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I love Historical Fiction and when I read the summary of The Forbidden Orchid, I was immediately interested. I loved A Mad, Wicked Folly by Sharon Biggs Waller so there was no question in my mind that I was going to read this book. Also, I kind of love that cover!
The story spends a good amount of time setting up the story. Elodie is the oldest daughter of a plant hunter and is growing up in a small English town in the 1860’s. As you might guess, the era doesn’t really allow girls a lot of freedom and Elodie has resigned herself to the fact that being the eldest, she will have to be the one to help her mother with the younger children because her father is gone almost all the time. As someone who is free to do what I want, it is always interesting to me to read stories like this as the expectations and even the sensibilities toward women during this time period made me cringe at times.
When Elodie’s father comes home from his last trip and refuses to join the family at the house, things start to go downhill for the family. Apparently their father didn’t meet the terms of his last contract and because of this, the family is told they may have to go to the work house to pay off his debt. When Elodie goes to her father, she finds him to be a very broken version of the man she knew from his last visit. She doesn’t know exactly what happened but when she tells her father about their problems, he resigns himself to the fact that he will have to go back to China for the flowers. While her father is making arrangements down at the docks, Elodie meets Alex and she is immediately drawn to him and his dog. When Elodie realizes just how much danger this trip is for her father and also what failure could mean for them, she boards the ship dressed as a boy and the adventure begins.
I love a book that has solid characters and I thought that Waller did a good job of building out who these characters were as well as the relationships between them. I thought the relationship between Elodie and Alex was done well and while there were definitely times where I just wanted them to get over their insecurities with each other, I really did like them together. I do wish we had seen a bit more of the building of their relationship aboard the ship – those late night conversations would have revealed a bit more about who they are together and outside of being forced together, why they wanted to be together.
I also liked seeing the change in the relationship Elodie has with her father. As their roles reverse in finding the flowers, Elodie begins to realize what she wants. She just needs to stand up for herself and fight for it. I also thought the secondary characters added quite a bit to the story. Ching Lan grew on me after a while but I have to admit, I found her somewhat annoying at first.
Waller definitely did her research around China and the Opium War and captured what I imagine the feelings toward outsiders would be. I found it fascinating as this isn’t a topic I normally pick up or even know anything about. Overall I enjoyed this story and thought it wrapped up well. If you liked Waller’s other book I think you might enjoy this one as well. I look forward to more from her as an author as she does a wonderful job of putting the reader into the time frame and includes enough history, action, and romance to interest anyone.
Thank you to the publisher for the review copy!
The story spends a good amount of time setting up the story. Elodie is the oldest daughter of a plant hunter and is growing up in a small English town in the 1860’s. As you might guess, the era doesn’t really allow girls a lot of freedom and Elodie has resigned herself to the fact that being the eldest, she will have to be the one to help her mother with the younger children because her father is gone almost all the time. As someone who is free to do what I want, it is always interesting to me to read stories like this as the expectations and even the sensibilities toward women during this time period made me cringe at times.
When Elodie’s father comes home from his last trip and refuses to join the family at the house, things start to go downhill for the family. Apparently their father didn’t meet the terms of his last contract and because of this, the family is told they may have to go to the work house to pay off his debt. When Elodie goes to her father, she finds him to be a very broken version of the man she knew from his last visit. She doesn’t know exactly what happened but when she tells her father about their problems, he resigns himself to the fact that he will have to go back to China for the flowers. While her father is making arrangements down at the docks, Elodie meets Alex and she is immediately drawn to him and his dog. When Elodie realizes just how much danger this trip is for her father and also what failure could mean for them, she boards the ship dressed as a boy and the adventure begins.
I love a book that has solid characters and I thought that Waller did a good job of building out who these characters were as well as the relationships between them. I thought the relationship between Elodie and Alex was done well and while there were definitely times where I just wanted them to get over their insecurities with each other, I really did like them together. I do wish we had seen a bit more of the building of their relationship aboard the ship – those late night conversations would have revealed a bit more about who they are together and outside of being forced together, why they wanted to be together.
I also liked seeing the change in the relationship Elodie has with her father. As their roles reverse in finding the flowers, Elodie begins to realize what she wants. She just needs to stand up for herself and fight for it. I also thought the secondary characters added quite a bit to the story. Ching Lan grew on me after a while but I have to admit, I found her somewhat annoying at first.
Waller definitely did her research around China and the Opium War and captured what I imagine the feelings toward outsiders would be. I found it fascinating as this isn’t a topic I normally pick up or even know anything about. Overall I enjoyed this story and thought it wrapped up well. If you liked Waller’s other book I think you might enjoy this one as well. I look forward to more from her as an author as she does a wonderful job of putting the reader into the time frame and includes enough history, action, and romance to interest anyone.
Thank you to the publisher for the review copy!
Against the Wall is the first book by Jill Sorenson that I’ve read and it won’t be the last. I have to admit, this one didn’t exactly wow me but I did find it an interesting read.
Eric is the bad boy who has spent time in prison and was previously part of a gang. Before he went to prison, he broke things off with Meghan because he didn’t want her to wait for him. Now that he’s out he wants to straighten out and get a job as a tattoo artist. He is also staying with his ex-sister-in-law who happens to be married to Meghan’s brother, a cop.
Meghan definitely didn’t wait for Eric but she hasn’t really forgotten about him. As she and Eric come back together, they are still drawn to each other and it creates a bump in the plans Megan had. Not only that, her current boyfriend is becoming more and more violent toward her and when he realizes she still has feelings for Eric, things for sure take a turn.
Meghan and Eric definitely have some chemistry and I liked how Sorenson tried to convey the balance for Eric of staying clean but still trying to keep some of his old friends. I didn’t realize that this was a series book until after I started but I didn’t feel like I missed anything picking it up in the middle. I thought the story was done well and even handled some touchy subjects in a good way.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the review copy.
Eric is the bad boy who has spent time in prison and was previously part of a gang. Before he went to prison, he broke things off with Meghan because he didn’t want her to wait for him. Now that he’s out he wants to straighten out and get a job as a tattoo artist. He is also staying with his ex-sister-in-law who happens to be married to Meghan’s brother, a cop.
Meghan definitely didn’t wait for Eric but she hasn’t really forgotten about him. As she and Eric come back together, they are still drawn to each other and it creates a bump in the plans Megan had. Not only that, her current boyfriend is becoming more and more violent toward her and when he realizes she still has feelings for Eric, things for sure take a turn.
Meghan and Eric definitely have some chemistry and I liked how Sorenson tried to convey the balance for Eric of staying clean but still trying to keep some of his old friends. I didn’t realize that this was a series book until after I started but I didn’t feel like I missed anything picking it up in the middle. I thought the story was done well and even handled some touchy subjects in a good way.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the review copy.
Assassin’s Heart was one of my most anticipated reads of 2016 so as soon as I had this in my hands I had to read it. It is set up as Romeo & Juliet meets The Godfather (In a Fantasy!!) and I would agree with that compilation. As a debut, I thought Sarah Ahiers did a good job with this story and I look forward to more from her.
The story dives right into the set up as we learn more about who Lea is and what her relationship is with Val. See, Lea is part of the Saldana Family and they are the First Family in Lovero (there are nine total). Val happens to be a member of the Da Via Family and while they aren’t the top Family, they have the numbers to eventually get up there when they are ready. Despite the competition and the bad blood between their Families, somehow Lea and Val found a connection and now have a relationship. It is also because of these reasons that Lea and Val have to keep their relationship a secret.
As Clippers, Lea and Val are contracted to kill on behalf of the goddess Safraella – the goddess of death, murder and resurrection. The mark could be someone wanting their own death or the death of someone else. Regardless, Clippers are the only people who are clear to kill people without punishment. They are given a level of respect Clippers from the inhabitants of the city and people know to stay out of their way.
Almost immediately something unexpected to Lea – her family is murdered and when Lea gets away, she vows to get vengeance. She knows that Val either knew what was going to happen or was part of what happened and no matter which one it is, she is going to make the Da Via’s pay. Now there isn’t a lot I’m telling you and that is done purposefully. I don’t want to give too much of the story away so you will just have to read to get the rest of it.
What I will tell you is that Ahiers creates an interesting world. Outside of the walls of the city is a treacherous land called the dead plains. This land is dangerous to everyone because it is full of angry ghosts who are always looking to take over bodies and as Lea makes her way across to safety she experiences just how perilous it is. The ghosts don’t just inhabit the plains, they also wander some cities at night which makes it dangerous for people to be out after dark. I thought this, in addition to the world of the Families, was something new and I liked how Ahiers integrated them into the story. The other piece I liked was how Ahiers tied some of the structure of the city to Italy to add to the Family/Mafia feel.
The characters in this book are interesting. There are things I liked and disliked about all of them. Lea is smart and willing to take risks. She also knows how to handle herself in a crisis and isn’t afraid to face things that scare her. I have very mixed feelings about Val. He comes off as very loving toward Lea but definitely weak and as the story progresses we learn just how true this is.
The other main character is Les. Lea meets Les (Alessio) while she is searching for someone she hopes will help her get her revenge and he is a good addition to the story as he is very different from Val in my opinion. He is kind and proud and not afraid to do the right thing. The relationship that develops between Les and Lea is nicely done and although there isn’t a lot of romance in this one, there is the development of the relationship that provides some great interaction between Lea and Les as well as a few swoony bits.
As the story wraps up, a lot of things start to come together. Like Lea, there are gaps in what we know and as she starts to really understand, the story really comes together. There were a number of things I liked in this story and a number of things I found frustrating but overall I think my rating is fair. Although I didn’t love this book as much as I wanted to, I am still looking forward to more from Ahiers. It was definitely a good mix of action, swoony bits, and deception. If you are looking for a new fantasy, consider checking this one out when you can.
Thank you to the publisher for the review copy!
The story dives right into the set up as we learn more about who Lea is and what her relationship is with Val. See, Lea is part of the Saldana Family and they are the First Family in Lovero (there are nine total). Val happens to be a member of the Da Via Family and while they aren’t the top Family, they have the numbers to eventually get up there when they are ready. Despite the competition and the bad blood between their Families, somehow Lea and Val found a connection and now have a relationship. It is also because of these reasons that Lea and Val have to keep their relationship a secret.
As Clippers, Lea and Val are contracted to kill on behalf of the goddess Safraella – the goddess of death, murder and resurrection. The mark could be someone wanting their own death or the death of someone else. Regardless, Clippers are the only people who are clear to kill people without punishment. They are given a level of respect Clippers from the inhabitants of the city and people know to stay out of their way.
Almost immediately something unexpected to Lea – her family is murdered and when Lea gets away, she vows to get vengeance. She knows that Val either knew what was going to happen or was part of what happened and no matter which one it is, she is going to make the Da Via’s pay. Now there isn’t a lot I’m telling you and that is done purposefully. I don’t want to give too much of the story away so you will just have to read to get the rest of it.
What I will tell you is that Ahiers creates an interesting world. Outside of the walls of the city is a treacherous land called the dead plains. This land is dangerous to everyone because it is full of angry ghosts who are always looking to take over bodies and as Lea makes her way across to safety she experiences just how perilous it is. The ghosts don’t just inhabit the plains, they also wander some cities at night which makes it dangerous for people to be out after dark. I thought this, in addition to the world of the Families, was something new and I liked how Ahiers integrated them into the story. The other piece I liked was how Ahiers tied some of the structure of the city to Italy to add to the Family/Mafia feel.
The characters in this book are interesting. There are things I liked and disliked about all of them. Lea is smart and willing to take risks. She also knows how to handle herself in a crisis and isn’t afraid to face things that scare her. I have very mixed feelings about Val. He comes off as very loving toward Lea but definitely weak and as the story progresses we learn just how true this is.
The other main character is Les. Lea meets Les (Alessio) while she is searching for someone she hopes will help her get her revenge and he is a good addition to the story as he is very different from Val in my opinion. He is kind and proud and not afraid to do the right thing. The relationship that develops between Les and Lea is nicely done and although there isn’t a lot of romance in this one, there is the development of the relationship that provides some great interaction between Lea and Les as well as a few swoony bits.
As the story wraps up, a lot of things start to come together. Like Lea, there are gaps in what we know and as she starts to really understand, the story really comes together. There were a number of things I liked in this story and a number of things I found frustrating but overall I think my rating is fair. Although I didn’t love this book as much as I wanted to, I am still looking forward to more from Ahiers. It was definitely a good mix of action, swoony bits, and deception. If you are looking for a new fantasy, consider checking this one out when you can.
Thank you to the publisher for the review copy!
The Isle by Jordana Frankel is book two in The Ward series and I was definitely looking forward to this book. Admittedly, it had been quite a while since I read book one so jumping right into this book, I was a bit lost as to where book one left off and where we were picking back up.
Ren, with Derek and Callum, had discovered a cure for the Blight and when her sister, Aven is kidnapped, Ren must save her. This book took a bit for me to get back into but once things got moving, I found myself pulled back into this world. The chapters rotate between Ren’s and Aven’s points of view and I found that helpful as it gave me some insight into what was happening with both characters since they were separated from each other for a good portion of the book.
The characters are solid in this series. Ren is smart and willing to do anything to help Aven and Aven is the same. We get a bit more of the Tetai and also learn more about who the Governor is and why he is doing the things he is doing.
Overall I enjoyed this installment and thought Frankel did a good job of wrapping up this series. If you are looking for a well written post-apocalyptic, dystopian story that has solid characters, definitely consider checking this series out.
Thank you to the publisher for the review copy!
Ren, with Derek and Callum, had discovered a cure for the Blight and when her sister, Aven is kidnapped, Ren must save her. This book took a bit for me to get back into but once things got moving, I found myself pulled back into this world. The chapters rotate between Ren’s and Aven’s points of view and I found that helpful as it gave me some insight into what was happening with both characters since they were separated from each other for a good portion of the book.
The characters are solid in this series. Ren is smart and willing to do anything to help Aven and Aven is the same. We get a bit more of the Tetai and also learn more about who the Governor is and why he is doing the things he is doing.
Overall I enjoyed this installment and thought Frankel did a good job of wrapping up this series. If you are looking for a well written post-apocalyptic, dystopian story that has solid characters, definitely consider checking this series out.
Thank you to the publisher for the review copy!
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This Song is (Not) For You was an interesting read. I loved Laura Nowlin’s book If He Had Been With Me so the second I knew she had another book on the way, I added it to my to read bookshelf.
The story focuses on three main characters. You have Ramona and Sam who are best friends and together they have a band. The added layer of complexity to their friendship is that Ramona has had a crush on Sam from the moment they met and Sam feels the same but neither of them has ever said anything to the other for fear that it would impact their friendship in a negative way.
When they go to audition for an art’s college, Ramona finds herself talking to Tom who just might be the person their band was missing. As he becomes integrated into Ramona and Sam’s friendship, Ramona finds herself attracted to Tom and Sam. What I liked about this book was the friendship these characters develop and the way they all decide that they won’t worry about what society will think about their relationships.
Overall I found this to be an interesting story with solid characters. If you are looking for something that has a focus on friendship, love, and music, consider checking this one out.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the review copy!
The story focuses on three main characters. You have Ramona and Sam who are best friends and together they have a band. The added layer of complexity to their friendship is that Ramona has had a crush on Sam from the moment they met and Sam feels the same but neither of them has ever said anything to the other for fear that it would impact their friendship in a negative way.
When they go to audition for an art’s college, Ramona finds herself talking to Tom who just might be the person their band was missing. As he becomes integrated into Ramona and Sam’s friendship, Ramona finds herself attracted to Tom and Sam. What I liked about this book was the friendship these characters develop and the way they all decide that they won’t worry about what society will think about their relationships.
Overall I found this to be an interesting story with solid characters. If you are looking for something that has a focus on friendship, love, and music, consider checking this one out.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the review copy!
The Killing Jar by Jennifer Bosworth has been on my radar since I read the summary. First, the cover is amazing! Second, the story centers around a secret about Kenna. She has a memory of something horrible from her childhood and because of that, she has always kept her distance from others. When something happens that forces her to face what she is, Kenna is sent away to live at a nearby commune called Eclipse. When Kenna learns more about who she is and what she is truly capable of, she also begins to realize what is really important to her.
I thought the characters in this story were great. Kenna cares deeply about her sister and mother but has always kept herself a bit separate due to her issue. It is clear she really loves her sister and is willing to do anything for her. Blake is great and I loved the early parts of the story where we see these two getting comfortable with the fact that they both want to be more than friends. It is obvious he cares about Kenna and I was glad she finally saw it.
The inhabitants of Eclipse are interesting as well. I can’t say too much here for fear of giving something away but once you get into the story and learn more about them, you will see the manipulation as well as in the end, just how twisted this group was.
Toward the end I found myself turning the pages to see what was going to happen. There are some points of the story where I was just shaking my head at Kenna’s actions but overall I enjoyed it. If you like stories that have a bit of mystery and magic, definitely consider checking this book out!
Thank you to the publisher for the review copy!
I thought the characters in this story were great. Kenna cares deeply about her sister and mother but has always kept herself a bit separate due to her issue. It is clear she really loves her sister and is willing to do anything for her. Blake is great and I loved the early parts of the story where we see these two getting comfortable with the fact that they both want to be more than friends. It is obvious he cares about Kenna and I was glad she finally saw it.
The inhabitants of Eclipse are interesting as well. I can’t say too much here for fear of giving something away but once you get into the story and learn more about them, you will see the manipulation as well as in the end, just how twisted this group was.
Toward the end I found myself turning the pages to see what was going to happen. There are some points of the story where I was just shaking my head at Kenna’s actions but overall I enjoyed it. If you like stories that have a bit of mystery and magic, definitely consider checking this book out!
Thank you to the publisher for the review copy!
After the Woods by Kim Savage was an interesting read. It focuses on two girls who survived an abduction and as the story progresses, we find out there is more to the story than originally thought.
Julia and her best friend Liv were running in the woods when out of nowhere, Liv was attacked. When Julia does the only thing she can to save Liv, she puts herself right into the hands of the abductor and Liv, runs. Julia knows she has survived something most have not but as they come up to the one year anniversary of her abduction, things start to resurface and Julia is obsessed with figuring out what really happened and why.
I found the mystery aspect of this story very interesting. Julia is driven to find answers and she isn’t afraid (clearly) to put herself into the path of danger to find out what she wants to know. Liv is feeling guilt over what happened and as the story moves forward, we find out that it has to do with more than just the fact that she ran away and left Julia. The secondary characters were an added bonus to the story. From Shane Cuthbert - Liv’s new boyfriend, to Paula Papademetriou – the driven investigative journalist, to Liv’s mom…they all added something important to the story.
If you are looking for a story with a mystery and slightly twisted characters, consider checking this one out. Once I started it, I needed to find out what really was going on and you need to be okay with the fact that you might not find everything out until the very end.
Thank you to the publisher for the review copy!
Julia and her best friend Liv were running in the woods when out of nowhere, Liv was attacked. When Julia does the only thing she can to save Liv, she puts herself right into the hands of the abductor and Liv, runs. Julia knows she has survived something most have not but as they come up to the one year anniversary of her abduction, things start to resurface and Julia is obsessed with figuring out what really happened and why.
I found the mystery aspect of this story very interesting. Julia is driven to find answers and she isn’t afraid (clearly) to put herself into the path of danger to find out what she wants to know. Liv is feeling guilt over what happened and as the story moves forward, we find out that it has to do with more than just the fact that she ran away and left Julia. The secondary characters were an added bonus to the story. From Shane Cuthbert - Liv’s new boyfriend, to Paula Papademetriou – the driven investigative journalist, to Liv’s mom…they all added something important to the story.
If you are looking for a story with a mystery and slightly twisted characters, consider checking this one out. Once I started it, I needed to find out what really was going on and you need to be okay with the fact that you might not find everything out until the very end.
Thank you to the publisher for the review copy!
By now you should know of my love of Melissa West’s stories. When I saw the ARC go up for Wild Hearts, the second book of the Hamilton Stables series I immediately requested it. I loved the glimpses of Alex we had from Emery and Trip’s story so I was super excited to get into his story.
Alex Hamilton is the youngest brother and seen as the reckless one. He also has a reputation with the ladies and has done his best to stay away from Kate but he can’t help it. He is drawn to her and loves everything about her. Unfortunately he isn’t in a place where he feels he can give her what she deserves in a relationship.
Kate Littleton is Emery’s best friend. They have the kind of friendship where they tell each other everything and the fact that she can’t tell her about her feelings for Alex is making things very difficult. Kate knows that Alex isn’t a “relationship” guy but she can’t help it – she is completely drawn to him. As they start to build onto their friendship and eventually become more, they both realize they are taking a risk but they don’t care.
I loved these two characters together. One of the best things was the fact that Kate saw more in Alex than he and his brothers did. He is determined to make his role with the breeding function of the stables work. Showing Trip that he can do it and do it well, Alex won’t let his focus be pulled away from his work. But it is important to say he isn’t only about work. The times when he would come to help Kate build out the set for the school kids were the best. A number of things happen in this book that both push these characters together but also pull them apart. In the end, they both have to figure out what is most important to them and then also, how they can balance it all to have everything they want.
I truly love this series and you don’t have to read them all in order but it definitely helps a bit because you know about all the other things going on in the lives of the Hamilton’s. If you are looking for a story that has plenty of romance, swoons, and family, definitely check this series out. Melissa West tells fantastic stories and everyone should be reading them.
Thanks you to the publisher and NetGalley for the review copy!
Alex Hamilton is the youngest brother and seen as the reckless one. He also has a reputation with the ladies and has done his best to stay away from Kate but he can’t help it. He is drawn to her and loves everything about her. Unfortunately he isn’t in a place where he feels he can give her what she deserves in a relationship.
Kate Littleton is Emery’s best friend. They have the kind of friendship where they tell each other everything and the fact that she can’t tell her about her feelings for Alex is making things very difficult. Kate knows that Alex isn’t a “relationship” guy but she can’t help it – she is completely drawn to him. As they start to build onto their friendship and eventually become more, they both realize they are taking a risk but they don’t care.
I loved these two characters together. One of the best things was the fact that Kate saw more in Alex than he and his brothers did. He is determined to make his role with the breeding function of the stables work. Showing Trip that he can do it and do it well, Alex won’t let his focus be pulled away from his work. But it is important to say he isn’t only about work. The times when he would come to help Kate build out the set for the school kids were the best. A number of things happen in this book that both push these characters together but also pull them apart. In the end, they both have to figure out what is most important to them and then also, how they can balance it all to have everything they want.
I truly love this series and you don’t have to read them all in order but it definitely helps a bit because you know about all the other things going on in the lives of the Hamilton’s. If you are looking for a story that has plenty of romance, swoons, and family, definitely check this series out. Melissa West tells fantastic stories and everyone should be reading them.
Thanks you to the publisher and NetGalley for the review copy!
Sword and Verse by Kathy MacMillan was a book I was impatiently waiting to get my hands on so the second I had it I knew I wouldn’t be able to hold off on reading it. I’m glad I didn’t because I really enjoyed the story. Please know that my review won’t cover everything because there is so much going on in this story that I just wouldn’t be able to do it all justice. With that said, just take my word for it that this is one book you will want to add to your list if it isn’t already there. Also, just look at that beautiful cover!
Raisa is the main character and she has a secret past. We find that being Arnathim, it is a capital offense to read and write and prior to being a slave, Raisa’s father was setting her up to replace him as a Learned One. Unfortunately one of the worst things possible happens and her village is attacked, her parents are killed, and Raisa is sold to work as a slave in the kingdom of Qilara. On the day we meet Raisa, we find out that the current tutor-in-training is being executed for teaching the slaves the sacred language. See, only the King, the Prince, the Tutor, and the Tutor-in-training are allowed to read and write and even then, everything is either burned or placed in a secure place of worship. With the execution, there is a need for a new tutor-in-waiting and because Raisa inadvertently puts herself on the Prince’s radar, she is put into the group of slaves being considered for the role.
When Raisa is selected to be the new tutor-in-waiting, she has to adjust quite a bit from her previous role but she also has a hope that by learning the language she will be able to read her heart-verse which was given to her by her father just before he died. As she begins her classes, she is learning things side by side with Prince Mati but it is clear Raisa and Mati are learning for different reasons. He will be a leader someday and she will teach his children to read and write and someday train her own replacement.
There were things I liked about both Raisa and Mati. First with Raisa, she was driven and intelligent. She clearly tried to think through the decisions she made and I appreciated the fact that she didn’t just jump on the rebellion bandwagon immediately. Prince Mati was a solid character but it was clear he didn’t really think through what his actions would mean for Raisa…at least not completely. Don’t get me wrong, he cares about her but he knows they are in very different roles. He does what he can to protect Raisa throughout the story and I love that about him. The progression of their relationship (from classmates to friends to more) is something that I thought MacMillan did a wonderful job conveying.
I also thought MacMillan did a wonderful job of developing this world the characters live in. There is clear tension between the classes and obviously language plays a giant role in the story. The different types of writing and communication and then too, the different statuses of people throughout the entire story made things very class oriented and I found it all very interesting.
As the story progresses, we are introduced to the rebels and what they are asking of Raisa. The action really picked up in the last third of the book and I enjoyed how MacMillan set the stage for the climax through the front half of the book. There are quite a few twists and turns and I couldn’t put the book down because I needed to find out what was going to happen next. If you are looking for a fantasy that focuses on class division and language, has some action, and of course, some swoony bits, consider checking out Sword and Verse. I look forward to more from MacMillan and since this is listed as a series, I am curious to see where she takes us with the next book!
Thank you to the publisher for the review copy!
Raisa is the main character and she has a secret past. We find that being Arnathim, it is a capital offense to read and write and prior to being a slave, Raisa’s father was setting her up to replace him as a Learned One. Unfortunately one of the worst things possible happens and her village is attacked, her parents are killed, and Raisa is sold to work as a slave in the kingdom of Qilara. On the day we meet Raisa, we find out that the current tutor-in-training is being executed for teaching the slaves the sacred language. See, only the King, the Prince, the Tutor, and the Tutor-in-training are allowed to read and write and even then, everything is either burned or placed in a secure place of worship. With the execution, there is a need for a new tutor-in-waiting and because Raisa inadvertently puts herself on the Prince’s radar, she is put into the group of slaves being considered for the role.
When Raisa is selected to be the new tutor-in-waiting, she has to adjust quite a bit from her previous role but she also has a hope that by learning the language she will be able to read her heart-verse which was given to her by her father just before he died. As she begins her classes, she is learning things side by side with Prince Mati but it is clear Raisa and Mati are learning for different reasons. He will be a leader someday and she will teach his children to read and write and someday train her own replacement.
There were things I liked about both Raisa and Mati. First with Raisa, she was driven and intelligent. She clearly tried to think through the decisions she made and I appreciated the fact that she didn’t just jump on the rebellion bandwagon immediately. Prince Mati was a solid character but it was clear he didn’t really think through what his actions would mean for Raisa…at least not completely. Don’t get me wrong, he cares about her but he knows they are in very different roles. He does what he can to protect Raisa throughout the story and I love that about him. The progression of their relationship (from classmates to friends to more) is something that I thought MacMillan did a wonderful job conveying.
I also thought MacMillan did a wonderful job of developing this world the characters live in. There is clear tension between the classes and obviously language plays a giant role in the story. The different types of writing and communication and then too, the different statuses of people throughout the entire story made things very class oriented and I found it all very interesting.
As the story progresses, we are introduced to the rebels and what they are asking of Raisa. The action really picked up in the last third of the book and I enjoyed how MacMillan set the stage for the climax through the front half of the book. There are quite a few twists and turns and I couldn’t put the book down because I needed to find out what was going to happen next. If you are looking for a fantasy that focuses on class division and language, has some action, and of course, some swoony bits, consider checking out Sword and Verse. I look forward to more from MacMillan and since this is listed as a series, I am curious to see where she takes us with the next book!
Thank you to the publisher for the review copy!
