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A review by xplodybrain
The Waking Land by Callie Bates
3.0
The breakdown:
While trying to escape her 14 year political captivity, the daughter of a rebellious lord is taken hostage again, but this time by her own people. Returned to her homeland to which she'd forsaken, she must come to terms with her developing and forbidden powers, the land that seems to know and respond to her, and all the while also navigating her role within a threat of reawakened rebellion.
What there is to like:
-Very much a tale of female empowerment and agency, but not at the expense of the story's male characters. I should add that there wasn't any obvious pointing at said empowerment.
-Political intrigue. We're not talking Game of Thrones level, but enough to keep the reader guessing.
-Self-discovery is a big theme across the book whether it be the main protag or the people around her.
Caution (as a matter of personal taste):
-Political intrigue. We're not talking Game of Thrones level, but enough to keep the reader guessing. Seriously, some readers do not like intentional intrigue so fair warning as both a pro and a con.
-There is a glaring character continuity issue that I feel like an editor should've caught. Because I don't know if anyone but me will notice, I will not mention what specifically. Feel free to comment me with your guesses/observations.
-Some, what I feel, was unnecessary exposition at times.
-Some key characters felt a little bit flat, as if merely there to fulfill a role and therefore stamped with said part's trope charateristics and little else.
For:
-Women and Teens. I'm not sure why this is coded as General sci-fi when it seems more appropriate in Teen fantasy/adventure...perhaps because the protagonist, at 19 years of age, is on the cusp?
-This read as basically a "light" version of The Lord of the Rings crossed with a PG-13 version of GoT. I mean, really, the traditional fantasy characters are present (dwarves, elves, and human), but represented by a single species (humankind) and moved to a time period roughly somewhere/time in the 1700's Britain.
Final:
Overall a very quick and fun read, but in hindsight, somewhat forgettable and derivative. Having said that, I will probably pick up the sequel(s) if there are any because it really was a fast (read most of it in a single sitting) and entertaining read.
While trying to escape her 14 year political captivity, the daughter of a rebellious lord is taken hostage again, but this time by her own people. Returned to her homeland to which she'd forsaken, she must come to terms with her developing and forbidden powers, the land that seems to know and respond to her, and all the while also navigating her role within a threat of reawakened rebellion.
What there is to like:
-Very much a tale of female empowerment and agency, but not at the expense of the story's male characters. I should add that there wasn't any obvious pointing at said empowerment.
-Political intrigue. We're not talking Game of Thrones level, but enough to keep the reader guessing.
-Self-discovery is a big theme across the book whether it be the main protag or the people around her.
Caution (as a matter of personal taste):
-Political intrigue. We're not talking Game of Thrones level, but enough to keep the reader guessing. Seriously, some readers do not like intentional intrigue so fair warning as both a pro and a con.
-There is a glaring character continuity issue that I feel like an editor should've caught. Because I don't know if anyone but me will notice, I will not mention what specifically. Feel free to comment me with your guesses/observations.
-Some, what I feel, was unnecessary exposition at times.
-Some key characters felt a little bit flat, as if merely there to fulfill a role and therefore stamped with said part's trope charateristics and little else.
For:
-Women and Teens. I'm not sure why this is coded as General sci-fi when it seems more appropriate in Teen fantasy/adventure...perhaps because the protagonist, at 19 years of age, is on the cusp?
-This read as basically a "light" version of The Lord of the Rings crossed with a PG-13 version of GoT. I mean, really, the traditional fantasy characters are present (dwarves, elves, and human), but represented by a single species (humankind) and moved to a time period roughly somewhere/time in the 1700's Britain.
Final:
Overall a very quick and fun read, but in hindsight, somewhat forgettable and derivative. Having said that, I will probably pick up the sequel(s) if there are any because it really was a fast (read most of it in a single sitting) and entertaining read.