The Unblessed Child

The concept behind this was fascinating from beginning to end. I also loved how the Pronunciation of the characters names was included in the very beginning. I am a sucker for a red headed outcast heroine and Aardriyah was no exception. I loved so many things about this book and will shout from the rooftops to get everyone I know to read it.

The Unblessed Child is a unique and new take on fantasy as we know it. Perfect for fans of Avatar the Last Airbender or Three Dark Crowns, this story looks into the questions often questioned in fiction. What is family? And how do the 'unblessed' cope in a world filled with those who can harness the magic in the world and themselves.

Although R J Kaldanis' writing leans towards what might be more enjoyed by a younger audience, such as the middle-grade range, as a YA reader and young adult myself, it was still an interesting read that brought back feelings of nostalgia from the kind of novels I would read back in middle grade (primary school). It was even more fun to read about a character similarly cursed in people's opinion of your hair colour!

Any immature language or explanation or relationships between Aardriyah and her family is made up for by the world-building and intrigue of the plot itself. Simply great!

Beautiful, stunning, and a bit heartbreaking. I cannot believe the love I have for this in such a short time.

I just download the book and read it with the help of an e-reader, and I have to say, THIS BOOK WAS REALLY AMAZING!!! I love the story, the world building and above all I love Aardriyah! Aardriyah is exactly the kind of person who deserves to be the protagonist of story. Thank goodness it's a series and not a stand-alone, 'cause I just want more and more stories of Aardriyah. In short, this book is a beautifully written adventurous, emotional, intriguing, nostalgic, thrilling YA (though people of any age group would love it) novel. I am just waiting for the next books in this series. I highly recommend this book to everyone.
I sincerely thank NetGalley and the author R J Kaldanis for giving me such a wonderful opportunity and intruding this worthy read to me!

<i>I received a digital copy of this book via Netgalley. This does not influence my opinion of this book in any way.</i>

The concept for this story is really interesting. In a world full of people with (elemental) magic, main character Aardriyah is unblessed and goes through life without it. She tries to make the best out of her daily life but struggles because of prejudgements and the general idea that unblessed are not chosen by the Goddess and therefore beneath those with magic. In order to keep her family save Aardriyah is forced to go on a journey in a world she knows nothing about, but she tries to make the best of it nonetheless.

The world building and characterization is satisfactory, a point of notice for me however is that the reader is kept in the dark about many things. Aardriyah asks a lot of questions throughout the book about her past and why certain things are happening, but everybody is deliberately keeping information from her. In the last chapter(s) however the story picks up fast and a lot becomes clear, revealing an interesting twist at the end.

The story is not perfect but it is enjoyable with a lot of potential for growth and I will be looking out for future works of this author.

The start of an exciting journey for our lonely Unblessed Aardriyah. In a world full of 'Blessed', who have power over the elements, poor Riyah has been told she isn't good enough her whole life, but now will be her time to shine.
Looking forward to more in this series!