“A powerfully written story of music making, enriched with enthralling characters and a suspense-filled plot.” – The Wishing Shelf  

Star Rating: 5

“I remember not so long ago enjoying the first book of this set entitled Master of Music. There, I met young Kaelin for the first time, and I enjoyed following him on his magical music adventure with his new master. It’s a superb book, so I was very keen to crack open book two, Cry of the Kestrel. And, I must say, this is a worthy sequel as we follow the young protagonist as he sets off to work with different masters of music. But what I suspected was going to be a slow-paced drama was anything but, his three new masters pushing him to his very limits as the readers, and Kaelin himself, begin to discover how remarkable his gift truly is.

There were a number of elements to this story I particularly enjoyed. Firstly, the author, Marla HImeda, is a strong writer, capable of not only developing her plot and characters but also successfully putting over the power of Kaelin’s playing. It’s the music which is very much the theme of this set of novels, and it’s this aspect which is (a) most original and (b) will entice the reader into the story. Secondly, Kaelin himself is a wonderful character. Yes, he’s often confused by his powers – but who wouldn’t be!? But I like him very much; he’s caring, brave – the sort of protagonist readers love rooting for. And thirdly, the pacing is excellent. With a character-led drama of this sort, a story can get bogged down in too much character development. But the author is wise to this, ensuring the story is equally well-plotted and, for the second half anyway, suspense-filled.

So, all you music lovers out there, check out Cry of the Kestrel. Although I would recomment reading the first book first; why wouldn’t you? It’s a gem too!” –The Wishing Shelf