The Beast Call by Anne Tibbets
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Dray Rena is a typical girl in the town of Genua…mostly. Her secret, kept hidden from all but her brother, is that she can do magic. Feared among the others of the continent of Madis, those with magical abilities learn quickly to hide them or risk being burned at the stake.

Rebelling against an arranged marriage, Dray runs off with her brother Lurin to join the army, intent on bringing down the evil King Nuro. Dray, in addition to her gift with animals, also finds herself skilled with a sword, much to the chagrin of Lurin. The two once inseparable siblings drift further apart as Dray’s talents are called into service more and more.

The Beast Call has so much potential, and could be fleshed out either into a full-length novel or a series. As is stands, the novella is fast-paced and a good mix of action and descriptions. While I also would have liked Dray to have more interactions with the animals she called and further development of her relationship with Milikan, The Beast Call is a great read for young fantasy lovers.

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