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thatwriterkoko 's review for:
Touch of Power
by Maria V. Snyder
I was recommended to read this book by the site and at first, I was a bit unsure because it wasn't normally the type of book I would read but When I started to read the book I instantly fell in love with the story and characters. Have you ever felt that amazing feeling of book chemistry? Where you just love everything from the story to the characters? I say you should definitely pick up this book because it is amazing---an absolute work of art. Sadly, it has it's some huge flaws. Although, the chemistry I felt while reading it, was undeniable. This may or may not be my second or third time re-reading this book within the last year.
Touch of Power is about a Healer named Avry of Kazan, a twenty-year-old girl with an ability to take the take the illness and wounds of an injured or ill person into herself. Intriguing, right? Her body is able to heal faster than a normal human. She can also use her to zap people with excruciating pain and make them unconscious. When the plague swept through the fifteen realms, killing millions of people, the blame was placed on the healers and so they started to hunt and kill every healer.
For three years, Avry had eluded the bounty hunters and the people-in general-who want her dead. It all comes to an end, when Avry heals a sick young girl and is to weak flee thus gets caught and thrown in jail. She is saved/kidnapped by a group of men (Kerrick, Belen, Loren, Quain and Flea) who want her to heal Prince Ryne whom Avry refuses because she has her own reasons for not wanting to heal him.
First off, Avry is a wonderful main characters who tends to puts other's lives ahead of herself. She is witty, and stands her ground when she knows she's right. Although she has a tongue she knows when to keep her mouth shut. I felt very much connected to her from the first page I started to read. It was also very early on where I knew I'd love Belen, Loren, Quain and Flea. Each one of them had a quality about them that makes you wish that you could actually meet them. That's what Touch of Power does so well with its characters.
All except when it came to Kerrick: an an alpha male with a tendency to brood and only spoke to give orders. The majority of the book, Kerrick views Avry as nothing but a means to an end. She there's to heal Prince Ryne and nothing more. But did he really have to be such an ass?
I'm going to break my no-spoiler-review, just once, to talk about chapter three. Or the ending of chapter three.
Besides, how could it get worse? Only it did. Not that he abused her again, but he tied her to a tree at night without a blanket as a punishment (for something that happens after the slap) and a tactic to get her to heal Prince Ryne.
Although through the rest of the book, he does get better as character, I couldn't forget what he did in the first half of book.
I knew that there was going to be romance between Avry and Kerrick. When it happened I was a little surprised, but I was okay with it. I didn't support it, but, I didn't hate it either. To be honest, I would never in a million years get with a man who would slapped me in a fit of rage, let alone advise someone else too. It was why I couldn't root for the relationship because of what he did.
There's an almost attempt at a love triangle except it's one-side thing between Avry and King Tohon. He doesn't even really care about her, he just doesn't want her to be with Kerrick. He's controlling, slightly delusion and has a bit of temper.
If you think about it what does Avry really have to choose from? Because both guys kinda suck. Even Belen would have been a better option than Tohon and Kerrick.
It's a great book, yes, it does take a long long long while for the characters to get from point A to point B, but it was to show Avry bonding with the group which felt raw and real. The writing was simple but held my attention. Although, it failed at romance, everything else about it was strong. It's why I'm giving this book a solid 4.5 stars. If it was purely emotional I'd give it five stars, but I need to dock points because of it flaws.
Touch of Power is about a Healer named Avry of Kazan, a twenty-year-old girl with an ability to take the take the illness and wounds of an injured or ill person into herself. Intriguing, right? Her body is able to heal faster than a normal human. She can also use her to zap people with excruciating pain and make them unconscious. When the plague swept through the fifteen realms, killing millions of people, the blame was placed on the healers and so they started to hunt and kill every healer.
For three years, Avry had eluded the bounty hunters and the people-in general-who want her dead. It all comes to an end, when Avry heals a sick young girl and is to weak flee thus gets caught and thrown in jail. She is saved/kidnapped by a group of men (Kerrick, Belen, Loren, Quain and Flea) who want her to heal Prince Ryne whom Avry refuses because she has her own reasons for not wanting to heal him.
First off, Avry is a wonderful main characters who tends to puts other's lives ahead of herself. She is witty, and stands her ground when she knows she's right. Although she has a tongue she knows when to keep her mouth shut. I felt very much connected to her from the first page I started to read. It was also very early on where I knew I'd love Belen, Loren, Quain and Flea. Each one of them had a quality about them that makes you wish that you could actually meet them. That's what Touch of Power does so well with its characters.
All except when it came to Kerrick: an an alpha male with a tendency to brood and only spoke to give orders. The majority of the book, Kerrick views Avry as nothing but a means to an end. She there's to heal Prince Ryne and nothing more. But did he really have to be such an ass?
I'm going to break my no-spoiler-review, just once, to talk about chapter three. Or the ending of chapter three.
". . . I'd gone to far. With a strangled cry, Kerrick lost his temper. Belen lunged toward Kerrick and I raised an arm to block Kerrick's strike, but we were both to slow. Kerrick backhanded me across my cheek. The force of the blow sent me to the ground.".WHAT?! WHAT?! JERKWAD DID WHAT NOW?! That slap. I have no words to describe my anger. The inner feminist inside me wanted to quit reading, but the reader in me wanted to continue.
Besides, how could it get worse? Only it did. Not that he abused her again, but he tied her to a tree at night without a blanket as a punishment (for something that happens after the slap) and a tactic to get her to heal Prince Ryne.
Although through the rest of the book, he does get better as character, I couldn't forget what he did in the first half of book.
I knew that there was going to be romance between Avry and Kerrick. When it happened I was a little surprised, but I was okay with it. I didn't support it, but, I didn't hate it either. To be honest, I would never in a million years get with a man who would slapped me in a fit of rage, let alone advise someone else too. It was why I couldn't root for the relationship because of what he did.
There's an almost attempt at a love triangle except it's one-side thing between Avry and King Tohon. He doesn't even really care about her, he just doesn't want her to be with Kerrick. He's controlling, slightly delusion and has a bit of temper.
If you think about it what does Avry really have to choose from? Because both guys kinda suck. Even Belen would have been a better option than Tohon and Kerrick.
It's a great book, yes, it does take a long long long while for the characters to get from point A to point B, but it was to show Avry bonding with the group which felt raw and real. The writing was simple but held my attention. Although, it failed at romance, everything else about it was strong. It's why I'm giving this book a solid 4.5 stars. If it was purely emotional I'd give it five stars, but I need to dock points because of it flaws.