An intriguing fantastical concept with an uneven delivery. The Waking Land feels old and appropriately mythical. Doused in fictional folklore, it has all the feels of an ancient Celtic or Pictish tale. Because of this, the layers within this book work very well to create a moodiness and history. It's as if the stories that are ancient and half-lost to them are forgotten completely in our present world, and it is the stories of The Waking Land's present that are ancient and half-lost to our present world.

I loved the connection with the land here, especially as it is with the narrator, Lady Elanna Valtai. She's strong and forthright. She does make a few eye-rollingly stupid decisions in the beginning but she settles down and finds her bearings within the story. Her connection to the land and to nature is well-written. There's nothing overly dramatic about it, this deep-rooted bond to the earth around her, it's just written simply and effectively to be relatable and engaging.

This book is told in first-person, present tense. I am not a huge fan of present tense and I would prefer it to be used in transitory ways within a novel not told wholly in that voice. However, it doesn't give me a headache (this is a literal frontal lobe headache that an overuse of present tense causes me) and I really didn't notice it too much throughout. It was effective during scenes where I don't mind its use: action scenes, battles, etc.—scenes where the need to have a sense of urgency and immediacy is needed or warranted.

After a rather appealing beginning, I found that though I liked the characters and premise early, the clumsy world-building proves a difficult hurdle to jump. There are so many hidden meanings and allusions to secrets and past events without any explanation, it's as if someone is speaking in riddles, answering in more riddles, and demanding you pay attention. It makes it difficult to stay engaged.

Uneven and meandering, The Waking Land ends up with potential to burn. All-in-all, I found this to be an enjoyable, but a middle-of-the-road fantasy novel.

The cover is good. It drew me right in, but the book didn't do what I had hoped. It leans towards slow, and it's all first person. It has lots of one sided romance. It started strong enough, but then felt more and more stifled. I wanted it to be more than I feel that it became.

My copy came from Net Galley. My thoughts and opinions are my own. This review is left of my own free volition.

I received this copy through Netgalley, for review.

After spending 14 years as a hostage in a foreign court, Elanna Valtai is forced to flee the only home she has ever truly known. Her dream to become a botanist is shattered when her mentor is arrested and she in implicated in a conspiracy to kill the king. And the only people there to help her are the same supporters of the revolution her father started years before. And her only way to any kind of safety is to return home to a country she doesn't know. And have to deal with the magic she has locked away and suppressed since childhood, and the connection and weight it has to the deep roots of the country she left behind and her part in a revolution she's not sure she can believe in.

I did enjoy this book. It's pretty solid although I wouldn't put too much stock in it's comparisons, comparing anything to Uprooted is just way too high (I read a lot of books and I've only found one other last year that met it on the same level of feeling, and this wasn't it.) I enjoyed this over all, there were some spots that I felt more time could have been spent, but over all the pace was good.
Elanna was far from a one dimensional character. She's strong, and fiery, stubborn, questioning, not content to take slack from anyone, and not thrilled about holding back from what she feels is right. She's also deeply conflicted about what she's supposed to feel about the place she's lived and what she's been told about her people, her family, her country.
The magical portion I like, the idea of connecting to the land it's self. The descriptions were incredible.

Give this one a chance. throw the comparison to Uprooted out the window, it's doing such a disservice. Callie Bates has given us something fresh, magical and new, and a Caveadear to believe in.

The Waking Land follows Elanna Valtai, a young woman who has grown up as a hostage in a foreign court since the age of 5. She is now 19, and as that court destabilizes she finds herself adrift and on her way back to the homeland she barely remembers. She must embrace the powers she has suppressed most of her life and decide who she truly is if she is to have any hope of saving the lands and people she holds dear. This book is a refreshing fantasy perfect for the often neglected late teens/early twenties age group, and anyone who enjoys strong female characters. The world-building draws heavily on existing cultures (Scottish/Celtic, French, Greek), but that makes it relatable. All in all, an enjoyable read.

Callie Bates first novel, The Waking Land is an exciting fantasy story that I can imagine becoming a good series. It has all the elements, a struggle for liberation from an oppressive regime, the awakening of lost knowledge, and the age-old struggle between magic and science all embodied by Elanna Valtai. She has been a hostage guaranteeing her father’s submission to the King for fourteen years, ever since she was five. Growing up among the Ereni, she identifies with them. She wants to be a botanist and has a fascination for science. But when the King is murdered and she is accused, she must flee, reluctantly, back to Caeris, her homeland that she has come to think of as backward and filled with superstition.

She is helped by Jahan, an ambassador from the Empire whom she instinctively trusts. It’s clear to readers before it’s clear to them that here is the love interest despite the complicating presence of Finn, the Young Pretender to the throne whom her father betrothed to her when she was five. The biggest complication, though maybe their salvation, is El’s growing magical power–power prohibited by the Empire that conquered their land over two hundred years ago. She has the power to manipulate the land and everything that comes from the land, wood, stones, and animals. Perhaps, if she could harness her power, they might have a chance.

I liked The Waking Land a lot. El’s magic is unique and fresh and when Bates writes about El’s union with the land it is lyrical and vivid. This is a new kind of magic and it’s exciting and imaginative. The internal struggle between science and magic is perhaps too easily resolved for Elanna, missing the opportunity to exploit her botanical expertise in employing her magical talent. Imagine if her interest in botany were not just a safe expression of her subsumed magical talent, but something she could use to enhance her talent.

I had to remind myself several times that El was just nineteen and that Stockholm Syndrome, whether named or not, clearly affected her worldview because her antipathy toward her homeland was extreme, to the point of endangering herself. After all, if you’re fleeing for your life, most of us would go with people associated with our family who are there to help rather than try to flee to third parties who could betray us. She also was troubled by secret guilt for her actions when she was five. I had no patience for that, a five year old does not have the awareness to be culpable in crimes of state.

Even with those few problems, The Waking Land is a strong fantasy story. It had a cadre of strong characters, some of them quite complicated, even inexplicably so. There is real hazard in this story and not all come through unscathed. The conceit of a land that can shift, trees that can not only sing in the breeze, but defend the land, and the magic that allows one to call the land into battle is fresh and lends itself to wonderfully descriptive passages with the land that were pure magic. While the story stands alone, it does seem primed for a sequel which I am already eagerly anticipating.

The Waking Land will be released June 27th. I received an e-galley from the publisher through NetGalley.

Being falsely accused of regicide of the king who rasied her as a captive, Elanna is forced to flee the kingdom and return to her father’s kingdom. Between unearthing secrets, and coming to terms with her power over nature, Elanna is torn between the kingdom she was raised in, and the kingdom that she was born in.
The Waking Lands was a quaint read that was a bit too easy to put down, and hard to pick back up. The characters were interesting yet without the depth that a reader may need to continue reading the book.

Elanna was taken from her family when she was a small child. She has grown up as the king's ward. He is like a father to her. When the king is murdered, she is the one accused. She must flee or die. She must go home to the family she hasn't seen in years. She must learn to use magic forbidden by the king. She must free her homeland. I liked this book, some of the characters, and the magic. It was just a bit slow in spots.

Rich with ancient customs and magic of the earth, THE WAKING LAND sings the song of a hero who once sided with the enemy. Adventurous, mystical, dramatic, and worthy of an old Gaelic poem, this story draws from the best of fantasy and presents a story in full.
-pooled ink Reviews

I decided to read this book during finals period. You know the book is no good when you find yourself preferring to study instead of reading it.

I don't have much to say about this book. It had potential, lots of it. A girl with magical powers that can wake the land returning to her homeland to lead a rebellion? As much as cliche this sounds, I actually enjoy these stuff. However, I ended up bored most of the time because this book dragged a lot. Now I know this a debut and I shouldn't be harsh so I'll keep this review short.

The characters:
We had more than few characters. Some were okay, other totally forgettable. The main character Elena irritated me. She's always lost and no I shouldn't do this, no I shouldn't go there.. all of this was very repetitive and annoyed the out of me. The characters were flat and I couldn't connect with any of them. I only liked Sophie but still, not much. The villains were the typical stereotypes, I'm bad because I want power and I'll do anything to get it.

The romance:
Oh, the romance... It made me cringe. Now this is supposed to be a YA fantasy, right? Don't be fooled. It has some graphics.
Now I don't know about you, but I don't like the girl to "propose". What I mean is asking Jahan if he's interested in marrying her (maybe not so directly) and they didn't even know each other for long. I didn't feel any chemistry. I didn't hate Jahan but I wasn't swooning.

Story and plot:
It would've been better if it was shorter. It stretched a lot and the pacing was off. The real action only started toward the end and by then, I had already lost interest. The plot didn't offer any surprises and I would've said predictable, however, I couldn't even bring myself to guess what will happen. It was just tiring. Others might enjoy this book but it wasn't for me.
There are many plot holes and things that don't make sense. The book was also confusing sometimes. For example, when they escape, they don't cover their track or do anything to misguide their pursuers. Her friend was able to track them but the royal guard couldn't.

Writing and world building:
The writing was nothing impressive, we hear about skin touching a lot. the same thoughts are repeated all the time. While we read too much about the history, we still barely know anything about the world.

The Waking Land by Callie Bates is a book I was allowed to read from NetGalley and I am so glad indeed! This book is so rich in fantasy, world building, character depth, plot, and twists that I was totally enthralled in its wonders. Elanna has earth magic, more than anyone knows, in a time that magic is forbidden except in the far north where the land shifts and protects the people, the old ways, and the land itself. Elanna is forced/kidnapped from her family as a young child and is held by the King to make her father be submissive to the King. She is raised by the King and told so many lies about her birth land that she believes them. Then, the King is murdered and she is blamed. The daughter of the King is now Queen and has always hated her. Elanna meets a man that also knows magic and knows about hers but he wants her to go to her real father and she believes all the lies. It is so action packed, so many twists, so much magic mixed in there, so much emotion...I am not doing it justice here and only touching on the tip of the iceberg. The Queen's men are after her, the witch hunters are after her...She has the power of the land, earth, and things of the earth. She will need all of these if she can get the land to wake up. It is so exciting to see how and when and with who ....so excellent!!!

****I was given an advanced copy from Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine via NetGalley for an honest review.****
As Callie Bates's debut novel, the premise was very promising. Kingdoms at war, a main character with magic she must keep hidden for fear of persecution, who then must run for her life or be killed. I loved everything the synopsis promised. Not only that, but the book started out really strong - it immediately grabbed my attention.
That being said, there were some issues that made this book average.
The good:
The context. Eren and Caeris are two nations at war. The Ereni king kidnaps Elanna at a young age and raised her for 14 years. Elanna remembers Caeris, but feels loyalty to Eren, as the king treated her like a daughter. So when the Ereni king is murdered, and Elanna is accused of it, she must flee to Caeris.
This is where things get less than stellar.
The bad:
Elanna meets up with people she knew from Caeris, and her feelings bounce back and forth quickly, and often without much explanation.
Unfortunately, the rest of the book continues in much the same way.
Elanna clearly has mixed feelings about her homeland and family, and still feels loyalty for Eren, so her train of thought is usually scattered and chaotic, which makes for a bumpy read.
At other times, the book was simply not that interesting, because it's mostly Elanna trying to decide what she wants to do, how she feels, and the best way to get what she wants.

Overall, I think Bates has promise, she just needs time to solidify her writing style, and craft stronger, more three-dimensional characters.

The Waking Land is a pretty standard entry into the YA fantasy pantheon of stories: there's a girl with powers she has to learn to accept and control, two possible love interests (but the reader can easily tell which one is the only choice not that far into the book), seeming betrayals, reversals of fortunes, etc.

There's nothing overtly objectionable about the story. The issue is that we've read it all before - this could have easily been a Tamora Pierce book (which is no insult, her tales are amazing).

Fantasy fans will read this book and find some enjoyment in it, but with nothing particularly noteworthy to chew on, forget about it afterwards. I would recommend The Waking Land as an additional purchase for library collections.

**3.75 stars rounded up**
I really wish we had half stars to use at least. This one was difficult for me to nail down for a rating. I don't think it's really a solid 4 stars but not 3 either so somewhere in between.

That said, I did enjoy the book. I thought the plot was unique and the world building was decent. The characters were my main issue. There is a bit of a lack of depth in some of the supporting characters that I feel could have used a little more development. However, my main problem was with Elanna. She seemed a bit... well, flaky at times. She clearly had Stockholm's in the beginning but she changed her beliefs every time someone told her something. She went from hating her father to loving him as soon as she saw him to almost indifference when he died as well as from hiding and fearing her magic to loving it with no real in between. There was also A LOT of repetition, especially in her inner monologues. She didn't want to fight in a war for her dad, she wanted to run away, then it was steward of the land and born for this over and over. This book does have its redeeming qualities tho. Despite my irritation with the characters at times, the action kept me invested in the story. I needed to know what was going to happen, will their small band of revolutionaries win or lose and at what cost? I also liked the mythology woven into the story, especially about the ancestors.

Overall, I think it's a promising start for a first novel and am looking forward to the sequel and to seeing what Ms. Bates comes up with next.

**Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC!**

This book hit all the right spots for me: well-rounded world building, intriguing magic use, and a well executed revolution. It kind of has a feel of Tolkien meets the French Revolution. While there were moments when I was kind of tired of our heroine's first-person narrative, overall she grew into her role successfully and was a likable character.

I enjoyed this story. I really liked the characters, for the most part. Elanna was a bit annoying at times but the story was so interesting, I could forgive that a little. It was a little slow to start and the ending was a bit rushed, but otherwise a great read.

I received a free ARC of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for my honest opinion.

I only made it to 22%. I found Elanna to be an immature girl who lacked common sense or true initiative. I liked the secondary characters better than the heroine. I wanted to like this one given the blurbs and comparisons. Just not for me.

Oh how difficult this review is for me to write. From the first page it had my interest and you will recognize the gift of writing that author has. However, as I progressed inside the story, it felt weighty and slow and with the first hand perspective not so mature and limiting at times. I can say for many this would be a good as well as interesting story to read, though for me it just did not hold me. I was given this book in return for an honest review. Anna

Book Lovers,

This was an interesting read. I didn't love it and I didn't hate it, it is somewhere in the middle!

A fantasy debut novel, unique with a first love romance tangle with lies and politics and magic!

The book was written so well but there was a few serious issues for me, Too much inner dialog, it keeps the reader from truly fully investing by telling us but not showing us.... It is also too much to have people do things that seem completely unreasonable and unrealistic, unless you are 10 and just make silly choices... Other than that this book was amazing, because it was not the cookie cutter plot. It had enough momentum to push the reader through. It was a bit hard to get through the last part of the book for me, as it seemed to not really hold my attention, but I did complete the book. I am 46, maybe it is just for a younger set. I would put age group at about 8 to 16. This is the correct age group for this book, but I did enjoy it, and the author really has a lot of talent, as this is just her first book and you can see it! I will look for more from her, and to watch her grow as an author will be a true pleasure. Let her know I am personally rooting for her, and to not give up! As soon as I can review on Amazon I will do so!