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“All my life, I’ve gravitated to fantasy stories, stories I felt I could be a part of, where I could completely immerse myself in my imagination.” – Jacquitta A. McManus
Jacquitta A. McManus, a little girl from Kentucky, was always drawn to fantasy stories. It was a way for her to engage in exciting adventures in faraway lands she would otherwise never experience. As she got older she found that immersing herself in those tales in her childhood would lead her to write her own.
Reviewed by Anne Boling for Readers' Favorite
Labyrinth’s Door – Anyia: Dream of a Warrior is a story of change. We all resist change and Anyia’s father, the Chief, was no different. In the tradition of the Nagoran Village, women were expected to learn the art of cooking and cleaning. But Anyia had a dream and it had nothing to do with cooking and cleaning; she wanted to be a warrior like Amoonda, a famous female warrior. Anyia disobeyed her village’s rules and ventured out of the set boundaries in hopes of seeing Amoonda for herself. She observed a group of Thor warriors. The Empress Zarina and the Nagoran Village lived under a war treaty. The people of her village lived in fear of the Thor warriors and the Empress Zarina. When her father discovered that she had wandered outside the boundaries, he assigned Dek, a young warrior to stay with her. Anyia’s impulsiveness caused her to be captured by the Empress’ warriors. Her hero Amoonda rescued her and offered her words of wisdom -- this time Anyia listened.
It is for the young to learn the value of tradition and the not so young to learn the value of change. Author Jacquitta A. McManus has written a lovely book complete with a message. The illustrations are beautiful and add much to the text. The colors are bright and pleasing. I love the character of Anyia; she is bold and brave, but she also lacks discretion. I would like to have seen more of Dek. I think he and Anyia should be featured in the next book in this series. Children will love this book and will be quick to ask questions. This book will open a dialogue between here and book fairs.
