Where does a hero come from? Aliya Remva is desperate to discover the answer so that she might one day become a hero. “Sometimes they are chosen, sometimes they are destined, and sometimes they are raised to be heroes.” If her friend, Danny is to be trusted, then there is yet hope for little Aliya. Her goals are simple: Become a great hero and cross the encroaching border surrounding her village to find a cure for her sick mother. Things start to fall into place when Aliya bests a wolf and slays a giant stone monster. As other tales from a beloved storybook come to life, Aliya realizes the real cost of being a hero.
Storybook is the clever amalgamation of several different classic children’s fantasy themes wrapped in one adventurous package. There are plenty of dynamic action scenes, a few scares, and lots of character growth. Although the prose suffers from tense confusion and minor editing mistakes, readers won’t have any trouble staying immersed in the magical world that J. A. Alvara has created. Aliya is a fun protagonist to watch as she grows from a young child to a full-on hero. A full complement of loyal friends and tricky enemies make Title: Storybook a worthwhile fantasy read.
