View source for The Seer's Curse by J J Faulks

{{infobox1
|title= The Seer's Curse
|sort=Seer's Curse
|author= J J Faulks
|reviewer= Kate Jones
|genre=Confident Readers
|summary= A well-written, engrossing story of myths and curses that covers a lot of ground.
|rating=4
|buy= Maybe
|borrow= Yes
|pages=206
|publisher=Matador
|date=February 2018
|isbn=
|website= https://www.jjfaulks.com/
|cover=B079RJFN42
|aznuk=B079RJFN42
|aznus=B079RJFN42
}}

Although ''The Seer's Curse'' is billed as a pre-teen novel, I would say that it would appeal to a wide audience interested in fantasy and mythology, as well as just a good tale.
 
The book opens with a woman named Alea dying in childbirth. Her newborn baby daughter Orleigh is believed by the villagers to be cursed by the gods.  Cut to a mysterious individual known as 'The Seer', who tells us that Orleigh has been born in the wrong place and as she no longer has her mother to guide her, her birth nevertheless marks ''the beginning''.
 
This is a tale of gods, mortals and seers, and the action of the story is interspersed with myths and stories re-told of the gods and adventurers, which both Orleigh and her friend Piprin grow up hearing.  Although many people may enjoy the interlude of these stories, I preferred when the chapters moved the main story of Orleigh forward.  I also found the unusual names and many gods and mortals introduced into the story to be a little confusing, and certainly any pre-teen readers would need to be confident readers.  There are also some slightly grown-up ideas such as the mother dying in childbirth and the provenance of Orleigh's father, but I don't think this would cause any real issues for younger readers.
 
The real action starts when Orleigh disappears, and Piprin sets out on a quest of his own, similar to the stories they have grown up hearing. The secrets, twists and turns of the story are gripping enough to hold your attention and the author does well to build the tension, making it a real page-turner.
 
All in all, this is a good first fantasy novel, particularly for anyone interested in myths and quests.
 
If you enjoyed this, you might like [[The Magic Thief by Sarah Prineas]] or [[The Forbidden Library by Django Wexler]].
 
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[[Category:Fantasy]]
[[Category:Teens]]