When author Lynn Sinclair introduced the fantasy adventure Key to Aten (2005, Brown Barn Books, Weston, Connecticut, 179 pages, US$8.95) at BookExpo Canada, only the most astute observers properly recognized her as a dynamic newcomer. As her debut book’s readership rises, so does her status.
Young protagonist Jodi touches a sleeping friend on the arm and innocently plunges into Aten, an enchanting dreamland full of feuding clans, slave-traders, cannibals and massive killer-spiders. Along with dollops of danger, the heroine encounters a powerful love interest.
“Unlike Jodi, I had a wonderful, but uneventful, childhood,” says Sinclair. “Never once did I find myself trapped on another world or in another time, except in my imagination.”
Sinclair draws inspiration from the forest near her home north of Toronto. “It’s scary sometimes, but always exciting, to explore the less-traveled paths of one’s mind,” she said.
Aimed at teenagers, Key to Aten entertains older readers too and competed in Foreword Magazine’s 2005 Book of the Year Awards. The author shows a flair for fast-paced excitement, and her unusual setting appears vividly in the mind’s eye.
This book provides a brisk read and, sadly, a short one. Most readers reach the last page panting for more. Luckily, Sinclair has a sequel, Return to Aten, in which Jodi takes along Chowder, her cat.
Rumors circulate about plans for a third Aten chronicle.
For more information: www.brownbarnbooks.com or lynnsinclair.com.
Approval rating: 78 per cent.
(September 15, 2006)
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