Jessie Mason lives with her nose in the pages of history. But she is about to discover that the past is a dangerous place where she doesn't belong, and knowledge alone is not going to save her.
In Jessie’s troubled life, ridiculed or shunned at school and children’s home, her aunt is the only constant and comfort she has. But when she inexplicably disappears, and Jessie uncovers her mother's Time Stone, life turns unreal and terrifying.
She is summoned to a world of conflict & upheaval, 250 years in her past, to three unlikely companions, Tip, Kes and Abe, and the aged shaman, Nishkamich, who promises an education in the powers of the stones which they each possess.
Over a glorious summer, Jessie reluctantly settles to life in the Onondaga village and the developing bond with her prickly, unpredictable fellows. Then Tip and Abe reveal the violent events in their past, and the friends are forced to accept their stones are being hunted through history.
In frozen forests, their friendship, their wits, and the very limits of their endurance, will be tested by an unforgiving Nature as war erupts around them.
Assessment:
Plot/Idea: Quillan Creek and the Little War is strange, fantastical, and riveting. Hunter weaves together multiple unique stories with their own secrets, loss, and points in history. His characters leap off the pages, with their bonds growing over the course of the book. Hunter's novel is a coming-of-age story that will keep readers interested and wondering what will happen next.
Prose: Hunter is successful at describing complex, technical scenes, such as the loading and shooting of a musket. He also can paint scenery exceptionally well. Occasionally he focuses on details to the point that readers may skim a paragraph or two.
Originality: The worlds Hunter has crafted, and how they fit together, are highly unique and imaginative. He has combined different perspectives, magic, ages, and backgrounds to create a highly interesting and original experience for the reader.
Character Development/Execution: Hunter is talented at writing the thoughts, feelings, and experiences of a wide range of characters. The interactions between them are authentic, and their development is clear throughout the novel.
Date Submitted: April 12, 2022
"A most worthwhile read for anyone that is definitely worth your time. I have the impression that this series is going to grow and develop and it deserves every success."
"This is a book that captured my attention from the opening sentence, and it continued to hold it until that emotionally powerful final full stop. This is the kind of book that one would forgo sleep to finish."
"From a harrowing slaughter to the realisation of a terrible truth, Quillan Creek and the Little War...is in all ways a time-travel fantasy triumph!"
5 Stars - Highly Recommended
Finalist - Debut Novel of the Year 2020
