Lizzie in the Land Beyond by Susan McDonough-Watchman | Review

May 1, 2018 Cynthia Varady

I often wonder why science fiction and fantasy get lumped into one genre. To me, they are very different. However, occasionally, I stumble upon a single book that embraces both genres completely. If all works out, I find the book delightful. It’s a tenuous path to seamlessly fit hard or soft science fiction into a fantasy landscape. Susan McDonough-Wachtman pulls off this feat perfectly in Lizzie in the Land Beyond.

A beautiful mixture of sorcery, mythical beasts, and aliens, Lizzie in the Land Beyond keeps the reader entertained from beginning to end. I loved the characters, the voice of Lizzie and her bumbling youthful arrogance, the larger-than-life Adeline, curmudgeonly Sculdar, and the strong and silent Osric. Watchman even gives the secondary and tertiary characters individual voices and motivations.

Falling into the realm of a young adult with Lizzie being a teen, the story is thankfully devoid of a sappy teen romance. Instead, we have a budding friendship/romance filled with nervous teenage trepidation. This attraction runs deeper than skin and helps the characters grow and develop. No whiny breakups here.

Breaking the Rules of Fantasy

The world Watchman creates is full of personality and, indeed, is a character of its own. In all my reading of the fantasy genre, never have I run across such fresh ideas for a magical world. I kept thinking, “What a great idea. Wish I’d thought of it.” Amid this magical realm filled with fiery traps, hostile environs, and villainous rogues, we encounter aliens. At first, I felt put off, thinking that aliens had just ruined my off-beat fantasy world. But Watchman has complete control over the narrative from the get-go, never letting the story get away from her. The more I read, the more plausible it all became, and my initial grumbles faded away as Watchman’s masterful writing took me by the hand and led me to a place I never thought existed.

As an ardent fan of fantasy, traveling with Lizzie as she learns to navigate her new surroundings is fantastic. Lizzie is relatable, and my journey with her was like meeting someone you click with while on vacation and decide to team up with. By the novel’s end, I had made a new friend.

I can’t gush enough about how much I love this book. It will be on my favorites shelf, and I look forward to reading more by Sue McDonough-Watchman in the future.

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