Northlander (Tales of the Borderlands) (Paperback)

~ (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Peril and prejudice threaten a young healer-in-training in this promising fantasy. Although Southlings are treated with open contempt in the Northlands, a surreptitious plea for their help brings teenaged Ellin, the narrator, and her learned father over the border to heal the desperately ill Northlands king. Against their wills, Ellin and the king’s five grown sons find themselves liking each other, and Ellin discovers that she can talk with them mind to mind. She also comes to realize that her unusual gifts extend to psychic healing and to the ability to control the actions of others. Giving Ellin a lively character and the resilience to survive physical dangers and devastating personal losses, Burden places her in a conventional, well-ordered setting, supplies a sturdy supporting cast and—an unusual touch—replaces the customary sorts of villains with people who resort to violent deeds out of innocence or good intentions. Although billed as the series opener for Tales of the Borderlands, this stands alone so well that it’s hard to see what’s coming next. Grades 5-8. --John Peters

Review

The author's careful attention to everyday details builds a richly believable fantasy world with a medieval flair. A strong heroine, Ellin matures as the narrative progresses. There is plenty of action, danger, and page-turning suspense, and issues of prejudice and persecution are well handled. Science-fiction fans will appreciate the threat of mind control as a weapon. A satisfying ending with a hint of future romance will have readers eagerly awaiting the sequel.
-Quinby Frank, Green Acres School, Rockville, MD,
-School Library Journal, February 2008

"Burden displays exceptional skill in simply stated characters and scenes that leave the reader room for imagination. The book is well-written and feels like a real, believable story throughout. My husband and I both read the book, and we both found the scene where the lead character saves a foal during birthing very touching. It is heartening that she could turn the heart of more than one young man with this simple, thoughtful deed in the face of thoughtless racism."
-Lillian Brummet
Curled up with a Good Kid's Book 2007

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Product Details

• Paperback: 252 pages
• Publisher: Brown Barn Books (October 24, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0976812681
• ISBN-13: 978-0976812685
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #653,291 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Riveting action and great characters from first-time novellist, October 30, 2007

By	S. A. Cain "librarian" (Indiana USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Northlander arrived in the mail today, and I immediately sat down on the front porch and started reading. And I didn't stop for three hours except for the ten minutes while I ate supper.

Now, I'd already been lucky enough to read the first few chapters online a couple months ago, so I knew some of the characters already. I can't begin to tell you how much I LOVE these characters. The five Northland princes, Ellin the Southland 'witch-girl', Ellin's wonderful, loving father. The relationship between Ellin and her father was so great, it made me think about my own relationship with my father.

The plot is exciting, and each time I started thinking, "Oh, I see where this is going", I was proved wrong. Not that I thought that very often, anyway.

I don't want to talk too much about it, because I don't want to spoil you at all for the story. Let's just say that in the Northlands, all Southlanders are reviled. They're seen as lower than low because of their red hair and their predisposition to the healing arts. They're required to carry papers, and if a Southlander wears clothes, they're fit for nothing but burning afterwards. Yet Southlander Ellin and her father are the only people who have the ability to save the life of the Northlander king, and as healers, they feel compelled to try, even if they endanger themselves by breaking the law to do so. Because of Ellin's bravery, momentous events are set into motion, and danger threatens from several sources. She has to rely on her wits and the new talents that are awakening inside her to keep her alive--and she can't tell who to trust.

It's a riveting story, and I found it both emotionally moving and engaging.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A gripping tale, December 29, 2007

By	Kim Baccellia, YA author "Kim" (Southern California) - See all my reviews

Ellin is the sixteen-year-old daughter of the best healer in Southland. Though forbidden, her father is asked to help heal the dying king of Northland. This is the same king who made laws to forbid the use use of "witchcraft." The penalty for doing this is death. After being refused entry to the city, a kind guard lets her stay in a gatehouse, where the youngest king's son finds her. He takes her to his father after she tells him she can help him. Later after she helps save the king's life she finds out she has another gift. A gift her father fears. It's only when they go back to Southland does she find out the reason for her father's fears. Ellin is one of the 'tainted', someone even her own people fear. Now it's up to Ellin to find out more about her gift and what she needs to do in order to not fall into the hands of the Guardians, who want her dead.

This is an engaging tale. I couldn't put it down! I was fascinated in Ellin's ability to heal and also her telepathic ability. Also this story shows how hatred is only ignorance of what is unknown. The author does a great job showing how Ellin feels when she discovers her gift and how it feels to be different and feared by others. I can't wait for the sequel!

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Courtesy of Teens Read Too, January 4, 2008

By	TeensReadToo.com "Eat. Drink. Read. Be Merrier." (All Over the US & Canada) - See all my reviews

The Southling Ellin has been summoned with her father to the Northland kingdom. In a land where they are despised for their red hair and feared for their magic, their hand in the healing of the Northland king is a secret. However, the healing powers that have been banned by law may be the only thing that can save the ailing king.

On a crucial night, Ellin must fight against the prejudice that threatens to keep her from fulfilling the oaths that her father, as a healer, took, and that she will take on the day she is of age. Her determination manages to pull the monarch through the worst, but, while she learns that the potential for peace among individual Northlands and Southlings exists, she and her father are forbidden to return to their homeland until the king regains consciousness.

The friendships that she forges will bring her through a time when all she once understood about her life is destroyed, and she must find a way to come to terms with the power she's inherited and the truth she has grown to understand before a war sweeps away everything she has left.

I thoroughly enjoyed this story, and recommend it to all who have found themselves on both sides of a drawn line. The characters are easy to identify with, and the plot rich and relevant. I will be keeping an eager eye out for Book Two.

Reviewed by: Allison Fraclose