Genre: Urban Fantasy
LGBTQ+ Category: Ace, Bi, Demi, Gender Fluid, Intersex, Lesbian, Non-Binary, Poly, Trans MTF
Reviewer: Rari
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About The Book
Inarora Beservera, daughter of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of End’oria, never felt concerned by her father’s position. After all, politicians’ families were only targeted in the Corporate States of Naa’ran, right? She’s in for a rude awakening when Naa’ran Supremacists attack her and send her over 50 years into the past!
Inarora finds her great-grandpas, who send a letter to the Council of Sorcerers to ask for help. While they wait for a response, Inarora learns more about herself, including scary powers she never knew she possessed.
Meanwhile, Kaedan’s mounting frustration with the lack of help from the present day Intelligence Ward leads him to take matters into his own hands when another child goes missing—Inarora’s best friend.
The Review
This wasn’t my usual fare since it’s centred around a child protagonist. I have nothing against children’s books, and have enjoyed a fair few even after becoming an adult, especially when my children were young. But these days, I can’t even enjoy a YA book, so a children’s book wasn’t something I thought I’d enjoy.
Boy, was I wrong.
This is so much more than a children’s book, for one. Though Inorara or Ina, is the protagonist, the story isn’t theirs alone. It’s also their father’s, their grandfather’s, their great grandfathers’, and their friends’.
Ina is the daughter of a minister and belongs to a dragon species with a humanoid appearance. At the start of the book, Ina goes by she, but by the end of the book, they have figured out they like to be they. So, I’ll be referring to Ina by they in this review.
Ina has terrible nightmares that show them hurting their loved ones. The nightmares have given them a lot of anxiety and a fear of falling asleep. They are 12 and live with their father and grandfather. When an attack by some unknowns sends them to the past, Ina winds up with her great grandparents, one of whom had been dead for ages in their own time.
Lysander and Seri are understandably startled by Ina’s arrival and by their assertion that they’re their great granddaughter. Their children are still only children, but all the same, they can’t turn Ina away and are determined to help them get back to their time.
Back in the present, Ina’s father and grandfather are doing everything they can to find them, but when the Intelligence Ward, which is like the police, stonewalls them, and Byron, Ina’s grandfather is cursed when attempting to trace their whereabouts using magic, they realise that they may be up against something they may not be able to handle by themselves.
I loved the characters and the relationships. Found families are my favourite thing to read, and there’s very strong found family vibes between Lysander and Seri and their neighbours, as well as between Ina’s father and the parents of their best friends. Ina and their friends are also a found family that’s heartwarming.
Part of the tale of Ina and their situation, we have mental health, queer, neurodivergent reps, as well as chronic pain and disability reps. Needless to say, I enjoyed it all, and I loved how respectfully everything is treated.
A wholesome tale of family, found family, and characters that feel real and relatable. You will love this story.
The Reviewer
Rari is an author and editor writing under the name of Niranjan K. She is an avid reader of all things fantasy, and loves to discourse at length about her favourite books as well as shows. This blog is the space where she will be sharing her views and insights of the books, shows and movies that she likes.
