Fell
by David Clement-Davies
Published by Amulet Books
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Reviewed by Vanessa Lee
A lone wolf cursed with the Sight–the ability to see into other animal’s minds, Fell is fascinated with humans and unsure of his place in nature. When a vision shows him a lone human he must assist in order to set things right in both the human and animal worlds, he is reluctant but driven to help by both need and curiosity.
Alina is a lost child with no knowledge of her past. Called a changeling by the villagers, she discovers that to be untrue when her only friend shows her a parchment found in a locked trunk. When her knowledge is discovered, she is forced to flee for her life… and to rely on the help of the lone wolf who is following her.
Together, Fell and Alina embark on a journey to find Alina’s family and to answer the questions Fell’s visions have brought him. Along the way, they learn about themselves, each other, and the power that they share–the power to change the relationship between the human and animal worlds for the better.
At its core, Fell is a coming of age story–a twist on the traditional “boy and his dog,” if you will. It’s wrapped in layers of adventure and mystery, and is intertwined with a tale of wild animals that seem amazingly real (and hardly act at all like humans). In the end, the relationship between Fell and Alina is just as important as the final battle.
Though it starts off slowly, Fell quickly gains momentum and maintains it through to the end of the book. You’ll be hard pressed to put it down once the tale truly begins and Fell’s and Alina’s lives intersect.
There is a lot going on, but Clement-Davies pulls it together beautifully without spending too much time on any one sub-story. It all comes together into one cohesive whole that touches on the issues of loyalty, duty, and responsibility, but never becomes preachy or deviates from the tale.
Armchair Interviews says: Clement-Davies has written a many-layered, complex story that is sure to delight fans of fantasy and animal tales.
Author’s Web site: http://www.DavidClementDavies.com