The Spellgrinder’s Apprentice- N.M. Browne

Sometimes I wait a little too long with a review and some of the books begin to blur a little. So I had to re-visit this briefly to jog my ageing memory. The Spellgrinder’s Apprentice is a very unique fantasy offering. Orpahned Tommo has been apprenticed to grind spellstones, which can offer great magical powers. Unfortunately, the apprentices themselves have a thankless task; the work is hard, the food is poor, and the health risks enormous. When Tommo has an opportunity, he makes his escape. The chance of his success is almost non-existent, until he meets Akenna, who grudgingly provides him with some help. It becomes clear that Akenna is also more than she seems; although she is totally unaware of her potential. When Tommo claims sanctuary, which allows him a brief and unlikely time frame to escape, it draws the interest of Fallon, despotic ruler of the land. His keen interest in capturing Tommo also gives rise to the belief that there is more afoot than readily meets the eye. With lots of unusual characters, not least of which are the flock of birds with human faces, this is quite engaging. I believe this might be suitable for your fairly strong fantasy readers and that it might need a little tenacity to begin; but once embroiled in the story, it becomes a saga of mystery and intrigue.