Beyond the Mountain

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Description: Branwen thought her previous adventure to the North Mountain had been her last—after all, Captain Gavel's fortress had collapsed after she and the three others rescued the necessary crowns. She thought that she'd get to see Edyth, Quintin and Silas at the annual Tournament of Warriors for only a few days each year. But most of all, the last thing she expected was to ever go beyond the North Mountain... and that's exactly what she did. When the young princess went missing during the last night of the Tournament, the king and queen turned to the four faithful heroes to rescue the kidnapped child. And that’s how Branwen found herself caught up in yet another once-in-a-lifetime journey, headed north—this time, beyond the mountain.

I enjoyed the first book in this series. I picked up a copy on sale after I finished Branwen’s Quest and I am glad I did.It was a light fantasy with even fewer strange creatures and such than in the last story.

The four heroes from the last book are together again, and once again they win the Tournament of Warriors. Quickly they get caught up in a quest to save a kidnapped child. Their interactions were so much fun. It was like visiting old friends. Buxton is talented at weaving memorable characters, each unique.

Some of the settings in this story are familiar while others (like an island castle) are new and interesting. Visualizing everything from the descriptions given was easy. It was perfect for firing the imagination. I could easily see this being read aloud to children.

There wasn’t any faith element, but there were good morals. There were some injuries, blood, and pain, but it wasn’t described in great detail. There were mentions of Branwen’s unhappiness about the man her father wants her to marry and a couple other mentions of romantic interests of other characters, but they were brief, and I don’t think it will bother any readers.

I recommend this story for youth and young adults who enjoy light fantasy and adventure stories.

Book Review: Branwen's Quest

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Description: When the royal herald came announcing a mandatory Tournament of Warriors, Branwen was the last one to get excited. Sure, she was a good enough archer, but why should she be forced to go to the tournament just because the king said so? She had nothing to prove by going! Yet when she got there her competitive spirit took over and she succeeded well enough to be singled out by the king to take a difficult journey with three others who were as different as night and day from each other. Why? To recover the king and queen's missing crowns. Will they ever be able to overcome their differences and get along to complete their mission, or will they fall prey to an unexpected danger posed from within?

A girl who is an archer yet is trapped by the hurt in her past. Four strangers banding together on a quest. Sounded like a pretty interesting plot to me! While fantasy is not my favorite genre, I enjoyed this story. It felt a little like the fantasy level one found in The Princess Bride, yet with a little more serious bent.

Branwen was one of those characters that you feel sorry for sometimes and want to shake at others. She feels she is responsible for her sister’s death and had never recovered from that fact. Her personality seemed to match someone who carried that kind of guilt and trauma.

The other characters within the story were interesting and had their own personality. Buxton did an amazing job at creating an interesting and diverse cast of characters. I was surprised at some of the turns that the characters took, yet they made sense. Buxton has a grasp on the inner working of people that few authors seem to possess. This fact alone will take her far in her writing.

The setting was fun. There were elements like giant eels, a huge booby-trapped castle, and a curse that had to be stopped, without magic. In fact the only caution I would have is for some violence. Although not too detailed, younger children who are not used to fantasy might not like it. Yet, for those who like mild fantasy, they will find this an interesting world. I look forward to my next visit (I have the second book on my Kindle).

There wasn’t any romance in this book, but I expect that to change later in the series. There were a couple of moments when I thought that a faith element might be about to introduced, but in the end nothing had come of that.

I recommend this for younger readers who love fantasy, adventure, and realistic characters.

I received this book for review. I was not required to write a positive review. All the thoughts in this review are my own.

Katelyn Buxton on Branwen's Quest

Katelyn, welcome to Homeschool Authors! Tell us a little bit about yourself.
Hi, thanks for having me! I'm a Christian, born, raised and homeschooled in southern Oregon. I started writing when I was about fourteen, but it wasn't until I graduated in 2015 that I was able to self-publish the first book in the Warriors of Aralan series, Branwen's Quest. Besides writing, I enjoy reading, spending time with friends and family, listening to music, watching movies, baking cookies, and helping out at my church.

Everyone’s homeschooling experience is different. What do you think made yours unique?
Well, I was homeschooled through all twelve grades, but in my high school years my mom allowed me to choose which classes I wanted to take. For example, I took entomology for science one year, and wrote a novel for English in another.

How did being homeschooled prepare you to write?
It prepared me to write by giving me a firm understanding of the English language, and fostering my love of reading. Both of those things have played a key role in my choosing to be an author.

What caused you to start writing?
A school assignment that called for me to write the first chapter of a story, and end it with a cliffhanger. Up until that point I actually hated writing, but that cliffhanger hooked me. When I read it out loud to my family, they weren't the only ones that wanted to find out what happened next—I did, too! So I wrote the next chapter, and the next, until that first story was finished. After that, I couldn't stop.

What inspired Branwen's Quest?
Honestly, nothing but a sheer desire to write something. At that point, I had fallen into a really bad habit of not reading, and I was running low on inspiration. My sister and I cooked up the basic plot of Branwen's Quest one night, and the rest is history.

Would you give us a synopsis?
When the royal herald came announcing a mandatory Tournament of Warriors, Branwen was the last one to get excited. Sure, she was a good enough archer, but why should she be forced to go to the tournament just because the king said so? She had nothing to prove! Yet when she got there her competitive spirit took over and she succeeded—enough so that she was singled out by the king to take a difficult journey with three others who were as different as night and day from each other. Why? To recover the king and queen's missing crowns. Will they ever be able to overcome their differences and get along to complete their mission, or will they fall prey to an unexpected danger posed from within?

Who will enjoy Branwen's Quest?
Branwen's Quest is great for anyone that enjoys a clean, fast-paced fantasy read, but twelve to fifteen is the target age range.

Do you plan to write more books?
Oh, always! Currently I have written ten books in the Warriors of Aralan series, with seven of them published, and at least one more on the way.

Where can people connect with you online?

My website: http://katelynbuxtonbooks.weebly.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/KBuxtonBooks

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/14222457.Katelyn_Buxton

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/KBuxtonBooks/

Do you have any final thoughts?
Only this quote, which I would like to share with every Christian writer. It's something I stumbled upon not long after I became published for the first time, and I actually have it set as the wallpaper on the computer I use for writing. It helps keep me focused on what's important—not selling books, as nice as that is. It's about serving Him.
"He is at work on your behalf, not to make you a best-seller, but to make you the best tool for His work. As much as we'd like to think this whole gig is about selling books, it's not. It's about obedience. About writing, because that's the task He's given us. It's about seeking to serve Him and others through the gifts He's given us." ~ Karen Ball