There is this quote by Andre Gide that says:
“A straight path never leads anywhere except to the objective.”
Now, I know that this particular quote is a big ball of hidden meanings and Yoda-esq wisdom, but it is literally the only thing I could think about when reading “The Gleaning.”
Let me take a step back and explain (for those of you that find my train of thought irritatingly abstract.) Every journey/story has a point A and a point B (aka beginning and end.) You can choose to walk a straight line between the two. Remain comfortable in your predictable surroundings, or you can choose to veer off the path. This is called choosing your own adventure. Sure, it may be harder. The challenges you face may leave permanent marks on your body and soul, but they also give you character. Build strength. Provide you with unconventional experience.
Books are wonderful examples of choosing to zig while the rest of the world zags. (Would you like an example? Ok. Lord of the Rings. Big whopping zig. Divergent. Ziggity zam. Percy Jackson. *insert witty zig variation*) But at the end of the day, the path the characters take in these books are still chosen by someone else. The author.
Until now.
Heidi R. Kling broke convention so that YOU could too. She may have written the book, but she gave the reader a chance to veer off the path. Lead HER characters straight into the fire, or opt for the surrounding forest instead. And let me tell you…it’s refreshing to finally have a say.
As the covens prepare to do battle in the Solstice Stones, the lines between good and evil, dark and light, begin to blur. Allegiances are called into question. Trust is broken. And all Lily knows may just be an illusion.
Will the star-crossed lovers unearth the seeds of betrayal before it’s too late? Or will the witches and warlocks of Melas County be forced to say goodbye to their magic—and any chance of reconciliation between the covens—for good?
In THE GLEANING, nothing is as it seems. And Lily and Logan will have to tread carefully if they hope to uncover the truth in time to save their love and break the curse.
Last year I read “Witch’s Brew” the first book in Kling’s “Spellspinners” series and suffice it to say…I was impressed. And while I am still stunned into aww-filled silence by Kling’s ability to pen multiple delivery methods for one story, I did find myself upset by the barefaced lack of forward movement in “The Gleaning.”
I’m not implying the novel fell into a bottomless pit and never recovered, but I did find myself wishing for a little less conversation and a little more action (if you know what I mean.) To be blunt: the constant need to “talk about” plans instead of “acting on them” made me want to drop-kick’ a kitten. It wasn’t until the last two or so chapters that I felt the momentum pick-up, but at that point (regardless of its monumental ending which had me drop-jawed) it was almost too late.
The characters however held strong and solid. Storming a magic-induced drama path through a truly unique plot. Add a dash of epic love and heart-wrenching betrayal and the final product (though slow at times) is a solid score for paranormal interactive fiction. If I had a stamp…it would say “APPROVED.”
It’s “Choose Your Own Adventure” for a new generation, and I LOVE it!
Happy Reading my fellow Kindle-ites and remember: “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.” – Edmund Burke
Click image for additional details.
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| Overall: | 3.4 |
Heidi R. Kling earned her MFA in Writing for Children from the New School, and is the author of multiple-award nominated novel SEA. She’s published short stories and essays to anthologies TRUTH & DARE, THE VISITOR’S GUIDE TO MYSTIC FALLS, and THE FIRST TIME. She lives with her family in Palo Alto, CA, near the real Black Mountain and coastal towns much like Melas County. She hasn’t spotted a warlock in real life. Yet.
Stalk her on Twitter
Witch’s Brew- http://www.coliloquy.
The Gleaning- http://www.
3 Questions With Heidi
KO: So Heidi, it’s just us girls here right? Let’s be honest…exactly how many boxes of Thin Mints can you eat in one sitting? I’m more of a Samoas girl myself (I like to fool myself into thinking I’m Hawaiian and getting back to my roots by way of coconut and chocolate overload is a divine right) but I can see the appeal of those tiny morsels of mint covered awesomeness. It’s more than one isn’t it? It’s ok…you can admit it, we all closet eat when it comes to Girl Scout cookies. *Stares Heidi down silently pleading with her to say 2*
Heidi: I’ve been known to devour an entire sleeve in one sitting. Best fresh out of the freezer.
KO: Some authors struggle to keep one story line straight in their head (and successfully plot it out) but you chose a format (interactive fiction) that demands more than one outcome. Do you ever find yourself staring at a blank screen at 2 am regretting your decision to stray away from conventional literature or are you completely satisfied with your slightly insane choice to pen a “choose your own adventure-esq” type novel?
Heidi: YES! ALL THE TIME! EVERY MOMENT OF EVERY DAY! (Just kidding.)
KO: And last (because I know you are totally over me at this point) tell us a little about The Gleaning and what we can expect from Lily and Logan.
Heidi: The Gleaning, out now, deals with the aftermath of what Lily discovers in the clearing after her enchantment. It’s not pretty. Also, there’s a lot of violence, chaos, sexy-times, and dream haunting.
