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Reviewed by Stephanie Dagg for Readers' Favorite
"The Diary of Arnmore" by Loulou Szal is a timeless fantasy. Life is orderly and calm for Rebekah and her brothers in Torellin until an intimidating stranger looms out of the darkness one night demanding shelter at their inn. But this is only the first unnerving incident. The youngsters travel to town to buy items for the inn and each has some money to spend. Rebekah wants a book and in a rush, grabs what turns out to be an old diary containing information on how to destroy a certain Ara-Quan of Zilann. Rebekah is thrilled and intrigued by it, but the book unleashes terror. The children return home to find the village totally destroyed and their parents killed. They undertake to track down the perpetrator. Rebekah’s brothers disappear, but befriended by a wolf appropriately named Hope, she continues alone with her diary which gives her the power to defeat Ara-Quan who she learns is evil and power crazy. She also encounters the strange Aechibus, who helps her solve the riddles that are the only way she can win. However, Rebekah really only wants to find her brothers again.
This is a beautifully written book, with many lyrical, descriptive passages. In between come brutal action, tension and suspense. Szal is a very versatile writer. She soothes us with gentle language but doesn’t shy away from tersely and honestly depicting violence and horror. Rebekah is a perfect narrator. She is young and so tells things as she sees them. We swing with her emotions and share her joys and sufferings. It is refreshing to see the world through her unjaundiced eyes with no preconceptions. It makes the story all the more immediate and powerful. The plot is full of surprises and altogether the novel is an unconventional one for the fantasy genre with many unique touches. It is extremely entertaining and packs quite a punch at times. Like Rebekah, it has great strength.
