This was a YA/Fantasy book that I thoroughly enjoyed. I loved the adventure, the twists in the plot. The author uses such imagination and creativity to make the characters and locations come alive.
The use of a female heroine combined with lore, earth magic, and even a touch of sorcery leaves readers enthralled. This book reminded me why I love this genre.

I'll admit, the first couple of chapters were complicated. The names of the many characters and locations were difficult. Once I got through the “learning curve”, I was hooked. I had to force myself to put the book down at 6:30 A.M. , having read all through the night.

Before: (things it took several chapters to learn... the “learning curve”)

The gods created the lands, weaving magic into the earth. The Children of Anu followed the gods.
Wildegarde lived in the time before Eren and Caeris were divided into two Nations over 4 centuries ago.

In the lore:

In the mountains, Bal an-Dacrans – The Dragon's Mouth. It was said that the dragons took in an orphan child whom they called Wildegarde. She came down to Caeris and woke the land.

Caeris still worships the old gods of earth and wood and mountains. [tripartite].

The country of Caeris (CaerYs) was known for it's powerful earth magic. Full of legends, lore and people with the ancient wisdom of the earth magic. Caeris was ruled by a tripartite of the Monarch of Caeris, the Cavedear [Steward of the land], and the Warren of the mountains, to ensure equal power by all areas of the country.
There has been no “true” Cavedear for several centuries. The last “true” Cavedear was Wildegarde.

“Wildergarde came, bearing a flame in her heart and her hair crowned with the pale
light of the stars. Where she placed her foot, the earth trembled; where she raised
her hand, mountains moved.”

A true Cavedear has an extreme awareness of all the land. They are one with the land, able to see through the eyes of the creatures of the land, to hear the songs of the trees, to create rivers where none exist, and even to move mountains.

When the Emperors of Palidis and the Imperial army invaded Caeris 200 years ago, they proclaimed magic forbidden. The following Inquisitions brought witch hunters who sought and murdered anyone thought to be using magic.

Our story begins here.

Even as a child, Elanna has had power over anything that is of the earth, able to grow plants in her hand. She has had to hide her magic all her life. In Caeris though, her parents knew what she was.

Folklore:

“They said, 'What art thou?' ”
“She said, 'I am the wildness.' ”
“They said, 'Why hast thou come?' ”

“ 'For thee.' ”

The Walking Land is a tale that follows Lady Elanna Valtair who was taken hostage at age 5 by King Antoine Eyrle of Eren. This was to ensure that her father would not attempt to overthrow the throne again. Elanna was raised by King Antoine as his adopted daughter and he favored her over his own daughter. Elanna developed a loyalty to the King and the country where she was raised. When she was 19, the King was murdered and Elanna was accused of his murder. She is forced to flee for her life. With the assistance of several unique characters, she returns to her homeland which remains full of legends of a magic she has always known she has – but has had to hide. Magic is forbidden! Once there she learns the truth of her homeland Caeris (CaerYs). She has been taught lies!

No more spoilers!!

I loved reading as Elanna grew into her character. I loved the legends of earth magic and the folklore of The Walking Land. The story ends in an epic magical showdown.

If you enjoy Fantasy and Magic, this book is excellent.


Than you Netgalley for allowing me to read this ARC in exchange for my honest review.
My review will be posted on amazon, goodreads, netgalley and moonshineartspot.blogspot.com

First of all, can we look at this cover? How cool is this cover! And it’s entirely appropriate for this book. Like, I can’t think of any cooler cover for this book. It perfectly sums up the story and the character Elanna.

So, as far as I can tell this is a stand alone fantasy novel. It’s billed as YA, but it’s really more upper YA into NA due to one steamy scene. I hope this becomes a series though, because I was blown away. I’m just not sure what is left of the story to tell… but I’d still read it!

This world and magic system is so cool. Basically, El lives in a country where magic is outlawed. If someone is suspected of magic, the Witch Hunters are called, and it’s a death sentence. So El doesn’t tell anyone that plants come alive around her – one touch of her finger and she can make them grow. She has big plans of going off for further training to be a botanist. Of course, the king might have other plans, like an arranged marriage.

No worries about that whole arranged marriage by the king thing though, because the king is murdered. Oh, and El is one of the prime suspects. And aside from taking her away from her parents and homeland at five years old to become a political prisoner—due to her father leading a rebellion, she actually kind of liked the guy. So begins her tale. She goes through a lot of changes of heart in this book, starting with not wanting anything to do with her parents. Not wanting to accept her magic. Wanting things to stay the same for her in King Antoine’s court.

El’s journey is a long one. Like, this book could have been broken into like, at least a trilogy, but it wasn’t, and I’m glad the author chose to keep it as one book. It meant no wait time to finish this journey!

The magic in this book is so cool. The land is literally alive and that power lives inside Elanna. There’s a lot of talk of the ancestors and ancient magics and so on. I loved it.

The romance? I don’t know if I was just in the mood for this kind of romance or what, but I immediately fell under Jahan’s charms. His personality was just so… charming! And he’s got secrets of his own. He was very easy going and had a nice sense of humor.

This review does this book no justice. Seriously, none. I can’t even describe all the feels. I can say this though, I did not want to put this book down. Most times I have my specific reading times and I stick to them. With this book? That went out the window. I read and read, and then I read some more. Until I’d devoured this entire thing in 3 days time—which is pretty quick for me for a book this long.

So, long story short: fans of YA fantasy tales with really cool and unique magic systems and a swoon worthy love interest will enjoy this story.

The Waking Land is a beautifully written, atmospheric fantasy with a complex history, politics, betrayal, and drama. There is everything from action-filled scenes to romance that will have your heart swooning. The magical system is intriguing. You'll find it hard not to root for the characters. Young adults and adults will both find this book entertaining as there is strong crossover appeal. Fans of Uprooted and The Bear and the Nightingale will want to check The Waking Land out.

The book begins with Lady Elanna being taken hostage by the King of Erin. She is taken from her homeland of Caeris to Erin, a rival land. She grows up learning the culture and customs of Erin and considers the people of Caeris (including her mother and father) as traitors. She is raised as a daughter to the King and in turn is hated by the King’s actual daughter. When the King dies under mysterious circumstances, his real daughter, the Princess wants to have her tried for murder. Lady Elanna has no choice, but to try to return to original homeland, Caeris.

As she wrestles with her emotions about returning to Caeris, she begins to learn more about her homeland. How her strong relationship with the earth and her ability to manipulate plants might be part of her destiny.

As the battles begin for control of the land, Lady Elanna has to come to terms with her destiny and her position.

It’s been a while since I’ve read a fantasy book and I found this one enjoyable. It was not a super fast paced book, it was more of a leisurely read. I occasionally got a little lost in the details, but could still follow what was going on.

I received an ARC of this book.

2.5 or 3 stars
I am a lying liar from Liar Town who totally forgot she hadn’t posted a review. Sorry! (I do this every time I read something way before my approved time to post reviews…)

Despite being initially kidnapped by him at gun point to be used as political leverage, Elanna has come to view the king as a surrogate father, and is understandably upset when he is assassinated. Things continue to get worse for her when she is framed for his murder, and she must flee the county. She winds up in her homeland, where she must come to terms with her feelings for it, her birth father, and the powers she has tried to keep hidden from her captors for more than a decade.

I’m really glad I wrote the bulk of my review back in April, because I can barely remember anything about this book. I can’t remember what I had for breakfast sometimes, so I guess this isn’t surprising, but definitely proof that it didn’t make much of an impact all the same. Anyway, here’s what I wrote right after finishing the book in April (surprisingly coherent for being written at like 5 AM, and complete with bullet points, because I love bullet points):

I’m having a hard time articulating my feelings about this book, largely because they are very lukewarm. It’s not a BAD book by any means, but it’s not great either. It’s okay. I don’t regret reading it, but I don’t think that I would have picked it up had I been able to look at more readers’ reviews.

Let’s start with what I didn’t like, I guess:
• “In the lush and magical tradition of Naomi Novik s award-winning Uprooted…” what does that even MEAN? This book is nothing like Uprooted, which, full disclosure, is one of my absolute favorite books, and the comparison to which finalized my decision to click the “Request” button. I mean…they both have trees?? And cram a lot of story into one book? And..magic?? I don’t know, that’s all I got. They are completely different books, and the juxtaposition with what is – at least, in my opinion- a much better-written book does this one no favors. (Edit from the Future: Huh, that’s no longer part of the Goodreads blurb? It’s still on the book’s Amazon and Barnes & Noble pages, though, so I’m sticking to my grumbling here.)
• Ok, so you know that old writing adage “show, don’t tell?” There is a LOT of telling. Constantly. We get what is largely a play-by-play of Elanna’s thoughts and feelings, and it drove me up the wall. Also, we are TOLD that she is very much into botany and wants to make a career out of it, but not until maybe… the last third, I guess, do we actually get to see her nerd out about plants. I want to SEE her get excited about plants like I (a library person) get excited about books. I know I’m working with a rougher draft than most of you will be reading, but still.
• Building off of the last gripe, there is a lot of repetition in the telling. We are frequently reminded that:
o Her loyalties are very divided and she is conflicted
o Her birth culture is BARBAROUS…until she suddenly does a 180 on this, idk (would like to have seen this change of view develop more naturally, but okay)
o X is new and conflicts with information she was previously taught?? Which piece of information is true????
o Loyce is the Worst (in all fairness, she is)
o Elanna is PISSED
o The ever-expanding litany of people who have sacrificed themselves for the greater good and/or Elanna
o Love interest #1 has a Specific Love Interest Smell. Love interest #1 is LOOKING at her! Love Interest #1 is touching her omg.
I feel like I could probably go on, but those are what stuck stuck out in the most in my mind. I just remember frequently thinking “Yes, I KNOW. You told me this already. Get on with it.” There was actual sighing and eye-rolling , you guys.
• SPEAKING OF LOVE INTERESTS: the romance did not work for me. It happened too quickly, and felt like it was there just because it NEEDED to be. I was frankly surprised when the MC’s feelings were reciprocated; I was getting nothing from SPOILER Love Interest #1 END SPOILER. The same more or less goes for the other participant in the half-hearted love triangle (which I was glad to see quickly resolved, honestly; love triangles make me want to punch myself in the face). THESE ARE NOT REQUIREMENTS. You do not have to shoehorn romantic angst into your story for it to sell.
• Do you know how done I am with first person present tense narration? It happens so much in YA genre fiction, and this one is no exception. Thanks, Hunger Games. (Or Twilight. I don’t actually know whose fault it is.)
• As with her story, I had lukewarm feelings at best for Elanna. She seems to be a lot younger than her age (19), and repeatedly made some really bad decisions that hurt other people early on in the story, which I found to be frustrating. She also just sort of felt…flat to me? She didn’t inspire any feelings in me beyond annoyance, and I actually found myself forgetting her name on a few different occasions (Edit from the Future: I couldn’t remember her name until I looked at my review just now…actually, I couldn’t remember anyone’s name, WHOOPS). She’s not terrible, as MCs go, but I didn’t love her.
• I am still super confused about what “wedding the land” means?? Do you just have to have sex? Do you have to do the do in the woods?? Does it even require the do to be did??? No matter what it means, the implications of sex as a rite of passage for a young woman made me really uncomfortable.
• SPOILER: We are told that a particular character is Destined to Die and…he does?? Don’t do that???END SPOILER (Edit from the Future: I MEAN, ok usually when this we are told A is going to happen, it doesn’t, or B happens instead, so MAYBE this is a good thing but…probably not.)


I did like some things, though:
• One character whom other authors probably would have given a redemption-by-death arc (I SEE YOU, ROWLING), did not get that. That is such a lazy thing to do, and we did not get that here. Bates twisted it up, and I appreciate that immensely.
• There are no bad Scottish accents from the Scottish-equivalent characters, and I appreciate that, too.
• Rhia is my grumpy, buff child and I love her.
• Victoire was great too, and would have liked to have seen more of her. (As a side note, I kind of ship her with Rhia? Idk.)
• I don’t remember any girlhate, which is always a good thing.
• How gorgeous is that cover??
• The last 1/3 or so was much more readable, so maybe that’s where most of the editing energy had been focused? It gave me hope that the final draft will be better, but I doubt enough will have changed to make me genuinely like this book. In any case, I’m not curious enough to check when the book comes out. Edit from the Future: Still not interested in a reread, but I will probably look at other readers’ reviews, now that mine is being published.

The long and short of it: the concept was GOOD, but the execution lacking. It and the protagonist managed to be both annoying and forgettable at times (somehow??), but were generally just…okay. The romance was predictable and kind of forced. The writing drove me up a wall some of the time, but SOME of that MIGHT be rectified in the final draft.
I don’t recommend this book, but I also don’t NOT recommend it. Give it a shot if the concept sounds good to you. It’s not a bad way to spend your time, and you may like it more than I did.
Edit from the Future: Looks like there’s going to be a sequel. I doubt I’ll read it, but I thought you might like to know.

A big “thank you” to the publisher and NetGalley for letting me read it early in exchange for an honest review!

(Originally published on Goodreads)

With a 19 year old protagonist, I can see this book being shelved in the young adult section and that worries me.

I was anticipating this book with much enthusiasm and the promise to myself that I would get the review out ahead of time. I want to help authors be successful in their work, and I enjoy being able to spread the word when they have a strong piece of literature being published. Instead I ended up with a story that I've had to brew over the review for awhile so it was balanced.

My very high hopes were destroyed with just one scene in this story. The story and the magic are easily a possible future or very distant past somewhere on the British isles. There are standing stones and princes from across the sea. There are clans that wear body paint and run into battle with cheers.

I love stories that make an homage to the lore of Britain, Scotland, Ireland and Wales. They are great stories that are very familiar to me and have a lot of room for imagination. The botany flavor to the fantasy was even a very nice touch that made this book stand apart.

Then we get to the story itself, the writing and the principles. We will ignore the fact the protagonist is a little weakly written and could use some development help. We will ignore the fact that the Elanna and Jahan fall in love at first sight giving young girls the impression that that is ever real or that simple.

We will not, however, ignore the fact that this story was ruined in one atrocious scene where Elanna weds the land. This was a completely unnecessary undertaking for a novel that could quite potentially be housed on the young adult shelves. It added nothing to the story and wasn't even written well. Shame on the editors for allowing it past the cutting room floor.

My four stars for the novel went to a 2 and never recommend this story to anyone in one swoop of the pen.

: I truly enjoyed this book right up until the end. It doesn’t have a bad ending but it was so rushed that I feel like a lot was missing. This book really would have been much better as a duology so that readers really could get more into the magic and the war. The only other thing that bothered me in the book was the main characters constant waffling about who really was and what she needed to do. She was taken from her parents as a child and raised by the king himself and given everything she wanted. Despite that she was tormented by other children in the castle and wasn’t allowed to have any contact with her parents. I understand that some brainwashing probably took place but at the same time I don’t think she would have lost her curiosity about her home and parents. She seemed to have sold out on her origins and then had an internal struggle when she was forced back home and into a leadership role for her people. I think the book could have spent a little less time on that struggle and more time on her magic, or even on her realizing the truth of how things really are in the kingdom. The story itself was well written, the premise and type of magic were intriguing and overall this was an enjoyable read I would recommend.

A perfectly good YA fantasy. A very interesting concept that I think will be perfect for fans of ToG, Grisha Trilogy and Queen of the Tearling.

I'm not usually a fan of fantasy, however, The Waking Land intrigued me. It is a well written tale of adventure and self discovery. Fans of Uprooted by Naomi Novik may find a new favorite in Callie Bates' lovely new novel.

The Waking Land is basically a girl flees back to a magical realm after being accused of murder.  This book was very hard for me to get into. The writing style wasn't my favorite. There was too many details and it could have been better if it was scaled down just a bit It was unique but not my cup of tea. 2 out of 5 stars.

By far my favorite thing about this book is the rich imagery of the setting and the complex politics driving the story. The writing is excellent and the characters so easy to fall in love with.
That said, sometimes I did feel like, though the politics were really intriguing, sometimes the explanations went on a little long. It also gave the story much more of an adult fiction feel than a young adult feel, because while Elanna is caught up in finding her place among her people—adopted or biological—much of the story has to do with the political ramifications of her alliances and actions. The romantic relationship in the story also had more of an adult relationship feel to me than a teen relationship in the way the characters related to one another and how Elanna thought of her love.

Those things didn’t lessen my enjoyment of the book, though they might make it less appealing to young readers. Hard to say. If you liked Robin McKinley’s The Blue Sword or Leah Cypess’s Nightspell, you may want to snap up a copy of The Waking Land.

Interesting story and premise. Sure to circulate well with fantasy fans.

This review and others posted over at <a href="http://milliebotreads.com/"><b>my blog.</b></a>

I DNF’d this book around the 40% mark.


I missed the part where it was YA and had I known that I still would have given it a chance, but I would have been more prepared for the constant physical descriptions of the characters and their clothing and how handsome that one guy was. Instead, I was caught off guard, wondering why this book wouldn’t shut the hell up about how hot this one guy was and how bewildered Our Heroine was that someone so blindingly handsome would pay even an iota of attention to her. I wish she had been struck blind by his good looks so she would STOP TALKING ABOUT THEM.

Actually, the first clue I had that this book was YA was that magical line where the character said within the first handful of pages: “I breathed out a breath I didn’t know I was holding.” Damnit! She even repeats the sentiment later by stating: “I realize I’m holding my breath.” Girl, would you just breathe normally, please!?

Writers one and all, please stop putting some variation of that line in your books! I beg you!

Anyway, once I realized I was reading a YA fantasy books, things started to go downhill fast. Elanna has some cool magical powers wherein she can make plants grow and move and maybe do other stuff, but, I didn’t get far enough to find out. I enjoyed hearing about her life in the palace (though perhaps she would have been a less annoying character if the book wasn’t told in first person and the read privy to her every pointless thought) Once she’s convicted of murdering her foster father, the king, and she meets the heart-poundingly, breath-takingly, lip-bitingly, godlike, handsome Jahan, I started to lose interest because her world starts to revolve around his handsome jackass.

Oh, and we also find out 20% into the book that his name is pronounced Yah-han, not Jah-han, but by then it was too late for me to change my mental pronunciation.

So Elanna has these cool powers she’s been trying to hide, but rather than use them, she’s busy mooning over JAH-han. The second he comes on the scene, really, she’s gabbing about how super-hot she is and how she’s dressed as a boy (Gasp! How drab!) Which, by the way, I swear the start of the book mentions her boy clothes and how she doesn’t actually pass for a boy, they’re just more comfortable, but then after that she’s constantly worried she’ll be mistaken for a boy in the presence of good looking people and even is mistaken for a boy at least once. I, however, was too lazy to go back and look this up, so I can’t be certain.

When Elanna wasn’t pausing amid fleeing for her very life or thoughts of how she’s just lost all the family and friends she’s ever known to think about the hunky Jahan, she was painstakingly describing her group’s boring travel details or random politics about a world I didn’t care about. For someone with magical powers, she didn’t use them enough for me to maintain interest. I wanted to know more about the magic system – oh, Jahan has undefined mystical powers as well – and sadly, when I wasn’t bored to death I was frustrated.

I felt so beaten about the head with Jahan’s hotness that I wish I’d actually been knocked unconscious so then I wouldn’t have to hear about it again. I finally had to abandon this book because life is too short to read books I don’t enjoy.

But hey, if the handsomest dude to ever handsome in YA and magic (I hope there’s more of it in the latter half of the book) are things that interest you, you might enjoy this!

DEBUT NOVELIST -- WHAT A STORY

Wow!  From the cover of the book to the last page, you’re in for a treat.  While you read, you’ll realize how appropriate the cover is.  It is as creative and unique as this tale of fantasy.

For a debut novel, the writer shows real talent and imagination. She weaves a land of fantasy with secret little pockets of intrigue hidden within the bigger picture.  Characters are well fleshed out.  The characters are complex, providing a rich selection of people with questionable motives in a tale which gets increasingly desperate. The best part is you feel for Elanna’s plight, your emotion of right and wrong will run high.

The book is written in first person, Elanna’s point of view. She is a Caerisian girl abducted from her parents, used as a political pawn.  This event and the death of her abductor, King Antoine, catapults the story into a situation where Elanna, the protagonist must make decisions. Chaos and the power struggle of the Ereni embroil Elanna into unsafe territory. She is accused of killing the king, using magic and her knowledge of botany to poison him. Using magic is a crime, penalty by death.  She runs, the witch hunt is on.

Elanna is strong and intelligent. She is also a foundling in magic. Fourteen years in Ereni lands has made her detest her own people, her father and mother, particularly, who didn’t come to save her. She’s been content, however, living under the wing of her abductor, King Antoine, almost like a daughter. She enjoys working with the royal botanist, Guerin Jacquard.  This is her opportunity to feel the earth. Elanna has a secret gift, she dare not share with anyone.  When she touches a plant, it will grow. Magic is in the lass, but not enough to save her.

Unbeknownst to Elanna, her family has been watching over her. They infiltrate the court to save her.  But does she want to be saved from those she’s learned to hate? Those who fight against the new ways?

The Caerisians don’t have as much magic as they did.  There are no more stewards of the land.  The wardens of the mountains  keep to themselves.  They are safekeeping the old ways until a new steward appears. The land of magic is dying. No one can wake it.

Princess Loyce, daughter to the king is particularly vindictive to Elanna. She is a character easily disliked.  One other is Denis Falconier, who plays up Princess Loyce’s hatred of Elanna. They both demean her, smearing her heritage.

Jahan Korakides,a character, is iffy. Is he a good guy or bad? Bates plays the reader’s doubts like a harpist plucking her strings.  I doesn’t seem to matter to Elanna whose side he’s on.  She is drawn to him.

A sigh unravels from within me. I wish I could talk to Jahan. I liked the way he listened to me, as if he really heard me—more than that, as if he understood what it’s like to hold secrets buried so deep you don’t even let yourself see them. As if he understands what it’s like to be born for a purpose you never chose.

What Elanna doesn’t realize is she is the new steward of the land.  To save her people, to save her world from annihilation, she must become the steward, not just in word, but in deed.  Can she live up to it? Can she harness the mystery and magic in the Circle of Stones?

Elanna’s mother is one to watch.  Bates is a marvel not giving away the motives behind certain characters.  They are enigma to the reader as is to Elanna.

Lord Gilbert, known as the Butcher, will scare you.  What is his game? Denis Falconier, bed partner to Princess Loyce, is difficult to read.  He doesn’t like Elanna and makes her life extremely uncomfortable.  With the passing of the king, the walls of the court ooze with evil and fear.

Elanna must face the truth of who she is. She’d prefer to lose herself in studies in Ida. She has spent her life trying to forget her magic, her past.  Now it’s time to face her past, accept the truth and play the role she is chosen to play.  Only then, can her real strength unfold.

Bates absolutely captivated me with her creative, unique story in this brilliant tale of intrigue, strength, doing the right thing, finding your true self, and overcoming fear. I enjoy taking away from a story more than entertainment.  She shows even though divided into nations, we are still one people, people who want peace and prosperity, living harmonious with the earth.

I recommend the read and am certainly interested in following Callie Bates, a newly published author.

I was provided an advanced reader's copy by NetGalley in exchange for an honest and fair review.

This was an okay read - there wasn't anything wrong with it, it just plodded along rather more slowly than I would have liked... The beginning was strong, then it felt like it needed a hefty edit to keep the pacing even and the plot moving forward. There were interesting Celtic-feeling elements, and I really enjoyed the earth magic component as well as the tripartite governing concept with the steward of the land and the mountains and the king as an interesting spin on separation of powers. The murderer was pretty easy to figure out early on, and despite the attempts at weaving confusion as to who was good and who could not be trusted, there was not much mystery in that regard either. There were no epic fail moments or flaws, but I found myself skimming at multiple points because the story would drag - and even if I skimmed several chapters, I never had difficulty catching up. To me, that suggests that a fairly heavy edit could have tightened this into a really well-paced adventure...

In the acknowledgements section at the end of The Waking Land by Callie Bates, she states that her book is "what happens when you read your daughter The Lord of the Rings [when she's]...nine, then drag her into old-growth forests and nurture her desire to be a writer." The book is a story told in the vein of that legendary one, but with it's own style and strengths. Like that legendary book, it is also long and epic in scale (which is why I'm so late posting this review), but more rousing than the original and told, I thought, with more flair.

What The Waking Land is About

Lady Elanna Valtai is fiercely devoted to the king who raised her like a daughter. But when he dies under mysterious circumstances, Elanna is accused of his murder and must flee for her life. She runs into some men who are compatriots of her real father, the one that let her be kidnapped by that king many years ago. She's taken back to and forced to reckon with her despised, estranged father, who had been branded a traitor. Feeling a strange, deep connection to the natural world, she also must face the truth about the forces she has always denied or disdained as superstition, as certain powers suddenly stir within her.

But her accusers are relentless, and she's quickly forced to choose between staying free of them but involving herself in a rebellion against the king's daughter (now the queen and revealed to be the power-monger she truly was), who was just recently her pretend sister, or letting herself be caught and executed for a crime she didn't commit. Neither is really an option, but the power that she develops to literally wake the land tilts things in the rebellion's favor, ill-fated though it might be.

What I Liked About the Book

It is fascinating to me the way some authors can spin such rich, intricate tales about imaginary people, places, and plots. It's not easy to do. Bates, even though she is a debut author, seems to be a pro at developing multiple story lines, embellishing each one, and weaving them all together into one seamless plot that marches ever forward. There is a romance story line, a what-do-I-do-with-my-power story line, a will-I-ever-have-a-good-relationship-with-my-parents story line, an evasion-of-capture story line, and a does-this-rebellion-stand-a-chance story line. They're all big story lines in and of themselves, and they all progress based on Elanna's thoughts and their ensuing decisions. Amazing.

Also, the entire book is told in first-person present tense, as in: "There's a touch on my arm, and I look up to find Jahan standing next to me." This is very unusual for speculative fiction, but it really works. It makes things seem more tangible and intense, being inside Elanna's head as things happen. If I were to put a visual with this, it'd be the rug-weaving video I mentioned here, but with the viewer being the weaver and the rug being much bigger and multi-colored. That's why I say it's "rousing."

Lastly, the intrigue and mystery of whose loyalties lie where (Elanna's, Elanna's mom, The Butcher, etc.) is very thick, which makes for lots of emotion and thinking during the reading of this book.

What I Didn't Like as Much

In the way of a nutrition facts label, there are a couple of swear words, a sex scene (that I skipped over), and an out-of-wedlock relationship. There's definitely violence. There are also good examples of mercy being granted and of certain people taking the high road, of communing with nature (of course).
It might big a bit long for some.
There are a couple of major plot points that I questioned the sense of, despite the fact that they'd been well led up to.
Who Will Probably Like This Book

Anyone who likes Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien, Wheel of Time by Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson, Elantris by Brandon Sanderson, or The Curse of Chalion by Louis McMaster Bujold will like this book. Anyone who likes intrigue, action, non-simplistic plots, or romances will probably enjoy it too.

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This was unfortunately a DNF for me. I thought the concept sounded interesting, but the plot was largely a rip-off of the Jacobin rebellion with magic added, and the main character was a mess of conflicting emotions and motivations.

From what I can tell this is a stand alone book. Meet Elanna Valtai who was kidnapped from her revolutionary parents at the age of five and raised by the King they were trying to displace. She is now 19 and has had to hide her magical powers over plant life her whole life in order not to called a witch and executed because magic was outlawed two hundred years ago when her people were conquered. When the King is assassinated her whole world is turned upside down and she finds herself having to choose between leading a revolution or pretty much give herself up. What she never she is she is just one part of a three way role of power that is needed for the land to come back to life making things better for all that live there. This book has all kinds of things going on. there is magic of course, intrigue, suspense, murder, battles, romance, and so much more. Each page leads the reader on a new path in the adventure that leads all the way to the grand finale at the end which was quite awesome if I do say so myself. Though the main characters are officially adults I highly recommend this book to fans of YA fantasy novels because this one flows just like one of them would which I think makes it fall into the new NA genre. I really enjoyed reading it so it gets 4/5 stars.

[Disclaimer: I received a free e-copy of this book from NetGalley for review purposes.]

3.5 stars rounded up to 4.

There was a lot to like with this book, but quite a bit that didn't work for me. Other reviewers have said it better than me - the book was uneven, but still good. I did enjoy the read and would like to read more from this author. Although I do think this would have been better as a stand-alone (I'm getting tired of everything being book 1 of 3 or lord knows how many). I believe I read that this will be part of a trilogy (the synopsis of the second book sounds interesting, since I enjoyed Jahan's character more than Elanna).

Elanna is 19, but at times she acts like a spoiled child and at other times she acts much older than 19. She seems to abandon her Stockholm syndrome pretty easily once she's back home, despite her own protests to the contrary. I like how she tried to highlight that it's possible to consider yourself of both lands, not just one or the other. I had a hard time with all the kings and emperors and political dynamics of the lands.

There were some moments I thought were being played for surprise but were painfully obvious (Finn is obviously the prince coming to claim his throne, and that's not a spoiler because it's revealed early on). The waffling back and forth about whether Elanna would go to the mountains was a bit ridiculous as well. "I can't leave them! But I have to learn how to use my power so I can help them! But I can't leave them! But I have to! But I can't!" Finally she has no choice in the matter, and thank God for that.

But there were some shining moments of brilliance - especially the descriptions of how the land is awake in Elanna once she gains her full powers. It (very slightly) reminded me of [book:Lavondyss|280716] when Tallis becomes the tree and experiences the beginning of the world and the passage of millennia through it. (I offer this as a compliment to the author, because Robert Holdstock is an absolute master of fantasy.) I enjoyed reading about Elanna's powers and what she was able to accomplish. But I thought there were some loose ends that weren't totally considered in this book. Maybe that was because they were being saved for the next book (which is where it seems my concerns are going to be worked out).

Elanna's relationships seemed to be determined very quickly and without a lot of conflict (except Jahan and the Butcher, although both conflicts were quite lukewarm). I was a little confused why she seemed to be the leader of everything when Finn was right there, and then <spoiler>once he died, Sophy. Elanna flat-out went right over Sophy's head to exile Loyce, when Sophy was supposed to be the queen</spoiler>.

Story-wise, the book was very different from most other books I've read. I was also reminded of Naomi Novik's [book:Uprooted|22544764], mostly for the forest magic. Novik's book was more masterful, but she's also published many books. For a first book, this isn't trailing super far behind. There's a lot to look forward to about this author, and I hold out hope that book 2 is more steady in plot and character.

Interesting and fun, recommended for fantasy lovers.

I’m sure there’s an audience for Callie Bates’ debut novel The Waking Land, but after reaching the halfway point (53% to be precise), I also became sure that I was not it, leading to a DNF review.).

The story, which has some clear (at times perhaps too clear) historical referents, is set in a world where hundreds of years ago the nation of Caeris conquered the neighboring nation of Eren, while much more powerful than either of them is the empire of Paladis. More recently, about a decade ago Elanna Valtai’s noble father tried to lead a rebellion to free Eren and bring back the “king in exile,” but his plans were discovered and while he was clever enough so that Caeris had no rock-hard proof, he was exiled to his estate while then five-year-old Elanna was taken hostage by Caeris’ King Antoine. Fast forward to when El is now a smart, beautiful young woman in her teens, having been raised as one of his own by the King (much to his real daughter’s dismay, as evidenced by her hatred of El). When King Antoine dies mysteriously, El is accused of his murder and is forced to flee, which ends up entangling her in her father’s new rebellious plotting, thanks to the fact that she exhibits the ancestral and singular power of the one who can “wake the land.” Romance complicates matters, as the “prince in exile” would seem to be the perfect match for El to cement his position, while the Empire’s ambassador, there to decide whether the Emperor should add his substantial assistance to the rebellion, is a dashing young sorcerer-in-hiding (all magic has long been outlawed on pain of death) to whom El is instantly attracted.

And therein lies wince number one for me. I confess I long ago grew weary of the YA insta-romance (to be fair, this doesn’t just bedevil YA, though it does seem to be more prevalent there). But it’s so ubiquitous that I soldiered on, but the many references to his eyes, the feel of his forearm below his breast, the way he looked at her like nobody else ever had, etc. began to pile up way too frequently for me. The Waking Land is told in first-person POV, and this exacerbated the issue because the voice and what was being voiced was becoming too monotonous.

It isn’t that all Elanna thought of was the dashing young sorcerer, but unfortunately, the other thing she thought of didn’t diminish the monotony all that much, basically being limited to “I hate my father; I don’t want to face my father” and “Do I really have power, and how strong is it, and do I really want to use it?” The annoyance factor of these two thoughts was heightened not just by their constant repetition, but because the reader already knows that a) you’re going to face your father and b) yes, you have power and yes you will use it. I felt I was just ping-ponging amongst these three strands, back and forth, back and forth, experiencing an increasingly desperate desire to break out of El’s mind, and while I’m not sure which of the three thoughts strands was the last straw, one of them certainly was. And it wasn’t just the interior monologues; this repetitiveness expressed itself in dialogue as well.

Beyond these issues, the characters felt thin, the world-building too thinly-layered atop history, the relationships a bit too trite at times (the spiteful resentful quasi-sister, the dashing young sorcerer, the sternly distant father, the girl born into her role, etc.), there’s a fair amount of clumsy early exposition (having the character roll her eyes at the being told what she already knows doesn’t negate the clumsiness), El is far too naïve about things even given her youth, there are logistical issues with some scenes, and plausibility issues with others. To be fair, it’s quite possible the clichés or shallow characterization got overturned or deeper in the latter half of the novel, or maybe the second half is all in someone else’s voice, and if so, I owe the author an apology. But by that halfway point, I’d already been seriously pushing myself along, and finally decided enough was enough. Not recommended.