A sparkling first novel of self-discovery by a skilled author.
In Hart’s debut fantasy novel and series opener, a young woman is thrust into a world of magic and intrigue as she tries to master strange powers that she inherited from her late mother.
As her 18th birthday approaches, Lida d’Cathan’s biggest concern is whether she’ll be able to apprentice with her healer father or be forced to study abroad. What Lida doesn’t know is that she’s inherited a secret ability from her deceased mom, Siva: She can enter other people’s dreams. In Lida’s world, people with superpowers are called “gifted”; some have the ability to heal wounds, create shields, read minds, and even control the weather. They also exist apart from society—ostracized, mistrusted, and even hunted—and it wasn’t long ago that some gifts, such as Lida’s, were entirely wiped out. Soon, Lida is whisked away by a man named Jakob Merchantto to the Illarum, a safe haven for the dwindling population of gifted, so that she can get the necessary training for her burgeoning powers; there, she’ll also find clues about Siva’s past. Before long, she’s on a riveting journey to the far reaches of the continent, confronting a harsh landscape, a foreign court, and the dreams and nightmares of the people around her. Hart’s debut novel is immersive and artfully rendered with clever dialogue and masterful prose: “Trees and houses rushed past at an alarming speed, barely discernible; the road beneath them was nothing more than a pale smudge of sand catching the last of the day’s light.” She deftly weaves mythology and history into a rich tapestry of cultures, each with their own idiosyncrasies, customs, and beliefs; all the while, the story hints at a destiny that Lida has only just begun to piece together. Lida is a deeply relatable, strong-willed, but compassionate protagonist who’s thrust into a world beyond her understanding. Her nuanced relationships with the various people she meets make up the heart of the novel, and they include romance; most compelling of all, however, is Lida’s steadfast desire to understand the mother she never knew and, in doing so, find a connection to a hidden legacy.
A sparkling first novel of self-discovery by a skilled author.Pub Date: Aug. 1, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-6488496-1-2
Page Count: 399
Publisher: Pindika Press
Review Posted Online: July 21, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2020
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
Unrelenting, and not in a good way.
A young Navarrian woman faces even greater challenges in her second year at dragon-riding school.
Violet Sorrengail did all the normal things one would do as a first-year student at Basgiath War College: made new friends, fell in love, and survived multiple assassination attempts. She was also the first rider to ever bond with two dragons: Tairn, a powerful black dragon with a distinguished battle history, and Andarna, a baby dragon too young to carry a rider. At the end of Fourth Wing (2023), Violet and her lover, Xaden Riorson, discovered that Navarre is under attack from wyvern, evil two-legged dragons, and venin, soulless monsters that harvest energy from the ground. Navarrians had always been told that these were monsters of legend and myth, not real creatures dangerously close to breaking through Navarre’s wards and attacking civilian populations. In this overly long sequel, Violet, Xaden, and their dragons are determined to find a way to protect Navarre, despite the fact that the army and government hid the truth about these creatures. Due to the machinations of several traitorous instructors at Basgiath, Xaden and Violet are separated for most of the book—he’s stationed at a distant outpost, leaving her to handle the treacherous, cutthroat world of the war college on her own. Violet is repeatedly threatened by her new vice commandant, a brutal man who wants to silence her. Although Violet and her dragons continue to model extreme bravery, the novel feels repetitive and more than a little sloppy, leaving obvious questions about the world unanswered. The book is full of action and just as full of plot holes, including scenes that are illogical or disconnected from the main narrative. Secondary characters are ignored until a scene requires them to assist Violet or to be killed in the endless violence that plagues their school.
Unrelenting, and not in a good way.Pub Date: Nov. 7, 2023
ISBN: 9781649374172
Page Count: 640
Publisher: Red Tower
Review Posted Online: Jan. 20, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
SEEN & HEARD
Read this for the action-packed plot, not character development or worldbuilding.
On the orders of her mother, a woman goes to dragon-riding school.
Even though her mother is a general in Navarre’s army, 20-year-old Violet Sorrengail was raised by her father to follow his path as a scribe. After his death, though, Violet's mother shocks her by forcing her to enter the elite and deadly dragon rider academy at Basgiath War College. Most students die at the War College: during training sessions, at the hands of their classmates, or by the very dragons they hope to one day be paired with. From Day One, Violet is targeted by her classmates, some because they hate her mother, others because they think she’s too physically frail to succeed. She must survive a daily gauntlet of physical challenges and the deadly attacks of classmates, which she does with the help of secret knowledge handed down by her two older siblings, who'd been students there before her. Violet is at the mercy of the plot rather than being in charge of it, hurtling through one obstacle after another. As a result, the story is action-packed and fast-paced, but Violet is a strange mix of pure competence and total passivity, always managing to come out on the winning side. The book is categorized as romantasy, with Violet pulled between the comforting love she feels from her childhood best friend, Dain Aetos, and the incendiary attraction she feels for family enemy Xaden Riorson. However, the way Dain constantly undermines Violet's abilities and his lack of character development make this an unconvincing storyline. The plots and subplots aren’t well-integrated, with the first half purely focused on Violet’s training, followed by a brief detour for romance, and then a final focus on outside threats.
Read this for the action-packed plot, not character development or worldbuilding.Pub Date: May 2, 2023
ISBN: 9781649374042
Page Count: 528
Publisher: Red Tower
Review Posted Online: Jan. 12, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
SEEN & HEARD
BOOK TO SCREEN
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