Seed of Seerling by Amy Kennedy (Crossroads Trilogy: Book 1)

7/10

An act of compassion in her childhood leads to slavery for Astril and several of her fellow Seerlings. Her journey as a slave leads her out of the magical evil of her childhood and into the saving grace of the One True God. Giving up her birthright is difficult, but will she be able to make the sacrifices her new path requires?

Toren is in constant rebellion to his grandfather, King Kortan's plans for his future. Unexpected events lead him on a journey of self-discovery and true love.  However, he faces the hardest decision of his life when he finds that the powerful past of the woman he loves will conflict with the future he has planned for them.

Seed of Seerling is a skilfully paced and adeptly told tale belonging to the Christian fantasy genre. In a helter-skelter world it is refreshing to read a book that is told in its own good time.

At its heart it is a love story, a romantic epic that follows the destinies of a young man and a young woman from very different backgrounds. Astril is headstrong and beautiful, Toren noble and upstanding; their lands are at war with each other and this is but one of the many obstacles that they will need to overcome to find a future together. Astril is a very strong female character and Seed of Seerling is very much her story. Toren takes the supporting role but he is far from emasculated and his character is both empathetic and realistic.

The excerpt below is taken from an interesting passage where Astril meets and talks to a priest, Augur, who knew her grandmother before her:

“He is an unseen god. You have no idols of Him for me to worship. How can people believe in a God they cannot see?”
 Patiently the priest responded, “Through prayer and meditation and seeking His truths in the ancient scrolls.”
 Looking down again, Astril contemplated his words. “This God of yours is strange.” Then quietly she got up and walked out of the room. Her appetite for food had been replaced by something quite different, but it still didn't make any sense to her.
 Behind her, Augur's whisper tugged at her heart. “One True God, please help her understand the meaning of the words I speak. Bring her into Your warm embrace. Love her as You loved her grandmother, my Lord.”
Seed of Seerling: Chapter 14

Seed of Seerling contains strong characters and strong morals. It is a book that will be enjoyed most by those of the Christian faith, as they will find most to relate to within its pages. Amy Kennedy's experience as a newspaper editor shows itself very clearly in the attention to detail and the effortless flow of the words - there is a professional and polished feel to the narrative that shows the hand of a perfectionist.

Seed of Seerling is the first of a trilogy called the Crossroads. King of Harken will continue the series.

Amy Kennedy has been dreaming up stories since the age of twelve. After receiving a kidney transplant in April 1999, Amy began work as a newspaper editor. Those five years working in journalism gave her the discipline necessary to produce creative writing. She is married to Dan, a Worship Pastor and has two sons, Andrew and Joshua. Seed of Seerling is her first novel.