Luna and the Heart of the Forest by Adam Karlin

Luna and the Heart of the Forest is a beautifully written and evocative modern fairy tale set in the wilds and water of Newfoundland.

11-year-old Luna and her journalist father, ‘Big Bear’ as she calls him, are trekking across Newfoundland as he searches for stories. He’s a widower, and being on the open road with his curious and energetic daughter offers him some respite from his grief. She’s also hurting and confused over her mother’s death and their road trip conversations about the woman they both love are heartfelt and authentic.

As a travelling partner, Luna is too curious for her own good. With the mysteries of the forest beckoning, she strays from her father’s watchful eye to battle and defeat a dangerous monster lurking beyond the mist. She also discovers her inner power, which she will need in order to outwit the far greater monsters she will soon encounter. She’s also angered her father, who vows to keep a closer eye on her.

But when a malevolent spirit kidnaps her father and intends on keeping him in a purgatory-like state, Luna feels distraught and alone. She doesn’t state it openly, but the possibility of losing another parent inspires her to embark on a quest to rescue Big Bear.

Any hero on a quest needs allies, and Luna is accompanied on her journey to save her father by Trygve, a Viking ghost on a redemptive path, who offers well-meaning and sometimes dubious advice. Together, along with the help of a friendly whale, Luna and Trygve battle with Maritime monsters and the powerful spirit of an angry islander. As Luna says, “These aren’t just ghosts, they’re nightmares.” A fairy tale ending of hope sets up Luna for her next adventure.

There’s enough fantasy elements, action and humour to keep you turning the pages, while the characters possess the kind of rich inner life often ignored in fiction for this age group.

Karlin is a journalist who works on the Lonely Planet series of guide books. His own travels with his daughter through Gros Morne National Park inspired this story. You can tell the author is well-travelled to otherworldly locations. His poetic and uniquely atmospheric descriptions bring the harsh beauty of the rugged east coast landscape to life, without the cliches sometimes associated with life on the Rock. There’s enough fantasy elements, action and humour to keep you turning the pages, while the characters possess the kind of rich inner life often ignored in fiction for this age group. Though Karlin’s bread and butter is journalism, I hope it’s not too long before he creates another fantastic world for younger readers.

Adam Karlin was born in Washington, DC, and raised in rural Southern Maryland. As a journalist he has written on war, politics, crime, archaeology, history, and the environment, but fantasy is his first literary love, and Luna and the Heart of the Forest is his first novel. In his spare time, Adam balances a love of being outdoors with intense indoor jags of reading, tabletop RPGs, and video games, but he likes to enjoy all of the above with his wife, daughter, and son. www.walkonfine.com

Publisher: Breakwater Books (March 12, 2024)
Paperback 8″ x 5″ | 240 pages
Ages 9-12
ISBN: 101778530087

Andy Tolson

Website

Andy Tolson has been a boy magician, propmaker, filmmaker and writer. At the National Post and Maclean's Magazine, he was a photojournalist and editor. His first novel, Noisemaker, was published in 2022 by Moose House Publications. His debut middle-grade novel, How To Kidnap A Mermaid, will be published by Nimbus Publishing, fall 2024. He lives in Annapolis Royal, Nova Scotia. Andy will be focusing on reviewing middle-grade novels for TMR.