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3.53 AVERAGE
3.53 AVERAGE
3.5 A strong first fantasy novel, one that draws on Sumerian mythology for its secondary fantasy world. Kalinda has been trained as an orphan ward of the Sisterhood, young women/girls who are trained as fighters and who can be claimed by wealthy men as wives, concubines, or servants after they participate in a tournament in front of their potential patrons. Kalinda's been sickly all her life, though, plagued by fevers, and so doesn't expect to win a tournament, or even capture the attention of any man's eye. But through a series of mishaps and emotional reactions, Kalinda ends up winning a round in the tournament, and draws the eye of the Rajah Tarek, who vows to take Kalinda as his 100th wife (his last, for it is decreed that no man may have more than 100).
Traveling to the Rajah's city, Kalinda is accompanied by a small band of soldiers, headed by Captain Deven Naik. Deven and Kalinda form a friendship, and then, once Kalinda is installed in the harem and Deven becomes her personal guard, something more. But will Deven's devotion to his country prevent him from helping Kalinda overset the Rajah's nefarious plans?
I enjoyed the feel and flavor of the secondary world King creates, as well as her characterization of Kalinda. The big secret was pretty easy to guess, and the climax and denoument went by a little too quickly, without a big emotional impact, so I didn't think this deserved a full four-stars. Still, an author worth watching.
Traveling to the Rajah's city, Kalinda is accompanied by a small band of soldiers, headed by Captain Deven Naik. Deven and Kalinda form a friendship, and then, once Kalinda is installed in the harem and Deven becomes her personal guard, something more. But will Deven's devotion to his country prevent him from helping Kalinda overset the Rajah's nefarious plans?
I enjoyed the feel and flavor of the secondary world King creates, as well as her characterization of Kalinda. The big secret was pretty easy to guess, and the climax and denoument went by a little too quickly, without a big emotional impact, so I didn't think this deserved a full four-stars. Still, an author worth watching.
The level of world building outside of a medieval European setting was more than welcome and richly drawn without being heavy on info dumps. It was woven in well. Enjoyed sinking into the world and the the story. Looking forward to reading more. The main character was compelling.
adventurous
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This was a DNF for me. It dived right into the 'insta-love' hole. Then compounded that mistake. The girl who experienced it had never seen a man and only knew of them by horrific stories from her best friend. But her first reaction was attraction. Sigh and Ugh.
I refuse to accept simplistic YA stories that are presented as if our YA are idiots.
I refuse to accept simplistic YA stories that are presented as if our YA are idiots.
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Strong Feminine Role
When I first started this book I was getting very upset with its traditional male dominated approaches but slowly the book showed itself as a very strong changing feminine novel. The character stands up for herself beautifully and some of the plot twists I just hadn’t expected. It was difficult to put down.
When I first started this book I was getting very upset with its traditional male dominated approaches but slowly the book showed itself as a very strong changing feminine novel. The character stands up for herself beautifully and some of the plot twists I just hadn’t expected. It was difficult to put down.
I was so excited to read this book, but in the end I really had to question two things. In the first place, why on earth did Devon have such a death wish as to carry on with the king's bride after knowing her for only a few days? And in the second place, am I truly expected to believe that a group of teenage girls in an all-female temple were all so straight that no romances or even experimentation occurred between them?
It's a interesting concept, but I found myself dragging my feet through this book.
I was not a huge fan of Kali. I felt like it came down to her luck and how the author wanted her to survive on how she got through all her obstacles. It didn't feel like she really did much. Also, Devan? I don't know how the two of them happened, but it felt so forced and so thrown together. I won't be continuing the series even though I liked that this took place in a more Southeast Asian setting.