Guardians Of The Dead (The Guardians #1) by S.L. Wilson #SundayBlogShare #YA @ShelleyWilson72

• Author: S.L. Wilson
• Published: February 2015 by CreateSpace Publishing Platform
• Category: Young Adult, Fantasy, Paranormal
• 

When sixteen-year-old Amber Noble’s dreams begin to weave into her reality, she turns to the mysterious Connor for help. His links to the supernatural world uncover a chilling truth about her hometown and a pact that must be re-paid with blood.

Guardians of the Dead opens with a great prologue, setting the scene for what follows. Jumping forward ten years, Amber Noble lives in Hills Heath with her father, who is rapidly becoming more and more detached, and noxious stepmother. Amber’s family problems began when her mother disappeared without warning ten years ago, and her father married again soon afterwards. Amber and her step mother, Patricia, dislike each other intensely but Amber has no idea of Patricia’s true nature.

One evening a young couple unintentionally disturb a necromancer practicing dark magic in a local graveyard as they seek shelter from a storm. Amber is on her way home from work when she witnesses something she can’t comprehend in the graveyard, but what worried Amber more than anything was the fact she’d witnessed the scene in her dreams. Dreams that were getting ever more intense and disturbing, as she explains a little later to her best friend, Tom. When she and Tom visit the graveyard the next day they find it swarming with police and a forensic team. A girl’s body has been discovered and the girl’s boyfriend is missing. 

‘There is one place we could go, somewhere we may find an answer to why you dreamt about the church the night Kelly died.’ Tom’s expression was sheepish as he inclined his head and nodded to the small alleyway adjacent to the coffee shop.

‘You’re kidding, right?’

He gave her a sly smile and grabbed her hand. ‘It’s a magic shop, cutie, and they may just know something about your red-eyed friend.’

India Saks, a practicing witch, and her nephew Connor, part fae, befriend Amber and as she learns the true history of her hometown and the forces that control it, she struggles to come to terms with a whole new set of beliefs. She has to grapple with thoughts of witches, demons and faeries as she is drawn into the world of her precognitive dreams.

Shelley Wilson has created an intriguing and inventive plot with some likeable characters. Amber is a typical teen, at odds with her family, wanting to go her own way. When her best friend is taken by the Guardians, the power that has lain dormant through a curse begins to come to the fore, with the help of Connor and India. Amber’s world and her perception of her parents, will never be the same again. 

I love the magical elements in the book, the descriptions of the coven and their rituals. And although I’m not a fan of the love triangle which appears in a lot of YA stories, Amber’s budding relationships with Connor and Redka are realistically portrayed and handled better than others I’ve read. A very enjoyable coming of age story.

Disclaimer: I won this book in a giveaway.

Book links: Amazon UK | US

About S.L. Wilson

My love of fantasy began at the tender age of eight when I followed Enid Blyton up a Magical Faraway Tree. I began weaving tales around faeries, witches and dragons at the same time. 

I write YA fantasy/supernatural novels. I am also a blogger and book reviewer. Writing is my first love. Reading comes a close second.

I live in Solihull in the UK with my three teenage children and a fat fish. I am obsessive about pizza, an avid list writer, blogger and full time day dreamer. I would love to live in the Shire but I fear my five foot ten inch height may cause problems. Welcome to my world.

I also write non-fiction under my full name, Shelley Wilson – you can find my other Goodreads page here – https://www.goodreads.com/author/show…

Author links ~ Website | Facebook | Twitter | Google+