The Keeper of the Mist by Rachel Neumeier
3/5 stars
Premise- (3/5) In this fantasy stand-alone, Keri has just been appointed the new Lady of Nimmira. It’s a pretty big career change, considering she’s spent the last few years running her mother’s bakery. But Keri steps up to the challenge and realizes it may be an even more difficult job than she thought it would be. The magical mist, which has protected Nimmira’s boundaries for decades, is failing, and the neighbors have come knocking with questions. Now Keri has to fend off a sorcerer-king from one border and a warlord ruler from the other, defend her own right to rule from her older half-brothers, and figure out how to repair Nimmira’s magic before it’s too late. I like a good fantasy novel, and the premise of The Keeper of the Mist promised political intrigue, which is always fun to read. Lots of fantasy novels make use of magic, but this one sounded unique. The concepts of the Timekeeper, Doorkeeper, and Bookkeeper were also interesting to me. I wasn’t expecting to be blown away by this novel, but it looked interesting enough for me to pick it up.
Characters- (3.5/5) I liked most of the characters in The Keeper of the Mist. I liked the straightforward way that Keri approached things, and I thought her responses to her new position were fairly realistic. It was interesting to see her interact with her half-brothers, to see the way the balance of power shifted between them as their relationships changed. All three of them were very different, and I liked seeing how Keri handled each of them. The Timekeeper was also a very interesting character, one I would’ve actually liked to learn more about. I liked Tassel, Keri’s new Bookkeeper and best friend a lot. Cort, the new Doorkeeper, I was a little more ambivalent about, but I did appreciate that while he was pretty clearly Keri’s love interest, there was no forced relationship between them. As for our villains, I like Lord Osman a lot, but the sorcerers from Eschalion felt a little melodramatic and cliché to me. I can’t number any of The Keeper of the Mist’s characters among my all-time favorites, but I liked them for the most part.
Plot- (2.5/5) Something about the plot was missing from The Keeper in the Mist. Maybe I felt like there wasn’t enough action, or that it wasn’t quite planned out very well. I also think that there was a lot going on, which was necessary because this book was a stand-alone fantasy novel, but sometimes it felt like things were moving too fast. Still, for trying to fit so much in, I think Neumeier did an okay job of getting it all in there (without making the book giant). There weren’t any glaring plot holes, and while there was a lot going on, it all made sense. My biggest problem with the plot was that I didn’t love the solution Keri went with to solve the border problem. I didn’t like the closed-off borders, and thought maybe there would be a newly discovered relationship with the neighbors that would eliminate the need for the magic border. I was half right, but not totally satisfied with the ending.
World- (3/5) I liked the world Neumeier created. Nimmira’s magic was unique, and amongst hundred of YA fantasy novels; it can be hard to find something that hasn’t been overdone. But I really liked how Nimmira’s magic was tied to the land and the leaders. I would’ve liked to see more different countries; it felt really strange to only have three. And there was an explanation for that, but I would’ve liked to see more. It was also interesting to see how differently the three countries functioned. In some ways, that was a little jarring, like they were almost too different, but it did keep the novel interesting.
Writing- (3/5) Generally I liked Neumeier’s writing. Her style didn’t feel particularly unique to me, but I didn’t really have any issues with it either. Every once in a while there would be a phrase I rolled my eyes at, but for the most part, I enjoyed the writing. Nothing incredible, but easily readable.
Overall- (3/5) The Keeper of the Mist was a quick, refreshing fantasy read. It had likable characters and an interesting world. I didn’t love the plotting, but I thought the premise was unique and it was a good read. Stand-alone fantasy can be hard to find, so if you’re looking for a shorter story filled with magic and politics, give The Keeper of the Mist a try!