The City in the Lake (review)

When the prince disappeared, he left behind a king and queen haunted by their son's absence, and a land and its people experiencing death at an alarming rate. In a remote village, a teen mage, Timou, waits at home for her father as he ventures to the castle to try to right things. After he fails to return, Timou eventually follows him, recognizing the fact that, whether or not she feels prepared, the fate of the whole kingdom rests in her hands. Ahead of Timou is a quest that will lead her not only to her true love and the recovery of the prince, but also to a showdown with her powerful and ominous birth mother, a woman whose identity has always been kept a secret by her father. This elegant, sophisticated novel will likely challenge readers even as it draws them in with complex characterization, intricate plotting, and sweeping descriptions of the curious double kingdom (a castle reflection in the lake represents a second kingdom) in which Timou and those around her reside. Timou, easily overwhelmed but firmly well intentioned, is amiable in her flaws; her beauty and obvious successful future are tempered by her slow path toward knowledge, grace, and adaptability. Fantasy fans seeking a book that will offer them profundity and elements worth further contemplation will find this a satisfying outing.