Review of The Snowmelt River by Frank P. Ryan

This book is a modern fantasy that shifts.  At first, it is a story with surreal elements to it.  It then becomes something of full high end fantasy when the four protagonists’ step into another land.  It is a place that is like a sister planet of Earth and is so well constructed with its own people in lore; I could not help but think of it reflecting the struggle and beauty within Middle-Earth.

All of the characters are separate from each other and easy to differentiate even with such a large cast of them.  They are all interesting with character arcs that come at the appropriate times.  There is a sense of underlying mystery to the children and the death of all of their parents that is hinted at later.

The book is the beginning of series and is a long adventure.  It has the feeling of one of the Young Adult books that you just don’t want to put down.  In this case, the size of it is an advantage because the reader gets days of reading from it.  I would recommend it to any Young Adult who like a well-constructed book and anybody looking for a beautiful beginning to an epic fantasy.