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.

In The Waking Land, Bates creates a richly-detailed and action-packed story that focuses on Elanna, a young girl who grows into herself as she learns more about the magical world she lives in. Politics abound as she tries to figure out what/who is right and she discovers an ingrained magical ability that she has suppressed her entire life. Elanna’s earth-related magic may lead readers to try out Uprooted by Naomi Novik, if they haven’t already.

My review will be posted at llamallamalibrarian.wordpress.com on 8/14/17.

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!

I'm very grateful for the publisher for providing an ARC in exchange for a review. Unfortunately, this book wasn't really for me. I didn't really care for the main character, and I struggled to connect to the writing style.

Where to start with this novel... it was so much to take in. I really wanted to love this read, and with a beginning like the one The Waking Land had, I felt like it was going to quickly become a favorite. Somehow, it was the exact opposite of it. It wasn't that I didn't enjoy any of it, or that it didn't have that magical feel I was hoping for, it just had too much of it. Along with a bit of a creepy factor I wasn't expecting, it was a little off putting. 

Even with that I hoped that the characters would make this story much more interesting for me and put some of those other feels behind me, but sadly that was not at all what happened. I didn't connect with many of the characters and I feel like a big part of it could have been that there were so many of them and they were on constant rotation (yes, that's how it felt for me). I was not very fond of Elanna, and that was not for lack of trying, she just didn't have any traits or qualities that set her apart, even having the land in her corner.

As it moved along, I hoped the love story that played out would sway me more in the direction of great reads, and that also felt a little bit of a let down. Don't get me wrong, Jahan was more of a likeable character than Elanna's, but that bond they were forming felt a little unbelievable. He was in and out of the picture often and not much she could really trust as he wasn't even someone she'd known until all the chaos ensued. What really set me off from this romance was the way they cemented their new relationship. It was definitely cringe worthy. 

That's where it really gets even weirder and not a good shocking moment, at all. I loved that she had the ability to use the land at will, being able to defend those that needed, or get herself out of a deadly situation, but it was the bond she had to form to really be part of the land that I couldn't stomach (there enters her love and the extremely squeamish scene in the novel). Even more, was what she had to give up for having to wed the land because yes she actually became its bride. 

While I enjoyed the parts of the magic involved and the story it began with, how the king was not as he portrayed himself to be, or what her people truly represented, even the fact that she was fighting to defend the freedom and unity of the people, everything else seemed to have dragged on. While all of that happened, even more characters were being introduced and being killed off or removed for one reason or another. I felt like I could have really liked this novel more if a good amount of that had been omitted, and the whole connecting with the land for all its power was not so disturbing. It just wasn't what I was hoping for.

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.

Enter to win a free hardback copy of The Waking Land by Callie Bates by clicking here or subscribing to my site on the main page.

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.

Grade: C+

Callie Bates takes on a huge dramatic undertaking in her fantasy debut which centers around an assassination, a kingdom in turmoil, and the one person who is at the center of it all. Heavily character driven, Bates creates a layered and politically motivated world that revolves primarily around Lady Elanna Valtai. Taken from her family as a child, she was raised by King Erylais after her father failed to overthrow him. When the king is assassinated in another revolution, she is branded a murderer and runs only to discover her life with the king has been a lie and her fate lies with uniting a land that she has little loyalty or love for.

Waking the Land is an ambitious story coming in at over 400 pages and moving at whiplash speed with plenty of action and suspense though a large number of characters and subplots is a bit daunting. A large portion of the story watches Elanna attempt to work through her anger over what she views as her family’s abandonment after being kidnapped. Taught to hate her homeland and the magic it contains, Elanna also struggles with her own abilities which have begun to manifest themselves. A strong protagonist, Elanna has her less than stellar moments but shows growth and maturity as she plots, plans, and manipulated with the best of them. With two men at her side, there is a mild love triangle but nothing dramatic or even noteworthy in my opinion. The story ends on an interesting note, leaving readers to wonder what direction Bates will choose in book two of this trilogy.

*I received this book through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review*

2.5 stars

I was nervous about starting this book because I really wanted to like it, but I wasn't sure I was going to. I started off AMAZING! I was hooked and I was so into it, kept thinking "Why did I wait to start this one?!" only to end the book going "....really?" So, I have mixed feelings.

I absolutely LOVED the beginning the story to about....50% and then my love started waning. Why? A few reasons:
1. Elanna who knows nothing about directing a war or about her home country ACTS LIKE SHE KNOWS EVERYTHING. Then continues to contradict herself until we have to guess that she has finally made up her mind. The flip-flopping I kinda understood because she feels conflicted by how she was raised and what she thinks she knows, but over 50% into the book we still deal with this.

2.The pacing!! When I started the book as far as I knew it was a standalone--which I was excited for (still seems to be a standalone), but everything was taking so long or events kept popping up, that I had no idea how the rebels would win or how the book would end.... I swear to you, it was one of the quickest endings <i>ever</i>. One jump to the end and a bit anti-climatic for my tastes.

3. ....insta-love/ almost love triangle. *sigh* I like Jahan, he was one of my favorite characters, but that instant attraction kinda put a damper on my spirits :( It made me dislike Elanna's choices more and feel bitter for Finn, who I also liked and wanted more from.

4. There are a few events in the story that really irked me and I can't get over them.

<b> This isn't a horrible book though, there are some great aspects to it</b>.

I loved Elanna's magic and how deep it went, although I'm still confused about it a little, as well as magic in general like Jahan's magic.

The world-building is pretty good in some parts and it really brings you in. Honestly, I thought most of the writing was well done and the plot seemed thought out.

The adventure is interesting and there are exciting events to keep the reader entertained. A few plot twists which changed the story unexpectedly (until they ruined the plot twist?)

In the end, it is a decent book, one I might recommend others to try out, so I could see what they think. If this is more than a standalone, I probably won't read the rest of the series, but if this author comes out with a different book or series, I would be happy to try their work again. :)

It's hard to invoke memories of famous books like Lord of the Rings without making it feel like you ripped something off. But Bates does it flawlessly. The mountain people and Helm's Deep, the army of the ancestors... It was a joy to see that LotR had been an influence on Bates' writing, and that I wasn't likely the only one to see that! Just enough similarity to call on a memory, and different enough to feel like an entirely different concept. The plot isn't anything new, but it didn't need to be. The characters were fantastic and well-thought-out. With that, enough guesswork to make the specifics of the ending uncertain, and just the right amount of heartbreak, this was well worth the read. 4 stars.

An enjoyable YA fiction with a mix of romance and adventure. The unique world is richly detailed and the characters are deep and relatable.

he Waking Land by Callie Bates
Level of Romance: Medium

The Waking Land by Callie Bates (Amazon | B&N | Kobo) is a debut fantasy novel which examines Stockholm syndrome, family ties and the ties which bind us to the land we live in. Lady Elanna Valtai is accused of murdering the king but she didn’t do it. Fleeing from the guard who will arrest and kill her, she discovers a protector and ally in Lord Jahan, a man with strong magic who helps her awaken her own. That is not all he awakens in her, though.

He leans over and kisses his way down my arm, so lightly I just feel the brush of his lips. Then he kisses my aching stomach, my purpling thighs and knees. I dig my hands into his thick, soft hair; tears stand out in my eyes. No one has ever shown me this kind of tenderness. He leans back up, hovering over me, and brings his lips to mine. I wrap my arms around his neck.

A tale of rebellion and hope, this fantasy adventure is a green take on Game of Thrones.

It took a little while to get into this book but once I did I enjoyed it a lot. I am looking forward to reading the next installments in the series. I liked that the story wrapped up nicely but also left room to continue. The world building was a little confusing in the beginning but I understood enough to keep reading. I would definitely recommend this to people who are interested in starting a cool new series

You know, I'm really disappointed in this book. Granted, I had pretty lofty hopes for it when I requested it off NetGalley, so perhaps the fault lies with me. I'm willing to take that if it's true. Yet, there's a part of me that can't get over a few things with this book that really bothered me. For one, the main character is a whining, immature, narcissistic, repetitive, bimbo. Yes, she really is all those things. And having to read the book from her perspective, hearing her repeat the same things over and over, and all the while want to facepalm myself, was not the way I was hoping this book would go.
Having said all that, my other 'issues' suddenly don't bear mentioning since all of them somehow center around the MC. If the MC was made to grow up--at any point in the book--and there wasn't a feeling that things were trying too hard to be more than they should be, I think this book would have the potential to appeal to many more readers. As it is, I wont be recommending it.