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Reviewer Karen Kelloway is the author of Keepers of the Pact, a thrilling middle-grade adventure set in Newfoundland, featuring mermaids, intrepid explorers, and ancient secrets.

Mist slithered up her like a milky snake, first, around her ankles, then up to her waist, chest, and almost, her face. Once it got there, she’d be sightless, and all alone in the cold, old woods.

Eleven-year-old Luna wants to see the world, have adventures and follow the trail of anything that piques her interest. And even though her father, a roving journalist, regularly brings her along on his travels, he is protective and cautious, not wanting to let her out of his sight. This is possibly why she has given him the nickname of Big Bear. This opposing current of wills and rule-following is the constant tension that runs through this middle grade fantasy novel, where Luna meets ghosts and mythical monsters while she accompanies her father on a work trip to Newfoundland and Labrador.

The author, Adam Karlin, like Big Bear is also a journalist. He grew up in rural Maryland and it’s clear he loves myth, legends, fairy tales and folklore. His own journalistic travels have taken him around the world, including to Newfoundland and Labrador, and he draws inspiration for the creatures and monsters from these environments and the stories he collects along the way. 

Newfoundland and Labrador is a rich landscape for mystery, folklore, and marvellous creatures. I know that from my time living in St. John’s and doing research for my middle grade fantasy novel  Keepers of the Pact which is set in Brigus, N.L..  And just like the author experienced, the wonderful locals (in my case, my in-laws!) are more than happy to help fill in the gaps. 

In Luna and the Heart of the Forest,  Luna’s mother passed away when she was five but Luna holds on to the stories of her mother’s brave and carefree ways. Which in part, Luna tries to emanate – pushing boundaries and breaking rules – sometimes to a fault. Like when she follows a monster into the woods only to become enveloped in cold and darkness and must battle him in a game of wits to survive. 

There are lovely moments of subtle messages that stuck with me. My favourite part is Luna riding on the back of a whale. First, who doesn’t dream of catching a ride on a whale!? But what I appreciated was the female whale’s wisdom. In response to Luna asking if she was heavy on its back, the whale responded: you don’t weigh much. Although the weight of a thing is more than its body … Our choices have weight too.

The theme of consequences as well as owning up to our choices comes front and centre when Luna chooses to snatch a pinecone from a tree that represents the Heart of the Forest. This causes the world to turn upside down so that she can now clearly see the ghosts that inhabit the island. She befriends one of those ghosts, a Viking named Trygve, who accompanies her on her quest to save what she has unleashed by her actions. And while doing so, he attempts to fulfil his own life/ghost purpose and so he can drift off in peace to the afterlife. 

A detail that will likely spark creativity in young readers is the “kenning.” Big Bear explains this Viking way of speaking to Luna when she asks about the possibility of ghosts lurking in the fog. He explains that if there were ghosts, they would be hiding in the cloud murk. When Luna asks for clarification, he says he had just made up a kenning: “That’s a way the Vikings would describe things,” he said. “Like little poems, where a few words were tied together to describe something, but sideways. So fire was the bane of wood. Blood was battle sweat. The sea was a whale road.”

I quite liked this Viking ghost and watching him struggle with his “career” choices. The book is marketed as a dark fantasy, and I did find myself closing my eyes a couple of times when it came to battle scenes and descriptions! But I know from talking to kids at book signings that they like scary stuff, and they will be thrilled with the scary scenes as Luna battles her way through this quest and story.

Karen Kelloway is an author and the founder of Career Story Project, where she coaches professionals to share their stories to shape their careers. As an author and speaker Karen’s signature storytelling style takes both a linear and lyrical approach. In her novels, readers explore her blending of fact and fiction with supernatural twists for an educational and entertaining read. And in her speaking engagements, audiences discover how to apply lessons from writing fiction to shaping a stand out career story. Her latest novel, Keepers of the Pact, is a middle grade fantasy set in Brigus, N.L. Karen is available for keynotes, writing workshops and literary panels.