Book Review: Tunuftol’s Fortress of Light by Ann Snizek

  Smashwords
Book Blurb: Krissa and Micah have been pushed around the foster system until they find themselves in the care of “Grandma” Athey. Krissa begins having unusual dreams Their new friends, Pin, and her twin brother, Khevin, and other friends from school join forces to unravel the secrets.

Krissa has become The Chosen One and is drawn into a mission against an evil faction that usurped the twins royal family. Krissa struggles to adjust to the emotions she feels that aren’t her own, to the strange voice that only she can hear, and to the bizarre and violent reactions both she and her glowing key have towards a fellow student, Marc Jebel. Questions pummel her mind as butterflies ravage her stomach. Why does she feel so instantly comfortable around Grandma Athey and Pin after years of guarding herself? What are her dreams trying to tell her? Why does she hate Marc so much? What’s the strange energy she can feel coming from Khevin? And, why is Micah acting so strangely?

Shakespeare asked, “What’s in a name?” Krissa learns that the answer is bigger than she ever imagined. Her name means: chosen one, but chosen for what, and why? The answers lay in a place called Tunuftol, where names pick people, and have mind-boggling results. A world she had forgotten even existed because her dad somehow blocked her memories to protect her identity…Until she receives more names to help her unlock her secrets and lead her to the truth about who she is, what her parents died for, and where she must go.

Nothing is as it seems…especially her undersized baby brother.

Krissa and her brother Micah has been on tour around the foster system for over 6 years, never staying very long anywhere and with each new location a little more mistrust, tiredness, loneliness and heartache have been put inside them, but especially Krissa. But when the kids are replaced (again) and end up at Grandma Athey’s things almost seems too good to be true. Krissa is very wary of what’s happening around them, where Micah (for once) actually drops his shy façade and falls into the new group of friends very quickly, leaving Krissa a little on the outside.

But when Krissa starts to hear strange voices in her head and finds an old key on the attic, learning she has a choice to make, a choice that either will save or condemn thousands of people, who can she trust? Soon enough Krissa is thrust into a new world, where old memories slowly resurfaces, old and new friends meets and one mistake can lead to death (or worse) for her, Mica and their new friends.

I enjoyed this book immensely. (Thank you Ann!) I loved to see how much Krissa grew in this book, how she stepped up to the challenges and how fiercely protective she was of her baby brother, Micah. On her journey she learns new powers, how to control them and that her choice can affect many, many people.

Micah is a real surprise once he shed his shy façade. Ina way he just wants to be a normal kid, but in reality… he’s far from it.

Not to forget the rest of the Travelers; Daisy (the tracker), Pinelopin – or Pin (the dream weaver), Philetus (the collector), Khevin (the crown Prince), Lorenzo (the watcher) and Sealey (the champion).  Each of them contributes to the journey in their own way and our friends are in deep trouble even before they get to their own world.

It took me a little while to get into the book, but once I got into the characters I couldn’t put the book down and I kept turning page after page wanting to know what happened. I found myself digging deeper into the story, loving each second, every twist and turn Ann delivered. I can’t wait to read the next book; Secret of the Shielded, it’s being released on March 9.