Pixi Reads

The towering stone Castle Maol, the unrivaled seat of power in the Kingdom of Skye, sat inland almost bereft of life. Once known for its inspirational beauty, Skye’s forests and meadows were more barren than green now, enveloped by stillness instead of bustling wildlife. Lakes and waterways once teeming with marine life lay stagnant. Most of those who lived here survived under gray clouds of despair.

Fifteen-year-old Iggy is good at three things: languages, witty retorts, and running from a fight. When a guy pulls a knife on him during a high school argument, all the banter in the world isn’t enough to save him, so Iggy resorts to his backup plan-running. But before he can make his escape, the locket he always wears around his neck heats up, and someone tackles him from behind, pinning him to the ground.

Iggy’s never thought of himself as a fighter. He’s spent his life running from anything that can’t be solved with a quick one-liner or a snarky comeback. But as he learns more about the strange place he’s landed, one thing becomes abundantly clear: in the World on Skye, they need a hero. And Iggy just might be the one they’re looking for, even if he’s not so sure.

The pandemic hit all of us in different ways. I don’t know of many who enjoyed it though. D.A. Mucci was no different. He is an ER physician and seeing the horrors in the ER brought on by the Corona Virus, and he found writing as a sort of escape. Out of this escape came Ignatius and the Swords of Nostaw.

The book follows The Chosen One trope. Ignatius has a hard time at school, and finds himself threatened by bullies after school. His big brother is always there to keep him safe. With friends of his big brother they stand ready to take on the bullies, but Ignatius gives in to his need to run from trouble. While running, he is suddenly transported to the kingdom of Skye.

There is a prophesy, presumably about Ignatius, taking down this horrific King who has taken control of the Kingdom of Skye. After hearing about this prophesy a few times through the story, I’m curious to see how this plays out. This is book one of a series. I haven’t seen how many books are planned in the series, but I am planning to pick them all up.

I enjoyed the twists the story takes. While this follows the Chosen One trope, there is no anticipating what comes next in this story. Ignatius is growing through the story, and even faces a few bullies in the Kingdom of Skye. Some have remained hidden and give a front of being a friend, but D.A. Mucci shows the reader these characters true colors. He also reveals some friends, who while don’t have a large role in this story, may have a larger role later in this series. I’m curious to see if this prediction comes true, and to see how.

The pacing is just right for my taste. While part of me would have liked more fighting, I also realize this is the first book of a series and we are being introduced to the characters, and our main character is learning skills he will need for the presumably coming large battle.

If I had to give this a star rating, I would put it at a 4 of 5 stars. It’s better than okay, and I would recommend this to my friends and family who enjoy fantasy books. If you enjoy YA fantasy, you should give this book a read.