Book Review of Crane (Legends Saga #1) by Stacey Rourke

Synopsis:

The Horseman is unending, 
his presence shan't lessen. 
If you break the curse, 
you become the legend. 

Washington Irving and Rip Van Winkle had no choice but to cover up the deadly truth behind Ichabod Crane’s disappearance. Centuries later, a Crane returns to Sleepy Hollow awakening macabre secrets once believed to be buried deep.

What if the monster that spawned the legend lived within you?

Now, Ireland Crane, reeling from a break-up and seeking a fresh start, must rely on the newly awakened Rip Van Winkle to discover the key to channeling the darkness swirling within her. Bodies are piling high and Ireland is the only one that can save Sleepy Hollow by embracing her own damning curse.

But is anyone truly safe when the Horseman rides?

Review:


Crane by Stacey Rourke
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is the first book in a new series by this author. I absolutely LOVED it!

Ireland Crane is twenty four years old. She has just moved to Sleepy Hollow, where her relative, Ichabod Crane, had once lived. She is the new school Councillor. I liked this stubborn, witty woman. She gets thrust into a living nightmare, and she finds herself having to embrace her destiny. However, can she change her fate?

I have been wanting to read this book from the first moment I heard it was being written. I was introduced to the legend of Sleepy Hollow when I read a children's version of it in school - the headless horseman terrified me! However, this is a modern take on the story, which took me on a roller coaster ride of emotion and adventure. It is told through different points of view - mainly Ireland's, Ichabod's, Irving Washington's and Rip Van Winkle's - and flicks between the past and the present. I wasn't sure at first whether I liked Rip. He was a rake and a rogue in the past, but the Rip in the future didn't act in the same way. I don't know if it was the spell that he had used which created the change, or having stress induced narcolepsy, but he felt like a completely different character. However, the story kept me hooked from start to finish. Ireland has to make a terrible sacrifice to be able to break the curse; if I was in her shoes, I'm not sure I would have been brave enough to make it. The story has action and adventure, death and murder, but there is also romance. Noah and Ireland are a great couple. They have a chemistry that smolders on the page. The characters' are very lifelike and her heroines tend to be full of wit and sarcasm, which I like. There are several twists and turns that surprised me in places, and I am now looking forward to reading the next book, Raven, as soon as possible.

Stacey Rourke has written a fantastic dark fantasy, which is slightly darker than her YA Gryphon series. I love her writing style, which is fast paced, and the story flows wonderfully. I was worried that the scenes between past and present would make it seem jumpy and disconnected, but I'm glad to say that it wasn't. I am a huge fan of this author, and she is near the top of my Favourite Author's list.

Although this is not really a YA story, I highly recommend this book to teens aged 15+ and adults who love dark fantasy. - Lynn Worton

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