Synopsis
Dylan Dubois had always assumed her mother's 'magic' stories were just that – stories. After the fire at her family home, however, she's forced to reconsider many things regarding her mysterious, late mother. With her father gone, perished in the flames, Dylan alone is left to care for her younger sister, whose body now lies comatose in the local hospital.
Grief stricken, Dylan struggles to cope with recurring nightmares, which coincidentally also began the night of the fire. When she finds an ancient book hidden amongst her mother's belongings, Dylan becomes convinced it holds the key to her sister's salvation. The cryptic symbols within hint at a legacy that has been passed down through her family for generations – one that might be capable of unimaginable healing.
Unable to solve the riddle alone, Dylan enlists the help of a handsome, redheaded stranger, whose past also seems shrouded in secrets. Kit (as he calls himself) is unusually swift, has a sly smile and knowledge beyond his years. Though he may be her only hope at deciphering her mother's book, Kit's unsavory habit of vanishing without a trace whenever it suits him also causes Dylan to doubt his intentions.
With her sister's life hanging in the balance, Dylan has no choice but to trust her shifty, new ally. Together, she and Kit must race to solve the puzzle of the ancient book, so as to unlock the power of her family's legacy, and finally wake her sister from everlasting sleep.
Review
The Aurora Antidote is a magical adventure story full of characters I really came to care about. Fun story, I got strong treasure hunt vibes from this story, and when I said as much in my review on LibraryThing, I received the following response from ELA Hugh:
"I read your lovely review of my book: "The Aurora Antidote". It's so interesting that you specifically picked up on a "treasure-hunt" vibe... I remember when I was first coming up with the character of Dylan, I imagined her as a sort of strong female explorer/treasure-hunter. After fleshing out the story and the other characters though, I felt that that whole concept all but disappeared. It's nice to know that there's still an element of my original imagining for her in there somewhere."
First, I screamed internally to receive a personal reply, but also, I adore treasure hunt stories, so lets encourage our author friends to write more of these!
If you love magical forests, family relationship stories, or adventure/treasure hunt themes, this book is for you!
Thank you, Fox-On Fiction and LibraryThing, for a copy of this book.
Dates read: July 27, 2023 - July 29, 2023