My review of book "Through Hell and Highwater" by Victoria Liiv

 

If these random images have stirred your interests, it’s more likely that Victoria Liiv's “Through Hell and Highwater” will stimulate your curiosity to read her book!

 

Victoria in her maiden attempt at a new urban fantasy, with adventure and a strong dose of magical realism, has beautifully depicted the heroic action sequences by a venturesome group of students of Volo Noscere University in Rome. The story targeting readers of mentioned genres, revolves around an unpredictable fictional alternate world hidden from the human eye. It operates with its own magical community and separate media channels, thus unmindful of the dangerous happenings in the real world. Some in their community believe it is a magical attack, whereas others perceive that it could be human-made.

 

Now to save the world from destruction, a group of students of a magical school from the University must unite and overcome some life-threatening challenges, despite all the calamities surrounding them, while untangling a mystery. They learn adversity is a great schoolmaster.

 

Magical Elf Evyline, Shapeshifter Lisanna, Wizard Tylon, Vampire Finley, Orc RocTar, Werewolf Dylan are some of the compelling characters who strengthen the storyline and keep the book vibrant.

 

Victoria towards laying a strong foundation devotes considerable time to vividly develop the characters and their various personality traits -- Evyline: “I was not meant to be hurting anyone or anything, even if they were trying to hurt me."; Tylon: “Evyline is my mentee. I would hate to see something happen to her.”; RocTar, who likes the sound of not talking: ”he knew he could trust his friends when he was in trouble.” The story is filled with happenings when everyone has a friend who laughs funnier than he jokes.

 

I liked Victoria’s fondness to develop the motivation of all the important characters.

Victoria has delved into deep friendship formations and genuine emotions. I enjoyed how the characters had split into their own groups as it typically happens in a school environment. Some characters are loquacious, whereas some are laconic. I found the most believable character in Evyline – ‘down-to-earth’ personality! It is good to study Evyline’s characterisation carefully, to see how the young elf manages the complicated situations and saves her friends as a drowning person will clutch at a straw. I could feel pity for Evyline sometimes. However, the character development process also left an impression on me, that the story is gaining momentum quite slowly.

 

I enjoyed Victoria’s unique and effective style in advancing the story smartly with interesting paradoxes as well: "What he doesn’t know won’t hurt him”; "Are you coming or what? … Lisanna hissed at them, and it echoed back 'coming or what', 'or what', 'what' off the walls, bringing goosebumps on her skin.”

The world-building is splendid, with well-depicted scenes, characterisations, and places: -- Nice lines: “anger is not a weapon, it is a weakness and will always be a disadvantage in a fight.” -- Portrayals of typical day-to-day happenings: "For a moment she had felt like they could relate to each other in a way two people did after learning they have a lot in common." -- Good imaginations sprinkled throughout the storyline: “… the older Fairy should have retired long ago”; “the vampire was wearing pyjamas.”

Victoria’s picturesque narratives, elaborating on various magical spells are excellent. Her simplicity of dialogues only made the book better. The smooth story-flow enabled page-turning. Humorous interactions among students are indeed a treat for readers. Furthermore, Victoria’s love for nature is easily decipherable from her fluent descriptions about plants, which also glues the readers into the story.

Well, I felt, an interesting plot could have been more carefully crafted to make it earth-shattering! I was disappointed with: cliché episodes; unprofessional editing; some portrayals remain underdeveloped thereby not enough to strengthen the storyline; sometimes too much ‘talk’ than ‘show’; unclear big picture - missed the forest for the trees.

 

However, the book is an enjoyable read as many adorable features mask the flaws. Initially, I reckoned it as any mundane school story - only instead of humans, filled with magical beings. However, it surely made a difference. As the story progressed, I could gauge Victoria’s potential and I understood that she has laid a strong foundation for the sequel of her 1^st book. For a maiden effort, I must say, it is great.

 

I look forward to seeing how Victoria would resolve the untied ends, and I am especially excited to see how the team of students is going to achieve that.

 

In essence, I am satisfied with the book's good entertainment value. Victoria has set the stage for something bigger, for the next book, to resolve certain inherent puzzles in this book. Certainly!