Review of Rook by JC Andrijeski

A fantasy novel by JC Andrijeski, Rook presents an alternate reality in which there are not only humans but also seers, a second race discovered in Asia at the beginning of the twentieth century. They appear human, but many of their similarities stop here--unlike humans, they contain supernatural powers and have access to another dimension, called the Barrier. The existence of these beings creates new politics, new cultural dynamics, and suspense in a world otherwise like ours

Rook chronicles the story of Allie Taylor, a twenty-eight-year-old San Francisco native. Her life has never been ordinary--there's always been something different about her that transcends the fact she's adopted, having been found under a bridge as a baby. She's also being stalked, but not by another lovestruck loser appearing with flowers and candy. Rather, it’s a seer, and their meeting sends her headfirst into a whole new set of problems that sheds light on her other-than-ordinary life and some recent events otherwise unexplainable. This seer, Revik, tells her that she's a seer also and that she alone has the ability to destroy the earth.
In this book, Andrijeski has created a fascinating world and an action-packed story; a version of the battle of good versus evil ,and also attempts to tackle large concepts that people face daily. Throughout the story, Allie grows and transforms, taking steps on her own hero's journey--from the beginning as any other human being to the end as a trained seer and her taking on her role as the "Bridge." During the first few chapters, there was mild confusion as to certain facts about the world Andrijeski was making an effort to portray, and throughout the book the exposition tended to be clumsy in places. However, if the reader can get past these things, they will find this book a fascinating read. Andrijeski delivers a good, entertaining story, and there are more installments in this series to come.
This book is available from Amazon.com in print and Kindle, from Smashwords.com, and Barnes and Noble. Other vendors can be found on www.whitesunpress.com.

Review by Diana Reed