C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien, move over! Contemporary teen fantasy novelist Michaela Wendell has written a book that rivals the work of faith-based allegorists/fantasy novelists of old.
If you liked Chronicles of Narnia or The Hobbit, you'll like The Branding.
And, surprise, surprise, the official audiobook was narrated by NEWD founder/managing editor/station manager Tiffani Knowles.
Knowles, who voices most of the radio promos and commercial spots for NEWDradio, has been working as a voiceover artist since she was 13 years old when she landed her first "gig" as the voice of her Miami church's voicemail system.
That next year, she won the first National Youth Storytelling Olympics in Johnson City, Tennessee.
Since then, she has completed voice projects for LifeZone Television, Millennial Financial Group, Peter Bonadie Ministries, The Discovery Channel and, now, Belle Books' new teen fiction work - The Branding.
Wendell, the author, began work on The Branding in the seventh grade. She lives in South Carolina where she is an honors student involved in many activities. She's already working on a sequel to The Branding.
The book's heroine is Morwen Aleacim, an elfin teen in the village of Aren, who has always heard rumors of evil lurking in the great forests of the kingdom, where children vanish. Her own father disappeared into those forests, and Morwen is determined to find him. She secretly trains to be a warrior - against the strict rules of decorum for Aren girls.
When Brynn, Morwen's own baby
sister, vanishes, Morwen tracks her to the horrifying lair of Tobias, an
inhuman Dark Wizard. There she strikes a deal with him - her service in return
for Brynn's freedom.
He accepts. She'll go free along
with Brynn for now, but is bound to him as his apprentice. To her horror,
Tobias brands her - not with a fiery mark, but with a spell that will slowly
transform her human body into a grotesque creature and her spirit into an
obedient slave. When the transformation is complete she'll have no choice but
to return to him forever.
Aided by Alan, a handsome elfin boy, who will soon have a dark challenge of his own, Morwen sets out to find a wizard who can lift the spell. It's a race against time as she struggles to free her mind, body, spirit and heart from a horrible fate.
Become an Audible member today and make The Branding your first purchase.