Artist Matthew Sugiyama can alter the physical world with his art. As the top student graduating from the prestigious Popham Abbey, Matthew Sugiyama’s future is secure… until he bucks convention and begins a journey to find answers about his birth family. The trouble is, he doesn’t know who or where they are.
Determined to find answers, but without a clear destination, Matthew sets out on horseback across a post-technology world, guided only by random flashes of a vision or long-buried memory. Using his skills as an artist to barter for hospitality and supplies, Matthew soon learns his sheltered upbringing has left him wholly unprepared to face the obstacles on the road or his unexpected yearning to join the communities he encounters. When he uncovers a mysterious adversary’s plan to harm the people he’s come to care for, Matthew must decide what’s more important; the adopted family he has created, or his need for answers about his past. - from Goodreads.com
I had skipped this title a couple times, when I was going through possible books to request at a couple websites. The description made the story feel a bit too Young Adult to me, and I just was not in the mood for that style of writing. However, I took a chance, and am glad I did.
Sure it sounds a little cheesy... an orphaned boy trained in a magical art, out in the real world realizing he has no social skills. But Fairleigh makes it come together, and I felt pulled into the story. The world building was not the greatest, as all we can tell is it is a dystopian future, and I felt there were some parts that were not explained well. Characters come into the story easy enough, and there really isn't much background on them either. Almost as if they were written in, and that was when their lives began.
The story rolled along well, and I found myself drawn in. The main character's lack of social skills made for a couple humorous events, yet it felt good for him to learn from those mistakes. The search for his family, and information that was revealed in the story, make we wonder how long we will have to wait for the next book in the series.
I received this book through Booksirens and Kitsune Press, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
#Booksirens #OilAndDust
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