The Daughter of Death by Cassandra MacCheyne

The boundary between the living and the dead blurs in The Daughter of Death, a new YA adventure novel by author Cassandra MacCheyne.

Young Aria Hades does her best to fly under the radar, but her supernatural abilities keep getting in the way, and her troubles only mount as the darker power buried within her begins to surface. Being a rare human-reaper hybrid is only compounded by the average trials of youth and the awkwardness of adolescence. This odd juxtaposition makes the fast-paced narrative both relatable and fantastical, not to mention original. This is a classic coming-of-age tale boasting spirits, angels, dark enemies, homeroom, unexpected allies, and a resilient heroine whose character depth carries the story from start to finish.

On the technical side of the writing, there are frequent errors, missed commas, awkward word usage, and heavy-handed exposition, beginning in the first few pages. The narration is overly explicit, leaving little room for readers – young as they may be – to draw conclusions and read between the lines, so to speak. The physical descriptions are also repetitive and flat, at times, making it difficult to envision the action during certain scenes.

The fundamentals and finishing touches still need a bit of work, but The Daughter of Death still hits plenty of high notes and sets the stage for an exciting series.

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