by Kelley Lynn
Genre: YA Fantasy
Publication Date: March 21, 2013
Publisher: Sapphire Star Publishing
There is only one among the Tarmack nation with the ability to wield magic, eighteen-year-old Rydan Gale. He lives like a prince, cherished for his talent to bend the fabric of the universe to his will. In the war against the Liasam, he is their ultimate weapon.
The Liasam have a source of magic as well, but Akara’s mastery of her power is rudimentary at best. With a brilliant display of fire-rain Rydan’s side wins the war, giving the Tarmack sole control over dwindling resources due to the natural disasters ripping apart the earth.
When Akara is sentenced to death, Rydan questions the motive, and discovers the leaders of the newly unified nation fear magic above all else. With war a memory, his skills no longer needed, Rydan suspects he is next. Throwing away every comfort, he pulls Akara from the flames of her execution and their lives as fugitives begin.
Both have a tattoo on the back of their neck, the mark of an extinguished tribe. They discover the natural disasters plaguing the world are due to the tribe’s demise and only Rydan and Akara can save the crumbling world.
But the greatest obstacle for saving mankind isn’t the bizarre creatures and determined men hunting them.
It’s that Akara doesn’t believe the world is worth saving.
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About the Author
Come graduation, not only did Kelley have a diploma and, thankfully, a wonderful job, but she had a new obsession as well. Amidst the order and exactness that came with the nine to five, Kelley found a way to create; to determine the rules of a world and take her characters to the limits of what was possible. Perhaps she has a slight control complex.
The first in the series, Fraction of Stone, was born on an airplane and took ten days to write. It probes the question, should the world be saved if there’s no one in it worth saving?
When briefly managing to quiet the voices, Kelley participates in softball, soccer and volleyball. (You probably don’t want her on your volleyball team. Unless you want to laugh.) She lives with her sister and her dog who can attest to the chair that has Kelley’s butt print permanently pressed into it. Depending on the weekend, you might be able to hear Kelley sing for an area classic rock band.
Kelley Lynn is a member of the Society of Children’s Books Writers and Illustrators.
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Finally a good YA Fantasy. I loved this book. If it weren't cause I had an exam in the morning I would have read the whole thing through. Still went to sleep at midnight though xD
I'll be honest, I wasn't expecting that much new from the blurb. It kind of seemed like a Romeo and Juliet type of romance with a little fantasy thrown in. Boy was I wrong! And so glad for it! There was romance, but it was so beautifully done. It had a realistic development, specially coming from a girl who has been tortured most of her life. It was so sweet watching them discover the feelings they started developing for each other.
There are a few secondary characters, main one being Tristan, which at first I didn't really trust him and just waiting for him to totally mess the whole book up. He was the third wheel basically, and I kept waiting for him to become the third point to the triangle, but guys! He didn't!! There is NO triangle. You don't understand how happy this makes me! That an author would put 3 people, teenagers at that, 2 boys and 1 girl together in a quest and for it to NOT develop into a triangle. It's basically unheard of now a days After a while Tristan finally started growing on me, and he has become a great friend to both Akara and Rydan.
Plot-wise, it wasn't exactly mind-blowing cause they pretty much tell you everything in the blurb, but it was still always filled with action, and the ending leaves us with a nice mystery to be solved for the second book. As well as resolving the issue with Tristan.
All in all, I couldn't be more pleased with this book and I can't wait for the sequel. Everyone should give this one a try!
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My Thoughts
Finally a good YA Fantasy. I loved this book. If it weren't cause I had an exam in the morning I would have read the whole thing through. Still went to sleep at midnight though xD
I'll be honest, I wasn't expecting that much new from the blurb. It kind of seemed like a Romeo and Juliet type of romance with a little fantasy thrown in. Boy was I wrong! And so glad for it! There was romance, but it was so beautifully done. It had a realistic development, specially coming from a girl who has been tortured most of her life. It was so sweet watching them discover the feelings they started developing for each other.
"Kara stopped, placing a hand on a trunk in either side of him, her face close to his. "I don't believe this world is worth saving. But I believe you are. So I'll make sure you continue living, and you can decide whether the world should be saved."
"I'm part of this world, Kara," he whispered, searching her eyes, noticing the small specks of green amongst the brown that shown brighter with the light held in his palm.
"You deserve better than this world, Rydan," She turned and wound her way up the gravel incline.
The characters were all so lovable as well. Rydan started as a the cocky pampered prince who had everything handed to him and girls would throw themselves at him. At the start I didn't think of much Rydan, he came across as your typical snob, but as the story progresses, so does he. He starts realizing the truth about his place in the world and who his real friends are. This was such a hard blow to him. All the people he had grown up with and trained with where the ones who would come after him and Akara and everytime they wouldn't even really acknowledge their friendship. And even through all that he always still kept his optimism and belief that the world was worth saving and that there were people out there who deserved to live as well.
Then we have Akara who is basically the complete opposite of Rydan. Can't really say that she even lived a life, because that wasn't living, it was just existing, and watching that transformation, of her learning how to actually live and care for people again was beautiful. She always believed that the world wasn't worth saving, and honestly I agree with her, but I'd also liked to believe that we are better than that, that humanity can be better (not holding my breath though).
There are a few secondary characters, main one being Tristan, which at first I didn't really trust him and just waiting for him to totally mess the whole book up. He was the third wheel basically, and I kept waiting for him to become the third point to the triangle, but guys! He didn't!! There is NO triangle. You don't understand how happy this makes me! That an author would put 3 people, teenagers at that, 2 boys and 1 girl together in a quest and for it to NOT develop into a triangle. It's basically unheard of now a days After a while Tristan finally started growing on me, and he has become a great friend to both Akara and Rydan.
Plot-wise, it wasn't exactly mind-blowing cause they pretty much tell you everything in the blurb, but it was still always filled with action, and the ending leaves us with a nice mystery to be solved for the second book. As well as resolving the issue with Tristan.
All in all, I couldn't be more pleased with this book and I can't wait for the sequel. Everyone should give this one a try!
Rating: 5 Stars
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This seriously made my day, and that is saying something since this is my Release Day and is amazing in and of itself. THANK YOU for not only enjoying the book, but for getting it. :) Thank you, thank you, thank you!
ReplyDeleteMy pleasure! Really! xD
DeleteI am really hoping to win this book! I looked it up on Goodreads and it had fantastic reviews. :)
ReplyDeleteHope you get a chance to read this one, cause it's definitely worth it :)
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