Mar 18 2013

Your Pick for Nik! – April’s Nominations!

To cast your vote, just leave a comment indicating your chosen titles (up to 3) – and may the best book win!

It’s that time again for us to pick our next book!

Voting starts today (March 18, 2013) and you’ll have all the way until Sunday the 24th to choose your favorites (Remember: YOU CAN VOTE FOR MORE THAN 1).

For those of you new to the book club, Your Pick for Nik! is a monthly feature where I turn over control of my reading list to you!

Here’s how it works: I will nominate titles from my TBR list and YOU will choose which one gets featured. It can be one you’ve already read and want to discuss, one you want to read but wish to see my feedback on first, or – and this is my favorite part – you can read it along with me!

Depicted below are my 10 nominees for March. Simply vote for your favorite, and let the best book win! At 10:00 am (MST) on Monday the 25th I will announce the winner. Come the end of April, I will post a thorough review of the chosen title – and hopefully find out what you thought of it as well!

This month, I included a few popular selections from last month as well as two titles that I want to reread.

March’s Nominations:

Title: Dualed

Author: Elsie Chapman

Genre: Teen Fantasy

Overview: The Hunger Games meets Matched in this thrilling high-concept YA where citizens must prove their worth by defeating the other version of themselves—their twin.

Two of you exist. Only one will survive. The city of Kersh is a safe haven, but the price of safety is high. Everyone has a genetic Alternate—a twin raised by another family—and citizens must prove their worth by eliminating their Alts before their twentieth birthday. Survival means advanced schooling, a good job, marriage—life.

Fifteen-year-old West Grayer has trained as a fighter, preparing for the day when her assignment arrives and she will have one month to hunt down and kill her Alt. But then a tragic misstep shakes West’s confidence. Stricken with grief and guilt, she’s no longer certain that she’s the best version of herself, the version worthy of a future. If she is to have any chance of winning, she must stop running not only from her Alt, but also from love . . . though both have the power to destroy her.

Title: You Suck

Author: Christopher Moore

Genre: Fiction

Overview: Being undead sucks. Literally.

Just ask C. Thomas Flood. Waking up after a fantastic night unlike anything he’s ever experienced, he discovers that his girlfriend, Jody, is a vampire. And surprise! Now he’s one, too. For some couples, the whole biting-and-blood thing would have been a deal breaker. But Tommy and Jody are in love, and they vow to work through their issues.

But word has it that the vampire who initially nibbled on Jody wasn’t supposed to be recruiting. Even worse, Tommy’s erstwhile turkey-bowling pals are out to get him, at the urging of a blue-dyed Las Vegas call girl named (duh) Blue.

And that really sucks.

Title: The Dragon’s Path

Author: Daniel Abraham

Series: The Dagger and the Coin #1

Genre: Fantasy

Overview: All paths lead to war…

Marcus’ hero days are behind him. He knows too well that even the smallest war still means somebody’s death. When his men are impressed into a doomed army, staying out of a battle he wants no part of requires some unorthodox steps.

Cithrin is an orphan, ward of a banking house. Her job is to smuggle a nation’s wealth across a war zone, hiding the gold from both sides. She knows the secret life of commerce like a second language, but the strategies of trade will not defend her from swords.

Geder, sole scion of a noble house, has more interest in philosophy than in swordplay. A poor excuse for a soldier, he is a pawn in these games. No one can predict what he will become.

Falling pebbles can start a landslide. A spat between the Free Cities and the Severed Throne is spiraling out of control. A new player rises from the depths of history, fanning the flames that will sweep the entire region onto The Dragon’s Path-the path to war.

Title: Beyonders: A World Without Heroes

Author: Brandon Mull

Series: Beyonders #1

Genre: Young Reader

Overview: Jason Walker has often wished his life could be a bit less predictable—until a routine day at the zoo ends with Jason suddenly transporting from the hippo tank to a place unlike anything he’s ever seen. In the past, the people of Lyrian welcomed visitors from the Beyond, but attitudes have changed since the wizard emperor Maldor rose to power. The brave resistors who opposed the emperor have been bought off or broken, leaving a realm where fear and suspicion prevail.

In his search for a way home, Jason meets Rachel, who was also mysteriously drawn to Lyrian from our world. With the help of a few scattered rebels, Jason and Rachel become entangled in a quest to piece together the word of power that can destroy the emperor and learn that their best hope to find a way home will be to save this world without heroes.

Title: The Darkest Minds

Author: Alexandra Bracken

Series: Darkest Minds #1

Genre: Teen Fantasy

Overview: When Ruby woke up on her tenth birthday, something about her had changed. Something alarming enough to make her parents lock her in the garage and call the police. Something that gets her sent to Thurmond, a brutal government “rehabilitation camp.” She might have survived the mysterious disease that’s killed most of America’s children, but she and the others have emerged with something far worse: frightening abilities they cannot control.

Now sixteen, Ruby is one of the dangerous ones.

When the truth comes out, Ruby barely escapes Thurmond with her life. Now she’s on the run, desperate to find the one safe haven left for kids like her—East River. She joins a group of kids who escaped their own camp. Liam, their brave leader, is falling hard for Ruby. But no matter how much she aches for him, Ruby can’t risk getting close. Not after what happened to her parents.

Title: Geist

Author: Philippa Ballantine

Series: Book of the Order #1

Genre: Fantasy

Overview: Sorcha, powerful protector of the Empire against malevolent hauntings, is called to a small settlement. But more is occurring there than “geist” activity. It’s a conspiracy of evil that reaches back to her own Abbey. Even if she survives, what hell would she be returning to?

Title: Mila 2.0

Author: Debra Driza

Series: Mila #1

Genre: Teen Fantasy

Overview: Mila was living with her mother in a small Minnesota town when she discovered she was also living a lie.

She was never meant to learn the truth about her identity. She was never supposed to remember the past—that she was built in a computer science lab and programmed to do things real people would never do.

Now she has no choice but to run—from the dangerous operatives who want her terminated because she knows too much, and from a mysterious group that wants to capture her alive and unlock her advanced technology.

Evading her enemies won’t help Mila escape the cruel reality of what she is and cope with everything she has had to leave behind. However, what she’s becoming is beyond anyone’s imagination, including her own, and that just might save her life.

Title: Fragments

Author: Dan Wells

Series: Partials #2

Genre: Teen Fantasy

Overview: Kira Walker has found the cure for RM, but the battle for the survival of humans and Partials is just beginning. Kira has left East Meadow in a desperate search for clues to who she is. That the Partials themselves hold the cure for RM in their blood cannot be a coincidence—it must be part of a larger plan, a plan that involves Kira, a plan that could save both races. Her companions are Afa Demoux, an unhinged drifter and former employee of ParaGen, and Samm and Heron, the Partials who betrayed her and saved her life, the only ones who know her secret. But can she trust them?

Meanwhile, back on Long Island, what’s left of humanity is gearing up for war with the Partials, and Marcus knows his only hope is to delay them until Kira returns. But Kira’s journey will take her deep into the overgrown wasteland of postapocalyptic America, and Kira and Marcus both will discover that their greatest enemy may be one they didn’t even know existed.

The second installment in the pulse-pounding Partials saga is the story of the eleventh hour of humanity’s time on Earth, a journey deep into places unknown to discover the means—and even more important, a reason—for our survival.

Title: Matched

Author: Ally Condie

Series: Matched #1

Genre: Teen Fantasy

Overview: Cassia has always trusted the Society to make the right choices for her: what to read, what to watch, what to believe. So when Xander’s face appears on-screen at her Matching ceremony, Cassia knows he is her ideal mate . . . until she sees Ky Markham’s face flash for an instant before the screen fades to black. The Society tells her it’s a glitch, a rare malfunction, and that she should focus on the happy life she’s destined to lead with Xander. But Cassia can’t stop thinking about Ky, and as they slowly fall in love, Cassia begins to doubt the Society’s infallibility and is faced with an impossible choice: between Xander and Ky, between the only life she’s known and a path that no one else has dared to follow.

Title: The Last Dragonlord

Author: Joanne Bertin

Series: Dragonlords #1

Genre: Fantasy

Overview: Dragonlord Linden Rathan, last-born of a race of immortal weredragons, has spent six hundred years alone, searching for his soultwin while his fellow Dragonlords watch over humanity’s Five Kingdoms. When the Queen of Cassori dies mysteriously, Linden and the other Dragonlords are called upon to prevent civil war as two human claimants vie for the regency.

As the battle for Cassori rule escalates, Linden becomes the target of the Fellowship, a secret society of true-humans who could actually destroy his immortal life. Then he meets a beautiful young ship captain named Maurynna who may be the only one who can help Linden bring Cassori back from the brink of chaos.

Mar 11 2013

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Your Pick for Nik! (Book Club) – Hounded Update!

Book #1

Now that we’re a couple of weeks into March, I thought I’d take time to give some early feedback on this month’s book. In case you missed it, our selection was Hounded by Kevin Hearn, an urban fantasy about a Druid hiding out from ancient enemies in Tempe, Arizona.

I’m not very far along yet, maybe 75 pages or so, but it’s shaping up to be an excellent read! Don’t believe me? Just skim through the first page or two, and you’ll have a good inkling as to why I’m enjoying it so much. Hearne has a cheeky voice, but doesn’t overdo it to the point where the writing sounds cheesy. Right now it is definitely exceeding my expectations!

Positives:

World-building: Hearne brings in a lot of celtic lore, but does so in a way that’s fun to read. The magic system also intrigues me… I think it might be my favorite element of the story so far.
Characters: I know who I’m rooting for and against right away, and there’s a good sidekick to boot!
Originality: a Druid as a main character for an urban fantasy isn’t very common…
Voice: I like the tone he sets early – it makes the main character incredibly likable.
Pacing: Good, but it’s still too early to tell.

Negatives:

Writing: at this point, I am enjoying the voice but there was one incredibly blatant info dump which could’ve been incorporated a little more smoothly with some drop-in back history.
Romance: I realize it’s a bit early to tell for sure, but right now it looks like there’s going to be an abundance of sex (non-graphic), and little in the romance department. I realize there’s a time and a place for everything, but I think a love interest would add to the suspense of the entire novel (if done in a subtle way); raising the stakes, and all. Personal preference.

Anybody else started it yet? Thoughts?

There are going to be 9 Iron Druid novels total, and here’s a look at what’s available so far:

: Hounded by Kevin Hearne

: Book #2

: Book #3

: Book #4

: Book #5

: Book #6 (June 25)

: Novella

For tidbits about the series, check out Hearne’s website (www.kevinhearne.com). It’s pretty interesting.

For those of you new to the book club, Your Pick for Nik! is a monthly feature where I turn over control of my reading list to you!

Here’s how it works: I nominate titles from my TBR list and YOU choose which one gets featured. It can be one you’ve already read and want to discuss, one you want to read but wish to see my feedback on first, or – and this is my favorite part – you can read it along with me! A review and discussion for Hounded will take place March 29th, so there’s still plenty of time to pick it up if you want to join in!

Mar 1 2013

Your Pick for Nik! – February’s Review!

Title: The Drowning City

Author: Amanda Downum

Series: Necromancer Chronicles #1

Genre: Fantasy

Rating: 2/5 stars

The Overview: Symir — the Drowning City. home to exiles and expatriates, pirates and smugglers. And violent revolutionaries who will stop at nothing to overthrow the corrupt Imperial government.

For Isyllt Iskaldur, necromancer and spy, the brewing revolution is a chance to prove herself to her crown. All she has to do is find and finance the revolutionaries, and help topple the palaces of Symir. But she is torn between her new friends and her duties, and the longer she stays in this monsoon-drenched city, the more intrigue she uncovers — even the dead are plotting. As the waters rise and the dams crack, Isyllt must choose between her mission and the city she came to save.

The Review:

I tried… I really did.

I made it 3/4 of the way through, but just couldn’t bring myself to finish this one. It probably didn’t help matters that every other book I picked up this month was truly fantastic. Authors like Richelle Mead, R.A. Salvatore, Veronica Roth, and Kim Harrison to name a few. So a book would really have to shine to keep my attention with so many other heavy hitters on my reading list.

It wasn’t a horrible read, by any means, and under normal circumstances I might have give it a “decent” rating. It just took far to long to get going, and even once it did, I couldn’t find any substance to keep my attention. I was really looking forward to the necromancy involved in the story (after all, it is part of the Necromancer Chronicles) but found that aspect to be a very minor note. Aside from what was on the back of the book (which I would’ve been totally lost without) I couldn’t decipher any overall motives within the story – it all felt sort of meaningless without a main story arc. I kept waiting for that inciting moment to tell me what they were working towards, but it never showed up. Also, the main protagonist (Isyllt) had the least compelling story of all the characters involved, putting me off that much more.

Note for writers: In my opinion, your main character should almost always have the most interesting story. Unfortunately, the main gal in this book didn’t really do much more than act as a facilitator to learn more about other characters and the world around them. It’s a shame, really, because in the authors notes Downum indicated that Isyllt has been a characters she’d been developing since childhood. I feel like she let go an opportunity to let this obviously well-planned character shine. She might have fallen into the trap of assuming her reader already knows how great Isyllt is because she herself is so aware if it. She knows how the character feels but didn’t convey that into action or purpose.

Another issue was the naming and presentation of the characters. I don’t know if I was just being dense, but they all seemed really similar to one-another, in name and personality. I would begin a new section, get confused, then realize I had been thinking of the wrong character. It required a great deal of extra focus, and was probably the biggest reason why I couldn’t get my head wrapped around the story. I find that incredibly sad, as a little renaming could’ve made all the difference.

One very good thing to Downum’s credit was her world-building. Drawing on inspirations of the marshy swamps of Southeast Asia, the world really came alive. She did a great job at providing a convincing atmosphere, and it was my favorite element of the book. Along with its unique qualities, the setting also played an active role in the story – a great writing technique that helps immerse readers into your world.

There were some really neat points to this book, but overall I wish the story had been more clear-cut and defined. I am bummed that I didn’t like it enough to finish it, but I decided not to long ago that life is too short to read books you don’t like. Something to consider: my mom, best friend, and I (who all enjoy the same types of books) had a book club for about a year. It always amazed me how differently we rated each book even though we all like the same stuff. Each person looks for something different when rating a book, so even though this novel didn’t work for me, I am sure others out there would enjoy it.

Now it’s your turn: what did you all think of this month’s selection?

by Niki Hawkes

Here’s a list of other books that also applied great world-building techniques:

To the King a Daughter by Andre Norton and Sasha Miller
The Last Stormlord by Glenda Larke
The Aware by Glenda Larke
A Shadow in Summer by Daniel Abraham
Warbreaker by Brandon Sanderson
Ship of Magic by Robin Hobb

Feb 25 2013

Your Pick for Nik! – March’s Selection!

Thank you all for your votes!

This month’s winner is… Hounded by Kevin Hearne!

A thorough review and discussion for this book will take place on March 29th, so there’s plenty of time to pick it up if you want to participate. My husband and I have been really looking forward to starting this series, so we’re doubly excited it won the votes!

For more information on the Your Pick for Nik! book club, click here.

**Don’t forget to tune in Friday March 1st for the review and discussion of January’s Selection: Drowning City by Amanda Downum.**

“If you think reading is boring, you’re doing it wrong.”

Feb 18 2013

Your Pick for Nik! – March Nominations!

To cast your vote, just leave a comment indicating your chosen titles (up to 3) – and may the best book win!

It’s that time again for us to pick our next book!

Voting starts today (February 18, 2013) and you’ll have all the way until Sunday the 24th to choose your favorites (Remember: YOU CAN VOTE FOR MORE THAN 1).

For those of you new to the book club, Your Pick for Nik! is a monthly feature where I turn over control of my reading list to you!

Depicted below are my 10 nominees* for March. Simply vote for your favorite, and let the best book win! At 10:00 am (MST) on Monday the 25th I will announce the winner. Come the end of March, I will post a thorough review of the chosen title – and hopefully find out what you thought of it as well!

March’s Nominations:

Title: The Cloud Roads

Author: Martha Wells

Series: Book of the Raksura

Genre: Fantasy

Overview: Moon has spent his life hiding what he is — a shape-shifter able to transform himself into a winged creature of flight. An orphan with only vague memories of his own kind, Moon tries to fit in among the tribes of his river valley, with mixed success. Just as Moon is once again cast out by his adopted tribe, he discovers a shape-shifter like himself… someone who seems to know exactly what he is, who promises that Moon will be welcomed into his community. What this stranger doesn’t tell Moon is that his presence will tip the balance of power… that his extraordinary lineage is crucial to the colony’s survival… and that his people face extinction at the hands of the dreaded Fell! Now Moon must overcome a lifetime of conditioning in order to save and himself… and his newfound kin.

Title: Geist

Author: Philippa Ballantine

Series: Book of the Order #1

Genre: Fantasy

Overview: Sorcha, powerful protector of the Empire against malevolent hauntings, is called to a small settlement. But more is occurring there than “geist” activity. It’s a conspiracy of evil that reaches back to herown Abbey. Even if she survives, what hell would she be returning to?

Title: The Selection

Author: Kiera Cass

Series: Selection #1

Genre: Teen Fiction

Overview: For thirty-five girls, the Selection is the chance of a lifetime. The opportunity to escape the life laid out for them since birth. To be swept up in a world of glittering gowns and priceless jewels. To live in a palace and compete for the heart of gorgeous Prince Maxon.

But for America Singer, being Selected is a nightmare. It means turning her back on her secret love with Aspen, who is a caste below her. Leaving her home to enter a fierce competition for a crown she doesn’t want. Living in a palace that is constantly threatened by violent rebel attacks.

Then America meets Prince Maxon. Gradually, she starts to question all the plans she’s made for herself—and realizes that the life she’s always dreamed of may not compare to a future she never imagined.

Title: The Darkest Minds

Author: Alexandra Bracken

Series: Darkest Minds #1

Genre: Teen Fantasy

Now sixteen, Ruby is one of the dangerous ones.

Title: Death’s Daughter

Author: Amber Benson

Series: Calliope Reaper Jones #1

Genre: Urban Fantasy

Overview: Calliope Reaper-Jones so just wanted a normal life: buying designer shoes on sale, dating guys from Craig’s List, web-surfing for organic dim-sum for her boss…

But when her father—who happens to be Death himself—is kidnapped, and the Devil’s Protege embarks on a hostile takeover of the family business, Death, Inc., Callie returns home to assume the CEO mantle— only to discover she must complete three nearly impossible tasks in the realm of the afterlife first.

Title: Beautiful Creatures

Authors: Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl

Series: Beautiful Creatures #1

Genre: Teen Paranormal Romance

Overview: Lena Duchannes is unlike anyone the small Southern town of Gatlin has ever seen, and she’s struggling to conceal her power, and a curse that has haunted her family for generations. But even within the overgrown gardens, murky swamps and crumbling graveyards of the forgotten South, a secret cannot stay hidden forever.

Ethan Wate, who has been counting the months until he can escape from Gatlin, is haunted by dreams of a beautiful girl he has never met. When Lena moves into the town’s oldest and most infamous plantation, Ethan is inexplicably drawn to her and determined to uncover the connection between them.

In a town with no surprises, one secret could change everything.

Title: Hounded

Author: Kevin Hearne

Series: Iron Druid Chronicles #1

Genre: Urban Fantasy

Overview: Atticus O’Sullivan, last of the Druids, lives peacefully in Arizona, running an occult bookshop and shape-shifting in his spare time to hunt with his Irish wolfhound. His neighbors and customers think that this handsome, tattooed Irish dude is about twenty-one years old—when in actuality, he’s twenty-one centuries old. Not to mention: He draws his power from the earth, possesses a sharp wit, and wields an even sharper magical sword known as Fragarach, the Answerer.

Unfortunately, a very angry Celtic god wants that sword, and he’s hounded Atticus for centuries. Now the determined deity has tracked him down, and Atticus will need all his power—plus the help of a seductive goddess of death, his vampire and werewolf team of attorneys, a sexy bartender possessed by a Hindu witch, and some good old-fashioned luck of the Irish—to kick some Celtic arse and deliver himself from evil.

Title: Seraphina

Author: Rachel Hartman

Series: Seraphina #1

Genre: Teen Fantasy

Overview: Four decades of peace have done little to ease the mistrust between humans and dragons in the kingdom of Goredd. Folding themselves into human shape, dragons attend court as ambassadors, and lend their rational, mathematical minds to universities as scholars and teachers. As the treaty’s anniversary draws near, however, tensions are high.

Seraphina Dombegh has reason to fear both sides. An unusually gifted musician, she joins the court just as a member of the royal family is murdered—in suspiciously draconian fashion. Seraphina is drawn into the investigation, partnering with the captain of the Queen’s Guard, the dangerously perceptive Prince Lucian Kiggs. While they begin to uncover hints of a sinister plot to destroy the peace, Seraphina struggles to protect her own secret, the secret behind her musical gift, one so terrible that its discovery could mean her very life.

Title: Pure

Author: Julianna Baggot

Series: Pure #1

Genre: Fantasy

Overview: We know you are here, our brothers and sisters . . .
Pressia barely remembers the Detonations or much about life during the Before. In her sleeping cabinet behind the rubble of an old barbershop where she lives with her grandfather, she thinks about what is lost-how the world went from amusement parks, movie theaters, birthday parties, fathers and mothers . . . to ash and dust, scars, permanent burns, and fused, damaged bodies. And now, at an age when everyone is required to turn themselves over to the militia to either be trained as a soldier or, if they are too damaged and weak, to be used as live targets, Pressia can no longer pretend to be small. Pressia is on the run.

Title: Alien Taste

Author: Wen Spen

Series: Ukiah Oregon #1

Genre: Scifi/Urban

Overview: Abandoned as a child, Ukiah Oregon was found running with a wolf pack. Now considered one of the greatest trackers in the country, this private investigator puts his nose to the ground to track down missing fugitives. When he crosses paths with a criminal gang called the Pack, Ukiah discovers just how much he has in common with the Pack.

Feb 2 2013

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Your Pick for Nik! – January’s Review: Falling Kingdoms by Morgan Rhodes

Title: Falling Kingdoms

Author: Morgan Rhodes

Series: Falling Kingdoms #1

Genre: Teen Fantasy

Rating: 2/5 stars

The Overview: In a land where magic has been forgotten but peace has reigned for centuries, a deadly unrest is simmering. Three kingdoms grapple for power—brutally transforming their subjects’ lives in the process. Amidst betrayals, bargains, and battles, four young people find their fates forever intertwined.

The Review:

The cover and overall idea for Falling Kingdoms grabbed my attention as soon as it came out of the box. I immediately stopped what I was doing and thought, “Oooh! I definitely want to read this!” Having finished it just last week, I’ve been trying to figure out why I didn’t like it as much as I thought I would…

There was nothing particularly “wrong” with the book: the characters were well-rounded and interesting, the overall plot line was well-woven, and the writing style left me nothing to complain about. What’s more, I think a lot of people out there are really going to enjoy the story and get behind some of these characters. The book is being advertised as a sort of hybrid between the Game of Thrones Saga and Graceling, and that’s exactly what it read like. For some reason, however, it just didn’t quite work for me. I’ll spend a lot of time in the following sections illustrating why, but suffice to say I’m disappointed I didn’t get more from January’s selection.

[Spoiler Alert! You may want to skip down if you haven’t read the book yet]

Story

Pieces of Game of Thrones and Graceling definitely make an appearance in this novel, and with two such great draws for inspiration, this book could’ve been fantastic. I actually think Rhodes did a good job incorporating both stories, but I feel like she left out the best elements that made each of the books so special.

Graceling is an adventure involving teens doing extraordinary things to save their kingdoms and that is certainly present here, but it is also one of the most memorable love stories I’ve ever read and the main reason why it’s one of my favorites. Within Falling Kingdoms, I didn’t feel more than an ounce of relationship development throughout the whole thing, even if you count the incestuous stuff. Cleo and Theon had some potential, but even then readers were told they were falling in love and never shown until right before he was killed. For a teen book, I feel as though this was her biggest missed opportunity. There are ways to incorporate a love story without making it gushy.

Game of Thrones, on the other hand, had a highly original perspective and was told with a bit more of an edge than was typical within the genre. There were also many moments of unexpected events which added to the overall appeal and suspense of the story. Falling Kingdoms copied Martin’s multiple storylines format, took the edge out to make it accessible for teens, and brought in unexpected elements that I feel hurt the plot more than it helped.

World-Building

I thought the world-building was pretty much non-existent. Sure, there was a bit of cultural development, but everything else was fairly generic. I kept getting the impression that Rhodes didn’t pay any attention to the physical geography of this world. There are supposedly three separate distinct cultures living in partitioned areas (ruled by individual monarchs), yet it seemed to take only a few hours to travel between each kingdom. I just don’t see how the cultures could’ve remained independent, or for that matter, have enough people within for three kings to rule within such tight parameters. And, speaking of people, other than the main characters, there was really nobody else around… where are the subjects these three kings are trying to rule over? Anyway, I really missed this element of the story and hope the author spends some time on creating atmosphere in future books.

Characterization

Because of the choices she made within the plot – specifically killing off characters and following too many story-lines at once, the whole book read like one giant, glorified prequel. At no point during 95% of the book was I sure who I was supposed to rooting for and against (for that matter, I’m still not totally sure). The excellent prequel started with Sabina killing her sister, giving readers and interesting villain right off the bat. Just when we started learning where her story was going to develop, Rhodes killed her off, leaving readers relatively villian-less halfway through the book.

As for the heroes, Cleo has somehow emerged as the one with a quest before her, yet I feel as though Lucia’s developing magic (and the tension between her and her brother) is the real driving force behind story. I can’t help but wonder what it would have been like to read two totally different books following each storyline because I actually think they’re stronger on their own. Concerning the others, Jonas’ motives for revenge were a tad irrational for me, and we really don’t get to see what type of thinker he is until the end of the book. We also never get to see Ioannes’ motives in the first book, and what little we know about him got flipped near the end anyway. Hence, an excellent prequel for the story that’s actually starting in the next book.

Writing Style

As mentioned earlier, there’s nothing I can criticize about Rhode’s writing style. In fact, had the plot decisions not detracted from the book as a whole, I would probably be praising her for certain elements at this point. She did a great job of showing the inner turmoil and duality of all the various characters, making it easy to get on board and feel for their plights.

On a minor note, there was an awful lot of false tension and “soon to be revealed” secrets in this book. I believe she was trying to build suspense and keep people turning pages, but I’m the type of reader that likes to have as much information up front as possible. Secrets are great, but if the protagonist knows something, I’d like to know it too. It helps explain motives and reveal character which allows me to fully invest myself into their struggles.

[End Spoilers]

Pacing

I will say that the prequel to this book was incredibly grabbing! After reading it, I hunkered down thinking “this is going to be epic! I’d better get comfortable…” Fifty pages and a dozen characters later, I was half asleep waiting for the story to start. Too many characters make it very difficult to get the plot moving. It also can steal away momentum further along because the author constantly has to drag the reader back and forth between characters. It is a risky tactic, as you are literally giving your readers permission to have a short attention span with your work. You also take the risk that readers will get bored with one or another of the characters (mostly because this format doesn’t allow you time to develop each one fully, and readers aren’t sure who to invest their attentions in). I know many people who have admitted to skipping entire chapters when this happens, particularly with J.R. Ward and George R.R. Martin books. I’m not saying it can’t work, I’m just saying it’s a risk an author needs to consider when outlining.

Overall, I wish I could’ve had more positives for this book. I have the tendency to be harsher on books that I’ve been looking forward to, and I think that might have been the case here. I am honestly hoping for one of you to reply with: “You’re crazy, this book was amazing!” because I feel like I might’ve been a bit hyper-critical of it. In any case, I hope I like next month’s selection (Drowning City by Amanda Dunham) a bit better.

Other books you might like: