The Song of Orphan's Garden

A welcome, well-written message for all.

Lyrical in both themes and language, with resonances both literary and ecological.

In the arctic land of Gairda, 13-year old Lyriana and her younger brother Zave have one chance of survival after their mother's passing-to find the legendary Orphan's Garden, where winter doesn't rule. Lyriana is described as having beige skin and light brown hair. Other characters are described as having a multitude of skin, hair, and eye colors. In alternating sections, Brob, a Giant boy, is banished from King Cormoran's lands with his family and steers them toward the garden he accidentally made as a younger child. Both Giants and humans seek fermata, a magical substance that human Songsummoners call forth and Giant Greensgrowers shape. Lyriana's mother was a Songsummoner, as is Lyriana, and Brob is a Greensgrower. As Lyriana and Brob's destinies intertwine, both must question what they'd been taught about the other species. Hewitt's elegant story is told in poems, mostly free verse, but also sonnets, haiku, concrete poems, and others. It alternates between Lyriana and Brob's first-person perspectives. The pacing is sharp as the perils of winter and King Cormoran's wrath loom large. The poetic form and the seasonal changes yield a strong sensory experience, so setting and plot have equal place in the story. Despite the brevity of poetry, story complexities and the importance of each poem will best suit stronger fantasy readers. VERDICT A carefully crafted fantasy adventure set in poetry, its steeper lead-in makes it less approachable than Megan Freeman's Alone. Purchase for larger fantasy collections.

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