Tag Archives: Australian Authors

Falling Pomegranate Seeds by Wendy J. Dunn

Book Review, , ,

Overview

falling-pomegranate-seeds

Title: Falling Pomegranate Seeds
Author: Wendy J. Dunn
Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect)
My Bookshelves: Australian authors, History, Strong women
Pace: Medium
Format: Novel
Publisher: MadeGlobal Publishing
Year: 2016
5th sentence, 74th page: The bells on the harness of Queen Isabel’s mount rang a discordant sound as her eyes searched the men at her husband’s back.

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Synopsis

Dona Beatriz Galindo.
Respected scholar.
Tutor to royalty.
Friend and advisor to Queen Isabel of Castile.

Beatriz is an uneasy witness to the Holy War of Queen Isabel and her husband, Ferdinand, King of Aragon. A Holy War seeing the Moors pushed out of territories ruled by them for centuries.

The road for women is a hard one. Beatriz must tutor the queen’s youngest child, Catalina, and equip her for a very different future life. She must teach her how to survive exile, an existence outside the protection of her mother. She must prepare Catalina to be England’s queen.

A tale of mothers and daughters, power, intrigue, death, love, and redemption. In the end, Falling Pomegranate Seeds sings a song of friendship and life.

Thoughts

I don’t often read historical fiction, it’s not a genre that I’ve ever been exposed to. But, when I met Wendy through Swinburne University and decided to read her book… just wow, wow. I’ve never read such a heart-rending and fascinating story. The fact that it is based upon something that truly happened just made every moment of tragedy and triumph all the more powerful and poignant.

Catalina, or Katherine of Aragon as many came to later know her, had an immensely painful and tragic upbringing. This not only brings forward the strength of an incredible woman and one whom is often forgotten due to her replacement by Anne Boleyn, but it also highlights the plight of women. The mothers and daughters throughout this story constantly fight for their sense of self and lives. Their relationships are pressured and pursued by the needs of the men surrounding them, and they are constantly upheld to an ideal that is structured by others’ needs.

Telling the tale of Catalina through the eyes of her tutor, Beatriz, was a beautiful way in which to tell of the Holy War and a child growing too quickly into her mantle of responsibility. Every moment of peace and happiness present within the beginning of the story and childhood is offset by the pain and suffering that quickly causes such a vibrant young child to grow into adulthood.

This is a fantastic look into the history of one of the Tudors, but it is far more than that. Falling Pomegranate Seeds is an insightful look into the rights of women, the relationships between mothers and daughters, and coming of age in a world that is harsh and difficult.

<- More Wendy J. Dunn reviews Dear Heart, How Like You This? Review ->
Image source: Amazon

Abhorsen by Garth Nix

Book Review, , , ,

Overview

abhorsen

Title: Abhorsen
Author: Garth Nix
Series: The Old Kingdom #3
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Australian authors, Fantasy, Necromancers
Pace: Fast
Format: Novel
Publisher: Allen & Unwin
Year: 2003
5th sentence, 74th page: And what part did his friend Nicholas have to play in it all?

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Synopsis

WHEN THE NINTH GATE CALLS, WHO CAN RESIST ITS SUMMONS?

An ancient evil has arisen – freed from its subterranean prison and seeking to escape the binding silver hemispheres which prevent it from finally unleashing its terrible powers.

Lirael, newly come into her inheritance as the Abhorsen-in-Waiting, knows that the fate of the world is in her hands. With only a vision from the Clayr to guide her, and the uncertain help of her companions – Sam, the Disreputable Dog and Mogget – Lirael sets out on her perilous mission. The answer must be found somewhere in Life or Death – but can a former Second Assistant Librarian possibly discover the means to defeat the Destroyer… before it is too late?

Thoughts

To me, Abhorsen is all about duty and honour; it’s importance and how difficult it can truly be to pursue such a calling in life. Saving the world from certain doom is a great calling, if you are not the one who has to shoulder that responsibility. Lirael grabs this responsibility and her birthright with both hands and clings on. The way that she takes on a world of pain and obligation that she never thought was hers is inspiring and beautiful. It is a great reminder of the ways in which we should all grow a backbone and take charge of our own lives and destinies.

Abhorsen, like Lirael, is very much a story about Sameth and Lirael. Sabriel and Touchstone appear occasionally, but it is Lirael’s footsteps that we follow in. Since Lirael is the character that I most identify with, this perfectly suits me. Likewise, Sameth’s new-found courage and place in life help to build upon this and the way that the two are able to relate to, and support one another is one of those great and seamless relationships that seem to only happen in books.

Throughout The Old Kingdom series, The Charter, The Beginning and Free Magic are elusive concepts that are briefly touched upon, but never truly explained. Abhorsen goes a long way to changing this, although there are no hard and fast rules outlined, the story goes back to The Beginning and allows a window into such a complex world.

This tale feels like an end of a series (which it was for a long time), so I can’t wait until I receive my copy of Goldenhand, and find out more about Lirael’s life after Orannis.

<- Lirael Review Nicholas Sayre and the Creature in the Case Review ->
Image source: Garth Nix

Lirael by Garth Nix

Book Review, , , ,

Overview

lirael

Title: Lirael
Author: Garth Nix
Series: The Old Kingdom #2
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Australian authors, Fantasy, Necromancers
Pace: Fast
Format: Novel
Publisher: Allen & Unwin
Year: 2001
5th sentence, 74th page: But in the course of her regular duties, she often passed interesting-looking corridors sealed off with red rope, or doors that beckoned to her, almost saying, “How can you walk past me every day and not want to go in?”

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Synopsis

WHEN THE FUTURE IS HIDDEN, WHO HOLDS THE KEY TO DESTINY?

Lirael has never felt like a true daughter of the Clayr. She doesn’t even have the Sight – the ability to See into the present and possible futures – that is the very birthright of the Clayr. Nonetheless, it is Lirael in whose hands the fate of the Old Kingdom lies, while Abhorsen Sabriel is engaged in conflict elsewhere.

As an ancient evil casts its shadow – one that opposes the Royal Family, blocks the Sight of the Clayr, and threatens to break the very boundary between Life and Death – Lirael undertakes a desperate mission. With only her faithful companion, the Disreputable Dog, to help her, Lirael sets out upon a perilous journey and comes face to face with her own fate…

Thoughts

Lirael has long been one of my favourite literary heroines. She doesn’t quite fit in with her family, is immensely insecure, and is seriously struggling to find her place in life. Her multi-layered creation and the vulnerability in her tale pulls at the heart strings, and makes her all the more relatable to everyone who has struggled to find their place in life. From their teens to adulthood.

Not only does Lirael tell the story of its namesake, but it also follows Sabriel and Touchstone’s youngest child, Sameth. He is the epitome of a spoilt Prince. Whilst he isn’t a bad character, he is spoilt and naïve in his own talents. Like Lirael, he is trying to find his place in a world of expectations and political pressures. He’s still kind of whiney though, and it’s only towards the end when he faces up to his own sense of self and courage that he becomes more tolerable and admirable.

The complexities of The Charter and its creation continue to build in Lirael, and this, alongside the beautifully complex and intricate characters make it an unbelievably loveable book. This is one story that will sit on my bookshelf to be read again and again and again.

<- Sabriel Review Abhorsen Review ->
Image source: Garth Nix

Sabriel by Garth Nix

Book Review, , , ,

Overview

sabriel

Title: Sabriel
Author: Garth Nix
Series: The Old Kingdom #1
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Australian authors, Fantasy, Necromancers
Pace: Fast
Format: Novel
Publisher: Allen & Unwin
Year: 1995
5th sentence, 74th page: I will help lure others to you.

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Synopsis

WHO WILL GUARD THE LIVING WHEN THE DEAD ARISE?

Sabriel is the daughter of the Mage Abhorsen. Ever since she was a tiny child, she has lived outside the Wall of the Old Kingdom – far away from the uncontrolled power of Free Magic, and away from the Dead who won’t stay dead.

But now her father is missing and Sabriel is called upon to cross back into that world to find him. Leaving the safety of the school she has known as home, Sabriel embarks upon a quest fraught with supernatural dangers, with companions she is unsure of – for nothing is as it seems within the boundary of the Old Kingdom. There she confronts an evil that threatens much more than her life, and comes face to face with her hidden destiny.

Thoughts

I love that this is a series about necromancers – it is different and unique in a way that no other series I have read is. The binary distinction between life and death is echoed in the wall between ‘The Old Kingdom’ and ‘Ancelstierre’. The anti-necromancer, or Abhorsen, just made the entire tale all the more entrancing – partner this with beautiful writing and an entrancing storyline, and I dare you not to fall in love with Sabriel.

Nix uses Sabriel’s lack of knowledge and understanding to slowly feed through the details of the Charter, the Old Kingdom and the Abhorsen’s role in the world. This, combined with her innocence at the beginning of the tale takes the reader on an amazing journey. Her love for her father acts as a great driver in the story, undertaking a battle that she knows nothing about in his name. But, the character grows and as she does, so do her motivations.

The changes, both physical and mental that these characters go through within Sabriel are fantastic. Nix brilliantly takes the human’s psyche and places it under pressure, creating a diamond of a character.

<- Clariel Review Lirael Review ->
Image source: Garth Nix

The Stone Key by Isobelle Carmody

Book Review, , , , , ,

Overview

The Stone Key

Title: The Stone Key
Author: Isobelle Carmody
Series: The Obernewtyn Chronicles #5
Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect)
My Bookshelves: Australian author, Dystopia, High fantasy, Science fiction
Pace: Medium
Format: Novel
Publisher: Penguin Books
Year: 2008
5th sentence, 74th page: He knew as well as I did that the delicious, sweet, brown powder was both scarce and violently expensive now that Sadorian ships no longer put in at Sutrium.

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Synopsis

There was a great crash and wood splintered… I had a brief glimpse of a group of Herder priests, bald and robed, peering at me, and then the sundered remnants of the locker door were torn aside and a rough hand reached in to haul me out by the hair. A Hedra captain stared into my face with eyes that burned with a fanatical fire above a thin nose and a lipless slash of a mouth…

‘You will die in great pain and very slowly, mutant,’ said the Hedra master.

When Farseeker Guildmistress Elspeth Gordie sets out from Obernewtyn to travel to Sutrium at the end of Wintertime, she quickly learns that not everyone welcomes the changes brought about by the rebellion. Captured by an old and vicious enemy, she is drawn deep into the heart of the Herder Faction, where she learns of a terrible plot to destroy the west coast.

To stop it, Elspeth must risk everything, knowing that if she dies, she will never complete her quest to find the weaponmachines that destroyed the Beforetime.

But is she succeeds, her journey will lead her to the last of the signs left for her by the seer Kasanda…

Thoughts

This is my least favourite of the Obernewtyn Chronicles – it is the slowest of the stories and very, very detail oriented. Not that this is a bad thing, but I like to be swept along with the story so that I forget that I’ve spent three hours reading instead of doing some responsible adult act. Having said that, this detail-oriented approach is so important to make sure that the rest of the story is understandable. When playing with fate and prophecies, it is incredibly important to set up the storyline – every single detail has a great significance that can only rear its head books after it has been set up.

There are two aspects of this story that I love though, the idea of tearing down a religious dogma and that of our potential for future medical treatment. The technology that Carmody describes when treating one of the sick characters is so plausible, that I’m kind of surprised we don’t have it already. It is so easy to imagine having that kind of technology within the next 10 years and using it in much the same way to cure infectious diseases. And then there’s destroying a harmful religious dogma. I’ve often believed that people take religions to twist the mass population to their own needs. And, bringing down such a group is possibly my favourite part of the whole story – tearing down this source of evil is fantastic.

Ariel returns to the forefront of the story in The Stone Key. The combination of his manipulative powers and inability to empathise with others creates a truly spine tingling antagonist. For me, he is the very embodiment of what it means to be malicious and evil. A lot of villains are the ‘bad guys’ because of some misguided urge, or inability to control their urges. But it is often possible to see how their past has shaped who they are, but Ariel? There is nothing in his past that highlights his need to intentionally harm others. Although, Carmody implies throughout her writing that he is actually defective and this is the cause of his wrongness.

<- The Keeping Place Review The Sending Review ->
Image source: Penguin

The Keeping Place by Isobelle Carmody

Book Review, , , , , , ,

Overview

The Keeping Place

Title: The Keeping Place
Author: Isobelle Carmody
Series: The Obernewtyn Chronicles #4
Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect)
My Bookshelves: Australian author, Dystopia, High fantasy, Science fiction
Pace: Medium
Format: Novel
Publisher: Penguin Books
Year: 1999
5th sentence, 74th page: Ceirwan went to take her by the hands.

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Synopsis

‘Look out,’ I screamed. The flying creature lashed out and I stared in horror at Rushton’s bloodied arm. Maruman leapt between us in his tyger form. ‘Let me go to him!’ I screamed.

‘He is in a dream but the beast is not. It comes! Wake!’

After a kidnapping, Elspeth Gordie and the Misfits are forced to join the rebellion against the oppressive Council, using their extraordinary mind powers. But Elspeth must also seek out clues left by the long-dead seer, Kasanda, vital to her quest to destroy the Beforetime weaponmachines. One clue is lost in the past, forcing Elspeth to travel the Dreamtrails, stalked by a terrifying winged beast, with the cat, Maruman, as her guide and guardian. Only there can she learn more of the Beforetimer Misfits and their enemy, Govamen.

Gradually, Elspeth realises her quest is intimately linked to the Misfits’ refuge, Obernewtyn – its past and its future…

Thoughts

The Keeping Place is so far one of my favourite books in the Obernewtyn Chronicles. It takes the fast pace and the storyline from the first three books, but combines it with a rebellion and the blooming of love. Elspeth’s journey takes further steps towards their final end as she uncovers another clue in her ultimate quest. This, combined with war, betrayal and kidnapping just made this book a huge page turner for me.

I love that in The Keeping Place, Misfits finally start to find their place in the world. With the rise of the rebellion and their decision to pursue peace, inspired by their trip in Ashling, they not only find a way to fit into the world. But a way to fruitfully exist within it. When I first read this as an awkward teen, it made me feel like I too could find a place to belong. And not only that, I could find a way to belong in a world that can be especially cruel without being cruel in return. It’s a lesson that I have taken to heart, and tried my best to maintain. I get to belong in the world, and I spend every day trying to do so in a way that has peace and love at the heart of all of my actions.

The other reason that I love this book is that you are finally able to begin to uncover some of Dragon’s past. Her inability to remember a traumatic history really resonated with me. Being unable to remember the bad parts to the point that it begins to leak into reality is something that resonates throughout many people’s lives. But, I think that’s it’s something we all must do – deal with our past and learn to move on from it. Without doing so, it is incredibly difficult to fully embrace life, at least for me.

<- Ashling Review The Stone Key Review ->
mage source: Wikipedia

Ashling by Isobelle Carmody

Book Review, , , , , ,

Overview

Ashling

Title: Ashling
Author: Isobelle Carmody
Series: The Obernewtyn Chronicles #3
Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect)
My Bookshelves: Australian author, Dystopia, High fantasy, Science fiction
Pace: Medium
Format: Novel
Publisher: Penguin Books
Year: 1995
5th sentence, 74th page: Dragon froze, blue eyes livid with fear.

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Synopsis

Sometimes dreams were gateways through which messages might come. Beasts called them ashlings: dreams that called…

The powerful farseeker Elspeth Gordie is sent to Sutrium, seat of the totalitarian Council that rules the Land, to seal an alliance between the secret Misfit community at Obernewtyn and rebel forces.

She travels from the mountains reluctantly, for at any moment the long-awaited summons may come from the oldOnes to find and destroy the dormant weaponmachines left by the Beforetimers. The journey takes her far beyond the borders of the Land, across the sea and into the heart of the mysterious desert region of Sador. Here she discovers that she will need help to destroy the weaponmachines.

But before her dark quest can begin, Elspeth must learn the truth of her dreams: she must understand why the Beforetimers destroyed their world…

Thoughts

I thought that Ashling was the book where The Obernewtyn Chronicles really found their pace. Elspeth’s quest begins to gain traction, alongside the Misfits journey to acceptance. The parallel tales of the two missions begin to really make sense and it is easy to understand how Elspeth’s fate is intertwined with the fate of all of Obernewtyn (and indeed, the world).

Not only did the storyline become a lot more complex and intricate, and very quickly, the cast was expanded in the first few chapters. But that’s great, because it gave me so many more people to love and hope for. It did take a lot more concentration to read though than the first two books in the series. I wouldn’t recommend reading Ashling if you are studying for an exam or trying to write an essay – it’s just WAY too difficult to keep track of everything and be productive in your own life. At least for me, anyway.

I loved the change of scenery in this book – it honestly took my breath away. Or at least, the way I imagined it made me wistful for a country and world that I have never had the pleasure of seeing. Carmody’s words and descriptions were just so stunning and masterfully written that the Sadorian desert became a very realistic destination. Which, after all, is really what you want in a good book. Or at least, it’s one of the things that I really enjoy.

There’s so much to love about this book, but for me, the best part was how Carmody used the Misfits and the Rebels to highlight two very different realities. The peaceful Misfits are about life, love and peace, but the Rebels on the otherhand were far more violent and, for me, much harder to connect with. The juxtaposition between the two groups really reminded me of the fact that “The pen is mightier than the sword.”

<- The Farseekers Review The Keeping Place Review ->
Image source: Penguins Books

The Farseekers by Isobelle Carmody

Book Review, , , , , ,

Overview

The Farseekers

Title: The Farseekers
Author: Isobelle Carmody
Series: The Obernewtyn Chronicles #2
Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect)
My Bookshelves: Australian author, Dystopia, High fantasy, Science fiction
Pace: Medium
Format: Novel
Publisher: Penguin Books
Year: 1990
5th sentence, 74th page: Then he gaped, seeing the robed man.

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Synopsis

I sensed a ripple in the fabric of the cat’s unconscious mind. i knew I was inside his dreams. I went deeper still. I whispered his name…

Since their takeover of Obernewtyn, the secret community of Misfits has flourished, protected by their remoteness. Believing they have time to marshal new forces before the inevitable confrontation with the totalitarian Council, they work hard to develop their forbidden mental abilities. But in the midst of plans to rescue a powerful Misfit in a distant part of the Land, it is foreseen by a futureteller that the fate of Obernewtyn is inextricably bound up in their quest.

Led by Elspeth Gordie, whose extraordinary powers set her apart even among her Misfit friends, the expedition sets out. Only she knows the enormity of their task. but for her there is yet another challenge as she must fulfil her vow to find and dismantle the dormant deathweapons left by the Beforetimers.

Thoughts

I didn’t know that there was a second Obernewtyn book until I stumbled on it a few years after reading the first. I had always felt like Obernewtyn was well finished. So, The Farseekers did feel a little like an after-thought sequel. But, that didn’t detract from its brilliance and value in any way, shape or form. This book built on a world that I had really and thoroughly enjoyed in Obernewtyn, and further immersed and sucked me in to a new, dystopian reality.

Not only did Carmody build on a pre-loved world, she also played with ideas of destiny and fate. I love the idea that there is something in this world that we are meant to do, meant to accomplish. Although, I don’t like the idea that we are not able to affect our own future – who wants to live a life where you are no more able to change your course than a leaf blowing on the wind? But placing a protagonist like Elspeth as the receiver of such an important and key fate was brilliant. Yes, she has this incredible fate, but she chooses to fight for things in the moment. The future is the future and Elspeth pursues that which is happening right now. The crossover between being master of her own reality, and a pawn in the great scheme of things was really nicely done and very much appreciated.

Carmody’s creation of the different guilds within the misfit community was very well done. Her use of a combination of entirely made up, and modern words made sure that I knew what each guild did from their first mention. It was just yet another reminder of Carmody’s ability to mix our modern reality with a future one. But, the part that I enjoy the most is that it has elements of the past – or at least the past how I imagine it. The burning of seditioners, the over-arching power of one religious faction and a group of elite in power are all entirely plausible aspects of a not-so-pleasant future, but they are also aspects of our own pasts.

The Farseekers was a great story all on its own, but it was an even better bridge and introduction to the challenges that would be faced throughout the rest of the Obernewtyn Chronicles.

<- Obernewtyn Review Ashling Review ->
Image source: Wikipedia

Obernewtyn by Isobelle Carmody

Book Review, , , , , , ,

Overview

Obernewtyn

Title: Obernewtyn
Author: Isobelle Carmody
Series: The Obernewtyn Chronicles #1
Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect)
My Bookshelves: Australian author, Dystopia, High fantasy, Science fiction
Pace: Medium
Format: Novel
Publisher: Penguin Books
Year: 1987
5th sentence, 74th page: I supposed these must serve the favoured Misfits, outside helpers and guardians, not to mention the Doctor and Madam Vega.

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Synopsis

In my dream I was somewhere cold and darkly quiet. I could hear water dripping and I was afraid, though I did not know why. In the distance there was a bright flash of light. A high-pitched whining noise filled the air like a scream, but no one could scream for so long without stopping to breathe.

In a world struggling back from the brink of apocalypse, life is harsh. But for Elspeth Gordie, born with enhanced mental abilities that would see her sterilised or burned if discovered, it is also dangerous. There is only survival by secrecy, and so she determines never to use her forbidden powers. But it is as if they have their own imperative, and their use inevitably brings her to the attention of the totalitarian Council that rules the land.

Sent to the remote mountain institution of Obernewtyn where escape is impossible, she must throw off her safe cloak of concealment and pit herself against those who would resurrect the terrible forces of the apocalypse.

Only then will she learn most truly who and what she is…

Thoughts

I first read this book when I was twelve years old – and I’m rereading the series (since the final book was released late last year!) and I’ve honestly loved it ever since. Not only are the characters beautiful and relatable, the prose masterfully written and the settings so vivid that I can see them every time I close my eyes, the journey of young adolescent in fear for her life to young woman in control and strong is such a fantastic coming of age story.

One of the things that first struck me about this series was the realism of the post-apocalyptic setting. Carmody artfully created a world that was so similar to our own that we couldn’t help but feel connected, but was so different, that you could understand how our actions of today could have disastrous affects for generations to come. This book (and the subsequent books) are probably the most literarily powerful reminder to me that our actions will have lasting impacts. And that we have to take care of our planet if we want our children’s children’s children to live happy, healthy and fulfilled lives.

This book was such a nice, and gentle introduction into what I thought was an overarching theme throughout the story – people’s greed and general suckiness can seriously degrade and destroy all of our futures. It was also just generally sweet and open. Elspeth is, again, one of my favourite characters in literature. Her strength and innocence shine through the pages and even though this innocence is eventually destroyed, her ability to hope for a brighter future is just inspiring. As is the fact that a literal Misfit can find a place to call home – something that I think we all want to find.

<- The Dark Road Review The Farseekers Review ->
Image source: Penguin Books

Raelia by Lynette Noni

Book Review, , , , ,

Overview

Raelia

Title: Raelia
Author: Lynette Noni
Series: The Medoran Chronicles #2
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Australian authors, Easy reading, Fantasy
Format: Novel
Publisher: Pantera Press
Year: 2016
5th sentence, 74th page: Suffice it to say, after that display, Professor Marmaduke had given them theory exercises for the rest of the lesson.

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Synopsis

“Life is full of crossroads, Alex. Full of choices.”

Returning for a second year at Akarnae Academy with her gifted friends, Alexandra Jennings steps back through a doorway into Medora, the fantasy world that is full of impossibilities.

Despite the magical wonder of Medora, Alex’s life remains threatened by Aven Dalmarta, the banished prince from the Lost City of Meya who is out for her blood.

To protect the Medorans from Aven’s quest to reclaim his birthright, Alex and her friends seek out the Meyarin city and what remains of its ancient race.

Not sure who – or perhaps what – she is anymore, all Alex knows is that if she fails to keep Aven from reaching Meya, the lives of countless Medorans will be in danger. can she protect them, or will all be lost?

Thoughts

I thought that Akarnae was good, but I couldn’t put Raelia down! My poor partner was forced to deal with a book faced girlfriend for the ten or so hours that it took to read this. He was so frustrated that he offered to throw this amazing book in the bin. So needless to say, it is one of my new favourite books. I mean, you know a book is fantastic when someone can’t put it down and completely ignores their entire family for a whole day (alright, I do this often, but still…)

Noni’s extension of the world of Medora continued to pull me deeper and deeper into Alex’s reality. I’m so in love with it that part of me wishes that Medora was an actual place! Sometimes it’s hard to relate to created realities. I love Anne McCaffrey, but I have to keep reading passages to understand the world of Pern. But Medora isn’t like this. It’s so damn similar to what we all experience every day that it’s like stepping into your own skin – easy, comfortable and right.

Raelia took me on a rollercoaster of emotions as I travelled with Alex and her friends – it made me laugh, cry and gasp out loud. It was just lucky that I was reading at home (I might have been a little scary if I had have done this on the bus…) The emotions just kept on building until finally it ended in an incredibly heart stopping conclusion! I love when books do this, but I also hate it when the next book in the series isn’t out yet. So now I will just have to wait until next year before I can read more about the fantastic world of Medora.

<- Akarnae Review Draekora Review ->
Image source: Lynette Noni