Trine Rising

The Kinderra Saga: Book 1

Fiction - Fantasy - Epic
336 Pages
Reviewed on 07/24/2020
Buy on Amazon

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Author Biography

While other kids read comic books under the covers with a flashlight at bedtime, C.K. DONNELLY wrote fan fiction and fantasy stories.

She used her love of writing to pursue a career in journalism, and was honored with several press awards. She continued to follow her dreams of writing a novel, a journey that was often "uphill, both ways." And almost every day she wanted to quit...just as soon as she finished the next chapter. After 20 years, the self-described “Unsuccessful Quitter”released her first YA Fantasy novel in 2020.

"'Unsuccessful quitting' really means persevering, allowing yourself the chance to catch your breath, try a new direction, even fail epically, but ultimately trying again and moving forward," C.K. says. "Passion, prayer, and perseverance almost always lead to achievement."

C.K. resides in Arizona with her oh-so-patient husband and her little black dog (who is equally patient). She no longer writes under the covers by flashlight. Usually.

(Photo Credit: Mike Harvey/Peak Image Photography)

    Book Review

Reviewed by Rabia Tanveer for Readers' Favorite

Trine Rising is the first book in the Kinderra Saga: The Chronicles of Mirana Pinal by C.K. Donnelly, a brilliant epic fantasy about young Mirana as she tries to figure out who she is. Mirana knew from an early age that she was different. She is one of the rare few people who are born with three magical powers (healing, defending, and seeing). However, she keeps her abilities a secret from her people. She is happy being a girlfriend to Teague and being herself. However, when she has a terrifying vision, she has no option but to reveal that she is a Trine. Now that she is exposed, she has to learn to harness her power with the guidance of her mentor and make sure she doesn’t unleash hell on her people. If she isn’t careful, she could be the nightmare her people fear, but if she gets control over her power, she could be their savior. What will she be?

Wow, Trine Rising was full of twists and turns that I was not expecting. Mirana is a very unique character. While you think she is your archetypal young adult fiction heroine, she is just the opposite. She is not someone who thinks she isn’t special. She knows she is special and knows for a fact that she can be dangerous to people. The best thing she thought she could do for her people was to suppress her powers and never allow them to surface. She is a smart girl, so she knows how to play things to her advantage. Author C.K. Donnelly did a great job of building Mirana’s development. Mirana is no wallflower, but she grows and learns to be more comfortable in her skin as the story progresses. The mystery behind the Dark Trine and the Ken’nar attack was introduced strategically to have maximum impact on readers. I could tell that the author planned out this whole story to make it believable, entertaining, and nail-bitingly good.