of a cliff.  She goes inside to escape a weird storm and ends up stumbling upon an ancient library.  In the library she finds the Grimoire, an ancient book that gives it's master an amazing power.  Without realizing it she becomes it's master.  Attached to the book there is a note that says, "From the moment you read these words, you will be hunted."  Almost immediately her adventure begins... 

What I like about Kari the main character of the book, is that she isn't the typical damsel in distress that are common in so many fantasy books.  She's a tom-boy, that would rather wear pants over pretty dresses.  She has experienced lose, but learns to overcome her grief.  She's not afraid of getting her hands dirty and isn't going to wait around for someone to save her to accomplish her goals.

I loved this book so much that I went ahead and bought the other two books of this series.  So far I'm loving book two as well and would highly recommend this book.

Book #2 Treason
Book #3 Heritage

When you are wronged and your heart and feelings are hardened, do not be distressed, for this has happened providentially; but be glad and reject the thoughts that arise within you, knowing that if they are destroyed at the stage where they are only provocations, their evil consequences will be cut off, whereas if the thoughts persist the evil may be expected to develop.

-- St. Gregory the Theologian