Author: Kelly St. Clare
Genre: Fantasy
Length: About 400 Pages (Kindle)
Publication: January 2015
My Rating: 4/5 Stars
I received a free copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
Review
This book throws you right into the world and then builds that world around you. It is really beautiful and detailed. The world building is fantastic. Everything was introduced quickly and with detailed, but not overly tedious details. The worlds of Osolis and Glacium were both interesting and well depicted.
The characters were one of the reasons this novel is so good. Lina, the main character, is strong, intelligent, loving, kind, and flawed all in good measure. I never really felt that she was overdone. She knew she had limitations but she wasn't afraid to test her bounds on anything. And since we're in her head we get to see a lot of what has shaped her.
Sometimes with first person narratives the other characters fall somewhat flat. I did not find that to be the case here at all. Each character offered something and we got to see several different sides of their personalities. There are plenty of questions surrounding many characters, but I never felt that any of them were forced or introduced without reason. Kedrick and Jovan are two of my favorites. Being a prince and king of Glacium, they are very different than the people Lina is used to, but each of them has so many layers to their personalities. I'm interested to see if their younger brother Ashawn has more of a part in the next novel. The delegates are all very interesting as well.
It was great to see two very different societies. We didn't see as much of Osolis as we do Glacium, but there is enough there for comparison. The author did a wonderful job differentiating the two societies and their customs. It was always easy to keep the two straight in my head.
We also get to see Lina grow a lot as a character. She discovers new places and people. Although strong in the beginning, she gets even stronger as the story progresses. I love the way her relationships with the other characters push her to improve.
I'm very interested to see where this story goes and what happens with the characters. I have some ideas. I guess we shall see if I'm right when book two comes along! I was somewhat confused by the movement from location to location based on the weather. I found myself thinking in circles when I first read about the rotation through the different sectors in the beginning. I honestly don't know why. I'm sure it makes much more sense than my brain can make of it at the moment. I often over think things.
This novel was a great read. The world, the characters, the mystery introduced within its pages is just so beautifully crafted. I am very much looking forward to reading the next installment. I just wish I had it right now! I think this would definitely appeal to fans of high fantasy who enjoy strong female leads. It's a very compelling read.
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