A secret hidden in multiple stories, events of magical proportions twisting around
treason and deception, JK Noble brings "Hale: The Rise of the Griffins" a new debut fantasy worth reading.
Someone has kidnapped Hale and his sister. After months of being caged and treated like
vermin, they managed to escape, but a mysterious force threw them into a fantasy world.
Narrated through four different stories, the reader dives into a diverse and unique world of
magic, creatures, violence, and ever lingering dangers. Through magic never seen before, Hale
discovers that he is more than just a regular human, he is a griffin, and the new world that
adopts him is as violent as it looks, and he shouldn't trust everybody.
In an ambitious style, Noble puts together this fantasy debut novel by telling four different
parenthetical stories. The story begins with a secret mission and magical abilities. While in the
next chapter, the author changes the setting and introduces characters with no background
besides the initial premise of the novel. With clear intentions at hand, Nobel prepares the reader
to understand the complex change of scenery, actions, and points of view while narrating the
same events through different eyes that will be a common factor throughout the story.
Following the same motions, Noble throws the reader and Hale into a new world without
warning and explanation, which adds dynamism to the novel as both, reader and main character,
discover together what Hale is, his purpose, and the intentions of the kingdom. However,
contrary to Hale, the author gives the reader a few hints and facts, primordial for the climax. As
Hale finds his way and tries to understand what is going on, with quite an ease, the reader might
encounter the whole ordeal overwhelming and confusing until the author introduces a new story
to the formula.
As the author gives the story more stability and solid ground, the reader can follow a new and
uncomplicated storyline of mythical creatures that will play an essential role in the story's
resolution. JK Noble builds a fantasy world with no limits nor restrictions when the characters go
back and forth between realms, intentions, and storylines, without ignoring the time gaps
between chapter to chapter.
However, violence takes over with a brutal force of treason, fights for life, and the truth when
the reader manages to put together the evident clues and the actions while the story
approaches its conclusion. All of the stories and build-up come up clashing with one another
with unfortunate results; however, the ending leave us wondering that more is coming, and we
definitely want more.