Epic battles among fantastical beings, traveling across realms and love in the dreamtime characterize this exciting but wise tale.
Aaron Paquette’s Lightfinder is a delightful Young Adult fantasy rooted in Cree worldview and taking place all over the province of Alberta. For fantasy fans weary of the over-representation of Eurocentric (mostly Celtic) mythology in the genre you will find Lightfinder a pleasant change of pace – whatever your age.
The novel starts out with familiar problems for lead character Aisling and her brother Eric. Experiences of racism, bullying, and neglectful abuse soon pale in comparison to the mythological challenges our characters must confront; none more significant than that of the dark side of their own spirits. Yet throughout the story we never forget that it is this real world platform that launches the siblings into their adventures.
Epic battles among fantastical beings, traveling across realms and love in the dreamtime characterize this exciting but wise tale. Paquette’s ability to surprise the reader with unpredictable plot twists and shape shifting characters is a skill I envy. A special congratulations to the way in which Matari, an Aboriginal Australian character, is skillfully woven, along with his compatible cultural practices, into the story. The stakes in the different but connected quests of Aisling and Eric may be about the classic good versus evil, but they are also made more tangible and specific by paralleling real world dilemmas such as environmental destruction and how we humans treat each other.
As the first book in a promised series, Lightfinder is an engaging and satisfying read. May we not have to wait too long for the second installment.
Available for Purchase Online
Lightfinder
Written & Illustrated by Aaron Paquette
Published by Kegedonce Press
ISBN-13: 978-0-9868740-7-9
