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thecaptainsquarters 's review for:
The Aware
by Glenda Larke
Ahoy there me mateys! This book was part of the Maine book haul. I had never heard of the author or this book. Apparently this author is Australian. Hooray for non-US authors! The lovely cover is what drew me in:
I mean seriously – a kick-ass woman holding a giant sword and riding on a pearlescent sea creature for only 25¢. I had to have it. And I really really liked it. Interestingly, it was Shortlisted for the Best Fantasy Novel in 2003 at the Aurealis Awards for Fantasy and Science Fiction.
This book is the first of a trilogy called the Isles of Glory. The main character is a woman named Blaze Halfbreed who is attempting to find a slave woman which will get her closer to her goal of citizenship. I liked this lady. From an orphan on the streets with an unusual upbringing to a competent adult who is independent and relies only on herself, Blaze is bad-ass. I mean, yes she likes to take the easy way out for survival but when push comes to shove she is more than willing to fight back.
Besides the magic in this world which was fun, I also enjoyed watching Blaze makes friends and learn to trust other people. There are non-humans in the world like ghemphs (awesome!), Fen lurgers, and of course the sea-ponies! (Side note: I have a thing for ponies and the term sea-ponies reminds me of a certain childhood movie whose song is now stuck in me head). I loved the island setting and all the references to the sea. The side characters of Tor and Flame and Ruarth were wonderful.
There were a couple of downsides of this novel like the use of rape in the plot (not graphic at all but present), some periods of action happening off the page while the main character waited, and some odd/slow plot points that didn’t float me boat. Oh, and though the bad guy has a reason to be bad, he seemed very two-dimensional. But overall I liked the book so much that I just ordered the second book to read. So if ye can find a copy and want a fantasy that is fluffy but fun . . . check this one out.
If ye liked this review see me others at https://thecaptainsquartersblog.wordpress.com/
I mean seriously – a kick-ass woman holding a giant sword and riding on a pearlescent sea creature for only 25¢. I had to have it. And I really really liked it. Interestingly, it was Shortlisted for the Best Fantasy Novel in 2003 at the Aurealis Awards for Fantasy and Science Fiction.
This book is the first of a trilogy called the Isles of Glory. The main character is a woman named Blaze Halfbreed who is attempting to find a slave woman which will get her closer to her goal of citizenship. I liked this lady. From an orphan on the streets with an unusual upbringing to a competent adult who is independent and relies only on herself, Blaze is bad-ass. I mean, yes she likes to take the easy way out for survival but when push comes to shove she is more than willing to fight back.
Besides the magic in this world which was fun, I also enjoyed watching Blaze makes friends and learn to trust other people. There are non-humans in the world like ghemphs (awesome!), Fen lurgers, and of course the sea-ponies! (Side note: I have a thing for ponies and the term sea-ponies reminds me of a certain childhood movie whose song is now stuck in me head). I loved the island setting and all the references to the sea. The side characters of Tor and Flame and Ruarth were wonderful.
There were a couple of downsides of this novel like the use of rape in the plot (not graphic at all but present), some periods of action happening off the page while the main character waited, and some odd/slow plot points that didn’t float me boat. Oh, and though the bad guy has a reason to be bad, he seemed very two-dimensional. But overall I liked the book so much that I just ordered the second book to read. So if ye can find a copy and want a fantasy that is fluffy but fun . . . check this one out.
If ye liked this review see me others at https://thecaptainsquartersblog.wordpress.com/