Publisher:
N/A

Publication Date:
12/12/2022

Copyright Date:
N/A

ISBN:
1622530349

Binding:
Paperback

U.S. SRP:
N/A

THE WATCHERS

By Jo Sisk-Purvis

IR_Star-black
IR Rating:
4.5
With its deft storytelling, colorful and polished writing, and immensely likable central character, THE WATCHERS by Jo Sisk-Purvis is a captivating opening chapter of a promising new fantasy adventure series.
IR Approved

In the world of THE WATCHERS, the first book in the Trekana series of YA fantasy adventures by Jo Sisk-Purvis, there are three races of people with extraordinary abilities: Watchers, who can see great distances but cannot hear; Listeners, who can hear the faintest sounds but cannot see; and Knowers, gifted with fearsome telepathic abilities—and believed to be extinct, having been wiped out centuries ago in a devastating civil war. Sixteen-year-old Alesea, a girl from the idyllic island village of Akila, is a Double, a hybrid race created out of the union of Watchers and Listeners. Alesea is an enormously gifted and acclaimed musician, but music appears to be her only special ability. When the vicious Paav, a band of Watchers from distant Mata, invade her island, Alesea discovers that she is a Knower, able to peer into and influence the minds of others. The Paav have abducted and enslaved her people, including her family, and Alesea must find her way across the sea to Mata to free them while learning to master her emerging powers. Along the way, Alesea will encounter new friends and enemies—and discover the thrill of first love.

The “young hero from humble origins who turns out to possess miraculous abilities” is a staple of fantasy literature, but Sisk-Purvis provides Alesea with an intriguing twist. As a believer in the A’lodi, a religion based in compassion and peace that sprang up in the wake of the catastrophic Great War, Alesea is a strict pacifist. How Alesea grapples with her nonviolent convictions while attempting to defeat her enemies and rescue her people is a compelling moral dilemma that sets THE WATCHERS apart from the typical fantasy adventure. The novel’s world-building is stellar; Sisk-Purvis renders the complex history and culture of Alesea’s world with rich, evocative detail—the island setting is so vivid and full of life that it’s a little disappointing to leave it—and ladles out the backstory and lore without bringing the story to a halt. And Alesea is an engaging protagonist whose thoughtful, sensitive nature and sharply observant mind are sure to charm readers. While the flow of the novel occasionally dawdles, especially in its opening chapters, Alesea and her journey are engrossing enough to keep the reader invested in the story.

With its deft storytelling, colorful and polished writing, and immensely likable central character, THE WATCHERS by Jo Sisk-Purvis is a captivating opening chapter of a promising new fantasy adventure series.

~Edward Sung for IndieReader

Publisher:
N/A

Publication Date:
12/12/2022

Copyright Date:
N/A

ISBN:
1622530349

Binding:
Paperback

U.S. SRP:
N/A

THE WATCHERS

By Jo Sisk-Purvis

Jo Sisk-Purvis’ THE WATCHERS begins the adventure of a young girl from a unique, hybrid race whose island village has been invaded, and her decision to embark on the monumental mission of rescuing them. The characters, setting, and world-building are compelling, unraveling a complex plot that readers will find intriguing. A perfect start to what promises to be a remarkable  young adult fantasy series.