In SPIRIT SIGHT, the first volume of Ross Hightower’s Spirit Song fantasy adventure trilogy, Minna, a young woman living in the remote outskirts of the Vollen Empire, discovers that she possesses “spirit sight,” the ability to perceive elemental spirits of the land, air, water, and more. Those with the spirit sight are able to tap into powerful magical abilities—a mixed blessing, as those with spirit sight are considered “witches” by the Vollen Church, and communing with spirits is punishable by death. Minna’s sister, Alyn, who has also gained spirit sight, is captured by the Inquisition, a religious order that hunts down witches and forces them to fight in the emperor’s wars. Minna, now a fugitive from the relentless Inquisition, must master her powers in order to rescue her sister and free her people from persecution.
SPIRIT SIGHT blends its classic fantasy premise—the humble commoner comes into magical powers and is thrust into a grand destiny involving monumental forces—with themes of religious and political corruption, with an appealing focus on spirituality and the natural world. That Minna’s quest quickly broadens to encompass immense, earth-shaking stakes is unsurprising for an epic trilogy, but Hightower never loses sight of his heroine’s personal journey. Minna may be a familiar fantasy type, but she is an engaging character who is easy to relate to and root for, written with empathy and personality. Hightower doesn’t skim past Minna’s development from a naive rural villager to a valiant adventurer; her path to mastering her abilities is a fun, engaging storyline, and it’s almost impossible not to be fully invested in Minna’s quest by the time she emerges into the wider world of Vollen.
The novel’s world-building is well executed, with maps (available at the author’s website), a character list, and even a helpful pronunciation guide, to help ease the reader into Minna’s world. Sprawling SF/fantasy series often throw disoriented readers into the fray without much guidance, but Hightower, thankfully, makes sure to offer just enough hand-holding to make the story comprehensible at every step. The writing, while occasionally repetitive, is solid, with natural-sounding dialogue and a sensitive eye for descriptions and details. SPIRIT SIGHT is a treat for fantasy lovers, a heartfelt and richly imagined adventure that marks a promising beginning to the Spirit Song trilogy.
SPIRIT SIGHT is a treat for fantasy lovers, a heartfelt and richly imagined adventure that marks a promising beginning to Ross Hightower’s trilogy.
~Edward Sung for IndieReader