A Book Obsession..

Release Day Review: Firstlife by Gena Showalter

, by KT

Firstlife by Gena Showalter

Everlife #1

ONE CHOICE.

TWO REALMS.

NO SECOND CHANCE.

Tenley “Ten” Lockwood is an average seventeen-year-old girl…who has spent the past thirteen months locked inside the Prynne Asylum. The reason? Not her obsession with numbers, but her refusal to let her parents choose where she’ll live—after she dies.

There is an eternal truth most of the world has come to accept: Firstlife is merely a dress rehearsal, and real life begins after death.

In the Everlife, two realms are in power: Troika and Myriad, longtime enemies and deadly rivals. Both will do anything to recruit Ten, including sending their top Laborers to lure her to their side. Soon, Ten finds herself on the run, caught in a wild tug-of-war between the two realms who will do anything to win the right to her soul. Who can she trust? And what if the realm she’s drawn to isn’t home to the boy she’s falling for? She just has to stay alive long enough to make a decision…

This book is going to be interesting to rate and review. To be honest I almost DNF it more times than I can count, and getting through the first third or so of the book was so slow going even when I kept deciding to push through. I found reasons to put the book down and do something else. Dishes, laundry, you name it. Considering my reading time is very limited anymore, you would think I would have just gone with the DNF and moved on. But there was just something about the world and storyline that kept me reading. And I'm so glad I did. There's a pretty big change in situations/surroundings for Ten, and once that event happens, I was completely hooked. I flew through the pages just to see what would happen next.

I think there were the foundations for a solid five star book here based on the incredible premise alone, which is what made the book even more frustrating than it should have. You have the first half the book which drags incessantly with no real explanations of anything, cruelty for the sake of cruelty at times it seemed that leave the reader completely detached and almost uninterested. And then the second half of the book takes up at an almost frenetic pace, and yet still somehow the reader still has no idea what's going on. I needed more info altogether, especially early on in the book. Towards the ends there were hints at somethings and peeks at conflicts to come, and while it was enough to keep me intrigued, it was not enough to satisfy.

The characters were solid and fully three dimensional, and yet I still felt a bit of detachment from them as well. I think that stemmed more from the lack of explanation about the warring sides, and no real reason ever given for why Ten refused to choose. Honestly it felt like just stubborn teen indecision, and that didn't jive with the tortures she went through because she refused to make a choice. Honestly it just didn't make sense why she would choose torture over a decision when she had no real reason not too. I guess I would have preferred a deeper reason. Add that into her obsession with numbers that seemed to randomly take over, and then all of a sudden disappear, which felt like a convenient quirk to try and make her more interesting rather than a real personality trait.

I realize this review sounds mostly full of frustration, and while that's accurate, it's not really the whole story. Once I was finally hooked, I couldn't stop reading and found myself flying through the pages. And then low and behold would you believe it ends in a killer cliffhanger. So now I'm frustrated, intrigued, impressed, and dying to get my hands on the next book all at the same time. And that ladies and gentlemen perfectly summarizes FIRSTLIFE, a whole mix of good and bad meshed into one package. So in the end I'll give this one a solid three star middle of the road and look to the next book to continue the trend/pace set at the end of this one.

(Received a copy from the publisher)

Rating:

Order Links:

Other Reviews:
a GREAT read
My Guilty Obsession
Tome Tender

Early Review: The Shadow Queen by C.J. Redwine

, by KT

The Shadow Queen by C.J. Redwine

Ravenspire #1

Lorelai Diederich, crown princess and fugitive at large, has one mission: kill the wicked queen who took both the Ravenspire throne and the life of her father. To do that, Lorelai needs to use the one weapon she and Queen Irina have in common—magic. She’ll have to be stronger, faster, and more powerful than Irina, the most dangerous sorceress Ravenspire has ever seen.

In the neighboring kingdom of Eldr, when Prince Kol’s father and older brother are killed by an invading army of magic-wielding ogres, the second-born prince is suddenly given the responsibility of saving his kingdom. To do that, Kol needs magic—and the only way to get it is to make a deal with the queen of Ravenspire, promise to become her personal huntsman…and bring her Lorelai’s heart.

But Lorelai is nothing like Kol expected—beautiful, fierce, and unstoppable—and despite dark magic, Lorelai is drawn in by the passionate and troubled king. Fighting to stay one step ahead of the dragon huntsman—who she likes far more than she should—Lorelai does everything in her power to ruin the wicked queen. But Irina isn’t going down without a fight, and her final move may cost the princess the one thing she still has left to lose.

I really enjoyed THE SHADOW QUEEN. I'm not typically a fan of retellings, fairy tales made modern or changed never really were my thing. Too much of a been there, done that feeling for my tastes. And to be honest, Snow White even in the original form never was my favorite But the cover on this one completely hooked me in, so I gave it a try, and I'm so glad I did. It's Snow White, but it's really not. In fact, I think a lot of why I enjoyed this book so much is that it was far more "not" Snow White. Aside from just a few similarities, THE SHADOW QUEEN is fully its own story. Add that to the fully fleshed and intriguing cast of characters, and I was hooked from the start.

Lorelai is strong and fierce and yet very vulnerable as well. So much of this book was about her journey towards confidence and believing herself and powers. She faces so many trials and persevered through every single one, and I thoroughly enjoyed cheering her on the entire way. Then you have Kol who has similar confidence issues, but in a very different way. The two made for an interesting pair especially when you consider certain obstacles that were placed between them. But I really enjoyed how neither was over the moon instalove swoon for the other, but kept their heads and always remembered their duties. They are both to be the leaders of their countries, and I really felt their attitudes matched that. So many times once a love interest is involved everyone always seems to lose their heads, and it was a refreshing change of pace here to not have that happen.

That being said, while I enjoyed this book, it did have a few pacing issues that kept me from giving a five star rating. Some things that I felt could have used a bit more focus due to their importance/intensity were very rushed through. While in reverse, some things that I felt were less important seemed to drag a bit longer than necessary. For example, there's a pretty big loss relatively early on that seemed to happen in a blink. While I felt like I should have been devastated alongside the characters, I just wasn't due to how fast things happened and then moved on. Almost more of a telling rather than showing me the character's devastation. And then in reverse, there's several inner struggles that different characters go through that seem to drag on, and become a bit repetitive by the end. There's other examples of course, but I'll stay vague to avoid spoilers.

All in all, THE SHADOW QUEEN has made me think I might be a fan of retellings after all. From the characters, to the world building in a familiar yet different story, I was hooked from the start. While things wrapped up well in this book, and the story could end here, things were left just open enough to continue, and I can't wait to see what's next.

(Received a copy from the publisher)

Rating:

Order Links:

Other Reviews:
Between Dreams and Reality
Brandi Breathes Books
The Eater of Books!

Review: Wickedly Powerful by Deborah Blake

, by KT

Wickedly Powerful by Deborah Blake

Baba Yaga #3

Known as the wicked witch of Russian fairy tales, Baba Yaga is not one woman, but rather a title carried by a chosen few. They keep the balance of nature and guard the borders of our world, but don’t make the mistake of crossing one of them…

The only thing more fiery than Bella Young’s red hair is her temper. She knows that a Baba Yaga’s power without strict control can leave the people she cares about burned, so to protect her heart—and everyone around her—the only company she keeps is her dragon-turned-Norwegian-Forest-cat, Koshka.

But when Bella is tasked with discovering who’s setting magical fires throughout Wyoming’s Black Hills, she finds herself working closely with former hotshots firefighter Sam Corbett—and falling hard for his quiet strength and charm.

Sam may bear the scars of his past, but Bella can see beyond them and would do anything to help him heal. Only before she can rescue her Prince Charming, she’ll have to overcome the mysterious foe setting the forest fires—a truly wicked witch who wields as much power and even more anger than Bella…

I really enjoyed Bella's character in this book, and how she was very different than her other two Baba sisters. In fact that's one of the things I appreciate the most about this series. Each Baba has their own very unique voice and personality despite all their similarities. In Bella's case, she's more middle of the road between the two others. She's not as aggressive as Barbara, and not as easy going as Beka. I found her to be a good balance to the other two. That of course doesn't mean she doesn't have her own baggage. Far from it. In fact I think she had more baggage than the other two and that's saying something. However, that baggage made for an interesting character development as she learned to trust herself again. In fact, the theme of this book seemed to be emotional/scarred pasts and baggage. And while that may sound like it would make the book gloomy, it did the exact opposite. It made the book a journey of healing for all involved, and I really enjoyed every moment of it.

As far as the romance, unfortunately unlike each of the Babas being unique, I didn't find the main conflict between Bella and Sam to be so. Sure, when it boils down to it, Sam and Liam were very different, and Sam especially came with a scarred past like I mentioned. But the one thing that got me was that in both books the conflict that separates the pairs is the hero's need to follow the letter of the law rather than the spirit. Perhaps I shouldn't be quite so picky as the rest of the book was more than enjoyable. I just wanted a new "black moment" for the thing that drove them apart.

Getting back to the good stuff, not only did I really enjoy Bella's character, but the plot had me hooked as well. The ladies have faced some nasty troubles in the past, but I have to say this one takes the cake. Not only did it make this book rather intense, but there are a lot of far reaching implications that will be kicking off the next part of the series featuring the Riders. So all in all, WICKEDLY POWERFUL is a very enjoyable installment, and I can't wait to see where this series goes next.

(Received a copy from the publisher)

Rating:

Order Links:

Other Reviews:
Herding Cats Burning Soup
Badass Book Reviews

Previous Books:
1. Wickedly Dangerous
2. Wickedly Wonderful
1.5. Wickedly Ever After

Early Review: The Immortals by Jordana Max Brodsky

, by KT

The Immortals by Jordana Max Brodsky

Olympus Bound #1

MANHATTAN HAS MANY SECRETS.
SOME ARE OLDER THAN THE CITY ITSELF.

Manhattan.
The city sleeps. Selene DiSilva walks her dog along the banks of the Hudson. She is alone-just the way she likes it. She doesn't believe in friends, and she doesn't speak to her family. Most of them are simply too dangerous.

Murders.
In the predawn calm, Selene finds the body of a young woman washed ashore, gruesomely mutilated and wreathed in laurel. Her ancient rage returns. And so does the memory of a promise she made long ago. To protect the innocent-and to punish those who stand in her way.

Gods.
With the NYPD out of its depth, Selene vows to hunt the killer on her own. But when classics professor Theo Schultz decodes the ancient myth behind the crime, the solitary Huntress finds herself working with a man who's her opposite in every way. Together, they face a long-forgotten cult that lies behind a string of murders, and they'll need help from the one source Selene distrusts most of all: the city's other Immortals.

I had a really hard time with this one. So much so that I found myself continually skimming large parts and considered not finishing more than a few times. I mustered through however as the plot had intrigued me enough to see how everything played out, but it wasn't the smoothest of reads for various reasons. The largest being how flat the characters were, specifically the main character, Selene. Everything about her was wooden and completely flat. It's like all the personality had been sucked out of her, aside from her firm belief that all men are evil. She's supposedly the protector of the innocent, but somehow that only seems to apply to women, and even then she looks upon the ones she saves with contempt.

Now onto the thing that kept me reading, the mystery behind the plotline. I was hooked enough to want to find out the root of the evil rituals and see who was behind it all. Unfortunately despite being intrigued, this didn't make the plot progression exciting or engrossing. Far from it in fact. This is a rather long book, and honestly I feel a lot could have been condensed as again it all seemed flat, plot included. That being said, the twist at the end did make things rather interesting and did help soften the blow of my frustration.

Perhaps I should have DNF this book, but the greek mythology and mystery hooked me enough to stick around. I guess I kept hoping for it to redeem itself, and unfortunately that just didn't happen. Take my review with a grain of salt as looking over other reviews, it seems while some disliked the book like myself, a good bit absolutely loved it, so depending on your reading preference you might enjoy this. But in the end it's simply not for me.

(Received a copy from the publisher)

Rating:

Order Links:

Other Reviews:
Miss Em Recommends
The Literati Press
Civilian Reader

Grave Visions by Kalayna Price

, by KT

Grave Visions by Kalayna Price

Alex Craft #4

Grave Visions by Kalayna Price is the much-anticipated fourth installment in the kick-ass urban fantasy series about Alex Craft, a grave witch who can communicate with the dead.

If you want to hear voices from the dead in Nekros City, you call Alex Craft. She's a Grave Witch with reasonable rates and extraordinary powers, who specializes in revealing the secrets of the dead. But now she's the one fighting to keep her own secret. She's not human—and her newly discovered heritage is causing havoc for her both in the human realm and in Faerie. But her status as an unaffiliated fae also makes her an ideal candidate to investigate a new street drug that has surfaced in several of the spaces between the human and fae worlds.

This glamour-infused drug causes hallucinations that turn real—at least for a while and often with deadly consequences. Searching for the source of this drug—and its purpose—lands Alex front and center in the conflict brewing in Faerie and she must find answers before she's dragged so deep she loses her freedom.

While the wait for GRAVE VISIONS may have been incredibly long, after reading, I'm happy to say it was worth the wait. I had worried after all this time that I wouldn't remember the previous books and be lost picking up the one. However, I was pleasantly surprised at just how fast I slipped back into this world. There was no "re-learning" curve needed. I think that's really a testament to just how well this world is crafted. I love the characters just as much now as I did years ago when the last book was released, Alex in particular. This time around she really shines as she's learning to cope with her newly found Fae heritiage and all of the politics that come with it. Each time I thought she might just have to give in to the bonds and demands placed on her, she preserved and I found myself rooting for her more with each page.

The only reason I didn't give this book a 5 was due to it feeling like a set up book. Don't get me wrong, more than plenty happens and I was completely entertained throughout, but I felt like it was all leading to the next book. It felt like Alex had to over come the certain task/politic issues so she could move onto the next step of who she is becoming. And THAT is the book I really want to read. So that being said, I really hope the wait isn't as long as I simply want more from this world and these characters. All in all fans in the series will be more than pleased with this much awaited installment.

(Received a copy from the publisher)

Rating:

Order Links:

Other Reviews:
Red Hot Books
Gizmo's Reviews
a GREAT read

Previous Books:
1. Grave Witch
2. Grave Dance
3. Grave Memory

Early Review: Darkness Raging by Yasmine Galenorn

, by KT

Darkness Raging by Yasmine Galenorn

Otherworld #18

The New York Times bestselling author of Panther Prowlingreturns to the Otherworld where one of the D’Artigo sisters faces a terrifying challenge that’s more personal than she ever could have imagined.

We're the D'Artigo sisters: savvy half-human, half-Fae ex-operatives for the Otherworld Intelligence Agency. My sister Camille is a wicked-good witch. Delilah is a two-faced werecat and a Death Maiden. And me? I'm Menolly, a vampire married to a gorgeous werepuma. As the war in Otherworld arrives, Blood Wyne, Queen of the Vampires, summons me. Apparently, my position as Roman's consort entails more than I imagined...

As the Demon Lord Shadow Wing creates his own sinister version of the Keraastar Knights—the guardians of the spirit seals—to destroy the portals and free himself from the Sub Realms, his ally, the necromancer Telazhar, leads an assault from Otherworld into the streets of Seattle. And my sisters and I are caught dead center.

Then, on the eve of war, my wife, Nerissa, is captured. The enemy demands we surrender the rest of the spirit seals, or they are going to kill her. I will do anything to save her. Even if it means leading an army of vampires into the very depths of the Subterranean Realms...

This series has been very long running, and in my review of the last book I had mentioned that I felt it has been going on almost too long. There was a lot of rinse and repeat it felt, and I have to admit I was a bit leery to read this one as a result. That being said, DARKNESS RAGING felt a lot fresher than recent installments, and I found myself enjoying it a good bit more. It reads almost like a series ending book which I appreciated. From what I understand, Yasmine will be publishing further installments on her own, but she ended this last book with her publisher in a place that will leave readers satisfied if they choose to stop. Again this is something I appreciate as the series wasn't really working for me anymore. But who knows, I still may give future books a try, but if not, I'm largely happy with how things turned out. So fans of the series should be pleased with DARKNESS RAGING and the progression/resolution of many of the long running threads.

One complaint I did have with the book despite the resolution was the romance, which frankly led me to skim parts of the book. As much as I enjoy romance in my urban fantasies, I have to admit this one drives me a bit batty. Sure, Menolly and Nerissa have a really strong love for one another, but I feel like that fact is constantly pounded into my head due to the complication with Roland. There was a glimmer of hope for a better balance in the mid part of this book, but even so, it seemed every interaction between the three of them had to mention/reinforce that while Menolly and Roland have a bond, it will never be anything compared to her and Nerissa. It was just too much of the same point over and over again, leaving me a bit frustrated.

But back to the good, there's plenty of action this time around, and things with Shadow Wing finally come to a head. I won't spoil things, but suffice it to say that overall DARKNESS RAGING kept me entertained and satisfied by the end with both the book and the series. Fans of this long running series should be pleased as well.

(Received a copy from the publisher)

Rating:

Order Links:

Other Reviews:

Previous Books:

1. Witchling

2. Changeling

3. Darkling

4. Dragon Wytch

5. Night Huntress

6. Demon Mistress

7. Bone Magic

8. Harvest Hunting

9. Blood Wyne

10. Courting Darkness

11. Shaded Vision

12. Shadow Rising

13. Haunted Moon

14. Autumn Whispers

15. Crimson Veil

15.5. Flight from Hell

16. Priestess Dreaming

17. Panther Prowling

Release Day Review: The Brimstone Deception by Lisa Shearin

, by KT

The Brimstone Deception by Lisa Shearin

SPI Files #3

Men in Black meets Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum in the new urban fantasy novel starring seer Makenna Fraser and her fellow agents at Supernatural Protection & Investigation.

The agents of Supernatural Protection & Investigations (SPI) know that fighting evil is a full-time job, especially when a new designer drug—with mind-blowing side effects—hits the streets...

It’s called Brimstone. And after the first few hits, you’ll see every supernatural beast sharing the sidewalk, train, or office with you. After that, you’ll start seeing the really scary stuff.

I’m Makenna Fraser, seer for the SPI. And the collateral damage caused by Brimstone is something I’d like to unsee: dead drug dealers missing their hearts—and souls. Because your local pusher doesn’t stand a chance against the new cartel muscling its way into New York. And since the drug can only be produced with magic and molten brimstone fresh from Hell, that means a rift to the underworld is open somewhere in the city.

And when—not if—the cartel loses control of it, well...

It’s going to be Hell on earth.

Makenna and crew are back at it again, and boy is this one a doozy. Considering these events start just two days after the last book's crazy events, it made things even more intense. Sure, crime never takes a holiday, but geeze, at some point a girl needs a break. Well more of a break than forced infirmary visits that is. In fact, it's rather impressive how much character growth and development the author is able to pack into these books considering how frenetic the pacing is and how short the timeline is. I fell in love with Mac even more in THE BRIMSTONE DEFECTION. She's snarky and fun, fierce and yet so vulnerable all at the same time. The dance she and Rake are doing around one another is nothing short of fully amusing. Sure I'd have liked a bit more progression there with the romance part of that, but again given that seriously short timeline, it makes sense to have the bit of a slower burn. Now I just have to wait until next year to see what happens next.

It's a shame this series has only released one book a year as they are incredible reads that as soon as I finish I only want more. They are truly urban fantasy at its finest. There's the incredible world, fantastic characters full of depth, heart pounding action, and so much more. Trust me if you haven't started this series yet, you'll want to move it to the very top of your list. THE BRIMSTONE DEFECTION only serves to further prove that The SPI Files is one heck of a series that is not to be missed. I can't wait for more!

(Received a copy from the publisher)

Rating:

Order Links:

Other Reviews:
Vampire Book Club

Previous Books:
1. The Grendel Affair
2. The Dragon Conspiracy

Review: Driven by Kelley Armstrong

, by KT

Driven by Kelley Armstrong

Otherworld Stories #13.6

Cains are known for being big, brutish and not-too-bright. The mutt clan embodies all the supernatural world’s worst stereotypes about werewolves. But not even the Cains deserve to be hunted down and skinned like animals.

When young Davis Cain comes to the Pack for help, Alpha Elena Michaels can’t refuse him. It isn't about morality or justice. It’s about not letting anyone think they can do this to werewolves and get away with it.

But Elena is also dealing with the Pack’s homegrown monster—Malcolm Danvers, onetime enforcer, full-time psycho. Malcolm is now under Elena’s control, as part of the most difficult decision she’s had to make as leader. But if she has to let Malcolm in, she’s going to make full use of him…and the best person to catch monsters is one who knows exactly how they think.

I'm always amazed at the quality of these longer novellas Kelley puts out through Subterranean Press. Everything part about them is perfect, not only the stories themselves but the imagery as well, and DRIVEN is no exception. Despite the series technically ending at book Thirteen, there has been so much going on afterward, and I love seeing things continue. This time around really felt almost like it's own full novel with the main plot and dangers therein, not to mention the Malcolm issues taking full stage as well. Add in the dynamics between the growing pack and seeing the twins mature even more, and this was one heck of a treat to read. Sure it's a bit short compared to the full lengths, but it's got so much packed in that shorter length, the only thing you're missing is the longer drawn out stuff you'd find in a full length book. Trust me, this read is well worth the price.

All in all, Driven is an absolute must read for fans of the series.

(Received a copy from the publisher)

Rating:

Order Links:

>

Other Reviews:
One Book Two
Paperback Wonderland
The Armchair Librarian

Previous Books:
1. Bitten
2. Stolen
3. Dime Store Magic
4. Industrial Magic
5. Haunted
6. Broken
7. No Humans Involved
8. Personal Demon
9. Living With the Dead
10. Frostbitten
11. Waking the Witch
12. Spell Bound
13. Thirteen
13.1. Brazen
13.2. Bounty Hunt
13.3. Forsaken

Early Review: Wickedly Ever After by Deborah Blake

, by KT

Wickedly Wonderful by Deborah Blake

Baba Yaga #2.5

Known as the wicked witch of Russian fairy tales, Baba Yaga is not one woman, but rather a title carried by a chosen few. They keep the balance of nature and guard the borders of our world, but don’t make the mistake of crossing one…

Having triumphed over a powerful enemy and ended up with both a wonderful guy—Sheriff Liam McClellan—and an adorable adopted daughter to raise as a Baba Yaga, Barbara Yager is ready to welcome her happily ever after.

But first she must bring Liam to the Otherworld and get the Queen’s permission to marry him. The Queen, however, is not so easily persuaded. She gives them three impossible tasks to complete in two weeks’ time—and if they fail Barbara will have to watch Liam slowly age and die like all humans, and kiss her happily ever after good-bye forever.

This was a quick and fun read bringing the story back to Liam and Baba. I always love follow up novellas like this as they give glimpses into the couple's lives after the original happily ever after. There's just something so satisfying at seeing where characters you loved are now, and that really was the case here. I enjoyed seeing Liam, Baba, and little Babs interact and navigate their new lives as a family all the while juggling three impossible tasks from the Queen. Even better, the rest of the Baba Yagas play a role as well making this novella tie everything together even more.

Overall, a fun treat of a read in an enjoyable series that keeps me coming back for more.

(Received a copy from the publisher)

Rating:

Order Links:

Other Reviews:
Cat Among the Pigeons

Previous Books:
1. Wickedly Dangerous
2. Wickedly Wonderful

Kirsten Reviews: The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin

, by KT

The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin

The Broken Earth #1

This is the way the world ends. Again.

Three terrible things happen in a single day. Essun, a woman living an ordinary life in a small town, comes home to find that her husband has brutally murdered their son and kidnapped their daughter. Meanwhile, mighty Sanze -- the world-spanning empire whose innovations have been civilization's bedrock for a thousand years -- collapses as most of its citizens are murdered to serve a madman's vengeance. And worst of all, across the heart of the vast continent known as the Stillness, a great red rift has been torn into the heart of the earth, spewing ash enough to darken the sky for years. Or centuries.

Now Essun must pursue the wreckage of her family through a deadly, dying land. Without sunlight, clean water, or arable land, and with limited stockpiles of supplies, there will be war all across the Stillness: a battle royale of nations not for power or territory, but simply for the basic resources necessary to get through the long dark night. Essun does not care if the world falls apart around her. She'll break it herself, if she must, to save her daughter.

The Fifth Season, the first book in the Broken Earth series by N.K. Jemisin is set on the continent as the Stillness, where Essun, a seemingly ordinary woman, returns home one day to discover that her husband has murdered their son and kidnapped their daughter. At the same time, the empire of Sanze, suffers a tragedy as many of its citizens are killed. All of this while the Stillness has been rent by a rift which is spewing forth ash from deep within the planet, threatening to darken the sky for what may be years, or possibly hundreds of years. These three things happen on the same day, which is a good indicator that nothing is going as it should be for anyone except anyone with bad intentions.

The Stillness would have been destroyed many times before if it wasn’t for the efforts of the Orogenes, people who have the power to manipulate the planet’s energy and even shape the land itself. However, instead of being revered for their abilities and the fact that they have prevented all-out catastrophe, the Orogenes are viewed with suspicion and even violence. This is partly because their powers can cause as much damage as the disasters they work to prevent, particularly if they are unable to control their talents. This means that any child who shows signs of these talents is immediately removed from their home and forced to undergo rigorous training, except for those that are murdered by frightened neighbors, or even their own parents. As Essun is an Orogene, concealing her powers, when she finds her son murdered, she realizes what her husband must have done, and sets out to find him

Essun’s journey to avenge her son and rescue her daughter propels her across the Stillness, and it's one which will pit her against the forces of the continent, as well as those who would see her dead, even though the Orogenes are essential to maintain the balance of the land. Since this is only the first book in what promises to be a complex series, there are many questions left unresolved for future installments in the series, it sets up a web of politics, betrayal, and family drama set against an interesting world that deserves a great deal more exploration.
(Received a copy from the publisher)

Rating:

Order Links:

Other Reviews:
The Bibliosanctum
Fantasy Review Barn
Paranormal Haven