Hilary H. White

Had I not known that this book was the author’s first outing, I would have thought she was a seasoned professional fantasy writer with several books already tucked neatly under her belt. I’ve read many indie books in the fantasy genre, but not a one compares to the masterful and highly compelling storytelling I found in Wishmaker. Listening to this book was a joy, one that I looked forward to getting back to over and over again.

I found White’s world of Orynthea to be both fresh and unique and its characters (and creatures) well-fleshed out and highly distinguishable from one another; each has a purpose and reason for being in the story. And because the story is told in the third-person limited point of view, listeners (and readers, too) get to really know the main characters, especially the three Elemental friends, Eirian, Viryda, and Rowe. These female leads are definitely not one-dimensional, and rather refreshingly, they do not fit neatly into the overdone hero stereotype often found in the fantasy genre. Their kind of heroism is based firmly in how they overcome themselves, their own vulnerabilities and fears, to ultimately prevail.

Wishmaker is more than a fantastical tale of good versus evil; it is a tale of friendship, love, and courage, and White artfully weaves in her own wisdom in regard to her understanding of what it means to persevere, to never give up, even when the odds are overwhelmingly stacked against us. Her story will tug at your emotions, enrage you at times (in the very best of ways), and ultimately leave you as it literally left me: with the hairs on my arms and neck standing on end, and maybe even with a tear or two tumbling down your cheeks. I cannot wait to see what’s in store next for Eirian, Viryda, and Rowe.