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A review by celticmyst
A Warden's Purpose by Jeffrey L. Kohanek
3.0
This is a light, quick read, a classic coming-of-age story set primarily in a school. Apparently the author’s first series, Runes of Issalia, occurs chronologically earlier in the same world. I haven’t read that series, but had no issues understanding the story, so for those of you concerned about missing context, don’t be! (I do plan to go back and read that series at some point.)
The story centers around two siblings, Quinn and Everson. Quinn is a young warrior-in-training, fiery and bold and fiercely devoted to her adopted brother, Everson. Everson is crippled, and turns to his mind in order to excel. He’s intelligent and extremely skilled at thinking outside the box, which serves him well as he studies in the engineering and magic academy. While I liked Quinn (I have a huge soft spot for butt-kickin’ ladies), I think Everson was the better character, as his struggle with his disability made for a more interesting story. However, I still found the characters rather cardboard and had a hard time connecting with either of them. Even though we’re hearing the story through their POVs, the writing style felt a bit detached, like I was sort of floating above them rather than in their heads. The dialogue sometimes seemed unnatural and forced, which was more noticeable since so much of the story centers around character interactions.
We kick off the story with Quinn and Everson being taken captive in the middle of the night. They’re tied up in cells and forced to tell their captors about their childhoods and the events surrounding their training at an elite academy. (Not a spoiler—this literally happens within the first few pages.) The rest of the book is mostly a flashback, until the very end. It’s an interesting way to frame the plot, but I found it somewhat contrived, especially since I couldn’t find a good reason for Quinn and Everson to be talking about some of the information (such as their childhood crushes, family life, etc). Even at the end, when we discover why they’ve been taken captive and forced to recount their entire life stories, I still didn’t really buy that it was all necessary. Perhaps the reasoning will be explored further in the sequel.
For the most part, the story’s set in a fairly traditional fantasy school, with two separate campuses for physical fighting and engineering/magic. I particularly enjoyed the focus on using magic and engineering in tandem to create unique inventions. We don’t learn a lot about the specifics of the magic system. Overall the story keeps to a brisk pace, but there were still “slice of life” sequences that didn’t contribute much to the plot or character development. It almost felt like one giant set-up for the sequel, which seems to be where the story will kick off in earnest.
Prose quality was good, without any grammatical errors, but not great. There’s a lot of telling, not showing, plus numerous awkwardly worded and/or repetitive sentences. These prose issues tripped me up and prevented my full immersion in the story.
Despite these nitpicks, this is a fun read, and I’ll plan to pick up the sequel when it's released. I’d recommend this book to those who enjoy YA fantasy, coming-of-age stories, school settings, or unique magic systems. Thanks to the author for providing a free copy in exchange for a review!
Review breakdown:
Setting/Worldbuilding: 7/10
Characters: 6.5/10
Plot/Pacing: 7/10
Prose: 7/10
Overall: 6.88/10 -> 3.44/5 stars
The story centers around two siblings, Quinn and Everson. Quinn is a young warrior-in-training, fiery and bold and fiercely devoted to her adopted brother, Everson. Everson is crippled, and turns to his mind in order to excel. He’s intelligent and extremely skilled at thinking outside the box, which serves him well as he studies in the engineering and magic academy. While I liked Quinn (I have a huge soft spot for butt-kickin’ ladies), I think Everson was the better character, as his struggle with his disability made for a more interesting story. However, I still found the characters rather cardboard and had a hard time connecting with either of them. Even though we’re hearing the story through their POVs, the writing style felt a bit detached, like I was sort of floating above them rather than in their heads. The dialogue sometimes seemed unnatural and forced, which was more noticeable since so much of the story centers around character interactions.
We kick off the story with Quinn and Everson being taken captive in the middle of the night. They’re tied up in cells and forced to tell their captors about their childhoods and the events surrounding their training at an elite academy. (Not a spoiler—this literally happens within the first few pages.) The rest of the book is mostly a flashback, until the very end. It’s an interesting way to frame the plot, but I found it somewhat contrived, especially since I couldn’t find a good reason for Quinn and Everson to be talking about some of the information (such as their childhood crushes, family life, etc). Even at the end, when we discover why they’ve been taken captive and forced to recount their entire life stories, I still didn’t really buy that it was all necessary. Perhaps the reasoning will be explored further in the sequel.
For the most part, the story’s set in a fairly traditional fantasy school, with two separate campuses for physical fighting and engineering/magic. I particularly enjoyed the focus on using magic and engineering in tandem to create unique inventions. We don’t learn a lot about the specifics of the magic system. Overall the story keeps to a brisk pace, but there were still “slice of life” sequences that didn’t contribute much to the plot or character development. It almost felt like one giant set-up for the sequel, which seems to be where the story will kick off in earnest.
Prose quality was good, without any grammatical errors, but not great. There’s a lot of telling, not showing, plus numerous awkwardly worded and/or repetitive sentences. These prose issues tripped me up and prevented my full immersion in the story.
Despite these nitpicks, this is a fun read, and I’ll plan to pick up the sequel when it's released. I’d recommend this book to those who enjoy YA fantasy, coming-of-age stories, school settings, or unique magic systems. Thanks to the author for providing a free copy in exchange for a review!
Review breakdown:
Setting/Worldbuilding: 7/10
Characters: 6.5/10
Plot/Pacing: 7/10
Prose: 7/10
Overall: 6.88/10 -> 3.44/5 stars