This will be the map of your heart, old woman. In an ancient time, in a faraway land, a young woman named Aoife is allowed a rare apprenticeship to become her kingdom’s mapmaker, tasked with charting the entire domain. Traveling beyond its borders, she finds a secretive people who live in peace, among great wealth. They claim to protect a mythic treasure, one connected to the creation of the world. When Aoife reports their existence to her kingdom, the community is targeted as a threat. Attempting to warn them of imminent danger, Aoife is exiled for treason and finds refuge among the very people who had been declared her enemy. With them, she begins a new life surrounded by kindness, equality, and cooperation. But within herself, Aoife has no peace. She cannot share the grief she feels for the home and children she left behind. She cannot bear the warrior scars of the man she comes to love. And when she gives birth to their gifted daughter, Aoife cannot avoid what the child forces her to confront about her past and its truth. On this most important of journeys, there is no map to guide her. In this tale—her autobiography— Aoife reveals her pain and joy, and ultimately her transformation. The Mapmaker’s War is a mesmerizing, utterly original adventure about love and loss and the redemptive power of the human spirit. Watch for its epic sequel, The Chronicle of Secret Riven, in 2014.
A unique and compelling tale that kept me riveted to the pages, The Mapmaker's War is sure to be a best seller. Although it took me a bit to get into the story as it's written without any quotation marks, which makes it a bit trickier to decipher - I totally loved this book. Once I got used to the writing, I fell in love with the character of Aoife. Her journey isn't an easy one, but she prevails.
I thought the world building was intriguing, but it was the dynamics of Aoife's thoughts and her interaction with the other characters that had me invested in the outcome. I wanted her to be happy, but her sense of a peaceful existance, although desired by many, is not always as it seems on the surface. It's what lies beneath that is interesting. I would recommend this book to any age group over twelve and can't wait to read the next one next year! Fantastic!!
*I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
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The old grey donkey, Eeyore stood by himself in a thistly corner of the Forest, his front feet well apart, his head on one side, and thought about things. Sometimes he thought sadly to himself, "Why?" and sometimes he thought, "Wherefore?" and sometimes he thought, "Inasmuch as which?" and sometimes he didn't quite know what he was thinking about.
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