The Thirteenth Tower is a dark epic fantasy written by Sara C. Snider. Emelyn is a servant girl living in the Mansell's grand house in the town of Fallow. She was found on the doorstep as an infant, and the cook took her in and raised her as her own daughter. Miss Cook taught Emelyn to read, an exceptional thing for a servant girl, but is quick to rebuke her if she asks questions. Emelyn's day begins quite early as her chores keep her busy from dawn to dusk. Miss Cook sends her out on the morning of the festival to get eggs for breakfast. Emelyn rushes as she wants to finish her chores early so she can join the festivities. On the way to the grocer, she meets a strange girl with eyes like hers, and, on the way back, she sees two Magisters, austere and imposing red-gowned men who seem to strike fear in all who see them. Later that afternoon, Emelyn's life is turned upside-down as she watches Miss Cook and all the town's inhabitants skipping and twirling, mindlessly following a strange fiddler to the festival grounds.

Sara C. Snider's dark epic fantasy, The Thirteenth Tower is weirdly and wonderfully beautiful. Emelyn is a marvelous heroine who comes of age in the strangest of circumstances. Accompanying her on her quest are two Magisters, one of whom is a kind and scholarly man, a mule and Corran, a young carpenter who helped Emelyn escape from Fallow and seems resolutely opposed to the Magi. Snider creates a compelling and original world which will appeal to even the most fantasy-jaded readers. The tale she spins in The Thirteenth Tower is really quite remarkable. It's one of those stories where you hold on tight and read on, hardly daring to breathe, as you follow her characters on their journey. The Thirteenth Tower is a marvelous, dark and original epic fantasy and is highly recommended.

In The Thirteenth Tower, a young adult fantasy novel by Sara C. Snider, young Emelyn is an orphan working for the largest house in Fallow. The only thing she has to look forward to is the upcoming Harvest Festival, but when that day arrives, strange creatures take over. It's only with the help of Corran, a mysterious young man, and two wizards that she is able to escape. Corran is suspicious of the wizards and urges her not to trust them, but the wizards claim to know her parents and what may have happened to them. It's a lure Emelyn can't resist and soon the four of them are traveling to the Thirteenth Tower, the most remote of the wizard strongholds now taken over by wild magic. Along the way Emelyn learns about love, trust, and the secrets of her past.

The Thirteenth Tower was an enjoyable story. Though it isn't action packed or fast paced by any means, it is a quiet, steady read that still manages to keep your interest all the way to the end. Snider's world building is fascinating and the creatures that populate the world of The Thirteenth Tower are very interesting. I’ve definitely become a fan of Cobbe and her antics. The Thirteenth Tower appears to be a stand-alone novel and while there seem to be hints of a possible sequel, everything was wrapped up so neatly and well that I would be interested to see if Snider has any other stories in her arsenal.

In Sara C. Snider’s novel, The Thirteenth Tower, seventeen-year-old Emelyn leads a simple life as a housemaid in the village of Fallow. Abandoned as a baby, she was left on the Mansell’s doorstep and her prospects in life look bleak. This changes drastically when a strange fiddler, playing bewitching music, puts a spell on the townsfolk. Emelyn, immune to the enchantment, find herself in the midst of a festival surrounded by magicians and she is lured by the two magi, Percival and Aldren, to go with them and seek the cause of the trouble. She goes on a journey with the magisters and enters a fantasy world. She then discovers that the magis could lead her to find her parents and that she herself has the gift of the sorcerer.

The Thirteenth Tower is a fascinating story of a young girl who goes on a mystical and dangerous journey of self-discovery. This is a mesmerizing coming of age novel that should appeal to everyone, especially to young readers. Shy and insecure, Emelyn is faced with seemingly insurmountable obstacles in life and one cannot help but cheer her on as she embarks on her journey. Author Sarah C. Snider is successful in coming up with a well-developed character as she narrates Emelyn’s adventures. She is in a mesmerizing world populated by many different magical creatures and it brings to mind my own mystical childhood stories. And in the midst of all this is Emelyn’s innermost wish to be reunited with her parents and find her own identity. In retrospect, there is an Emelyn in all of us as we make our own passages in life.

The Thirteenth Tower by Sara C. Snider is about young Emelyn who works as a maid for the wealthy. Abandoned when she was just a baby, Emelyn endures her ordinary life in the quiet village of Fallow. Everything changes when the townsfolk, who are getting ready to celebrate a festival, suffer transgression from a host of magical creatures. Emelyn, however, is strangely impervious to their enchantments and joins a pair of Magi to stop the cause of the trouble. But the world outside Fallow is more terrifying for a girl who used to be satisfied with her ordinary life. Nevertheless, Emelyn is always wondering about her parents – finding them would give her the answers that she seeks.

The Thirteenth Tower is not just another fantasy novel. The way magic is used in the story is the most systematic I have read so far and this aspect is quite refreshing to me. World-building is not something that every fantasy writer can master perfectly, even the established ones. If it is too simple, it would definitely bore readers; too complicated and readers would be confused and discouraged to follow the story further. Sara C. Snider, in my opinion, has created a perfect world for The Thirteenth Tower. She also has deftly crafted a twist in the story which I never saw coming.

The only issue that I have is with the protagonist herself, Emelyn. I am always a big fan of strong female leads, therefore there were times that I wished that she would be more assertive. That being said, Snider has created a fine fantasy story and I am eager to see her next work.

wonderful..