Tales of Southernere: Volume I
by Indra Zufayri Hamdan
Litprime


"Inside was a single white substance surrounded by soft cotton... the shape of a water droplet. But Henry knew what it is the moment he touched it."

Ronald Dahl once said that those who don't believe in magic will never find it, and if there is one source of potent magic for both children and adults, it is the written word. Indra weaves together a myriad of events within the world of Southernere, an alternate reality similar to Earth that can be traversed to and fro if one knows the way. The world and its tales are a high fantasy romp, with subtle influences of science fiction, and filled with magical shape-shifting beings known as Avengers who are in constant battles with the humans of CombiNation. It is a noble tale of vengeance, sorrow, and triumph (and most importantly, magic) that's aimed at captivating a younger audience. The author does a lovely job of connecting with them by adding a phrase at the beginning of each chapter.

While the book's formatting can be a little difficult to navigate, it does not deter one from enjoying the stories and characters. Each chapter itself is chock-full of magical battles, betrayals, and twists reminiscent of other alternate reality tales of heroes and villains such as C.S Lewis' Chronicles of Narnia. The constant momentum and turn of events are sure to keep any unsupervised child up until the early hours of the morning. As the author indicates, this volume of stories is not the end of Southernere's tales but rather just the beginning. Indra's book is filled with stories brimming with hope and perseverance that will ring true not only with this generation of children but also adults.

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