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A review by mollymortensen
Sunbolt by Intisar Khanani
5.0
Possibly the best indie book I’ve ever read! While this novella didn’t feel too short I was left wanting more. It’s a complete story don’t get me wrong, but I want the other books in the series now, okay? Apparently the sequel is going to be a trilogy. Yay!
I can tell a lot of thought went into the world. Karolene is an island nation of traders and an evil arch mage is controlling the sultan. A group is fighting back in the shadows (called the Shadow League) trying to save people. Lead by the mysterious Ghost, a charismatic good looking young man who comes off as the perfect male lead in a young adult book, but surprisingly winds up only a minor character. There are also other species like Fangs (think vampires) Lycans (werewolves) and there’s even a Tanuki! The trickster raccoon dog from Japanese mythology.
There are really only two characters that we spend enough time with to develop, but the minor characters who just made a short appearance were good too. I loved Hitomi! She’s not that great of a fighter but she managed to be strong when it counted. A thief and hidden mage, (called a Promise) she’s lived a tough life, but she’s definitely still a good person. She’s also not stupid either! I really liked the male lead too. There wasn’t a romance, more a potential forbidden friendship. (Which was the best part of the book!) I hope he comes back in the sequels! It’s weird because we don’t learn much about him, yet his character was well established. (Who he was as a person.)
Hitomi doesn’t know a lot about magic (yet) so there isn’t very much, but I really enjoyed what we learned about the magic system. It was a very realistic, well described sort of magic.
Sunbolt is one of those nothing goes as the character expects and they wind up with different goals sort of plots. (But I have a feeling the whole defeat the evil arch mage thing will be the theme of the upcoming sequel trilogy.) As expected of only 142 pages it’s quick paced and I was only wishing they would get on with it at one point. (When Hitomi was ‘borrowing’ a carriage, it was a tad long.)
Needless to say I plan to read the sequel, Memories of Ash which comes out this summer.
Point of View: First (Hitomi)
Predictability: 2 out of 5 (Where 1 is totally unpredictable and 5 is I knew what was going to happen way ahead of time.)
Source: Netgalley
My Rating: 10/10 Stars
I can tell a lot of thought went into the world. Karolene is an island nation of traders and an evil arch mage is controlling the sultan. A group is fighting back in the shadows (called the Shadow League) trying to save people. Lead by the mysterious Ghost, a charismatic good looking young man who comes off as the perfect male lead in a young adult book, but surprisingly winds up only a minor character. There are also other species like Fangs (think vampires) Lycans (werewolves) and there’s even a Tanuki! The trickster raccoon dog from Japanese mythology.
There are really only two characters that we spend enough time with to develop, but the minor characters who just made a short appearance were good too. I loved Hitomi! She’s not that great of a fighter but she managed to be strong when it counted. A thief and hidden mage, (called a Promise) she’s lived a tough life, but she’s definitely still a good person. She’s also not stupid either! I really liked the male lead too. There wasn’t a romance, more a potential forbidden friendship. (Which was the best part of the book!) I hope he comes back in the sequels! It’s weird because we don’t learn much about him, yet his character was well established. (Who he was as a person.)
Hitomi doesn’t know a lot about magic (yet) so there isn’t very much, but I really enjoyed what we learned about the magic system. It was a very realistic, well described sort of magic.
Sunbolt is one of those nothing goes as the character expects and they wind up with different goals sort of plots. (But I have a feeling the whole defeat the evil arch mage thing will be the theme of the upcoming sequel trilogy.) As expected of only 142 pages it’s quick paced and I was only wishing they would get on with it at one point. (When Hitomi was ‘borrowing’ a carriage, it was a tad long.)
Needless to say I plan to read the sequel, Memories of Ash which comes out this summer.
Point of View: First (Hitomi)
Predictability: 2 out of 5 (Where 1 is totally unpredictable and 5 is I knew what was going to happen way ahead of time.)
Source: Netgalley
My Rating: 10/10 Stars