Review of On the Trail of the Mountains' Mysteries

[Obinna Chima Agoms]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "On the Trail of the Mountains' Mysteries" by Lynne Armstrong-Jones.]

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4 out of 4 stars

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On the Trail of the Mountains' Mysteries is the latest installment in the On the Trail series. Following Lynne Armstrong-Jones's modus operandi, it's also written as a standalone novel. It takes us back to a fantasy world of magic and medieval times. Lynne continues the adventure of Nico and his companions.

The fourth book continued the story after Nico was reunited with his son and Creda had become the new witch of the Great East Wood. When king Yurmar of the Kingdom of Espri tasked a group to map out a route along the Edgewood region for his prospective bride-to-be, things didn't go smoothly for them. An imbalance in Eastwood's natural state would spur Creda into action, old friends would be reunited, and old flames would be reignited. This led to a test of love, belief, and mettle. How would the team withstand the trials of the expedition?

The author says readers don't need to read previous books to enjoy the new ones, but I strongly advise against that. There is a reason why the whole story is a series. It builds up from prequels, no matter how standalone it may seem. I had to read the other books, which helped me better understand the characters in this fourth one. For instance, how Creda becomes who she is now, and Nico's relationship with his son Aldred makes better sense due to the knowledge of events in the prequel. I recommend starting from the beginning to get the whole picture if you have the time. It's worth it.

The use of multiple character viewpoints needed to be executed better than what I saw. I found it hard to keep track of everything, detracting from my enjoyment. Writing multiple viewpoints is tricky, and it might reduce the reader's overall engagement when it isn't done right.

Creda seemed to be the main character, judging from how the situation borders her field of expertise and domain. Her character was well-written despite her initial limitations. Other characters got their spotlight and showcased how they synergized, especially in their dialogues, which kept things interesting. The gap between the magic and non-magic users wasn't noticeable because it wasn't a significant focus. Magic was a tool, not a necessity, to drive the plot.

In the absence of any grand conflict, the ending is okay and a bit predictable. There is so much more this series has to offer, and I hope the author utilizes her creation to its maximum potential in subsequent installments. Although it seems to spell the end of some of the characters' journeys, their legacies will be very much remembered.

On the Trail of the Mountains' Mysteries was satisfying despite its quirks. She elevated her writing skill to a higher level, and the editing was exceptional, with no errors. I would have deducted a star because of the viewpoint problem, but that would be harsh. Therefore, I’d rate it 4 out of 4 stars. The perfect rating would have been 3.5 stars. I would recommend it to lovers of fantasy novels with a medieval touch. Old readers of her series would find familiar comfort in it.

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On the Trail of the Mountains' Mysteries
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[Lisa Park17]

I haven't read the prequels, and as such, I don't think I would understand and relate well to the characters. From your review, I'm enticed to check out the other books In the series. Thanks for an awesome analysis of the book.

[NetMassimo]

I wrote an official review of On the Trail of the Ruthless Warlock, which is the first book in this series, and I enjoyed it very much, so I'm happy to see that its sequels are great as well and I plan to read them all. Thank you for your great review!