A sore finger isn’t usually the sign that one is going to save the world. But in Ken Catran’s book Nina of the Dark, that’s what Nina finds. The pain she experiences in her thumb, marks her as a thumb-hurter. And there is a prophecy – and who doesn’t love a prophecy? – that a thumb-hurter will arise and restore the balance of the world.
Nina’ journey is a bloody and harrowing one as she discovers her powers, courtesy of thumb-pain and thought-fire. Brought up as a slave in a medieval town, she escapes to discover her true heritage. Nina teams up with a thief and a giant to cross the notorious Backbone mountain range, battling dragons, trolls, ogres and goblins on the way. Then, to save the kingdom, she must outmanoeuvre the king.
There is plenty of action in this book, which pulls the story along. A bard’s verses are interspersed throughout, providing poetic commentary along the way. Without giving any spoilers, I felt a bit cheated by the ending though. I didn’t feel it fit with the tone of the story. And I’d have enjoyed a more in-depth explanation of Nina’s powers. An interesting story though, one that kept me thinking about it well after the final page.
4 stars