Tristis Manor

Tristis Manor (The Never Chronicles) Last year I dove into J.R. Wagner's Exiled, and fell in love with the fantasy world he had built. When I found out that Tristis Manor was an Exiled novella, I was excited. I was looking forward to the opportunity to get to know one of the characters better.
 
At roughly 170 pages, this is a quick look into Margaret's past. A fair warning to readers, her story is not an easy one to read. We meet a girl whose mother mistreats her, who uses pain to escape her reality and who, most of all, has a deep dark secret she can't let go of. I saw none of the magic from the Exiled world, just the quiet inner battle of a young girl.
 
My first thoughts upon finishing Tristis Manor were very jumbled. It's been quite a while since I last read Exiled, and so I couldn't quite remember how Margaret fit in until after I'd read a bit. I was also torn because this story is so sad, yet poignant at the same time. At the end of the day I am glad I took a chance on this novella. I'm now even more eager for the next official installment in the Exiled series.