This was a great start to a teen fantasy series. The main character, Nara, and her best friend Mykel had a beautifully written friendship. The world building is what makes this story so great. The beginning was a bit slow, but soon I found myself completely captivated by the story and the characters.

Looking for Dei was an interesting read, though I'll confess that I didn't end up loving it nearly as much as I had hoped. Still, I don't regret reading it. Not even for a moment.

This was a very fun book to read.  Nara is a girl with mysterious powers.  Throughout the book we go on her journey as she learns what her powers mean and how she can use them to save the people she loves.  I really liked this story.  There were very interesting characters and beautiful world building.  4/5 stars!

I read this a while ago and I have to say that it's pretty good, but not great. I like everything in there to do with fantasy and magic. I just think the characters could have been written a little bit better. Good book. 8/10.

Looking for Dei is a well written and thoroughly enjoyable page turning YA fantasy book! I enjoyed the classic fantasy elements (in the magical sense and otherwise) that was very reminiscent of classic fantasy books for all ages.

In a world where having magical abilities is the ultimate decision factor of a person’s fate, the day of the announcement ceremony is not the most highly anticipated occasion for the young youths who must undergo this trial. But when Nara must choose between hiding her abilities or to save a life, her world turns upside down and brings her on an epic quest.

A world-building novel that draws upon the fine line between light and dark, Willson’s novel dares to explore the boundaries that many fantasy novels refuse to enter and opens up a new world like none before.

Full Review on Bookmark Your Thoughts Blog: https://bookmarkyourthoughts.blog/2018/05/24/book-review-looking-for-dei-by-david-a-willson/

I honestly had such a hard time getting into this book.  I tried to keep pushing through and I just couldn't finish it.  I'm not entirely sure what the problem was.  The writing was fine, the story seemed interesting at first, but it just became dull and I found myself not really caring about the characters.

Wonderful characters and great world building make for really enjoyable story.
It may be for teens but I just could not put this down.
Give me more.

🍪🍪🍪🍪
3.5 Cookies

This was surprisingly entertaining! 

Cons: (start with the bad...)
The only thing that I saw wrong with the book was just that I didn't see a real threat to the characters. Yes, there was action that affected them, but it didn't really make me scared or worried for them. I also think maybe I just didn't connect as well to the characters. 

Pros:(end with the good...)
The world that was introduced in this book was a lot. However, it was written amazingly clear. I understood the world and the characters, and the actual plot. It was an action packed book all the way from page one. The book was clear and organized as well, and it read easy on the eyes. ;)

From the second Nara explained she was "not like other girls," I was turned off from the book. There were some interesting bits. Mykel and Nara did have a sweet relationship. In the end, however, the book had too many narrators and not enough going on to keep me interested.

Looking For Dei by David A. Wilson is an interesting new high fantasy read with a believable storyline and an impressive world-setting. I was pulled into the story right from the start and was kept engaged till I hit the middle part of the story, and that was when I kind of hit a brick wall. After about 45% I started to struggle because of the pacing, which was pretty good until that point but then suddenly slacked and the story started to feel like a drag. Fortunately, after a while, the pacing picked up again (albeit a bit slowly) and I was happy to reach the end of the story without any further pacing issues. The story picked up in the ending again and overall I was glad that I picked this read.

I was fortunate enough to get this book in both the formats – e-book from NetGalley and audiobook from Audiobookworm. I started this with the e-book but when I got the audio, obviously I listened to the entire story because that just saved me a hell of a lot of time! Also, the narration was pretty good and I loved the different variation the narrator used especially of the old crone, Ann.

I’d recommend this book to all the fantasy lovers, and even to those who rarely read fantasy and are looking for a new fantasy series to explore.

Nara Dall is a twin separated from her sister as a very small child. Raised in a small hamlet by a fatherly old monk, she knows nothing of her past nor does she understand why she is being told to hide her magical powers. She does know that if and when one's magical powers are discovered, they can mark a person as "blessed" or "cursed," and the person's fate will vary accordingly. Are these god-given gifts from Dei or do they carry the potential for evil? How does it all fit in with a prophesy about "The Twins"?

The story takes place in a fictitious world, but this is not a dystopia. Magical people face risks from those who would take advantage of their powers and capabilities, but society itself is a reasonable place. Learning more about the land and its people was interesting but did not overwhelm the story so that it was possible to concentrate on the characters. Nara, her friend, Mykel, and the old monk show their true natures over time, as do the other characters who become critical to Nara and the people she cares about.

My biggest fear was that I would be left hanging regarding Nara's expected reunion with her twin, but that did not occur. At the same time, their reunion exposes new sources of tension, and plenty of opportunity was left for a sequel. I'm not sure I would read the sequel as I have a pretty good idea what will happen, but I did enjoy this book and how believably the reunion of the sisters was portrayed.

David A Willson is such a talent! Looking For Dei is a wonderfully written fantasy story that focuses on the lives of Nara, her wonderful adopted father and her best friend Mykel. Nara has magic. Most people that possess magical powers have one, extremely powerful people can have up to two but Nara has many and throughout the story she learns more about herself and her powers. There is a lot of world building within this book but it's done amazingly well, it is interwoven within the story-line. This is a fabulous story in it's own right but it is also an incredibly strong base for future stories to build upon. I thoroughly enjoyed every aspect of it. The story pace changes throughout the book but it's a natural ebb and flow and is necessary for the tale. Looking For Dei has left me impatient for more.

Not a fan I can’t seem to get into this book. It’s a very creepy start. That’s why I can’t read this.

This was a very quick read for me. It was engrossing enough that I didn't want to put it down (even when I had to work). There was not really ever a dull moment, with big action happening pretty consistently. Even when there was a lot of information/world building coming at you, it was interesting.

Nara is probably the most innocent (teenage) character I've ever read. She's like a Disney princess, but with super powers. Which is awesome. But her disposition definitely put her at a disadvantage at several points in this book, where she did something with good intentions and had it back fire (majorly!), or was unable/unwilling to really help in a fight or two, which lead to trouble. Also that childhood bestie romance definitely got me smiling.

There were some very clear draws from Christianity, which is fine, but it kind of bothers me that they used "amen" at the end of their prayers. I mean, this is not set on Earth / our world / universe, so it's not something that I feel fits. I feel this way about a lot of other books too - if you're making up a completely separate world, don't give them such specific things from ours that have come about due to historical events/ideologies. General things or things necessary to understand descriptions like royalty, age, colors, measurements, direction, etc. are fine.

Good story. I liked it. The characters were great and witty dialogue. I plan to read more books from this author.

I would like to firstly thank the author, David A. Willson, for giving me the opportunity to read and review your novel, ‘Looking for Dei’. This novel is a refreshing and quick read. 🙂

‘Looking for Dei’ is a novel on a prophecy about twins. It revolves around the gifted individuals and how seemingly ‘broken’ people are the ones who are gifted with powers, unlike others. I love this aspect of the novel. Simply because ‘broken’ people are usually the outcasts who get bullied or made fun of. But, in this novel, they are the ones who hold the powers to change lives.

I don’t particularly love this novel nor dislike it. ‘Looking for Dei’ is an ‘okay’ read for me but I feel that this novel have many rooms for improvement. The world itself is vivid and unique though the world building is lacking in this novel.

An aspect that confuses me while I’m reading the novel is the frequency in which the characters’ perspectives change. The perspective changes pretty frequently, back and forth between the protagonists and antagonists. I get confused pretty frequently when it changes to another person’s point of view. That is the primary struggle I face while reading ‘Looking for Dei’.

Sadly, I don’t have any favourite characters in ‘Looking for Dei’. However, a particular character did manage to pull my heartstrings towards the end of the novel. That is none other than Bylo. Bylo… is a really kind hearted and family-oriented man although he doesn’t seem like one. That can be shown from the undying concern and love he shows towards Nara. Even though Nara is just an adopted child, he still treats her like his own daughter and does his best to protect her from any danger. That alone shows a lot about Bylo’s character.

An aspect which I like about the novel is how the characters around Nara shapes her growth and also, how Nara’s pure and kind personality change those around her, for the better. It is a joy, reading about their growth, and at times, I really wonder how Nara can be so kind and naive despite all the challenges she is going through. Could it be her upbringing or does it have to do with her personality? Till now, I’m still unable to find an answer to that question.

All in all, ‘Looking for Dei’ is a refreshing read. I could have read it in one sitting but I had to put this novel down after reading 6% of the novel, in March, due to unending tests and finals. So, I didn’t take such a long time to finish this novel even if it shows otherwise on Goodreads.

**I received this from Netgalley in exchange for an Honest Review**
**It is 3.5 stars**
Thank you Netgalley and Independent Book Publishers Association for letting me review this!!

Before Thoughts:
Wow that is one fantastic cover and this book has fantasy and magical elements in it?! Sign me up hehe ^_^

Plot:
In this world if you have powers you make the biggest differences. The powers are bestowed upon children from Dei, a God. And if you lack powers you become impoverished. The story switches POVs every few chapters between Nara and Mykel (And on certain occasions Bylo's POV). 

We have corrupt churches and thrones and people who draw runes and people with a variety of powers to hold. The many variety of powers don't always get much screentime. (I want to know what all the possible powers are for each blessed person.)
You have those with powers known as the "Blessed" and those who have no powers who to become impoverished, and those who have no "powers" and can cause others to shrivel up as their energy is drained are known as "cursed" who will be executed by the church. 

But I'm unsure if the blessed ones actually go to serve the queen or if they just live a wealthy life. The exact details of it are a bit vague. 
Same with the prophecy that Nara is involved in. I either get confused as it gets "explained" or it just expects the audience to understand it easily. Because I get that there was a translation error in the scriptures, but as far as where I'm currently at they aren't fully explaining the meaning of the prophecy. 

(Where is her sister? Was she already taken and hidden? or Did she die somehow?  I demand an explanation about that and much more about why Nara's powers are important to "said prophecy.")

Edit: 
3:23 pm 
05/12/18
Okay thanks for revealing where Nara's twin is. And I expect that after this reveal it should make for an interesting encounter when they are reunited. 

Edit 2:
5:23pm
05/15/18 
So there are magic leaks in this world that come from certain individuals that leak out and can kill people. That kind of gives more of an explanation as to why the church wants to stop the "cursed" ones and why Nara and her sister are so sought out by Vorick.

And our protagonists must face Vorick a powerful harvester that wants more power and knows some details about the prophecy.  He isn't a force to be messed with. 

Character(s):
Nara:
She is pale with red hair. She has powers that are divine and given to her from Dei. She has a scar on her back. Stubbornness is a big part of her personality and she also has sympathy for the villagers of Dimmit that don't have a harvester for the village. And we later learn that she was adopted by Bylo. (So now we need to learn/understand about the origin of her powers.)

Mykel:
He is muscular and tan. He's one of Nara's closest friends. He has strong feelings for Nara the one girl who has captured his heart.  He has a scar above his lip because he had a cleft lip at birth and repaired it. He has an abusive father and a younger brother named Sammy. He wants to be able to fight and protect those who mean most to him.

Bylo:
He's a previous monk of sorts. And from what I've read he creates runes and moved Nara to Dimmit to hide her powers. He's her parental guardian I suppose. He keeps secrets about why him and Nara live in Dimmit and he does have a protective part of his personality for his adoptive daughter Nara. If he hadn't adopted Nara, then her fate could've been very different.

Anne:
Weird older lady who has the gift that allows her to speak and hear Dei's thoughts. She can either be an ally or foe.(She's practically the oracle of this book's world.)

Gwyn:
She's a mercenary for Vorick and happens to have the necessary powers to help find and stop Nara if possible. She only got screentime every once in a while, but that's okay we have to save some screentime for the heroes/heroines and their major antagonist that they have to face. 

Kayna: 
Vorick's daughter who has the power to drain other creatures to give her the energy to perform the many powers of this world. And that said you can see that she's very opposite to Nara. And she's really not much better than the man who raised her. Maybe it's part of her nature? Or maybe the way she was brought up helped influence her usual behavior. She reminds me one of the characters in The Belles.  
(All I know is that I really find her dark and disturbing.)

Vorick: 
He's a powerful man not to be messed with. And the main antagonist who wants to seize Nara's powers for evil as well as his daughter's powers. He also has a powerful daughter who really rivals that of Nara's powers. 

If you want to read more about the characters of this book and get some visuals on how they look follow this link:
http://davidawillson.com/the-characters/

Final Thoughts:
I liked getting to understand some of the way magic can work in this world with its magic leaks, blessed, prophecies, etc. And the character were pretty decent with their development. 

My main problems were slightly vague details about the important parts of the plot/story and the infodump about things that weren't as important to focus on. 

Despite the flaws this story had, it did pretty well for a debut book. And I think that if this has another/second book, that the author should be able to do even better than he did here. 

Just remember to not be super vague about the important details, and don't infodump too much either. We like to have a bit of mystery or surprises for the story but have a good understanding as well.  

Recommends to:
You like stories with magic powers embedded into the world and its worldbuilding then you'll probably like this. And you might enjoy stories like Threats of the Sky and Sea by Jennifer Ellision and A Chosen Life by K.A. Parkinson. Because they also contain similar themes pertaining to magic powers and stopping some greater forces. 

Hope you enjoyed my review!! Thanks for Reading!! ^_^
And go catch that good book!! 
https://emthetiger7.wixsite.com/thatrandomcardcaptor

Looking for Dei is a fantasy novel in a classic style, with a Chosen One, a loving mentor, a journey, and a quest, but it feels fresh. This is partly down to the inventive magic system, which involves a complex mix of innate talent, faith, and learning, rather than being flashy spells cast by grey-bearded wizards. The world-building is quiet and well-articulated, and the author allows the reader to learn by seeing the world in action - there are no infodumps here! The writing itself can be clumsy and overwrought in places towards the start, but gets simpler, with a better flow, as you progress through the book. The author has a lot of promise, but this feels very much like a debut novel.

Nara, Mykel, and Kayna, the younger characters of the book, are particularly well-written, and the reader often gets insights into their psychological flaws when seeing things from their viewpoints. Nara and Kayna are distinct opposites, but not in a cartoonish way - they are both nuanced individuals. Once Kayna had been introduced, I found myself racing to get back to her chapters, because I enjoyed her character so much. 

This would be a great read for someone looking for a YA fantasy that tends more to the classic high fantasy tradition than the current trend for dystopia.

Truthfully, I have a lot of mixed feelings on this book, 
It wasn't TOO bad... but definitely wasn't great either, i just didn't feel like the characters really gripped you or were well developed either. 
There is definitely a lot of potential there, but just don't feel the storyline or characters are even close yet. 

The story revolves around a girl named Nara Dall, who wears a significant scar down her back and hides her abilities and what she is able to do. Every three years, a ceremony is held to discover those with magical abilities however nobody has been discovered within her village in Many years. 

Nara begins as a seemingly fragile character, with significant tragedy and pain in her past however still remains a strong character, and there is a good contrast in her twin who also has abilities however these are dramatically different to Nara's. 

Wilson does a really good job in regards to the descriptive writing and world building and i really enjoyed the history and backgrounds that wilson described in his literature, allowing the reader to really visualise the surroundings - the problem with so much word building and descriptive writing is that sometimes this was too overly descriptive. Quite often there were paragraphs that felt like a complete word dump of descriptive writing and i feel that this would have worked a lot better had it been gradually introduced throughout the story

I did enjoy the different POVs of various characters and this did a great job inn seeing the storyline outside of Nara's thoughts and felt there were more valuable characters in the storyline than Nara herself.

I also found the ending dragged on in the sense there wasn't a clear cut ending - it was like multiple endings following each other in progression to tie up all the lose ends and although i understand that this most likely needed to be done - by this point i was beginning to get a little bored and was looking forward to the ending.

Overall i do think its a good book with some good ideas, however does carry all the same issues you would expect from a debut. The book is something i would recommend to avid fantasy fans as the worlds Wilson describes are admittedly beautiful but is a relatively short book and not something i would class as a big class read.