If seeds are catalysts to life, do spirit seeds facilitate one's spirit life? This is a question that I believe author Miranda Ann Markley will answer in her new book series, The Spirit Seeds, of which I've already read book one.
Antiheroine Lacey is a young lady after my own heart, as she avidly collects dolls. It is after purchasing one very special doll that Lacey "couldn't wait to add to [her] vast collection" that she stumbles upon the mystery of the spirit seeds. It turns out that she owns a mansion that she has no recollection of buying. Moreover, there's something wrong with her unremembered acquisition, and finding the nine missing spirit seeds is the only way to fix the issue.
The trailer for this tale says that readers will suffer a side effect of "obsessing over the story," and I can certainly testify to that! By page three, I was deeply engrossed in the telling, and I didn't stop reading until I'd completed the book. And then I read it a second time the next day. Then I reread my favorite parts a few days later. Even though Lacey was spoiled and frequently got on my nerves, I did enjoy following her on her journey and meeting the anthropomorphic creatures that inhabited Lacey's world. When I first started the feature, I got a strong Alice in Wonderland vibe, but as the accounting progressed, the author put her own personal stamp on every page, leaving me breathless and full of wonder and awe. Markley even managed to make me sympathize with the protagonist at the end of the narrative. Aside from Lacey, I really liked the cook, Ms. Hen, and the questionable Jardin brothers, while my favorite character to admire was the beautifully-drawn feline, Mensonge Voleur, the estate steward.
The Spirit Seeds is a graphic novel, so in addition to the text, there are full pages that perfectly illustrate the action. I was mesmerized by the images even though the pictures are mostly done in grayscale. When I still had the Alice vibe, I wondered if Lacey’s hair bow was purposefully drawn to look like bunny ears when looking at her from the front, like a covert wink. Furthermore, I was quite blown away with the artwork because drawing is a talent I sorely lack. I was even more fascinated when I read that the author and illustrator was nineteen when she created this tome.
As intimated in my opening, this yarn is indeed based in spirituality, but it doesn't hit one over the head with preachiness or anything. In fact, if one is not a believer, they can miss some of the nods to Christianity. I, myself, did recognize a paraphrased quote lifted from scripture that a character used to make a point. I also found it very impressive that the young author could get her points across without a reader even realizing they were being taught; there are many seniors who haven't perfected such a balancing act. I believe I recognized it only because I was purposely analyzing while reading.
The other thing that most impressed me about this tome was its almost impeccable grammar. I found fewer than four errors in the story. I am, therefore, pleased beyond words to grant The Spirit Seeds a resounding 4 out of 4 stars and proclaim it a "perfect 10" to boot. I very highly recommend this edition to readers who enjoy graphic novels, believers who like looking for biblical easter eggs, and fans of stories that involve collecting-type quests.
For my part, I loved this episode so much that I purchased the hardcover edition after reading the ebook, and I will definitely purchase each future book as they become available. I can guess at what seeds are left to be found, but I'm also hopeful that Markley will add a mustard seed somewhere along the journey.
And the seed whose fruit is righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.
- James 3:18, The Holy Bible
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The Spirit Seeds Book 1
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