A magical escape

Finding Angel by Kat Heckenbach
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

In Finding Angel, Kat Heckenbach creates a community so lovable you wish you could move there. Like some other fantastical worlds we know of, this one exists alongside our own. But one doesn’t need a magic portal or spell to reach Toch Island. You just need the right map. The great thing about this is it leaves the reader with the feeling that you could go visit those magical folk, if only you had the latitude and longitude.

The downside is--within the storyworld--non-magical bad guys can find the island, too. Toch Island isn’t a paradise—they have no iPads there. And it has the same sort of small-town politics that any human settlement might have. But the real threat comes from outside.

From one of us.

Finding Angel is an intriguing tale with a strong, believable young protagonist. As Angel searches for her own lost history, new questions arise and the stakes get higher. The more she learns about the hometown from which she’s been separated for so long, the more she learns about herself.

Her friend and guide, Gregor, is a noble, selfless man mature beyond his years. More mature, as it turns out, than a powerful but selfish elderly neighbor.

Finding Angel is full of intriguing characters--so much so that when you’re not reading it, you’re still thinking about them. Where are they? What are they doing? What will happen next? That’s reader engagement, people.

And when it’s over, you want to go visit again, so you can see how they’re doing. Fortunately, The sequel, Seeking Unseen, is due for release in July. I’m booking my ticket now.

View all my reviews