C. K. Johnson

C. K. Johnson’s A Piper’s Song introduces a very cool magical concept of musical powers, to bewitch, to heal, to control... But the consequences of bewitching the school’s star athlete might be dire, as narrator Kyra soon finds out.

Like a cross between Harry Potter, the Pied Piper, and (pick your own) modern teen dystopia, this novel manages not to be dystopian despite occasional darkness, not inappropriate despite sweet glimpses of true love, and not overly introspective either. There are some editing problems in the version I read, but they couldn’t distract me from a story that’s fast-paced, enjoyably intriguing, and builds to a great conclusion.

Through it all, of course, there’s music, and the author excels at describing a sense of mystical power through the sound of discord and beauty. Mystery, danger, loyalty and risk all result in Kyra’s growing into power, and power bestowing itself convincingly upon her. There’s a promise of more in the ending to the tale, but this is a cool standalone novel, well-balanced, well-told, and intriguingly imagined. I really enjoyed it.

Disclosure: I won a copy. Lucky me!… (altro)