Disclaimer: I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you to Fantastic Flying Book Club, Netgalley, and Wattpad Books for this free copy. All quotes in this review are taken from the Advanced Reader Copy and may change in final publication.

YENNI AJANI GAVE ME OKOYE VIBES ALL THE WAY!

Ugh I was just so proud of Yenni Ajani and her strength, her determination to save her father, standing up for herself against the people that were low key / high key racist to her in Creshen because of her being from the “Moonlight Isles” as they call it. I mean first they change the name of her kingdom to make it easier for them to pronounce – at least that’s what I’m assuming – the teachers think she’s dumb because she uses runes more than spells for her magic, and like UGH. It just irritates me how racist these people are! But I’m so freaking glad that she calls them out on it and she works so hard to prove that she’s not just some idiot islander.

Whoa okay I wasn’t anticipating ranting in the first paragraph but clearly I had to get that out.

“I am Yenni Aja-Nifemi ka Yirba, and you would do well to remember that!”

PUT SOME RESPECK ON HER NAME.

Yes I purposely spelled that wrong because that’s how you say it.

Okay also, I noticed that the book refers to her as Yenni, but she tells people that they should be calling her Yenni Ajani, and even then she feels weird about it because it’s so casual compared to how she is usually referred to back at home, but people butcher her name in Creshen so she had to give them a shorter one I guess. But I thought that was interesting.

Anyway, Yenni Ajani is why I love this book. Sure, Weysh is trying, but I didn’t like how pushy he was about the whole Given thing. Especially because Yenni Ajani doesn’t KNOW about the Given thing, so stop trying to push it on to her! I don’t care that she’s somehow your Given, give her time to process and don’t force her to do something she doesn’t want to do! Damn.

But then I was also sad at how his family – minus his sister – would treat him! Like, hello? That’s your family, despite his dragon. Don’t be so mean to him. I think that endeared me a bit to him, and then when he finally let Yenni Ajani breathe. It took a bit of explaining from his friends, which sucked, but then he respected her space for a bit and that helped me get on his side for a bit.

I need more stories from this world!! I need more books from Taylor! Like, I really enjoyed this one!

The premise of this novel was so intoxicating: a land where people can change into dragon form within a breath. Not only that, but a school exists where students can learn both in human and dragon form. What is interesting is that students also learn spells and runes.

The story changes perspectives between Yenni and Weysh. Yenni is a princess who excels in the art of rune making. Weysh is a dragon/human. Givens are a dragon and a person or dragon destined for each other. Normally, people would die for the opportunity to be someone’s Given, however, that isn’t Yenni. All she cares about is learning healing runes to help her sick father. Of course the last person she wants to see is the only one who can help her.

"I promise you this: I will do my best to listen to you and take your needs and concerns to heart. I will respect you and cherish you as no other man will."

I thought there was so much more that could’ve come from this concept. The love between Yenni and Weysh wasn’t really believable for me. It happened too fast and went from hate to love all of a sudden. I know you can’t help who you fall in love with, but then don’t make promises you can’t keep. I wanted more action and thought something more was going to come. The wait for a big fight was real…but then it didn’t come.

"I will never give up on you. And if you choose to leave, I’ll be waiting until my dying breath for you to return."

Readers would enjoy this because of the world-building. The descriptions of Yenni’s family made me feel like I knew them and the geography made me feel like I was in a Harry Potter movie. After reading the end of the novel, there is potential for this to become a series.

Given is a story of diversity, adversity, and how love overcomes all.

I was given an ARC of given from Netgalley in exchange for a honest review.

Who's this book best for? Readers looking for a strong heroine, battles against sexism, enemies to lover, shapeshifter magic, magical schools, adventure, and diverse cast and culture.

Yenni from page one has such a personality she feels as real as the pages in your hand (or the e-reader). The world and the family around Yenni is just as real, which makes the external and internal conflicts true struggles to be invested in. It was a page turner that honestly the synopsis didn't do justice. I'm very excited this book is out in the world!

I am beyond hesitant to call a book perfect but holy crap. Givenis absolutely perfect.

The world buidling is absolutely amazing.

The character development is top notch.

The relationships were defined and healthy.

The topics discussed were important, current and put into the story seamlessly.

Yenni, the princess to Yirba, goes to Cresh on a holy mission hoping to save her family with what she learns. On her first day there, she meets her Given, Weysh. A dragon.

Givens are dragons’ soul mates. Their first meeting is rocky but as the sequence of events forces them closer together, their relationship turns from threatening each other to helping each other and I absolutely loved it. Yenni also made it her mission to educate some of the population of Cresh on her island kingdom. She faced a type of racism, classism, and sexism throughout the entire book and how she combated that makes her an ICON. She never shoved her way of thinking or living in anybody’s face, something that was done to her plenty of times. She just gently corrected them.

For the most part, LOL. Bottom line, stop reading this and go read Given.

I did not receive the email in time to download my copy, due to inclement weather. Thank you for considering me anyway.

A solid story. It didn't disappoint. A solid 4/5 stars. The character development was well done. The world building was a little lacking for me, but I still enjoyed the story.

Given is the first book in a new YA series by Nandi Taylor. Released 21st Jan 2020 by Wattpad, it's 352 pages and available in hardback, paperback and ebook formats.

This is a coming of age dragon romance with a young female protagonist who is a person of color. She's being sent to another culture for a year long exchange and hopefully to find a cure for a wasting sickness which has struck her father the chieftain of her people.

There were a lot of things to like about this book. The author is an adept storyteller and the background magic systems and world building are compelling and original. I liked that the main character was a minority, that she was fairly intelligent and ethical, and that she was represented as strong and independent.

My reservations with the book are things which potentially will be in the plus column for many readers. A large portion of the plot revolves around her being 'given' (bonded) to the dragon shifter she's literally just met. It's not insta-love, she doesn't just capitulate at once, which is good, but the romance subplot which might well be a plus for romance fans, found me rolling my jaded eyes at several points. I was surprised there wasn't any overt racism or condescension/colonialism from the other characters, since she's a new arrival from a culture/ethnicity which her hosts, the Cresh, haven't seen for centuries.

All in all, it's a well written YA fantasy with a strong romance subplot and female protagonist.

Four stars, it'll be interesting to read what comes next.

THIS WAS SO GOOD THAT I HAVE TO START THIS REVIEW IN CAPS. The author delivers a rapid-paced, suspenseful, gripping, well-written and perfectly executed fantasy. I was on the edge of my seat the whole time that I ended up staying awake until 2am to finish it!

I can’t highly recommend this book enough!

This book was received as an ARC from Wattpad Books in exchange for an honest review. Opinions and thoughts expressed in this review are completely my own.

I was totally captivated by this story and the well-executed concept. Yenni as the warrior princess is on a mission to find a cure for her father'said illness even when she is trapped on Empire of Cresh but nobody told her that the empire was guarded by dragons. One black- violet dragon Weysh who morphs into human form very muscular and truly looks like the ultimate warrior. Yeni and Weysh develop a bond of trust for one another and she has strong feelings but she battles between a dragon and whether or not Weysh can help her and be the answer she is looking for. I know our young readers will go crazy for this book. This book also had so many interesting references that this could potentially be a future Battle of the Books choice.

We will consider adding this title to our YA collection at our library. That is why we give this book 5 stars.

A fantasy with lots of heart. It’s not perfect— the coincidences and “just in the nick of time” moments are plentiful, and there’s a good amount of telling through dialogue where there could have been showing— but teen fantasy lovers will eat this up. I’m looking forward to seeing what Nandi Taylor does next.

Thanks to NetGalley and Wattpad Books for the digital ARC.

I received a complimentary copy of Given by Nandi Taylor from Wattpad Books through Netgalley. All opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Given was released on January 21st!
.
Yenni Aja-Nifemi ka Yirba leaves home for a year, hoping to find a cure for the mysterious illness plaguing her father. With her father sick, the Yirba are at risk from other tribes in the Moonrise Iles. She leaves knowing that, as a princess of her tribe, when she returns she will probably have to marry Prince Natahi from the Gunzu tribe to strengthen the Yirba's position. When Yenni arrives at Prevan Academy in Cresh, she expects to study healing magic and focus on finding a cure for her father. She doesn't expect to be followed around by an arrogant and off-putting dragon named Weysh who claims she is his Given and, therefore, meant to be his mate.
.
This book was a fun read for me! I loved the rune magic and wish we could have seen more of the Moonrise Iles. The concept of Given reminded me a lot of the lifebond concept in Mercedes Lackey's Valdemar books. The idea of dragons who can switch between human and dragon form was fun as well! Overall, I found this to be a satisfying read. I was sometimes a little annoyed with Yenni and Weysh, but I couldn't stop reading. I'm looking forward to the rest of this series!

Well, at least the cover is gorgeous. First off, I’m still puzzling over how the blurb calls this a “subversive fantasy-romance” when honestly it’s pretty much exactly like every other enemies-to-lovers fated mates romance out there. At best, it suggests an unfamiliarity with either genre that explains a lot about this book.

“Well, because I am a woman who enjoys hunting, and learning about runes, and learning about combat, people act as if I am strange and unnatural.”
“Hmm,” Diedre and Zui said as one.
“But it was once very common for women to do these things. You know what I think? I think it is everyone else who is unnatural.”


Yenni yearns for more freedom. As a princess, she’s expected to marry the prince of a neighboring tribe, and he expects her to give up her “unfeminine” activities – hunting, weapons practice, and runelore, the magic practiced by the people of the Sha islands. So, she undertakes a journey, sanctioned by the gods, to the empire of Cresh in hopes of finding a cure for her father’s sickness. Enrolling at a prestigious Creshen university to learn more about their magic may be the only way to save him, but navigating Creshen culture and prejudice is an almost insurmountable obstacle she hadn’t expected – as is the interest from one very pushy dragon.

I liked Yenni. She’s strong, regal, and not afraid to work hard for what she wants. However, she was painfully oblivious to those who meant her harm, both unintentionally and intentionally. There’s a lot of racism directed at her, but Yenni doesn’t understand why they’re treating her differently – for instance, a classmate asks to touch her hair and then is startled when Yenni asks to touch hers back. It’s 90% through the book before Yenni starts really calling people on the racism – and that’s after she’s revealed as a princess. Most of it’s of the overt variety, rather than microaggressions, and the actions and Yenni’s failure to engage with it made the book read much younger than I expected. One thing that sat uncomfortably with me involved names. Yenni insists on being addressed as “Yenni Ajani” because, in Sha culture, it’s rude to only call someone by their first name unless they’re very close. However, because one-syllable names are only for gods in her culture, Yenni changes her friends’ Creshen names – Harth becomes Har-tha and Weysh becomes Wey-sha – without their input. It was a minor thing, but I didn’t understand why she couldn’t just explain to them why it bothered her and come up with nicknames together.

Weysh furrowed his brow, confused. “So I should simply leave her be?”
“If that’s what she wants.”
“But why? How would that endear me to her?”
Zui threw a quick, fond glance at Harth. “Because respecting a woman’s wishes is one of the most seductive things a man can do.” Weysh shook his head. It seemed incredibly counterproductive, but everything else he’d tried so far had been nothing short of disaster.


And then there’s Weysh. Frankly, he’s awful. His main fault is that he’s painfully honest – blunt to the point of rudeness, and past that. It’s telling that Yenni finds him “less beastly as a beast.” Frankly, he’s awful to pretty much everyone around him. Somehow, though, all of his friends tell Yenni that he’s hardworking, responsible, good with women – but we never actually see that in the book, we’re only told about it. Even during Yenni’s darkest moments, when she goes to him for comfort, he automatically turns the conversation back to himself – obviously, it’s his fault that she’s having problems because he didn’t take proper care of her! It’s only after Weysh is left partially disabled – unable to smell, which is a big deal for a dragon – that he realizes how badly he’s been treating Yenni.

So, what did I like? I loved the magic systems, both the Sha runelore and the Creshen magic. I would happily have read more about Uhad’s 67 laws of casting or why all their incantations need to have “source” in them, but unfortunately the surface is just barely scraped. Runelore, with its hymns and patterns in special paint, was equally fascinating and I loved all the parts involving Yenni explaining it or using it. Disappointingly, while Weysh realizes almost right away that runes would allow him to work magic in dragon form – Creshen magic relies on spoken triggers, and dragons can’t speak – they don’t get around to trying it out until three-quarters of the way through the book.

This is the first in a series, so the book ends without much of the plot points being resolved, leaving the ending a bit jumbled. Overall, this isn’t a badly written book, but it felt like it needed tighter editing to figure out what story is being told. Is it about Yenni’s quest to find a cure for her father’s illness? Her relationship with Weysh? Her adventures in Cresh at the university? I was never quite sure. I think this would work for for middle-grade readers, but it’s a bit light for the YA audience.

I received this book for free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review

All included quotes have been taken from an ARC and may not match the finished publication.

Content Warning: Attempted murder, Violence, Sexism, Prejudice, Discussion of a past Rape, Mugging

"Magic belongs to everyone, Yenni Ajani. Rich and poor. Islander or Creshen."

Yenni, a Princess to the Yirba tribe, has grown up on the Moonrise Isles. Privy to the lifestyle a princess, she understands that the role she has is significant, and demands responsibility. Thus, marriage to a neighboring tribe may be her calling in order to bring her tribe peace with another alliance. Yenni's father, and chief of the Yurbi tribe, however, has fallen ill with a wasting disease. Healers have been trying to keep his illness at bay with the use of Rune magic, to little avail.

Rune magic is a sacred and powerful tradition among the clans that inhabit the Isles, and practiced regularly. Specific runes are passed down from generation to generation, and some, are rarely shared in order to keep their purposes secret. Runes, and many other practices are very different from the world that Yenni must travel to.

"Orire N'jem is a sacred journey, undertaken to honor the Sha—our gods. I must complete the task they assign, and in return my tribe will receive their blessing."

Yenni decides to travel to the land of Cresh in order to study and learn how to help her father. Afflicted with Wither-rot, the tribe's chief is declining rapidly in his health, and Yenni may be his only hope. Upon arrival, Yenni is struck by the completely different world she has landed in. People of all different colors (literally) and origins converge in a city of knowledge. Not only that, but dragons still exist on Cresh—they were killed off over three hundred years ago on the isles. After a strange encounter with one, Yenni learns that she is a Given—a predestined mate to a dragon/human. This turn of events is exactly the distraction that she doesn't need, not to mention with the off-putting man who claims she is his future betrothed.

Weysh, born of the dragonkind, has always been sought out by women. With good looks, charm, and the ability to turn into a dragon, he's utterly irresistible, or so he thinks. When he meets his Given, Yenni, he's shocked that she doesn't bow to the expectations that she's to be his romantic conquest. Puzzled by Yenni's refusal, Weysh endures a painstaking journey to win her favor, with a little humility, and ultimately, some common sense.

Yenni enrolls in the school in Cresh that teaches about magic. This magic, however, is nothing like the "primitive," as Creshians call it, Rune magic she is accustomed to. Through a series of events, it turns out that her only hope in passing her classes and staying enrolled is to be tutored by Weysh.

Through many up's and down's, Yenni begins to learn her way around this new magic, and Weysh, learns how to act appropriately around Yenni. Inevitably, the two learn more about one another, particularly their cultures and customs, and are able to bridge the chasm between them. The problem begs to differ, how will it all end?

Given is a story packed full of original mythology, magic, and world-building. Lands with very different stories are developed well (visually, not so much.) Religion and mythology exist in both the mainland and the Isles, as well as customs, traditions, specifically represented in magic. Weysh, one of few dragonkind, is said to be descendants of the sacred warriors of their god, Byen. Unlike his predecessors, he has the ability to shift between human and dragon form, whereas the original dragons didn't have a human form.

Weysh's character is like chewing on a tough piece of jerky—unpleasant, and off-putting. When he first shows up on the scene, he has no idea that a woman has her own will. He has no concept that even though Yenni is his Given, she still has a free will. Yenni, a princess (although, this is kept secret for most of the story) and warrior, is incredibly driven and has no interest in being his Given because 1) she doesn't know him, and 2) he's incredibly demeaning.

Entitlement is represented in almost every character in some way or another. Everyone wants something, without understanding the full meaning of what it takes to get that, and the sacrifice others must make. I think this story does a good job and creating opportunities for growth in each character and learning empathy. My main issue is that the plot moves very slowly. It allows time for the characters to grow towards one another—which I'm not complaining about. To be honest, it took me a long time to look positively upon these characters. Furthermore, the events that take place aren't incredibly pivotal. I appreciated the way the cultures were built in this diverse read, but the characters themselves didn't impact me on a deep level.

Vulgarity: Minimal
Sexual content: See above content warning.
Violence: Moderate

My Rating: ★★★

Rating: 3.5 stars!

As the synopsis and the title imply, this book is about two characters who are ‘soulmates’ or ‘given’ as it is called in this book. I’m always a bit dubious about books with soulmates, I could either really enjoy them or not like them at all. But since this book also contained dragons, I really had to read it!
This soulmate part was really from one part of this world and was not a thing in another part of the world. In Weysh world, finding your Given is very important. Your kinda disgraced if you don’t. While in Yenni’s world this is not a thing at all, she is just planning to marry for political reasons.
Yenni decides to study in Weysh’s part of the world, to learn more about their magic. As soon as Weysh sees Yenni, he knows she is his Given. And I really struggled with this part of book. He really was forcing himself upon Yenni, even though she was really clear about not wanting anything to do with him. His character was just so annoying to me. But his character development throughout the book was probably my favourite thing of the book. He learned to deal with people, and see his mistakes. I loved that!
I did really enjoy Yenni’s character from the start! She knew what she wanted, and she wouldn’t be distracted from her path. Even is things didn’t always go as planned, she found a way to solve it!
The different magic systems were very interesting, but I do think they could have been explored/explained a bit more. In Yenni’s part of the world there are runes that ‘supply’ the magic, and were just told that there are strength runes and speed runes. But I would have loved to learn more about it. It is kinda the same as for the magic in Weysh’s part of the world. Here they did magic with spells, but again we were told many things. But since Yenni was learning this type of magic, we learned a bit more about this type.
Then we also have the dragons. Which again wasn’t explained, it just was. Which I think worked?! Some people could just change into dragons, and some can’t.
One thing I just didn’t really understood, was the ‘enemy’ in this book. I’m not sure if I missed the explanation but I just didn’t get why this person was so angry at our main characters?! (trying to be vague, since I don’t want to spoil anything).
But besides that, I enjoyed most of the characters, I liked the magic, the dragons were interesting. I just wasn’t sure about the enemy and some part of the ‘given’ were a bit predictable.
But I definitely recommend this book, and I look forward to be reading more from this author!

Given is the first book by Nandi Taylor. I can safely say that based on this book, I hope Ms Taylor is planning to write more books. The books is based on Yenni's life. Yennie is a princess of an island tribe whose father, the chieftain, is dying from a mysterious disease. She has to make a journey to find the cure to save her father. She goes to the Empire of Cresh, which is a new land to her full of strange people and magic she has never seen before. She meets Weysh, a dragon who insists that she is his destined mate, what the dragons call his Given. She cannot stand him but eventually she realizes he may be the only way for her to get answers.

From the beginning I was enchanted with the descriptions used to build the worlds Yenni inhabited. I was able to vividly imagine the strange colors of the people and dragons in Cresh while seeing in my mind's eye how striking the white runes must have been on Yenni's dark skin.

Honestly I knew other readers said he was full of toxic masculinity but I adored Weysh from the first time I read about him. He may have been a bit arrogant at first but that is because he was so excited that he was going to have something he always craved, a real family. And let's give him a little credit, he cleaned up so well later on in the book it was easy to forgive his bumbling errors earlier.

As a Caribbean girl, I was able to identify with Yenni, particularly when I saw the way other islanders spoke. 'Mam'selle' is used quite frequently in my country and curry goat is something all Trinis love. The use of 'de' instead of 'the' is something all of us islanders have in common. I think my favorite parts of the boon were when Yenni's fellow islander classmate, Deirdre spoke.

Unfortunately what I was also able to identify with was the prejudice she encountered. I have had ignorant citizens of other countries ask me if Trinidad & Tobago is part of Africa, they have asked if we have running water in our country. Some people were also quite surprised that we have internet and electricity.

I would love to continue this series and see what happens next with Yenni and Weysh. I hope Ms Taylor releases a sequel quickly. Anyone who is into fantasy would love this book and I think it would be appreciated even more by Caribbean readers.

Violence: Mild
Sexual Content: Mild sexual content. Teens can read this book.
Profanity: None
Religious Themes: Talk about gods and demons.
Alcohol/Drugs/Smoking: One instance of drinking beer and another where a character is depressed and drinking whiskey

Starting this book, I honestly didn't know what to expect; I loved the idea, I was curious about it being a Wattpad Books publication, and I was really excited to be reading another POC fantasy story. That being said, the story had good bones, but the rest of the body just didn't feel quite fleshed out enough for me.


What I liked: The culture that is woven into Nandi Taylor's work right from the beginning is astounding. The lore, family history, and the world building was rich and well-written, and was fully incorporated in almost every part of the story. When Yenni Ajani gets to Cresh, the culture shock is immediate; Yenni is one of the only darker-skinned people there, and because she's the princess of the Sha (Moonrise) Isles, she has a deep knowledge of runelore, and is covered in the stark white paint. I loved the commentary on cultural ignorance, from the unnamed microaggressions to the full fledged appropriation of another tribes secret runes, as well as the nuanced critique of Cresh as a colonizing country (where its people are predominantly light-skinned).

In addition to the lush backstory of traditions and magic in this world, Yenni instantly shows us that she's the kind of princess who has a weakness for beautiful animals, and that she's not the one to mess with. As a character, Yenni was funny and so stubborn, but I couldn't have imagined her any other way. And then she meets Weysh, who starts off <em>stupidly </em>arrogant and entitled, but I loved that Yenni was quick to put him in his place.

What I didn't like: I love a good enemies to lovers plot, and while Yenni and Weysh ticked a few boxes, I didn't have any strong feelings about their relationship. In other words, I wasn't rooting for them hardcore, but I wasn't rooting for their downfall either?? I was sort of indifferent or frustrated most of the time, but I would prefer to be fully invested, yenno? The main let-down for me was the writing; the flow was awkward in a few too many places to ignore, and the scenes and characters felt two-dimensional and didn't really inspire strong feelings either way (it got close, but it lacked follow-through).

Overall, it was an entertaining story with a few strong elements here and there, but I was disappointed in the lack of depth and the bare feeling of it all, and by the end, I felt like I wanted more.

I really wanted to like Given by Nandi Taylor. The cover for the novel is absolutely gorgeous. Plus, it sounded like a more diverse take on Eight Simple Rules for Dating a Dragon, a book I really enjoyed! Furthermore, the summary for Given promises a grand adventure with Caribbean and West African roots with tribal princess Yenni Ajani at the helm of Given--fighting against racism, strange magics, cultures, and dragons--in a race against time to save her father from a mysterious disease known as wither rot. Imagine my surprise when I realized Given was very little like its description and was instead mainly a poorly developed romance that happened to take place in a magic academy setting with very little exposition given--pardon the pun--and absolutely zero likable characters. It was honestly a struggle for me to get past 18% of Given and it was through sheer force of will that I made it to 52%. The only saving graces in the novel for me were the systems of magic, world-building, and the interesting idea of wither rot.

“I will gain entrance to these Creshen’s academy. I’m top of my class, I speak five languages, and I am princess of the Yirba. I will not fail.”

The novel begins in the Moonrise Isles, the home of Yenni Aja-Nifemi ka Yirba, daughter of the chief-clan, making her a veritable princess of her tribe. Given hurls a ton of fantastical terms at us to breathe life into the tribe and its islands, and it might have worked, if it weren’t for the fact that as soon as we are introduced to this life and its terms, Yenni Ajani, as she prefers to be called, immediately leaves it. And sadly, everything else in Given occurs just as instantaneously, and as a result, it is difficult to determine what is happening in what feels like one giant event dump or to even care.


Author Taylor tries to set up Yenni Anaji as an intelligent, kind-hearted, and strong-willed warrior princess in very little exposition. We are given so little actual time and description to get to know the characters and the world around them that the author relies on telling us how we should actually perceive the characters . But sadly, instead of the trope the author is obviously going for of a warrior princess with a heart of gold, what she manages to create is a very privileged character who isn't very likable.

“Back home she didn’t have much use for money. If she needed something she asked her mother for it, and more often than not things were gifted to her.”

But even worse than Yenni Anaji is the man/dragon she’s supposed to fall for--Weysh. In dragon form, Weysh smells Yenni’s sent the first time and marks her as his Given, or soulmate thing that’s never really explained, but is expected to somehow understood by both the reader and foreigner Yenni Anaji, who has never actually encountered a dragon in her life. Immediately entranced by her scent and the idea of actually having a Given, Weysh literally doesn’t even bother to learn Yenni Anaji’s name or anything remotely about her. Instead, he immediately proposes marriage and informs her that she should have his dragon baby. On other occasions, he swoops down in dragon form and carries her off without her consent. How charming.

“‘Sweet,’ Weysh said patiently, ‘I’m not some breeding stud you can cajole into plowing a mare. Carmenna is not my match.’ He held her eyes with his own. ‘You are.’’

Given tells us that Weysh is actually a great guy/dragon and that he treated all of his past many female interests--the novel makes sure to emphasize how desired he is by the general female population--and his family really well. But we never see the character in any of these relationships because he unceremoniously dumps his ex, Carmenna, as soon as he smells Yenni Anaji for the first time. I find it absolutely unbelievable that Yenni Anaji could ever develop feelings for the dangerously immature Weysh, who really seems to have no redeeming qualities except that he cannot speak in dragon form.

“Weysh furrowed his brow, confused. ‘So I should simply leave her be?’
‘If that’s what she wants.’
‘But why? How would that endear me to her?
Zui threw a quick, fond glance at Harth. ‘Because respecting a woman’s wishes is one of the most seductive things a man can do.’
Weysh shook his head. It seemed incredibly counterproductive, but everything else he’d tried so far had ended in disaster.”

Given also beats readers over the head with the fact that dragons do not have any feelings for humans when in their dragon form. However, Given contradicts this at literally every turn. In fact, the very first meeting between Weysh and Yenni-Anaji, he drops out of the sky like "some overgrown demon hawk” (definitely not the best description of a dragon I've ever read), and unceremoniously licks her thigh because he is so overpowered by her scent and the fact that he’s found his Given. Ick. And if that weren’t bad enough, the rest of the cast of characters are all completely flat. Weysh’s dragon friends Harth and Zui are supposed to be great--patient and long suffering--I know because the author repeatedly tells me so--but they’re little more than hood ornaments on a nondriveable car.

Sadly, the dialogue of Given is no better than the painful romance or the constant telling rather than showing. There are innumerable nonsensical lines like, “We select only the fat of the meat, the best to take part in training here.” But what was worse was that literally almost every sentence that came out of Weysh’s mouth ended in “lovely.” His mother, his sister, his Given, girls on the street, were all referred to as “lovely.” I wish I had kept a running tally of how many times it was said. Given clearly could have benefited from some more editing.

Despite its issues, Given does a great job of establishing not only its magical systems and its laws, but also its lore. These were the main reasons I gave the book a full star. Author Taylor sets up believable and various magical systems--the Runelore of Yenni Ajani’s home and the more ritualistic Creshen magic. She even establishes that there is a false stereotype for Runelore users--that they sacrifice infants and animals for their craft. It was interesting to see Yenni Ajani try to learn the Creshen way of magic and how it differed from her own. I did want her to succeed at finding a cure for her father’s mysterious wither-rot disease through the use of this new magic on a superficial level, but the novel didn’t let me get to know her father well enough to evoke any real sympathy for him or for his family.

The other thing that Given does fairly well is to establish some world-building and lore. The Moonrise Islands believe in the Sha gods and have a whole strict belief system built around it that actually sets Yenni-Ajani out on her quest in the first place. The Creshen people believe in totally different gods, such as Byen, the Kindly Watcher. Wyesh tells Yenni-Anaji the story of how dragonkind came to be, after of course, laughing at Yenni-Anaji’s own beliefs.

“In the beginning, Byen, the Kindly Watcher, was at war with Movay, Mistress of Demons. She sent her hell minions to destroy the world but was defeated by Byen and his true dragons. After that Byen gave ten percent of humanity the ability to transform into a lesser version of his sacred warriors, to defend the world should Movay’s demons return.”

I thought this was really interesting lore (it actually put me to mind of a simpler version of the lore in Book Review: The Rage of Dragons ), and I wondered if it would have anything to do with the wither-rot disease in the rest of Given. But that mild curiosity and the potential shown by both the magic systems and the world-building was just not enough to get me through the rest of Given. Based on the parts of Given I managed to get through, I feel that perhaps this novel would be better suited for younger audiences, such as intermediate readers, as it is not on the same level of other young adult fantasy novels, with believable romances, realistic dialogue, and developed  characters.

Nandi Taylor’s Given follows an island princess as she goes on a journey to save her family and tribe from a mysterious illness and outside forces, and ends up going on a personal growth journey. She faces difficulties, makes new friends, and even (predictably) finds love.
Many of the typical YA fantasy tropes fit right into this novel, and I didn’t hate reading most of them. Yenni (the protagonist) starts off a little annoying but over time changes as she grows. Weysh (the dragonkind that feels Yenni is his Given-soulmate) obsesses a bit too much about having a dragonling for a 20 yo, but a lot of that is immaturity and insecurity that does shift throughout the book.
Taylor does a good job highlighting real-world issues such as discrimination, colonization, cultural appropriation, and patriarchal beliefs while successfully weaving in magical lore, danger, suspense, romance, and the importance of family.
Things I really liked about the book: I enjoyed the world-building, the different cultures, the POC and diverse characters, the LGBT elements, and the fantasy elements. The book is fast-paced, colorful, and has mostly compelling characters that must face growth and change.
Things I didn’t like, but felt okay with by the end: the plot twists were predictable; I was not surprised by any of the situations faced or by the antagonists.
If you like slow burn shifter romance, YA fantasy, good world-building, and engaging quick reads then this book is for you.

A detailed review will follow on my blog later this week.
*I received an ebook ARC from NetGalley and Wattpad publishing in exchange for my honest review.

Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher and Netgalley. Thanks! All opinions are my own.Book: GivenAuthor: Nandi TaylorBook Series: StandaloneRating: 3/5Diversity: West-African and CaribbeanPublication Date: January 21, 2020Genre: YA RomanceRecommended Age: 15+ (romance, some violence, and… lots of romance)Publisher: Wattpad BooksPages: 352Amazon LinkSynopsis: Yenni has never been this far from home. With only her wits, her strength and her sacred runelore, the fierce Yirba warrior princess is alone in the Empire of Cresh. It’s a land filled with strange magics and even stranger people—many of whom mistrust anyone who’s different. But Yenni will prove herself, and find a cure for her father’s wasting illness. She will not fail.No one warned her about the dragons. Especially not about him.Yes, there is something powerful and compelling about the violet-black dragon known as Weysh. In human form he’s muscular, beautiful—and completely infuriating. What kind of arrogant creature claims a stranger as his Given; as his destined mate? Yenni is no man’s—or dragon’s—plaything. But other magics must be at work here, because Weysh might just be her best hope at finding the answers she seeks.Only now Yenni can’t tell if she’s fighting her attraction to a dragon…or fighting fate itself.Review: Overall, I thought this was an interesting tale with very interesting characters. For the most part, they’re developed and the book had a lot of interesting lore that I’d love to know more about.However, the book is completely different than what the synopsis leads me to believe. It’s basically a romance. The book also didn’t do well in the writing department. The book didn’t fully incorporate racism and it didn’t really develop the plot well in my opinion.Verdict: It’s worth the read, but it could use some work in my opinion. But it’s got a really interesting concept and I’d love to see it further developed!

You read the book blurb or the synopsis and think "Wow that sounds interesting, good concept" and then the book is completely different from what you expected.
This book kinda had a misleading synopsis.

#BookReview Given by Nandi Taylor.
Yenni is a fierce warrior princess far from her home and kingdom in an unfamiliar city. A city filled with strange magic and people whom she does not trust. But she has to complete her mission of finding a cure for her father.
Though no one warned her about dragons which are very common in the place they live. There is this one dragon who wont stop pestering her. Weysh, sure he is handsome and enigmatic but that doesnt give him the right to call her his Given as his destined mate. And she hates him.... for now.
But a shadow looms over Yenni & Weysh. And she has to race to find all the answers.

That's basically the overall description. Now let's move on to things I liked.
The concept is really very good. Magic school and a shady country/place for dragons and humans alike. There are a lot of funny moments in the book. Especially given the way Wyesh tried to court her. I loved how Yenni stayed true to her culture and yet she embraced a foreign one albeit not easily. A few issues like racism, gender inequality, LGBTQ+ are raised here. People who could shapeshift into dragons. They felt like demigods or tou could call them demidragons. I loved the way the dragons were described it was vivid.

Onto things that I didnt like. The romance, the "difficulties" they all fall flat. The one question I keep having was she could've somehow helped Weysh's stepfather since she knew the cure. The world building was also lacking. We are introduced to moonrise isles and before we have a chance to get to know it we a whisked away to Cresh. The character development and the "plot twists" were a bit underwhelming. It's like the focus was on Yenni and Weysh's romance and the other characters were sidelined. The excitement and rush of a good suspense and plot twist sadly were never felt. This book could use a bit of more editing.

This book is a combination of so many different elements and tropes that didn't quite fit together for me.

Thankyou for approving and giving me a chance to read and give an honest review for this book. I would give this 2.5 stars.