A review by Nalini Haynes
★★★★☆ four out of five stars
Lost Covenant is the third Widdershins adventure, a YA series. I had no difficulty following the story although I prefer to start from the beginning of any series.
Widdershins is a young woman who is kind of haunted by Olgun, a god only she worships, only she can hear. This had tones of Small Gods, one of my favourite Terry Pratchett novels.
Loyal to her few friends, Widdershins navigates political intrigue, violence and mystery as her story races onward. If she was in a role playing game Widdershins would probably be a rogue with her stalking, hiding and fighting skills. A likable yet introverted character, Widdershins both develops and retains a sense of identity, a sense of her personal history.
Violence and bloodshed loom large while Widdershins endeavours to unravel a whodunnit. An infatuated youth stumbles after her, attracting unwelcome attention while Widdershins attempts to hide in the shadows. I can see this as an action/comedy movie for a YA audience: kind of like Die Hard, Lethal Weapon or Indiana Jones starring teens.
At 277 pages with a reasonably self-contained story positioned as part of a strong story arc, Lost Covenant is a well-paced, engaging, welcome break from doorstoppers. Highly recommended.
