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Child of Etherclaw

By: Matty Roberts
Publisher: Twilight Fox LLC
Publication Date: May 4, 2022
ISBN: 978-0578394169
Reviewed by: Lynette Latzko
Review Date: August 2, 2022

Author Matty Roberts quickly captures readers’ attention from the first pages of their debut science fiction, dystopian adventure, Child of Etherclaw.

With no parents around, teenager Fenlee Harper and her younger brother Elliot mostly fend for themselves in the reestablished land of New Cascadia, a rough and often dangerous world filled with spying drones, and a strict hierarchy. Since her mother died, Fenlee has had to adapt to living life in the lower tier while her father is off working away from home. Her main goal is to seriously focus on her mechatronics studies at The Academy, so she can pull herself out of the current situation, and aspire to a better life.

One day, as Fenlee and Elliot are hunting for parts for her latest robot creation, they find themselves in a predicament that sets off a chain of events primarily relating to her mother’s opal necklace that Fenlee has worn since her mother’s death. They soon discover that the once-thought-ordinary necklace is filled with tremendous, otherworldly powers that Fenlee herself has the power to unleash. But with this discovery comes grave danger that is lurking in the shadows and following the two siblings, and when Elliot goes missing, Fenlee must not only figure out how to use her new superpowers, but avoid getting ensnared in something dangerous and sinister that has been going on for many, many years.

Child of Etherclaw is a fast-paced ride filled with surprising plot twists that will have readers engrossed until the satisfying, but cliffhanger ending. Author Roberts easily presents an atmospheric world brimming with just the right amount of strong, realistic characters (both human and one feline), that you can get behind, and root for throughout the entire novel. While some adult, and advanced young adult readers may yearn for more of a challenging read as seen in some other popular novels of the same genre, the author skillfully balances a simply worded, yet still very compelling and entertaining, story. Child of Etherclaw is filled with a gutsy heroine, mystery, villains, and so much more without bogging readers down with an overly complicated history or an enormous cast of characters.

Quill says: In Child of Etherclaw, author Matty Roberts presents a captivating YA, sci-fi read from start to finish that leaves readers anxiously waiting for a sequel.

For more information on Child of Etherclaw, please visit the author's website at: www.mattyroberts.io