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momwithareadingproblem 's review for:
Nemesis
by Anna Banks
I received a copy of this book via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of this review.
Nemesis by Anna Banks is a fantastic, fast-paced fantasy where politics and magic reign. Told in alternating points of view, the story opens with Sepora running away from her dictator father and into the enemy kingdom where Tarik is preparing to take his father’s role as emperor when his father succumbs to the plague crippling his people. When their paths cross, lies are told to hide Sepora’s true identity and an uneasy friendship begins.
Sepora & Tarik ♥︎
Sepora is an easy character to like. She’s a trained fighter, a princess, and the last known Forger. It is the last ability that is the catalyst for her running away. Her father wants to use her as a weapon, forging Spectorium (a magical metal like substance that has multiple uses) and keeping it from the other kingdoms who rely on it.
Tarik however is who won my heart. Tarik is the loving son of the king of Theoria. He is grieving for his father at the onset of the book, and yet he pushes that aside in a desperate attempt to find a cure for his people. A wasting type plague has infected them, and almost all infected succumb as his father did.
When an Enemy Becomes an Ally
While fleeing her kingdom, Sepora is captured and sold into the new king Tarik’s harem. This I thought was an interesting twist. With Sepora’s silvery eyes, it is likely she will be found out. However no one has seen the princess of Spectoria in many years, even Tarik. So she hides in plain sight.
Tarik is like a human lie detector and detects that Sepora is lying about something but doesn’t know what. As a result, he keeps her close to him, even admitting her into his council. Yet he never fully trusts her, and as a result this creates a whole lot of lies with the truth sprinkled in.
Underwhelming with a Strong Conclusion
Nemesis is a hard one to decide if I loved or just liked it. The majority of the book is spent with world-building, introducing the different characters, species, and countries, AND the abilities that some are born with (like Sepora’s Forging ability). There’s some light romance, NOT INSTA-LOVE (yay!) but enemy to friends to lovers trope. But the ending!!!! GAH! I loved it. It fit the story and had me purchasing book 2 and immediately reading it. If you enjoy YA fantasy with a light dose of romance, I recommend it.
Nemesis by Anna Banks is a fantastic, fast-paced fantasy where politics and magic reign. Told in alternating points of view, the story opens with Sepora running away from her dictator father and into the enemy kingdom where Tarik is preparing to take his father’s role as emperor when his father succumbs to the plague crippling his people. When their paths cross, lies are told to hide Sepora’s true identity and an uneasy friendship begins.
Sepora & Tarik ♥︎
Sepora is an easy character to like. She’s a trained fighter, a princess, and the last known Forger. It is the last ability that is the catalyst for her running away. Her father wants to use her as a weapon, forging Spectorium (a magical metal like substance that has multiple uses) and keeping it from the other kingdoms who rely on it.
Tarik however is who won my heart. Tarik is the loving son of the king of Theoria. He is grieving for his father at the onset of the book, and yet he pushes that aside in a desperate attempt to find a cure for his people. A wasting type plague has infected them, and almost all infected succumb as his father did.
When an Enemy Becomes an Ally
While fleeing her kingdom, Sepora is captured and sold into the new king Tarik’s harem. This I thought was an interesting twist. With Sepora’s silvery eyes, it is likely she will be found out. However no one has seen the princess of Spectoria in many years, even Tarik. So she hides in plain sight.
Tarik is like a human lie detector and detects that Sepora is lying about something but doesn’t know what. As a result, he keeps her close to him, even admitting her into his council. Yet he never fully trusts her, and as a result this creates a whole lot of lies with the truth sprinkled in.
Underwhelming with a Strong Conclusion
Nemesis is a hard one to decide if I loved or just liked it. The majority of the book is spent with world-building, introducing the different characters, species, and countries, AND the abilities that some are born with (like Sepora’s Forging ability). There’s some light romance, NOT INSTA-LOVE (yay!) but enemy to friends to lovers trope. But the ending!!!! GAH! I loved it. It fit the story and had me purchasing book 2 and immediately reading it. If you enjoy YA fantasy with a light dose of romance, I recommend it.