Member Review

War, politics, heartbreak, love, family, separation….please….tell me what more you can want in a YA Fantasy novel? It’s ok. I’ll wait.

To say that I enjoyed this book is an understatement. I LOVED it. Patterson has written a complex, well developed and engaging world with characters and plotlines that kept me wanting to turn the page. I was hooked from the very first chapter….without even reading the first book!

I can only imagine how difficult it must be to write books in the Fantasy genre. The author has to create a world that is engaging but not overpowering, a plotline that is unique but not overly out there and characters that the reader can connect with without being too boring, rage filled, proud, un-diverse, cocky or wooden. Oh, and don’t forget to add in a good trope or two but not any that have been way overdone or not done enough. As readers, it is hard to make us happy but I think Kaitlyn Sage Patterson has hit every mark damn near perfectly!

With masterfully done world building I was able to fully immerse myself into the Alskad Empire. Quick and action packed pace held my attention for the duration of the story. Relatable, diverse and well developed characters allowed me to form connections (maybe too many connections but I don’t want to talk about that right now…you know what you did!). What really stood out for me, though, was how evenly Patterson placed the lead on Bo and Vi. Twins from two different worlds, two different upbringings and two different goals but they are equally matched in just about every sense of the word. I found that refreshing and definitely sets Patterson apart from a lot of other authors in the genre.

While I did thoroughly enjoy reading The Exalted, from the very beginning I knew there was a lot I was missing. I mentioned earlier that I hadn’t read the first book in this duology and I really wish I had. It’s very obvious as soon as you start reading that there is background that should be learned. Luckily, The Exalted has “re-read” written all over it so I will definitely be picking up The Diminished first and getting the full picture.
If you like high fantasy filled with political intrigue, violent wars, engaging and diverse characters and vivid world building then The Exalted is the book for you. Just do yourself a favor and read the first book before diving in.

I’ll be keeping an eye out for more books from Patterson in the future.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book to read and give my own, honest opinion.