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A review by samdogra
The Binding Stone by Lisa Gail Green
5.0
This book blew me away! It's been a long time since a story has had me this gripped, so well done to the author.
STORY: We enter the life of the Djinni Leela, tricked into slavery along with her fellow Djinn by a man she loved. Now, awakening in the 21st century to a new master, Leela realises that the scars of the past still remain, but there's hope to get her ultimate freedom.
In a somewhat unique twist, Leela is the protagonist rather than Jered, her master, and this makes for a much more interesting narrative (almost like Bartimaeus in Jonathon Stroud's book of the same name). There's also a parallel backstory filling in what happened in the past, which makes for a great contrast to present events and it really informs why Leela is the way she is.
The only thing that bothered me slightly was the beginning felt rushed. I felt Jered's belief of Leela and her powers was a bit too quick and perhaps Leela should've had to try harder to convince him of her power. Also the thread with Jered's father, too, was a bit quick.
CHARACTERS: A grand cast! Leela is quite unlike other protagonists, given her 'age'. I liked the mix of her archaic voice with some modernisns thrown in, and her motives and thoughts were clear. She also had her flaws, making her all the more believable.
Jered was a little bit too saintly at times, almost as if he could never make a mistake (other than giving inadvertant commands to Leela), but this balances when the thread with his father begins.
Gabe was fun, providing comic relief, and also was well developed with his desire to be a big hero despite being scared a lot of the time.
Taj and Mira were also well drawn, as were the main antagonists who had real drive and ruthless streaks in order to get their goals.
SETTING/ VOICE: Leela's voice was strong, and the descriptions were vivid.
PRESENTATION: The cover is pretty and certainly catches attention, and the formatting was clear. I wasn't a fan of the short chapters but they soon grew on me and I got used to it.
OVERALL: An excellent, enticing read, filled with action, drama and a bit of romance, with a strong plot and great characters. Highly recommended!
STORY: We enter the life of the Djinni Leela, tricked into slavery along with her fellow Djinn by a man she loved. Now, awakening in the 21st century to a new master, Leela realises that the scars of the past still remain, but there's hope to get her ultimate freedom.
In a somewhat unique twist, Leela is the protagonist rather than Jered, her master, and this makes for a much more interesting narrative (almost like Bartimaeus in Jonathon Stroud's book of the same name). There's also a parallel backstory filling in what happened in the past, which makes for a great contrast to present events and it really informs why Leela is the way she is.
The only thing that bothered me slightly was the beginning felt rushed. I felt Jered's belief of Leela and her powers was a bit too quick and perhaps Leela should've had to try harder to convince him of her power. Also the thread with Jered's father, too, was a bit quick.
CHARACTERS: A grand cast! Leela is quite unlike other protagonists, given her 'age'. I liked the mix of her archaic voice with some modernisns thrown in, and her motives and thoughts were clear. She also had her flaws, making her all the more believable.
Jered was a little bit too saintly at times, almost as if he could never make a mistake (other than giving inadvertant commands to Leela), but this balances when the thread with his father begins.
Gabe was fun, providing comic relief, and also was well developed with his desire to be a big hero despite being scared a lot of the time.
Taj and Mira were also well drawn, as were the main antagonists who had real drive and ruthless streaks in order to get their goals.
SETTING/ VOICE: Leela's voice was strong, and the descriptions were vivid.
PRESENTATION: The cover is pretty and certainly catches attention, and the formatting was clear. I wasn't a fan of the short chapters but they soon grew on me and I got used to it.
OVERALL: An excellent, enticing read, filled with action, drama and a bit of romance, with a strong plot and great characters. Highly recommended!