Wyndano's Cloak is a fantasy adventure with imaginative worlds beautifully described by AR Silverberry. The Kingdom of Aerdem has hues and richness that sets it apart from the world outside, but the people in it are threatened by the machinations and mischief of Naryfel, Queen of Purpura, who has her own special reasons for hating Aerdem and especially its royal house.

It seems that in Aerdem most of the people are heroic and/or nice, with a few callow and vain characters who fall for Naryfel's tricks and deceits. In Purpura most of the people do what the Queen wants unless they can get away from her direct influence in which case they can be pretty much normal. Then there is the Plain World which is a dull place full of dull people, although our heroine, Jen, grew up there. Magic seems to work only for places outside the Plain World.

Jen is our heroine, but she has lost her nerve since an accident learning to use Wyndano's Cloak, a very useful magical object. Bit and Pet could also be grouped in the heroine category, however unlikely that seems given their characters, at least at the start, as Bit is girl whose self-esteem lies somewhere deep in the mud at the bottom of one of Aerdem's lakes and Pet is the daughter of a local Count who could be modelled on your favourite bitchy high-school prom queen. I'm afraid I lost patience with the pair of them soon after they set off on their own quest and skim-read about 30% of the book without missing too much of the tale.

However after also skimming some of the more tortuous parts of Jen's tale I came back into a gripping last 20% of the book, vividly described. In the final wash-up some nuances I'd skipped were clarified, so I didn't feel I'd missed anything. Which begs the question, does it need editing? 400 pages seems unnecessarily long for this type of tale.

I think the story and the devices used were better than Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials (which I found too derivative), and if you enjoyed that I'm sure you will enjoy this. ( )

Crossing fantasy, fairytale and science fiction, A. R. Silverberry creates a beautiful world in danger, peoples it with delightfully ordinary people, who just happen to be a princess, the girl engaged to the prince, a duchess who’d love to be more, a magical wizard, a pauper, and more... then sends them on a quest to save everything they love. The story is beautifully told, the characters are pleasingly flawed, and wise lessons are gently well-drawn. Wyndano’s Cloak deserves to be a classic children’s novel, with its echoes of Victorian workhouses (and gruel), light hints of science (“I think it’s called a fulcrum...”), beautiful language (“little tears of joy salted her eyes”), and convincing wisdom (“Punishment will not heal... Only forgiveness and compassion...”)

There are scary scenes with powerful evil, haunting scenes where intended good contends with guilt and forgiveness, delightfully memorable scenes (especially when the downtrodden children learn to value themselves for who they are), and gorgeously evocative scenes of wondrous places and a rose castle. A surprisingly warm overarching story ties it all together, with just enough complexity and depth to keep adults and children turning the pages, eager to learn how it will end. Seriously unpredictable, and definitely fun!

Disclosure: I was given a free ecopy and I offer my honest review. ( )

Wyndano’s Cloak by A R Silverberry ISBN 978-0-9841037-6-8
Review by Chris Phillips
Silverberry’s debut novel is a surprising fantasy. There are all the classic elements. There is a headstrong and determined young heroine. There are the enemies and friends. As with any good book there are friends that turn dangerous and become enemies or almost. Then there are some that appear to be enemies but are really friends in disguise.
Since Jen’s early life she has been apart from her family, living in another world rejected and so different. She returned after the last battle with Naryfel, her evil aunt and queen of another rival kingdom. Now she has settled with her family and they are at peace. Her father the King is in the Rose Castle and the land of Aerdem is at peace. However, Jen has an uneasy feeling that her aunt Naryfel is planning to take over the kingdom yet again. Jen is always on alert and always watching for the surprise attack.
Leading the supporting characters is Bit, the young fiancée of Jen’s brother Dash. There is Pet, a Countess the same age as Jen, who is a friend, but there must be something else going on. There is Yalp the dwarf magician whose magic sometimes works and sometimes works too well and, of course, sometimes doesn’t work at all. The attack comes in the night. All seems to be lost when Jen and Bit take off on different quests to save the King and Dash from certain death. Wyndano’s Cloak is magical with very special powers, but Jen was hurt severely when she tried to use it. However she knows that the cloak is the key to saving the kingdom.
Will Jen find the cloak in time? Will the cloak be found at all? Will Bit and Dash wed? Will the King and kingdom be saved? Will Naryfel win the day? Will good triumph? Will anyone survive? Give Silverberry and Jen the chance to win the reader’s heart and spend some time learning the secrets of Wyndano’s Cloak.
The plot has sufficient twists and turns to keep the reader’s interest. The characters are solid and fully developed. The mysteries and surprises grab the reader’s attention and send the imagination scurrying. This is a delightful book and can be highly recommended.
This book is best for young adults and pre-teens. It would be good for their parents and teachers as well.
5 Stars
Published by Tree Tunnel Press, PO Cox 733, Capitola, Ca 95010 (www.treetunnelpress.com) SRP $15.80/Amazon $15.80) Reviewer received the book from the publisher. ( )