Category Archives: Book Review

Book Review: Speak of the Tiger by Martha Deeringer

by in Book Review and tagged , , , ,

Speak of the Tiger by Martha Deeringer

A YA/Teen Read Novel published by Fire and Ice Young Adult Books (03/10/15)

Summary:

“It was a great feeling to do something you weren’t sure you had the courage to do. Especially after it was over.” (Kindle Locations 566-567).

When the ninth grade class goes on a long field trip in a semi-isolated ranch in South Texas, they expect fun filled days of camping, horse riding, and camaraderie. Before they’ve even arrived the problems begin and the students are quick to point the blaming finger at the quiet new boy, Lee Boyd. As issues escalate, from toilet papering to property damage in the hundreds of dollars, everyone is more and more convinced that Lee is the instigator.

Justin wasn’t the only one to misunderstand and make assumptions of Lee, but he is surprised when the new boy steps up during the biggest turmoil of them all. Was Lee the one causing all the catastrophes, or was he framed? After the big thunderstorm and daring rescue, Justin will try to befriend Lee and break down the prejudices surrounding the boy.

Keywords:

 Change, horses, school, Korean, boys, 9th grade, high school, fitting in, thunderstorm, secrets, bullying, needing help

My Review:

If you like reading at the level of the Magic School Bus about bullies and boy troubles and friendships, you will like this book. This book had a little bit of each of many issues that plague pre-teens/teens, but didn’t delve too deep into the nitty gritty of them. The issues of bullying and suicide are very real and very serious and this book touched on both. Personally, I wanted more emotion, more action, and more consequence related to these issues, but if you don’t want to get too emotionally involved in this book, then the way the author writes them into the story won’t bother you.

I thought this book was a fun easy read, but I didn’t come away with anything unique. It was just a story about two boys becoming friends and overcoming sucky teen attitudes and prejudices. The book wasn’t deep into any of the subjects or themes.

A girl showed some bullying, but it was very vanilla. These were ninth graders in high school and there were no insults, no name calling, no extreme racist remarks. The bullying was toned down as if the kids had grown up isolated and protected and their best insult was laughably poetic and only the intent communicated that it was an insult. Are these really ninth graders? They appear very polite and behaved, only committing what seemed like isolated acts of defiance and damage and only a few of those acts. Where are the teen attitudes? The sulking? There wasn’t offensive language or swearing. There was no sexual tension. These kids acted far more like sixth graders than ninth graders.
I did quite enjoy the story of Justin becoming unlikely friends with the quiet and misunderstood Korean boy and I thought the twist involving his home life was fascinating. I would have enjoyed a book told from Lee’s perspective, because Justin wasn’t that big of a personality and only got sucked into Boyd’s story.

Disclaimer: I was given a free copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

This novel was published by Fire and Ice Young Adult Books on March 10th, 2015 and is available on Amazon here.

TL;DR Star Rating: 3.75

Links for more information:

Fire and Ice Website

Martha Deeringer’s Website

Goodreads

Book Review: Sticks and Stones (The Wish Makers Book 1) by Shawn McGuire

by in Book Review and tagged , , , ,

Sticks and Stones (The Wish Makers Book 1) by Shawn McGuire

A YA Low Fantasy Novel published by Brown Bag Books (06/12/14)

 

Summary:

“Live a little, Mandy Rose. You never know when life will take a sudden change.” (Kindle Locations 1745-1746).

Amanda Rose has a pathological fear of upsetting people and a fear of screwing up. Ever since the incident with her sister Alexa, Mandy has made sure to be the Goody Goody and not mess up, but she’s sick and tired of trying to be perfect. “I get straight A’s. I’ve got this great cooking club going, Nourishing Nosh, and I’m planning to put up a cooking and nutrition website for kids, NourishingNosh.com. I’ve got a plan for my future as thoroughly mapped-out as the garden I’m going to plant.” (Kindle Locations 790-794). Inside, Mandy knows there is something missing in her life, that there is something hiding in the very depths of her soul. When she makes her birthday wish, she is surprised to find that it wants to come true, or at least take her down a path to figure out what secret she is hiding from herself. Her wish takes the form of her childhood imaginary friend Lexi, who is guided by the Wish Mistress Desiree.

 

Keywords:

 Wish Mistress, Fairy, Carpe Diem, Goody-Goody, Imaginary Friend, Live Life to the Fullest, Teen Romance

 

My Review:

Mandy was annoying, Desiree was annoying, switching POV made the book annoying, the shallow romance was annoying. The message in the book was shallow and pushed again and again. There was a wonderfully captivating fantasy story within Sticks and Stones, but it got buried beneath these annoyances.

I felt like many scenes, especially in the beginning, were dragged out with too much detail in the wrong places. McGuire was overly wordy where it wasn’t necessary. I could feel the story wanting to hit the initial conflict or triggering action, but was held back by too much exposition.

When the story hit, I was eager to read more, but then McGuire sideswipes the story entirely to nearly abandon the main character and focus on Desiree the Wish Mistress. I didn’t want to know more about Desiree. She was a part of Mandy’s story, but she wasn’t an important enough character to warrant her own chapters with a storyline apart from Mandy’s. The POV switch was the most aggravating choice the author made for the novel and I eneded up skimming and skipping almost all of Desiree’s short chapters. They were dull and meaningless in the scope of the overall story. Desiree is a messenger in Mandy’s story and didn’t warrant or deserve as much focus as she got.

The story was intriguing, regardless of the annoying points; however, I don’t feel that I would read anymore from this author because of the choices she made in Sticks and Stones.

This novel was published by Brown Bag Books June 12th, 2014 and is available on Amazon here.

 

TL;DR Star Rating: 3.25

 

Links for more information:

Goodreads

Shawn McGuire’s Website

Book Review: Harbinger (The Greatest Sin, #2) by Lee French with Erik Kort

by in Book Review and tagged , , ,

Harbinger (The Greatest Sin, #2) by Lee French with Erik Kort

A Fantasy Novel published by Tangled Sky Press (09/09/14)

 

Summary:

Harbinger focuses on the mystery behind one of the Fallen agent’s disappearance in Ket, a small coastal city in this second book of the Greatest Sin series. New agent, Chavali, who was introduced in the first Fallen book (The Greatest Sin #1) as a seer and no-nonsense woman of the clan of the Blaukenevs, is sent on the mission to find out what happened to the agent in Ket. Along with a man she saved from death (Harris), a morally stringent man who upholds honor and truth above all else (Colby), and another woman (Portia), as well as Colby’s strange and large horse (Karias), Chavali will have to use her skills and the help of these companions to figure out what is really amiss in Ket.

 

Keywords:

 Fantasy, Clan, Family, Loyalty, Prophesy, Seer, Close-Knit, Sacrifice, Strength, Evil, Friendship, Mystery, Thriller

 

My Review:

Lee French delivers again in the second book in this series, with Harbinger. Just like The Fallen, Harbinger was full of great quotes, quippy dialogue, fun and larger than life characters, and a female kick-butt main character who took no nonsense from anyone.

I like the way French weaves fantasy into her story and makes the reader wonder, what is the greatest sin?

French has a way with words and phrases that is mesmerizing. Her writing style is elegant and captivating. You can tell she is a professional and knows what she’s doing. She gives Chavali a bite to her words. I love the quick wit Chavali exhibits and the way she talks back without trying to usurp anyone or prove she’s better. Though anyone in her position would have an immense chip on their shoulder, Chavali is down to earth and confident in hereslf.

Chavali is more than just emotionally tough, she is shown to master the fight in Harbinger. She has been trained and now she uses these new skills to defend herself and other Fallen.

This novel was published by Tangled Sky Press on November 9th, 2014 and is available on Amazon here.

 

TL;DR Star Rating: 5.0

 

Links for more information:

Lee French on Facebook

Lee French on Twitter

Goodreads

Book Review: Caching In: a Geocaching Love Story by Tracy Krimmer

by in Book Review and tagged , , ,

Caching In: A Geocaching Love Story by Tracy Krimmer

A Romance Novel published by Amazon (12/11/14)

 

Summary:

Ally cooper is in a rut; same banking job for six years, no boyfriend, and a day with nothing to do…

On a hike she runs into a Geocaching couple and decides to pick up the hobby herself. At her first find and second Geocaching attempt, she meets Seth at his Bed and Breakfast and he takes her out. Meanwhile, her best friend, Chelsea is in her own type of rut, stuck on a man who already has a girlfriend. When both Ally and Chelsea compete for the same promotion at the bank, Ally’s life will turn on its head and the only constant and stable part will be her growing number of Geocaching finds.

 

Keywords:

 Romance, Bed and Breakfast, Bank Teller, Best Friends, Cheating Boyfriends, Geocaching, Predictable Plot

 

My Review:

From page one of Caching In, I found the novel to be raw. It follows your average girl Ally and she isn’t all Pretty in Pink or perfect manners. She fights with her best friend. She jumps to the wrong conclusion almost every time. She’s almost thirty, but acts like a rebellious and sullen teenager. She is overly melodramatic, but also gutsy and sticks with her convictions doggedly. She is a girl to be admired, though it is difficult to see her as an adult and not as a eighteen or nineteen years old, because that’s how she acts. She gets overcome by her own emotions and drama and sometimes you just want to smack her for overreacting and jumping to the worst conclusions in both her romantic life and in her relationship with Chelsea. Over time she has to get over her romantic past and move one.

“Maybe this was the problem. For so many years, I maintained the same hair, the same job, and the same things always held me back. ” (Page 168).

The author falls into the trap of describing details of Ally’s environment that aren’t always important to the main narrative and I ended up skimming a lot of these extraneous parts. Krimmer also uses phrases and wording that comes off as awkward and hard to read. At times, though, Krimmer punches off a clever phrasing like the previous quote.

This novel was published by Amazon December 11, 2014 and is available on Amazon here.

 

TL;DR Star Rating: 2.75

 

Links for more information:

Goodreads

Facebook

Book Review: First to Find by Mark Gessner

by in Book Review and tagged , , ,

First to Find by Mark Gessner

A Thriller Novel published on lulu.com (07/26/2010)

 

Summary:

First to find is full of firsts and finds that you may think you have all figured out until the ultimate first to find, every nightmare any geocacher has dreamed about. If it’s a gruesome murder, then why leave behind a jar of urine or a dead dog? Casual geocachers out for their finds will stumble upon more than they bargained for in this tale of murder and revenge. If the geocachers put together the clues, will they be led right to the killer or will he catch on to their game?

 

Keywords:

Hiking, Woods, GPS, Murder, Deranged, Thriller, Geocaching, Clues, Romance, Texas

 

My Review:

Mark Gessner opens his book First to Find with the quote “Never mess with a Geocacher — we know the best places to hide a body.” (Page 5). Gessner continues to give out great tidbits in this book, like little treasures waiting to be read. The writing style was continuously smooth, without hitches or hiccups. The flow of action was also quite smooth and progressed naturally, building up tension over time to its exciting climax.

Gessner doesn’t give the reader a chance to guess the identity of the killer, but he brings us along as the two geocachers attempt to pin down who it is. We are right along with them in their hunt. The moment when the killer turns on them is the ultimate tense scene, because at that point I am so invested in their story and so completely believing of the killer’s ability that I can only think it will end poorly for Judi and Kurt.

Each character was given full room for development and each was fully made alive. The killer had a larger role than I would expect, but even he was made bare by the end. Gessner was able to give me a well-rounded killer with equally well-rounded motivation, even if it wasn’t fully explained until the end. I absolutely loved the line, “The killer kept himself in good physical condition, and except for an occasional swig of Old Granddad and a recently developed taste for murder, he had no vices” (Page 147).

By the end everything made sense and the puzzle pieces fit together perfectly. I understand why Gessner would give his killer the name “The Killer” until the main characters found out his identity, but I didn’t think it was necessary, since even his name didn’t mean anything until that was later further explained.

 

This novel was published by lulu.com 07/26/2010 and is available on Amazon here.

 

TLDR Star Rating: 4.50

 

Links for more information:

Goodreads

Book Review: The Treemakers by Christina L. Rozelle

by in Book Review and tagged , , , ,

The Treemakers by Christina L. Rozelle

A Dystopian/Sci-Fi Adventure Novel published by A Spark in the Dark Press (12/03/14)

This review brought to you by Silverbow Promotions Tour

 

Summary:

“To be strong in the face of weakness,’ I begin. ‘This is something our sister, Abrilynne, and our brother, Miguel, taught me. To smile, though there’s pain. To laugh, though there’s sorrow. To love, no matter what. And to forgive.” (Page 206).

The Tree Factory. It sounds hopeful, but it isn’t. Inside the walls of the factory are Bygonne’s orphans and they have been forgotten by all but the evil Superiors who work the children to their death. The trees are meant to keep the dying outside world alive with fresh oxygen while inside the factory the children are dying and enslaved. One of the olders, Momma Joy, takes it upon herself to find a way to free them all. No matter where you look it’s a hard life. The world outside has suffocated under the heat and poisonous air. The world underground harbors monsters and killer beasts. The world in between is full of those who seek freedom and survival. It is there that Joy must bring her precious sisters and brothers and it is there that more hardships will be encountered.

 

Keywords:

 Factory, Orphans, Survival, Death, Exploration, Dystopian World, Polluted Air, Evil Intentions, AI, Motherliness, Help, Underground, Paradise, Fighting, Strength, Resilience, Spirit

 

My Review:

I was given a copy of the book in exchange for this review.

The world Rozelle has created is a mix between dystopian/fantasy/futuristic/jurassic/etc. She has pulled so many intriguing elements into the world of The Treemakers that every new part of it is fascinating and alive. The Treemakers doesn’t just take place in the factory, but moves among different environments that are each unique and mesmerizing in their own way. Not only is the environment a slight twist on the familiar, but the characters and the story and the depth involved contain their own twists.

The setup was well-written and instantly pulled the reader into the otherworldly dystopian setting. But Rozelle didn’t stop there, she went further. She pushed the boundaries of the world she created and the genres the novel falls under. This book kept surprising me with the layers upon layers that unwrapped and interconnected to the end.

Though I found the romance both distracting and unnecessary, I didn’t think it inappropriate and thought it only logical in the book. It’s always mildly disturbing for young children to be flirting and reproducing, but in a dystopian future where not many reach over 30 years, it’s perfectly natural and the only way to continue the line of humanity.

This novel was published by A Spark in the Dark Press on December 3rd, 2014 and is available on Amazon here.

 

TL;DR Star Rating: 4.5

 

Links for more information:

Christina L. Rozelle’s Website

Christina L. Rozelle on Twitter

Goodreads

About the author:

Christina L. Rozelle

Christina L. Rozelle, author of the YA Dystopian-Scifi-Romance-Adventure, “The Treemakers,” is a mother of four currently residing in Dallas, Texas. She enjoys fiction that shines a light in the dark; has emotion, intensity, verve, depth, and truth. She writes what she’d love to read. Though her focus is currently YA speculative fiction, she dabbles in other genres as well, including adult speculative, fantasy, addiction/recovery fiction, and other general fiction. To find out more about her, as well as links to her other social media outposts, please visit her fan-site: http://christinalrozelle.com/

Book Review: P.A.W.S. by Debbie Manber Kupfer

by in Book Review and tagged , , , ,

P.A.W.S. by Debbie Manber Kupfer

A YA Paranormal Novel published by Rocking Horse Publishing (06/25/13)

 

Summary:

“You never know how strong you really are until you are tested.” (Page 263).

Miri Katz is barely keeping her head above water. She is clumsy and nerdy. She has made no friends at her school and is made fun of by the cool kids almost daily. She is an average girl, maybe even below average because she has no special talents. She is failing math. But then everything changes when, in a moment of panic, the amulet her omama gave her transforms her into a cat. Now everyone wants Miri, but not to be her friend.

 

Keywords:

Animagi, Shapeshifters, Werewolves, Animagi, Revenge, Loyalty, World Domination, Special Powers, Friendship

 

My Review:

I almost put this book down. It started off with a historical fiction spin which was really exciting, but then quickly turned into something else entirely that was barely keeping my attention. The writing was a bit stilted and the main character Miri was much too pathetic to like or relate to when we first met her. “Miri did very little other than read fantasy novels and write in her notebooks. In her classes she was a mediocre student at best, plus she was clumsy and socially awkward.” (Page 65).

But I kept reading. There was something about the story that just wouldn’t let me go. And then the story got so much better. The author sucked me into the clutter of Miri’s life and the deepening intrigue of the multiple subplots that eventually merged into the main story. The author had woven a complicated plot that was not at first visible.

Normally I don’t pick up and read paranormal fantasy, but I liked the story and the characters of P.A.W.S. In a world where there are shape shifters, werewolves, and animagi, Kupfer has done a great job sorting through the possibilities of what life would be like in this kind of environment. There are rules and boundaries that make these abilities much more interesting. Kupfer is great at world building.

The essential story Kupfer tells is the one that hooked me. In the beginning I thought it was about a girl trying to find her place in the world (coming of age) and it was, at least to begin with. Then Kupfer adds in complication after complication and the depth of the plot was what held my attention raptly to the end.
If you want a young adult version of Interview with a Vampire, then P.A.W.S. is your book.

This novel was published by Rocking Horse Publishing June 25th, 2013 and is available on Amazon here.

 

TL;DR Star Rating: 4.25

 

Links for more information:

Goodreads

Debbie Manber Kupfer’s Website

Facebbok

Book Review: Fantasy of Frost (The Tainted Accords Book 1) by Kelly St. Clare

by in Book Review and tagged , , | 1 Comment

Fantasy of Frost (The Tainted Accords Book 1) by Kelly St. Clare

A Fantasy Novel published by Kelly St Clare (01/14/15)

 

Summary:

At the intersection of two worlds, Glacium and Osolis, lies peace and the sharing of resources, but the idea of a Bruma and a Solati together would be disgusting and appalling to both people. Glacium is cold and Osolis is hot and both worlds spin in opposite directions. Those on Glacium are loud and speak their minds while those on Osolis are reserved and conservative; however, this doesn’t mean that there isn’t gossip or things going on behind closed doors.

The Tatum (the woman in power on Osolis) beats her daughter, the Tatuma – who is next in line to rule. None have seen Olina the Tatuma’s face, for she is also made to wear a veil. Still, Olina is ready to be free of her mother’s rule and when she meets the young understanding delegate from Glacium, she falls for him. It is this love that sets in motion the unraveling of all that Olina took for granted.

 

Keywords:

 Fantasy, Family, Travel, Different Worlds, Intrigue, Warring, Peace, Love, Romance, Attacks, Loyalty, Negotiations, Brothers, Evil Mother, Fear, Rulers, Power, Intimidation, Training, Female main character, kick butt female

 

My Review:

A good fantasy envelops you completely and shows you a new world that is foreign as you begin to read and completely familiar as you reach the end. St. Clare has built not just one world, but two in Fantasy of Frost and the reader must understand what it is like to live in both worlds and what it is like to be Bruma or Solati and there is a bit of catchup in the beginning. Everything will click into place around 10% into the story, where many of the necessary explanations will have been given and the world has been rounded into familiarity for you. I love the stark contrast St. Clare gave to her worlds and the Romeo and Juliet romance that was doomed from the start between Kedrick and Olina, where both societies would disapprove of their love of one another. It is a love story destined for failure, but stronger because of the hardships it must endure.

I also love that Fantasy of Frost is not just a fantasy romance. It is a quest for answers and the unraveling of secrets. It is intriguing and the worlds hold mystery and some key to finding out hidden agendas.

St. Clare has created a phenomenal character in Olina. I loved her. I felt sorry for her. I relished when she kicked butt. But she didn’t kick butt continuously! She is Solati, and therefore is able to show restraint where needed, diplomacy when it suits the situation, but throw down when that is the best option. She can fight and escape and has spunk. Everyone will want to be her, but no-one will want to be thrust into her situation.

There were only two bothersome points in Fantasy of Frost. The first being the surprising use of language (cursing). In a fantasy where the names have a different meaning (an ‘o’ in front of the Solati names is significant), it was a rude awakening – at first – from the dense and complex fantasy with the modern American curse words. It made me wince at the use of ‘sexy.’ The second point is my common point of contention in most first novels of a series, that they don’t really end! I like a grand conflict to have a resolution, but still have to continue on to the second book. I felt that Fantasy of Frost fell into this category of not having a proper resolution, ending as if it were in the middle of a book and not the end. There aren’t any more chapters in this book and this is very frustrating for a full novel not to end. Still, I have to say, I don’t care too much and will await (with only mild frustration and much baited breath) for the next book in the series.

This novel was published by Kelly St Clare on January 14th, 2015 and is available on Amazon here.

 

TL;DR Star Rating: 4.50

 

Links for more information:

Kelly St. Clare’s Website

Facebook

Goodreads

Book Review: Passing Notes by D.G. Driver

by in Book Review and tagged , , | 1 Comment

Passing Notes by D.G. Driver

A YA Novella published by Fire and Ice Young Adult Books (1/29/15)

 

Summary:

Mark Dowd has never had a girlfriend and never been in love, so when the girl he’s had a crush on since seventh grade is sitting outside his job, having cried her eyes out, he gets his chance to show her what a decent dateable guy he is. Mark has also never had to woo anyone before and his first halfhearted attempts are met with indignation and the cold shoulder. Mark is making mistakes left and right trying to romance this girl. He’s about to lose her when a mysterious ghost writer begins to give him advice and guide him in writing the perfect love letter and how to deliver it properly. Will this gesture prove to Bethany how much Mark likes her and how he really is exactly who she met that first night?

“Instead of throwing books around, slamming classroom doors, and screeching through hallways, this ghost chose to haunt the high school by teaching random kids how to write better love letters.” (Kindle Locations 481-482).

 

Keywords:

 YA, Male POV, Dating, Teen Love, Romance, Ghost, Guidance, Trying Hard, High School, Novella

 

My Review:

I was given a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Why would a straight A student who follows the rules date a guy like Mark? What does he have going for him? Is he good looking? The bad boy? At first he tells us that he’s getting D’s in school, can’t spell, and has poor grammar. He doesn’t brag about anything, so we assume he would never be good enough for Bethany, but his actions throughout this novella show us otherwise. Mark is revealed to be a polite, hard-working boy who really does try his hardest when he wants to attain something of value. He can apologize when he’s wrong. He is humble and works a real job. He is nice and accommodating when his elder grandmother who has Alzheimer’s mistakes him for his grandfather. Mark is not as simple as he made himself out to be. He may not know what the word ‘crude’ means, but he does know when to accept help and when to admit he doesn’t know what he’s doing when romancing Bethany. This is intelligence in spades and what Bethany is surely attracted to. It makes me like Mark, even though he’s failing in school and his life plans only amount to joining the army after graduating. He’s adorably ignorant.

Usually the smart beautiful girl leaves her jerk of a jock boyfriend for the quiet smart cute boy, but Mark isn’t the nerd we all recognize in stories. Mark is different. This made the story different and fun to read. It had a slight spin to the usual boy loves girl plot-line. Though the short story was simple in writing style, plot, characters, and motivations, it kept my attention throughout with its honest elegance.

The magical part of having a ghost was done well. The ghost was connect to Mark in both a premeditated way and an immediate way.

Passing Notes had a beautiful and fitting end that came full circle and was satisfying to read.

For any teen that stumbles through dating, this is a wonderfully informative and entertaining novella that they can learn from.

This novel was published by Fire and Ice Young Adult Books on January 29th, 2015 and is available on Amazon here.

 

TL;DR Star Rating: 3.75

 

Links for more information:

D.G. Driver’s Website

D.G. Driver on Twitter

Goodreads

Book Review: The Fallen (The Greatest Sin, #1) by Lee French with Erik Kort

by in Book Review and tagged , , ,

The Fallen (The Greatest Sin, #1) by Lee French with Erik Kort

A Fantasy Novel published by Tangled Sky Press (1/26/14)

 

Summary:

“So long as there is clan, there is hope.” (Page 174).

Chavali is the clan seer. When her wandering clan, the Blaukenevs, stop for a carnival, she is a fortune teller for the night, telling people what they want to hear. She may not be able to tell the future, but she has the ability read people, from their expressions to their very thoughts. At times she experiences accurate prophesies and is a limited telepath, though neither are under her control. She is held in high esteem, but also regarded as one apart from the bonded clan. When she is held at knife point, her guard must save her. When the clan is under attack, who will be there to save her?

 

Keywords:

 Fantasy, Clan, Family, Loyalty, Prophesy, Seer, Close-Knit, Sacrifice, Strength, Evil

 

My Review:

The Fallen is a novel that has been greatly imagined by the author. It is not just a world that Lee French built, but a culture and a people. French begins the story with the beginning and the Creator and then moves so far forward in time that the myth of the Creation is not thought of the same by all the inhabitants of the world. French makes her own Creation and interweaves the present day story throughout the trail left behind by the Creation. I really enjoyed the mythical adaptation feel that this story had and that French kept going back to it to create a tightly woven story that was intricate and fully fledged.

The concept of ‘Clan’ French created reminds me of the close-knit culture seen in the movie Brother Bear or the strong connection of a small town where everyone knows each other and they speak their own slang. French’s clan, the Blaukenevs, do in fact speak their own language known only to them. They have their own traditions and ways of life. These rituals were fascinating to read about and they were presented as part of the way of life, intriguing to the reader and not confusing in that they were foreign. It was like being privy to a new culture by being on the inside.

Chavali also presented the reader with an outsider’s perspective when she is in the outsider’s world, which I really appreciated because it was neat to see the outsider looking in perspective for an entirely different culture that French created in the Fallen society. The reader was able to get a complete picture of the new and interesting Outside world through Chavali’s eyes and it was refreshing. French described the new and different society in a way that kept my attention through every differing detail. Chavali was a fascinating character who maintained her mannerisms within her society of the Blaukenevs and throughout the Outside world. She was a no-nonsense character because she was born into an environment that allowed her to grow as a confident person. It’s neat to find a character who is strong without reason and she maintains her independence throughout a dependent clan culture as well as when she is thrust into the chaos of the Outside world.

This novel was published by Tangled Sky Press on January 26th, 2014 and is available on Amazon here.

 

TL;DR Star Rating: 5.0

 

Links for more information:

Lee French on Facebook

Lee French on Twitter

Goodreads