Aurora of the Northern Lights
by Holly Hardin
ISBN: 978-1-4327-2439-9
Hardin’s Aurora of the Northern Lights follows Aurora on her quest to find a place to belong after loosing both of her parents to illness. Aurora, being half-human and half-Northern Elf, is subject to a cold reception when she approaches the nearby town after her parent’s death. She is instructed to find people of her own to live with. Amongst the Woodland fey she receives the same chilly reception before finally finding her way to the Northern Fey where she finds a home amongst her people. Along the way Aurora is helped out by kindly folk who even give her gifts to make her traveling easier.
There was one thing about this book that disappointed me slightly. Despite being billed as a tale for Christmas it lacked the feel of a holiday tale. There are holiday aspects woven into the tale, such as the name of Aurora’s mother, her mother’s kin, gift giving, and even the presence of Santa Claus himself. And yet, despite that, I felt the story’s emphasis was more on the journey that Aurora took to find the place she belonged. It felt misleading, to me, that the story is referred to as a Christmas tale and that the selected recommendations on the back cover also suggest this. That is not to say it detracted from the story, merely that I feel labeling this tale exclusively as a holiday tale is to do it a grave injustice.
Aurora of the Northern Lights is a lighthearted and warm tale that will delight children, no matter what season it is, and is also a joy for adults and parents to read as well. The illustrations are colorful and engaging and will make the tale that much more enjoyable. The story also succeeds in getting numerous messages out to readers, both young and adult, without coming across as overbearing which will make it an enjoyable read for children outside of the recommended age group of 9 to 12.
Joana’s Rating: 
(4 out of 5 stars)
Special thanks to author Holly Hardin for providing a copy for review.
