First Truth by Dawn Cook Young adult fantasy book reviewsFirst Truth by Dawn Cook Young adult fantasy book reviewsFirst Truth by Dawn Cook

First Truth (2002) is the first book in the TRUTH series, a young adult fantasy by Dawn Cook, who’s better known under her pen name Kim Harrison, author of a lot of urban fantasy and paranormal romance novels.

The story follows Alissa, whose mother throws her out when she begins showing signs of magic — something her (possibly dead) father always denied existed. Her mother tells Alissa to seek the Hold, a mysterious place where she might find answers.

Meanwhile, a young bard named Strell returns home after six years of traveling, only to discover his entire family died in a mudslide while he was away.

Alissa and Strell come from two communities — farmers and plains-people — who deeply distrust each other. When they meet on the road, they clash immediately but eventually decide it’s safer to travel together. So they travel (a lot!) and finally reach the Hold, where a theatrical villain named Bailic is scheming to unlock a magical book and rule over both their societies with the help of undead ghosts.

With its very small cast of characters, slow pace, limited worldbuilding, wholesome content, and gently developing romance, First Truth is an uncomplicated and low-stakes read. It’s pleasant enough, though not especially exciting or fresh — likely a better fit for younger readers or anyone in the mood for a quiet, low-conflict fantasy.Truth series by Dawn Cook Kim Harrison

The few characters are thinly drawn. The heroes are likable, but not especially vivid. Bailic, the practically mustache-twirling villain, is so over-the-top that he’s hard to take seriously. There’s a lot of obvious foreshadowing, which contributes to the sense that everything will turn out fine in the end, so the story never feels especially urgent.

I listened to the audiobook, narrated by Marguerite Gavin (Blackstone Audio), and found the performance a little disappointing. She gives Strell an odd accent that I found grating — almost every time he exclaimed Alissa’s name, I cringed. There was a lot of cringing.

Still, I already own the rest of the series, and since this one was an easy listen, I’ll keep going — at least for book two, Hidden Truth.

Published in 2002. Alissa doesn’t believe in magic. Her father’s stories about the Hold, a legendary fortress where human Keepers learn magic from the enigmatic Maters, are just that―stories. But her mother insists that Alissa has inherited her father’s magical ability, and so she must go to the Hold―the only place her talents can be trained. On her way, she crosses paths with Strell, a wandering musician from the plains. And though Alissa is not sure she can trust a plainsman, Strell has something she needs―one of her father’s old maps. Travelling together, they can reach the Hold before the snow sets in.But they don’t know that the Hold is nearly empty. Something is very wrong and someone believes that Alissa and Strell knows about a book called First Truth.

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  • Katherine Hooper

    KAT HOOPER, who started this site in June 2007, earned a Ph.D. in neuroscience and psychology at Indiana University (Bloomington) and now teaches and conducts brain research at the University of North Florida. When she reads fiction, she wants to encounter new ideas and lots of imagination. She wants to view the world in a different way. She wants to have her mind blown. She loves beautiful language and has no patience for dull prose, vapid romance, or cheesy dialogue. She prefers complex characterization, intriguing plots, and plenty of action. Favorite authors are Jack Vance, Robin Hobb, Kage Baker, William Gibson, Gene Wolfe, Richard Matheson, and C.S. Lewis.

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