Uncovering Cobbogoth by Hannah L. Clark
Norah Lukens needs to uncover the truth about the fabled lost city of Cobbogoth. After her archaeologist uncle’s murder, Norah is asked to translate his old research journal for evidence and discovers that his murder was a cover-up for something far more sinister.
When she turns to neighbor and only friend James Riley for help, she realizes that not only is their bitter-sweet past haunting her every step, but James is keeping dangerous secrets. Can Norah discover what they are before its too late to share her own.**"With a fascinating protagonist in Norah Lukens, a fully realized, never before seen fantasy world, and a fast paced, compelling story, Uncovering Cobbogoth establishes Hannah L. Clark as a major new voice in American fiction. The richness of the story and the scope of the world she's created screams for a film adaptation. This is a fantasy novel for everyone, even readers not usually drawn to the genre. Highly, highly recommended!" -Bryce Clark, author of Red Shirt Kids
**"This book takes you on a wonderful ride, bringing myth and legend to life. The characters are full and flawed, with a sweet romance woven through the adventure." - Annette K. Larsen, author of Just Ella
**"Uncovering Cobbogoth is an Icelandic tale that will appeal to many Harry Potter series fans […] For those who’ve missed the Harry Potter world, here’s a pretty good alternative!" - Sharon Haddock, For the Deseret News
**"This isn't a typical YA fantasy/scifi/para story like the multitude of vampire or witch or werewolf or mermaid themes that fill bookshelves in stores currently. When after a couple of chapters it became apparent that this wasn't yet another entry into the aforementioned themes, I was downright giddy. And then to find out there wasn't a standard issue love triangle? I wanted to find the author and buy her dinner." -Radar626, Amazon reviewer
**"A friend of mine recommended this book […] I checked it out and I was so pleased! I love this book. I can't wait to read the next one [...] and I am encouraging my daughter to read it as well. If you like fantasy with a little mix of science this book is perfect. I had such a hard time putting this book down just so I could deal with real life and working on promoting my own book. I thoroughly enjoyed every moment of this book." -Pamela Hall, author
My Review
I'm always in awe of an author who can spin a fantastic tale full of adventure, romance, and creative ideas. That's exactly what a reader gets with this one.
Norah is unlucky. Born prematurely, she loses her parents while in the hospital. And now, right after her graduation, she finds out that her uncle is murdered. Who can she trust? Who can help her solve the mysteries surrounding his death and the mysterious fabled city of Cobbogoth?
That's where her neighbor James comes in. He's a fire fighter, but has an "in" with the police department. He's a mystery, too, and it's hard for Norah to know if she can really trust him or not...but he's all she has left.
Norah is a very intelligent and gifted young lady--she has a photographic memory and is really smart, especially in sciences and languages, which is why she's the perfect person to solve these mysteries. But don't underestimate James!
As with most books that set up a new world, there are a lot of parts that are very informative and move away from the story in order to set up the background, characters, and plot. I know it's important for the story, but I wish there could have been a little less info and more action.
Content
no language; moderate, PG-13 type violence (deaths, murders, etc); mild romance.
Excerpt The Legend of the Cobbogothians is really where Uncovering Cobbogoth begins. For as long as Norah can remember, her Uncle Jack has been obsessed with the mythical people. He became an archeologist and world famous Myth-chaser because of the Cobbogothian legends he heard while visiting his Granddad Aegissida’s farm in Iceland. The Legend of the Cobbogothians Long ago, at the beginning of time, a peculiar race ruled the earth. They found favor in the eyes of the gods and received great gifts of knowledge and power at their hands. These gifts made them elementalists—masters of earth, wind, fire, water, metal, wood and space. The elementalists thenceforth became rulers of the earth and sky. With this power came corruption, and the elementalists soon forgot their patron gods. Instead, they turned to worshipping themselves and their own creations. This angered the gods, and in their wrath, the vowed to bring an icy end to the prideful race. Rumors of the looming destruction were heralded throughout the land, and a final invitation was issued to the elementalists to renounce their fallen ways. Yet only a few heard and heeded. Among them was a man named Cobbogoth. Being a wise and humble servant of the gods, he believed the warnings and led all who would listen deep into the bowels of the earth to wait out the approaching storm. When the day of destruction was come and the wrath of the gods rained down, the race of elementalists was wiped away, and then came the dawning of a violent and frigid ide age. It is said that Cobbogoth’s posterity still lives beneath our feet, waiting to rise and rule the earth and sky once more. Sigurd Jorgensson Icelandic Bard, 1045 AD *Translated from the original Old Norse by Dr. Jack A. Lukens of Harvard University, April 1975
Author Hannah L. Clark
Hannah L. Clark lives with her husband and their son in the Rocky Mountains. She has always known she would be a storyteller. In 2006 she graduated from Utah Valley University with a bachelor’s degree in English and immediately began writing Uncovering Cobbogoth, the first book in a seven book series based on Clark's mythological brain-child, the Icelandic Legend of the Cobbogothians.
Clark loves her family, running, mythology, laughing, soulful bluegrass music, road-trips, studying alternative medicine, retro hairdos, and growing things. Like her heroine Norah, she also kind of believes trees have souls, but must clarify (for her parents' sakes) that she was not raised by hippies. ;-)
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Thanks for helping spread the word on Uncovering Cobbogoth, Katie! I appreciate it so much. :-)
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