Blonde Eskimo by Kristen Hunt (with giveaway)

Blonde Eskimo
by Kristen Hunt

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Just released: October 13, 2015
Publisher: SparkPress
Genre: Fantasy, YA
Paperback: 308 pages
Rating: 4

First sentence(s):
I'm almost there. I can see the island just on the horizon. It looks ominous with the heavy mist surrounding it. I can feel the sweat trickling down my back and my heart accelerating at the thought of stepping foot on its pebbled beaches. I don't want to go there, I don't want to stay there, but I have to. There's no other choice.

Part Viking, part Eskimo, Neiva Ellis knew her family’s ancestral home, the island of Spirit, Alaska, held a secret. A mystery so sensitive everyone, including her beloved grandmother, was keeping it from her. When Neiva is sent to stay on the island while her parents tour Europe she sets out on a mission to uncover the truth, but she was not prepared for what laid ahead. On the night of her seventeenth birthday, the Eskimo rite of passage, Neiva is mysteriously catapulted into another world full of mystical creatures, ancient traditions, and a masked stranger who awakens feelings deep within her heart. Along with her best friends Nate, Viv and Breezy, she uncovers the truth behind the town of Spirit and about her own heritage.

When an evil force threatens those closest to her, Neiva will stop at nothing to defend her family and friends. Eskimo traditions and legends become real as two worlds merge together to fight a force so ancient and evil it could destroy not only Spirit but the rest of humanity.

My two-bits:

The premise of a Viking and Eskimo mashup and Alaska as the setting got me from the start.

I like how the vibe of magic and local folklore is in the air throughout.

Revealed secrets and family history kept me engaged.

About the author:

Kristen Hunt is an artist and writer based in Phoenix, Arizona. She is an avid fan of movies, graphic novels and Young Adult literature. Anything evolving fantasy and supernatural experiences captures her interests. As a young child Kristen visited her family in Nome, Alaska and learned of her Eskimo heritage. Her Grandmother, known as the blonde Eskimo because of her golden hair and blue eyes, told Kristen the many legends found throughout Alaska, such as the Ishegocks, totems, and much more. It was these stories that inspired Kristen to write her current novel.

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* review copy courtesy of book tour sponsored by BookSparks. @booksparks

* SIGNUP to win this review copy (here).