A clever and witty adventure anchored in a world where fairy-tale creatures walk the earth.
Recently orphaned but not quite an adult, Salem Swan is faced with the miserable prospect of being admitted into the foster system or being released into the care of an eccentric uncle. He chooses family, although Uncle Ulysses has always kept himself at arm’s length from the family. The trauma of losing his mother is compounded by his unusual new accommodations; Ulysses is a seaman of the most unusual order. Salem is to take up full time residence on a strange sailing ship, the Curiosity. It doesn’t take long for Salem’s own curiosity to unearth the truth about this marvelous ship and its crew. Methodically, a treasure trove of mythological creatures is revealed along with a vicious plot to destroy them.
Around Curiosity’s Edge: Hidden Meridians is a clever and witty adventure anchored in a world where fairy-tale creatures walk the earth with us. The plot is solid, with plenty of tension and action, but the real delight is with the arc of Salem’s character. Salem slowly transforms from an awkward boy unsure of his place to something so much more, something he never thought possible. An aspect of J.P. Hostetler’s writing that I particularly enjoy is his ability to add in little nuances to even minor characters. The effect is an exceptionally well-conceived story with more depth that the Pacific Ocean itself! Boasting gnomes, frost giants, talking sentient trees, wisps, and of course, a requisite shadowy organization, J.P. Hostetler offers up a true fantasy lover’s delight. Get ready to chart a course for high-jinx on the high-seas and beyond in Hidden Meridians, the brilliant first in the Around Curiosity’s Edge series.
