Book Review: Lost Covenant by Ari Marmell

Genre: Young Adult Fantasy

Series: Book 3 of Widdershins Adventures

Publisher: Pyr

Date of Publication: December 3, 2013

Author Information: Website | Twitter

Mogsy’s Rating: 4 of 5 stars – “A perfect balance of light and dark, Widdershins’ newest adventure takes us to new places and provides a turning point for one of my favorite heroines in YA fiction”

I gotta hand it to Ari Marmell. His Widdershins Adventures books have this way of repeatedly stabbing me in the heart, but all I can say to that is “Please, may I have some more?” Lost Covenant became one of my most anticipated new releases this season, after the events at the end of False Covenant took my emotions on a roller coaster ride and left me wondering in awe about what our protagonist will do next.

It’s clear, though, that Widdershins has made good on her plans to leave Davillon, to the sorrow of all her friends at home. Burdened with grief and guilt, she and her own personal god Olgun have a few things to figure out, seeking a solace that only time and distance can provide. However, while sojourning in Lourveaux, Widdershins inadvertently stumbles upon a plot against the last surviving branch of House Delacroix. Remembering Alexandre Delacroix, the nobleman who took her in and changed her life, Widdershins is determined to help save these distant relatives of the man who was like a father to her.

Widdershins and Olgun discover more about themselves in this book, which marks a turning point for the character and her pocket deity. There is no doubt she is a flawed and damaged protagonist who has chosen to run away from her problems, but that doesn’t change the fact she is a fighter — and a smart, able and competent one at that. Her background and personality is what makes her unique, and she’s probably one of my favorite heroines in young adult fiction right now.

As usual, this latest installment of the series is a perfect mix of light and dark, balancing out the touching humor with plenty of horrors as well. Widdershins’ internal conversations with Olgun, the god hitching a ride in her head, are as funny and outrageous as always, but this time many of their interactions are also tempered with a more somber mood as the partners-in-crime attempt to move beyond what happened in Davillon. In many ways, the personal turmoil within Widdershins is just as compelling as the main conflict in the plot, which is saying something because the ending to this book is INSANE. The suspense I felt as the characters fought to survive a hostage situation was only intensified by the difficult choices Widdershins had to make.

This book also served as a nice excursion away from Davillon, introducing some new players including fresh foes for Widdershins to fight. In terms of allies, Cyrille Delacroix was a great new addition, and he and our main protagonist made a great team. Still, this also meant I missed a lot of the characters I’d grown to know and love over the course of the series (with the bulk of my pining reserved for Renard Lambert, admittedly) which was my only dismay. We did, however, get a few glimpses through several interlude chapters that all is not well at home, with an enemy targeting those close to Widdershins.

Once again, I now find myself yearning for the next book (like I said, more more MORE please)! Lost Covenant was a satisfying and entertaining adventure, but I’ll be glad to be returning to Davillon as well. Very much looking forward to Widdershins’ homecoming — and the world of pain she’ll be bringing to the enemy threatening her friends.