A small town, a sixteen year old witch surrounded by death, and a court under attack, mix in fantastical creatures and young romance and you’ve got the premise of Accession. Obviously, as someone who enjoys all of the above, I jumped at the chance to read and review this book, and I’m so happy I did! Terah Edun’s novel was a delightful read that was breezy, fast-paced (after the first three chapters), and left me wanting more. She creates an interesting alternate world where powerful born-witches rule ‘alongside’ mortals and other fantastical creatures, such as faeries. At the center of this world is Katherine, younger sister to the heir of Sandersville, a small southern city in Georgia. As the spare heir, Katherine’s life consists of mundane tasks, going to school, and generally being a normal teenage girl, except with scary powers her mother, the Queen of Sandersville, demands she suppress.
Though she found life boring, Katherine begins to realise just how great a blessing it was to be the spare when she is suddenly thrust into royal duty at the death of her sister. A death that is most mysterious, yet kept hushed by the Queen and the rest of Court. Obviously, as a teenager convinced all of the adults in her world are hiding something from her, Katherine refuses to believe it was merely an accident. She vows to uncover all of the details surrounding her sister’s death, and make the culprit pay. This sounds exciting and great, but sadly, we don’t see this part just yet, as Edun saves the investigation for a future book in the series. An incredibly clever move on her part as I now cannot wait for the second book in the series to come out.
Instead of focusing on the death of her sister, the book follows new heir Katherine as she struggles to fulfill her new witchy duties. The action never stopped or stalled. While others may find the writing a bit tedious or overly descriptive, I understood it as necessary for putting out as much information as possible to set up the foundation for not only the rest of the novel, but the rest of the series. Katherine’s personality is refreshing; it’s great to see a heroine who isn’t mousy and pliant, but who will speak her mind even when it will get her in trouble.
It was a fun YA read, and if you go into it expecting a fun, breezy read, you should be pleased.
