Every once in a while a book will come along that I have to ask myself what in the world is this? This one for this year is that one. I have to ask myself what was the author and publisher thinking when they decided to write and publish a book with SO much to keep track of? This one has so many characters and so many kingdoms to keep track of that I DNFed it about 40% in. I ended up restarting the book twice just to see if I could get things straight and ya it just wasn't happening. This book started out great but got so frustrating shortly into it.

So although this one had a lot going for it the author just bogged down the story in a way that you just can't follow it.

I loved this book so much that I did something I rarely do- I emailed the author and asked her "Will there be more?" She kindly and quickly replied that this is the first in a trilogy, so more is on the way! I rarely give out five stars, but this fantasy deserves them.

There are two opposing lands in a pseudo-medieval world. The Ereni Empire outlaws magic. The Caerisians are mounting a Revolution against the Ereni because they value their rare magic that allows some of them to communicate with nature in a very beautiful and also scary strong way. Stuck in the middle of these two empires is Elana (El) who was held as a hostage by the Ereni King since she was 5 years old. While growing up Ereni, she comes to think of herself as Ereni and the Ereni King as her father even if everyone there has not been nice to her. But El has strong powers. Shes not allowed to use them in Ereni and she does not feel like she belongs with her true family.

This is such an entertaining story with great characters. El is strong and coming into and magic and learning about love, duty, and family. The story reminded me a little of Uprooted but I enjoyed this one much more. It also reminded me a little of The Fifth Season based on how things in the environment can so drastically change. Highly recommended.

This book was provided by NetGalley and the Publisher in exchange for an honest review. Much appreciated.

I liked the concept of this book including the fact that the author got her inspiration from nature and the Lord of the Rings and I absolutely loved the ending, but there were some parts throughout where I was extremely frustrated that the main character, Lady Elanna, couldn't make up her mind on what she was feeling or thinking and the fluctuation was confusing. But all in all it was pretty good!

I was kind of disappointed with this book. Which is unfortunate because I really, really wanted to love this book. The cover was gorgeous and the premise sounded really interesting, but in the end, the execution fell short.

My main issue with this book was Elanna aka El, the protagonist of the story. While I love having strong main characters in books, it's not necessarily bad when a female character isn't amazing all the time. Characters can have flaws, of course. However, what really bothered me was El's personality and how quickly it flipped when she became the "steward of the land".

Initially, El was kind of likable in that she was stuck in another land, raised by a man who wasn't her father, and disliked by so many of the people in the castle. I felt a little bad for her situation and I wanted her to rise up from it at the end of the book to show them how she wasn't all the things they said she was. 

It was when she met up with her father's comrades/the rebellion that I started to get really irritated with Elanna. She was constantly complaining about her life in a way that bordered on whining. She was constantly crying or feeling sorry for herself. 

Not only that but even after she was treated so poorly by others for being Caerisian, she went on to look down on her companions just because of where they came from. She acted like she was better than them like they were ignorant and backward. It irritated me so much because you would think that she would know more than anyone else how terrible it felt to be treated that way, to be in that position, and she still did it anyways. Sure, part of it was that was raised to believe so many lies by the king, but for someone who claimed to be so smart she was quick to believe just about anything.

The only change I saw in Elanna was that once she had her parents attention--when she could see how "proud" they were--she started to change her mind about things. It wasn't her as a character making a choice to stand up for what was right, but about getting approval from others. She kept repeating how she was the "steward of the land" and acting with authority without really understanding everything that came with that title. I felt like Elanna shouldn't have been the face of the rebellion.

Finn was also a really pathetic character. He was cowardly and complained about his situation often enough that it made me roll my eyes. I could understand him not wanting the responsibility put on him, but he couldn't even try to fake being a leader when people needed him the most just for morale.

Aside from Elanna and Finn, the rest of the characters didn't necessarily feel especially memorable. I can't remember the name for most of the people that Elanna traveled with. I think the only exceptions to this might be Victoire and Rhia--both of whom had a more (consistent) character, in my opinion, than Elanna.

Now, some of the descriptions in the book were nice. The writing wasn't too terrible for most of the time, but it was repetitive. I can't even guess the number of times that we were reminded that Elanna was the steward of the land and that the land was alive or waking. We get it. 

As for the pacing, the book felt slow. It was hard to remember that the story was moving toward a rebellion because it just didn't feel like it was moving in that direction. Plus, the ending just felt... cheap. Hardly anyone died. I know, that sounds like a weird thing to complain about, but really... if you're having a rebellion someone has to die right? And I'm talking about characters that mattered, even a little.

The only people who really died were faceless, nameless characters. Hardly anyone that actually mattered to Elanna was lost in this book. It was like no one wanted anything bad to happen to Elanna besides being forced to grow up in another kingdom. And that hardly even counts because her situation wasn't that bad, even with people making fun of her for being Caerisian. The king cared for her more than he did his own daughter. Elanna wasn't treated like a prisoner, and she made it clear more than once that she preferred living there, so I can't feel too bad for her.

In the end, it felt like this was the story of a whiny girl who got returned to her homeland, got some cool powers, realized said powers were cool and people liked her for them, and then proceeded to act like her powers suddenly made her a better person. Honestly, the book was just kinda boring. If you like strong female characters or even just good character development, this would probably not be the book for you.

Strong fantasy that comes off as overly confusing (so many names! people! places!). Solid three star read for me.

I’m impressed with Bates imagination to create such an intricate world of magic, political turmoil, and how the “Warden of the Land” fought for her people. I read page after page with curiosity and intrigue right from the start. I can’t pick which parts I love most; the strong heroine, supporting characters, the amazing world building or the magical land.

Let me start with the characters. Elanna, our fearless heroine, was kidnapped and raised by the king who kidnapped her. Thinking the people, culture, and beliefs she had grown up to know are far more superior than the one she was born with. But when the king dies, she is left with no choice but to go back to where she truly belongs. Finding out the truth of her past was a rude awakening for Elanna but she took it like a champ. She had all kinds of reservations and resentment but when the truth presented itself, she was able to take it in her stride. The use of her power to help her people was amazing and awe inspiring. And I really love her powers to control the land. It thought that power to be super cool.

The well-developed supporting characters blew me away. Our hero, Johan who helps Elanna escape and lead her to her people and eventually lead the rebellion against the king. I love Johan and his ability to let Elanna be the badass that she is. He has now qualms about letting her take the lead yet not feeling insecure. The romance was slow and really just a small part but it was sweet. I initially thought there might have been a triangle romance but I was relieved to know that it wasn’t the case. Last, her family and the people who fought (some died) for their cause; I think Bates did a great job incorporating what they do and how strongly they believed in it. It made their loyalty believable and it supported Elanna’s decisions in so many ways.

I was floored by Bates world building. She eases you in slowly into this magical world as the protagonist eases into who she is and the power she posses. The magical world and its history are a bit complicated, but not once I was overwhelmed. What I love most is the connection of the land to Elanna’s powers. She reminded me a little of a hippie version of Poison Ivy.

There were some slow bits but only due to the storytelling of the past and I know some might not like that, but it didn’t deter me from enjoying this book to the fullest. I actually can’t wait, and I’m dying to ask the author what’s to come for Elanna and her people, but I refrain in fear of getting blocked in her social media. LOL. I do recommend this book if you like Mary Pearson, Kiersten White, or Sarah Beth Durst novels.

Thanks to the publisher for access to this title in return for a fair review.

This book started out at a strong 4 stars for me. Good characters and interactions and everything I look for in a decent read. However, the last half wasn't as impressive for me, and by the end I just wanted to be done and move on. Part of this may have been my own perception at the time as I was having a hard time staying focused and interested, but then I realized I had finished 4 other books in between starting this one, so I don't think it was all me. The explanation of all the magic was severely lacking for me, and I found that I really didn't care what happened to any of the characters.

Overall, a fun fantasy, but not one that I loved.

This was a very enjoyable book. The story is set-up perfectly for a sequel (or even more) and I certainly hope another book is in the works. This was one of the best recently published fantasy novels I have read. Ms. Bates has created compelling, complex characters and a compelling world. The story has a good mix of action, drama, and mystery/suspense. I particularly liked that Elanna, the main character, had this internal struggle throughout most of the story between her life in Eren and what she had been taught as a ward of the king regarding her homeland of Caeris and its customs, in particular the use of magic and worship of the old gods, and her former life as a young child in Caeris, her magical abilities (which she had largely suppressed for years), and the beliefs and desires of her family. Multiple people, including her own father, want to use her for their own goals/ambitions and want her because of what they think she can do/who she might be, while she really just wants to be left alone to pursue botany and be herself. However, forced into a situation where she has to decide whether to embrace her magic and her role as steward of the land, Elanna finds a way to forge her own path, discover her own strength, and stay true to the citizens of both Caeris and Eren.

I really enjoyed this book, this was one I struggled to put down. Ellana starts out with a very narrow minded view of the world and through her journey learns to embrace the truth of what is really happening between the countries. Who is really loyal to the cause, who is a double agent, and who is plotting for their own gain. The intrigue kept me reading but my love for lady Ellana's beautiful gift to wake the land and what she can do with the land was fun and imaginative. I seriously cannot wait for the next installment in the series.

I loved The Waking Land, but it took me a while to accept the pace of the book. I wanted to read it fast, but it is not a fast book, I was hooked once I finally took my time to savor the character development, the writing, the world, and the characters.

Elanna's character development is at the forefront of this novel, she is incredibly conflicted about her beliefs after growing up as a well-treated hostage, she rejects the way her captives view her people and at the same time absorbs and assimilates that worldview. Elanna's obstinate personality causes her to war with herself for most of the book, often having completely contradictory feelings from one situation to the next. Elanna's acceptance of herself, her homeland and people, and duty was a slow and believable process. Elanna's conflicting behavior is a great example of how individuals can embody negative ideas whether they realize it or not.

The writing shined when describing action and especially during conversations. Much of the book is filled with lovely details that sharpen the world, "I was feeding her pretend bites of the caramel pudding the servants had brought up earlier, baked in a dish until the sugar on top was crackling hot." The writing is least enjoyable when Elanna would sinks into obsessive thoughts and ruminates for pages, much of her development is realized through these thought processes, but it felt more natural when she came to realizations about herself in conversations. The bulk of the book is written in present tense (not my favorite) and makes complete sense for the unfolding of Elanna's story. I am currently studying for the GRE so I was particularly aware of the use of fancy vocabulary in The Waking Land, I loved that I had to stop and look up words, I appreciate books that challenge young people rather than dumbing things down for them.

The world is complex and engaging. Much of the world-building is introduced through natural conversations. The world is very different from anything I have read before (lately I think a lot of writers drop us off in Westeros-land and leave most of the world building and relationships to the assumption of the reader, George has already done the building for them). Caeris and Eren have complicated relations with the greater, fickle Paladisan Empire. The magic is very interesting, it can differ depending on where the character is from and how it is bound to the land, like Elanna's magic. I also enjoyed how science is incorporated as an important aspect of magic, that magic could be studied and understood in scientific ways.

The Waking Land focuses solely on Elanna and didn't add any other POV characters, but all the secondary characters have complex lives, emotions, and motivations. There is a lot going on for everyone and it adds a great deal to the depth of the story. One of my favorite parts was the development of friendship and trust between Elanna and the other characters.

While The Waking Land is not the typical sugar-coated, compulsively readable young adult novel, it has an enduring, complex story that will keep readers coming for years to come when all the sugary books have been discarded. I'm excited to see what Callie Bates does next.

After seeing the cover and synopsis on NetGalley, I couldn’t request a review copy fast enough. Sadly, despite the interesting premise, this one fell completely flat for me. I am a huge fantasy fan and seldom find myself bored, but the magical and world building elements are completely overshadowed by the political ones. About half way into the story, I was no longer interested in the numerous factions and endless politics.

I didn’t dislike Elanna but never felt invested in her plight either. She is somewhat immature and cold to those who only wanted to help her and her people. The romantic element felt bizarre at times and completely rushed. Had this not been a review copy, I likely would have given up on finishing it.

I wouldn’t discourage anyone from reading this one, but wouldn’t recommend it either. I don’t see myself continuing on with the next installment. The author seems to have potential, but the story was too long and not focused on elements I enjoy.

*Thank you to NetGalley and Del Rey Books for my copy.*

I was super excited to read this when I read the synopsis. But the story have to many characters that it is hard to keep up. Sad to say I loss interest when I got to the middle of the story.

Bates, Callie The Waking Land, 400 pages. Del Rey, 2017. Language: PG-13 (29 swears, 0 ‘f’); Mature Content: R (on page sex); Violence: PG-13 (fighting, death).

Elanna has been a hostage for 14 years as ransom for her father’s good behavior. When she accused of murdering her protector, King Antoine, by his greedy heir, the new Queen Loyce, She must run for her life, and perhaps towards her destiny. Along the wasy she will learn about friendship, about love, and about the three-part power of her land.

Bates writes a tour-de-force of high fantasy. I can’t wait to read more in the series. Rich in detail, in magic, and connections. Were it not for the scene where Elanna “weds the land” it would be appropriate for a much wider audience.

HS – OPTIONAL. Cindy, Library Teacher

There are some really nice ideas at play in this novel, but the execution just didn't quite hang together, in my opinion. It tells the story of El, a young girl who finds herself involved in a rebellion while trying to come to terms with her own magic. The narrative has some nice nods to medieval legend and there is a sense of court romance and chivalry at play in terms of place name and language (all very French sounding). The magic system is quite original with its emphasis on 'waking' the land and it had a druidical feel about it. However, the pacing is really awkward. The narrative jumps forward abruptly in places, sometimes in the course of a single paragraph, which I found really jarring. I found our protagonist pretty irritating, with her wilful ability to make outstandingly horrible decisions and did not empathise with her at all. Some of the peripheral characters were more interesting for me. Finally, I thought the decision to write the novel in the first person present tense a little strange. It seems weird for someone to be narrating events as they are happening to her. All in all, it was interesting in places but left me a little disappointed.

The Waking Land is a Hot Mess of heart-thumping pacing, serviceable world building, eye roll–worthy instalove, a hotheaded and unreliable narrator (other POVs would have been most welcome!), an intriguing magic system, unbelievable 180s, and promising but underdeveloped secondary characters. Callie Bates is not without talent as a writer and storyteller, but I hope she continues to hone her craft.

After being dramatically kidnapped at age five, Elanna lives at the court of her homeland's oppressor. Fourteen years later, she is framed for regicide and must flee. She is not eager to reunite with her parents or take their part in the ongoing conflict; having been thoroughly brainwashed, she is mistrustful and suspicious of them and their allies. I'll offer a piece of advice to a would-be reader: focus on the myriad ways in which the adults in Elanna's life all fail her. They use her as a pawn, they don't communicate with or explain things to her, they assume that she will fall into line when she has been given no incentive to do so, they try to make her choices for her, etc. If you keep these things at the front of your mind, you may find Elanna less annoying and more sympathetic.

On cue, Elanna's Super Special Powers awaken and it is soon taken as a given that she is the Only One Who Can Save the World. From unwanted stepchild to everyone eating out of her hands—stop me if you've heard this one before! That said, I liked the Druidic flavor to the magic system and its connection to the land, and the pacing had me inhaling pages in a positively unladylike manner. The story works fine as a standalone, though I hear it will be a trilogy.

I was immediately drawn to this book by it's cover art - it's stunning! Thank you to NetGalley and Del Rey for letting me read the ARC.

The Waking Land's protagonist, Elanna Valtai, has been held prisoner by the king of Eren, which invaded and controls her homeland, Caeris. Elanna grows up to like the king --he treats her well, but in the end she is still a prisoner. When the king dies after a mysterious poisoning, Elanna is set up and escapes (with some help) back to her homeland, Caeris. During all these years in captivity, Elanna has become an Eren lady, so there is some culture shock at being thrown back into a land and society that she barely remembers, and grew up to believe was barbaric. Not only that, but Elanna discovers she is Steward of the Land, a magical and very important person in Caeris that can control the power of nature. After initial hesitation, Elanna is persuaded to take up her homeland's fight for freedom, and the story progresses from there. I admit this book took me about 2 months to slog through, and while I enjoyed it mostly, you can tell it's a debut.

What was done well: In regards to the story--there was a lot of potential, but it wasn't fully exploited. I really enjoyed the magic system. I like Bates' overall tone and her writing structure was good too. I liked the imagery that was created, especially for the singing pines.

What wasn't done well: While I enjoyed the magic system, it really wasn't explained very well. I LOVE romance in my fantasy novels (<3 u Maas) but the romance in this book was juvenile and not believable--No good build up. The plot moved unevenly and was very jerky at some points. Bates should work on writing transitions a bit better. In addition, nearly everything wrapped together a bit too neatly--too formulaic of traditional fantasy (but not in a good way).

In all, I thought it was a really good effort for a debut novel, but it suffered from some major issues. I hope Bates learns from these as she goes forward because I think she has a lot of potential!

Unfortunately this one really didn't hit it for me. I was so excited going in, and to be honest, I really liked the first few chapters. The synopsis sold me right off the bat. I WANTED TO LIKE IT SO BAD.

Then things got frustrating. VERY frustrating.

First of all, there are SO many characters and different kingdoms/empires to keep track of. I think by about the 30% point, I figured out the general idea, but my gosh, it was a headache until then. There's this crown prince, that crown prince, this delegate, that delegate. I don't even know. Hey, I'm all about a book that focuses on politics between kingdoms/etc (heck, I'm writing one myself) but this was just too much which such little pay off. I don't mind diving deep into a world if you end up getting to explore all of it, but there was SO MUCH unnecessary information about places we don't even see and people we don't meet.

Secondly, gah I liked the heroine at first. I really did. But as the book progressed, we are constantly forced into her every thought and she goes back and forth on how she feels EVERY OTHER PAGE. Aalskdfj;dfj. One minute, she's scared to go home. The next, she's like 'oh, this is fine.' The next, 'oh my gosh i don't want to meet my dad' and the next 'oh hi dad, we're chill'. I am so confused by her. This happens throughout the entire book. If her inner monologue was removed, this would have been a much better book. We, as readers, really don't need to know THAT much. Plus, her actions and thoughts did not line up at all.

Okay, okay... whatever. I was holding out hope because the magic seemed cool. Land magic where you compel the earth to do crap? Sure. Why not. Especially in a world that feels like the late 1700-early 1800s where there are guns/etc as weapons, I thought it was creative to have the magic be 'getting back to the roots' blah blah.

BUT.

The heroine 'weds the land'??? SHE WEDS THE LAND. What even does that mean? I read the book and I still don't know. I can tell you this... I am THOROUGHLY creeped out. What even. Like she legit lays in the dirt with a guy and that is called 'wedding the land.'

I sincerely hope I just misunderstood but ew.

Anyway, back to the plot - Elena is basically kidnapped as a child and brought to this kingdom and brainwashed about her previous family. Blah blah happens, she's framed for the death of the king who kidnapped her, and her family whatever people finds her and brings her back 'home' except she doesn't want to go. Okay, not bad. But after she gets home, it's 90% politics and traveling and whatnot. The pacing isn't bad, exactly, but I just got so lost in the sea of characters and inner monologue that I stopped caring.

Alright, I feel like this has been nothing but a ranty review. I will say this - the writing was pretty and the author certainly has a big imagination. Her world felt grounded, even if I couldn't keep up with it, and there's definitely not another book out there (that I've read) like this one. Unfortunately it was just a headache for me.

My Review: Upon reading the synopsis this book sounded vaguely familiar but different enough that I wanted to give it a try. I have to say even with the interesting synopsis and beautifully detailed cover, the story itself fell rather short. I almost DNFed this book multiple times. The pacing is very slow, and not because it is building up to something either. We spend nearly 3/4 of the book following Elanna around as she waffles about who she wants to support, who she wants to be, what she believes or wants to do, all without knowing what exactly is going on. So basically she is in the dark, and so are we as the readers. We are always reading along the sidelines of the game changing events, always late to battles, hearing half whispered conversations, etc. until the very last battle so you aren't really invested in the outcome. The story also got lost with the romance, which should have stayed completely out of the picture because it came on sudden and then took over but with no real purpose in the long run. All in all this was really a long, slow read with no actual investment or excitement for the reader.

My Rating: This was really an unfortunate book, I so wanted to like it but it fell flat for me. Everything about it felt undeveloped and incomplete, the world building, the characters and the overall point of book. I can only give this one a rating of One Paw and a Stump Wag.

Lady Elanna was raised by the king as a political hostage since the age of 5 when her father was accused of treason. Fourteen years later, the king was poisoned and Elanna was blamed for it even though she considered the king her father figure. Escaping the city and the threat of death, her father's men brought her back to her homeland and her gift of magic was awakened. Her loyalties divided, she had to find her place in the rebellion and the kingdom, and protect the ones she loved.

This is a fantasy novel that feels very grounded in reality, in part because of the vivid descriptions. We see the land almost as its own character, changing with each part of the kingdom that Elanna has to flee to.

The magic in this world can be anywhere from subtle to outrageously obvious: making a wooden scaffold sprout into a tree, raising a river out of its banks, making trees walk. The world building is fantastic, with the sense of history weighing down the characters and the locations, and characters who we learn more about over time.

Elanna is such a sheltered young woman in the beginning of the novel, but she saves others as much as she needs saving, and the troubles of others help shape her into the warden of the land. She is rather merciful at the end, far more than I would be in that situation; no matter what cruelties she had seen and heard of, there is still a part of her able to care and love and remain kind.

This is a well-crafted novel, and one that I'm already recommending to friends.