Acquired Book By: I have been a blog tour hostess with Cedar Fort for the past two years, wherein I took a brief hiatus from hosting before resuming this August 2016. I appreciate the diversity of the stories the Indie publisher is publishing per year, not only for fiction and non-fiction but for healthy eats within their Front Table Books (cookbooks). I appreciate their dedication to writing general market, INSPY reads and LDS focused stories across the genres they publish.
I was selected to be a part of the “The Cursed Dagger” blog tour wherein I received a complimentary copy of “The Cursed Dagger” direct from the publisher Sweetwater Books (an imprint of Cedar Fort Inc.) in exchange for an honest review. I did not receive compensation for my opinions or thoughts shared herein
My connection to the author: Last year, I had a conversation with Ms Peterson whilst I was composing my thoughts on my review but it did not influence my reaction and/or change my honest opinion of the novel; something I disclosed at the top of my review for ‘Ian Quicksilver: The Warrior’s Return’. Since then, I’ve only touched based with the author off and on a few times in the interim, as we’re connected through Twitter. It’s always nice to keep in touch with an author you appreciate reading but also a renewed joy if you make a personal connection too. I am thankful my path crossed with Ms Peterson on the tour last year, and for the private conversations we’ve exchanged.
I am disclosing this, to assure you that I can formulate an honest opinion, even though I have interacted with Ms Peterson through our respective love & passion of reading inside the twitterverse as well as privately; I treat each book as a ‘new experience’, whether I personally know the author OR whether I am reading a book by them for the first time. Similarly this applies to all future novels I read by an author I appreciate reading due to the compelling story-lines and characters they continuously bring to their novels and/or novellas.
On returning to the world of Quicksilver:
The Warrior’s Return has a lot of undercurrent themes running into the narrative arc and giving readers a bit of an insight on how our differences are not meant to divide us but unite us. We’re different from each other because we each have something unique to contribute to the whole. It’s how we choose to focus on our strengths and embrace our faults is a mark of our character as much as it is a growth of maturity. I appreciated seeing how Peterson took two characters who were on the fringes of ‘coming-of age’ and instilled in them a grounding sense of who they could be simply by observing how someone else ‘saw them’ and understood them in a way they hadn’t felt would be possible.
Peterson gives her readers a wicked keen treat by inventing telepathic writing as a mode of communication when people are out of sight but not out of mind. I won’t say more about it because I don’t want to spoilt it for you, but let’s just say it takes telepathy to a new height of curious possibility! I also love the elements of TK (telekinesis) she’s knitted into the story inasmuch as the electrical hypersensitive paragifted capabilities of Ari’s hidden talent. This last element reminded of why I was wicked excited to read The Last Gatekeeper by Katy Haye. When it comes to manipulation of energy and sources of energy story-lines can jump into a mecca of interesting realms, because how energy can be shifted between stability and instability has the most intrigue for a reader. To gain access to a power source where energy in it’s rarest form can be harnessed and then re-distributed or altered to a level of power that is controllable to the person whose gifted with the talent is inspiring narrative. It’s also the cross-bridge uniting Fantasy with Science Fiction fusing it’s own new genre of ‘Sci-Fantasy’. (or in other words, Jorie’s newest sub-genre of interest!)
Enter the newfound reality of being a long-lost son of a King from a world known as ‘Bankhir’ whose sisterly bond to ‘Garfel’ is about to become a delicate race against time. The rulers of both decided the only way to save their worlds and to restore peace were to cast out two of their own into a world far removed from their societies intensive war, vying a hope towards re-setting the peace when the boy and girl return home. Only these are not ordinary planets like Earth or even Saturn, no these two are co-dependent on each other due to how the magic of their powers are generated and controlled.
What I appreciated about Peterson is her exclusion of strong language and opted instead to take a sociological-psychological approach to understanding Ian. She writes with a true focus on where he is right now as far as his maturity and development, but also, on the internal struggle for acceptance on self-image, self-esteem, and self-confidence. The kinds of issues most teens face but it’s how she wrote about them that endeared me to the novel’s heart because she’s approaching it with a mindfulness about how boys view the world vs how boys view themselves. This insight I know is intrinsic to the author as she’s a Mum of boys, but evenso, I think she might have understood them even if she weren’t!
-quoted from my review of Ian Quicksilver: The Warrior’s Return
The Warriors Return is like walking up to a precipice and only seeing half the world:
This was my takeaway moment of clarity at the bottom of my review last year, however, it is keenly intrinsically tied to the series as far as the scope of the world and the measurement of what is at stake. You can look at the world from one angle but until someone is able to bend that perspective and wholly refract back a different perspective, your knowledge remains limited. Thus, whilst you think you understand the world in which Quicksilver lives, it’s only through one lens of references until the fullness of his world expands and contracts to become something much larger than what is superficial seen.
The Cursed Dagger
Subtitle: Never Accept a Challenge without Knowing the Rules : from the author of Ian Quicksilver
by Alyson Peterson
Source: Direct from Publisher
Places to find the book:
ISBN: 9781462118656
Also by this author: Ian Quicksilver: The Warrior's Return, Author Interview (The Cursed Dagger)
Series: Ian Quicksilver
Also in this series: Ian Quicksilver: The Warrior's Return
Published by Sweetwater Books
on 1st September, 2016
Format: Trade Paperback
Pages: 320
Published By: Sweetwater Books (@SweetwaterBooks),
an imprint of Cedar Fort, Inc (@CedarFortBooks)
Available Formats: Paperback, Ebook
Converse via: #IanQuicksilver
About Alyson Peterson
Alyson Peterson lives in a mountainside gully –of all places– in northern Utah with her neurotic, shed-tastic dog, two ninja kids, and superhero husband. She spends her time painting, breaking bones at her Martial Arts class (mostly her own) and reading as many books as she can get her hands on.
My Review of The Cursed Dagger:
Absolutely love quick transitions in series – with The Cursed Dagger the space between The Warrior’s Return is happily condensed to only a weekend. You feel like you could literally walk right into the sequel without missing a beat of the story-line! So much so, I could definitely remember Ian (with his new bulk of muscle and height) could be a bit full of himself, in regards to over confidence! He isn’t easily trained but he respects he needs to learn; it’s his lack of motivation to focus that I remember was his greatest weakness.
Corbin is still on him like a pack of hyenas attempting to drill into his head the importance of a good offense even without a direct threat. Whilst Marvin is still the loving father Ian never knew until he met the vet. The two were equally were important in his life and it felt like a homecoming watching the early morning routine as the story opened to reveall where we are right now in the timeline. As the scene shifts to school, we are walking alongside Ian and Ari as they start their day after the previous disclosure last Friday, which pits their futures together. Ari stood out to me as she was such an interesting character whose magical powers flummoxed her parents to the brink of collapse. And yet, somehow in that chaos Ari came out strong and confident despite brief interludes of self confidence.
Before she met Ian she was dealing with her uniqueness like she had an unknown curse plaguing her as she had no recall about who she was or what she was in the greater scheme of things. Similar to Ian, she had to learn how to accept her true identity and embrace her magical gifts. The two are the oddest pair on one hand and the best complement on the other. Ian muddles things a bit when he is around her as one of his weaknesses is trying to compensate for his feelings. He never wants to lead to strong a hand and let Ari know how he feels in case it would scare her off. On that note, I agreed with Ian, as Ari is as skittish as a newbourne colt!
Puckerbush isn’t the most charming towne for the two to court but somehow they make it work for them. Sadly neither of them had the best of upbringings as I was quickly reminded by how much I detested Ari’s Earth parents. They are a level beyond the unimaginable in regards to be judgemental and unaccepting of anything unconventional. When it comes to social graces, Ian is a bit deficient. He rarely makes the right choices in social outings and how Ari has patience to get through his antics is sometimes hard for me to understand except that love can surely be blind! In regards to Ari, I could only hope she wasn’t going to be manipulated again – as that did happen once before, where she was not entirely in control of her own thoughts and mind.
Ian is transitioning through his reclaimed warrior ancestry but not without its difficulties. I appreciate Peterson did not make Ian’s path too easy nor predictable as he had to re-train what would normally be known through instinct. In many ways, this is why Ian and Ari could relate to one another and why their arranged marriage might have a chance in working. They each are at a junction in their lives where the greater truth of their individuality is still being understood. Neither has truly felt embraced by their ancestral roots and each in their own way feel a bit disconnected. Almost like they continue to take a step forward for each step backwards when they make mistakes.
Ian and Ari were finding that their missing history about who they were before their lives on Earth was growing daunting. Ari’s mood swings were intensifying and her lack of self-control over her magic was pulsating at higher levels of being volatile. Meanwhile, Ian could not recreate what brought out his own magic almost as if the syntax in his body was malfunctioning. The closest Ian had come to feeling his warrior’s roots was when he was in close proximity to Ari. Being in her orbit fuelled his energy and his will to fight. Almost as if they had already forged a bond, a symbiotic one not knitted out of love. The best defense they have is their close friendship guiding them through their adversities.
Corbin could teach Ian how to fight and how to be dissuaded by false promises of adversaries but Marvin recognised his (adoptive) son needed something besides the skills of battle. He needed to top into his emotions seeking them out and recognising how what he felt was important. Warriors have spent too many centuries on his planet automatically immune to emotion acting on impulse alone. Part of the beauty of Ari and Ian coming together would be a new bridge between emotional well being and a purity of channeling energy.
Seeing Ari struggle to understand the boomerang affect of her magic was having against her health was difficult to watch. It almost felt as if her power had become to invasive and intense for one person to shoulder (this of course reminded me of the film “Bulletproof Monk”). I was truly getting behind Ian and Ari on their journey to better understand their roles in each others lives, when one scene followed by another blighted out all the joy for me (see Fly in the Ointment). I even pieced together what was causing the most duress to Ari and felt the change in her health was validated due to what was happening in relation to warriors and magic keepers. Sometimes there are unforeseen obstacles all couples must face to test the strength of their resolve whilst working for everything together. In this, I felt it showed how to deal with uncertainties and to find a way to break through difficulties by choosing love over all else; especially fear or doubt. However, those two scenes just shattered me and not in a positive way.
In fact, there was an earlier moment where I felt the outcome of a loss of life was going to be taken. In many ways, I wished it had happened then as it felt more natural that it would. I honestly felt it was the wrong choice how it played out. Honestly how did it start to unravell so quickly? This isn’t was I envisioned when I contemplated The Cursed Dagger. In fact, it is so far afield of what I visualised for this story, I literally felt physically ill. I had to put the book down – I love dragons as much as I love cats, I had no interest in knowing more of the story. I was beyond aghast at the sudden twist in the story-line. I truly felt disheartened. I was disappointed all around after I had praised the author last year for not crossing my personal boundaries of what I willing to accept in fiction but especially Young Adult.
Fly in the Ointment:
In Chapter 15, I was quite distressed by what happens as when it comes to the welfare of animals, I am quite sensitive. I honestly did not feel what happened had to happen the way it went down. Having lost a cat earlier in the year I’m even more sensitive than before. One thing all of us who have companions in fur fear is when we cannot save them from an act of nature. However, what was displayed was a malicious attack and not one I condone. It was too graphic, not in description (thank heavens) but in supposition. You knew exactly what happened. To be honest, this scene and the one where the curse dagger is revealled with a kind-hearted dragon tainted the joy I had reading the earlier chapters so much so I didn’t finish the story.
On the writing style and tone of Peterson’s Quicksilver world:
One thing that stands out immediately is the wit and banter of Alyson Peterson! She has etched sarcasm and humour into the Quicksilver series that you instantly have a hearty smile and a bit of laughter when you resume where you left off! Her humour is quite clean and blessedly age appropriate which is rare in today’s fiction; especially for Young Adult. She has given Ian and Ari a lighthearted comedic style, where the serious state of the universe takes a bit of a pause as the two navigate each other and their growing dilemma of the birthright.
Peterson has definitely written a series for serial fiction readers, who prefer “less rehash and more forward motion” where you’re immediately taken into the next installment with the pertinent details as needed. I have loved the magic of the series since the beginning – from hand-scribed telepathy to energy-driver super power granting strength and/or control that otherwise isn’t possible. She has shown Ari and Ian act as power-balancers for each other, as Ian can neutralise Ari whilst Ari strengthens Ian when he questions his abilities. The colour variants of the synergy of this world’s magic is brilliantly described inasmuch as the subtle ways in which magic interacts with life on Earth. It’s a wicked balance and one which is enjoyable to read firsthand.
Even the return of Ian’s horse – a shapeshifter-like entity known as Bob was a welcome sight as there were certain people in Ian’s life which grounded you to his everyday world. Having a character like Bob simply felt fitting – as you would not expect Ian to have a motorbike though it would fit in well with the desert landscape of Nevada.
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SOURCES: Author photograph, Author Biography, Book Synopsis, Blog Tour Badge and Cedar Fort badge were provided by Cedar Fort Publishing & Media and used with permission. Book Cover of “The Cursed Dagger” provided by the author Alyson Peterson and used with permission. Post dividers badge by Fun Stuff for Your Blog via Pure Imagination. Tweets were embedded due to codes provided by Twitter. Blog graphics created by Jorie via Canva: Ruminations and Impressions Banner and the Comment Box Banner.}
Copyright © Jorie Loves A Story, 2016.
Comments on Twitter:
So, should I read the book? It’s hard to tell if you liked it or not.
Thank you for visiting my review. I was conflicted by what I found inside the sequel as I had originally read A Warrior’s Return, the first of the Quicksilver series. If you continue to follow the blog tour, you’ll find more reader insights by the rest of the bloggers. Each story resonates with each reader differently – what I didn’t like inside the story might not even bother you. These are my personal opinions and thoughts as I read it. Again, continue to follow the blog tour – you’ll find other readers offering their feelings on the novel, too. Enjoy the tour.