Pathfinder by Angie Sage
A Todhunter Moon adventure. Bloomsbury, 2014. ISBN
9781408858158
(Age: 8+) Highly recommended. Angie Sage's highly anticipated
Pathfinder delivers an exciting twist on the popular fantasy genre.
The novel's storyline is both crazily unique and compelling as the
author guides the reader through a tale embracing the themes of
personal strength and friendship. Each individual character brought
something special to the novel and no two were similar. The idea of
multiple points of views throughout the book gifted the reader with
a window into the individual's life which provided a sense of
'knowing' the character. I would have loved to read more about the
antagonist of the book who appeared to be a fun character and
hopefully, the sequel, if there will be one, will provide us insight
into the character's uncanny mind.
The tale begins with an ancient but equally powerful Pathfinder
ceremony which is being led by Dan Moon, the father of Alice
TodHunter Moon, the heroine in the novel. Two months later, Alice
has lost her father, who never returned from his fishing trip and
resides in her childhood home with her not-so-beloved Aunt Mitza.
Her loyal and budding friend, Oskar Sarn has also felt an incredible
loss as his twin sister; Ferdie had been kidnapped and hadn't been
found since. Alice lives a quiet but dreary life until she departs
her childhood home in an effort to escape creatures that are intent
on ending her life. With Oskar by her side, Alice leaves her beloved
Pathfinder village behind, intent on rescuing Ferdie but what she
doesn't know is that she will enter a magical world that was kept
from her until now. With new powers and her true self blossoming by
the minute, Alice must do what she can to protect her friends and
succeed in ridding her world of darkness.
The conclusion of this book leaves certain parts of the story at a
cliffhanger and leaves you wondering whatever will happen next.
Books that are comparable to this novel include Christopher
Paolini's Inheritance Cycle series and Michael Scott's Secrets of
the Immortal Nicholas Flammel series.
Samantha May (Yr 10 Student)