S. M. Gaither

I'm barely hanging on. I found the first couple chapters pretty unbelievable, at least in the sense that it was accomplished too easily. The rest of the book is a slog, with few moments of action that have little explanation or reasoning. Maybe I expect too much from a romance book, but there are so many loose ends in this story that I have a hard time relating to it. The one thing I thought was pretty rock solid was Casia's motivation to fight this war, but suddenly she's flip-flopping? I show more mean, I get why a normal person might see things that way, but everything I know about Casia suggests that she will find the way to do the thing no matter what, even when it is impossible. And the villain that has been setup the whole series--well, it's disappointing. I did quite like the ending of this book, though. We finally see the Big Bad doing his thing, and, as much as I complained about "the big reveal" in my last review, the twist here is was pretty thrilling. I will say though, this series is not good enough to kill off its most beloved character. I'll be annoyed if there's a resurrection scene in the next book, but I'll be more annoyed if there isn't. show less

Rich world building, fast-paced adventure, a dash of romance and a wondrous quest make this a book to get lost in and wish for the continuation as soon as the last page is done.

Aven lives in a world caught in a layer between the water—ocean above and below. She is a keeper of the barrier which holds the ocean of the sky from breaking and flooding her world, one of many. Although her world as existed for eons, the barrier is now growing weaker, not only in the kingdom in which she resides, show more but in the surrounding areas as well. Or so rumor has it. Her king refuses to admit a problem exists and keeps the keepers close to his land. When Aven's brother dies during the sealing of a dangerous rift, she embarks to do the task he was secretly going to undertake...one that leaves her hunted by the king himself and has put a price on her head. Aven is determined to find an item, which myth claims will hold the skies permanently and save them all. But with the entire kingdom and more hunting her down...and her hopes laid on something which may not even exist...the quest quickly becomes even harder than she ever dreamed it would.

This is a read for fantasy friends who enjoy an exciting adventure and a little girl power on the side. Aven is a character easy to root for. She is powerful but not more than many of the other keepers; she is a little risk friendly but not stupid; and she does make mistakes. She's not even sure that what's happening around her is necessarily what she wanted. But she tries to keep her heart in the right place and do what is right, and that's what makes her wonderful.

Aven is by no means in this adventure alone. She has several friends who support her and meets more along the way—as well as enough adversaries. Trust needs to be won, and each character has their own role as well as personality. While romance does come into play, it by no means overplays the main plot. The adventure holds the center stage the entire way through.

The world is quite different than what I suspected and promises many more surprises in the upcoming series. The author lays out the details in just the right amount and at the right time, to allow the richness of the world to unfold and maintain a fairly secure base in its own logic. There are many secrets and mysteries, but that's part of the adventure...and something even Aven questions along the way. It is an exciting start to an intriguing series, and I'm looking forward to see where it goes next.

I received an ARC copy and enjoyed the tale quite a bit. show less

OMG, OMG, I flippen loved this book. I had a hell of a time putting it down to get some sleep. The characters, the world, everything, Moth….it was perfect. Right off from the first page you are pulled right in. It is so descriptive that it feels like you are right there. Karys is such a great FMC, she grows so much and she is a feisty one. I just love her. Then you got the hottie of the fire god Dravyn, oh he is just wonderful. Clearly he wants to hate Karys and use her but the little show more emotions throughout the story makes it very clear how slow burn enemies should be. Then you got the bestest little guys around Moth and Zell, I love how they took to Karys and she took them. The side characters, Valas and Mairu, were a great touch. I would love to have a friend like them. Mai seems very ride or die and Valas will use his charm to light up the room and say something to get the distraction. So if you are a lover of all things romantsy, elves, gods, and just creative storytelling pick up this book like now. You will not regret it! show less

Woohoo, I finally finished it! :D
I must admit, it took me way longer than I had thought (and hoped) it would.
Of course, these have been busy weeks, but still, in my honest opinion, the first is still my favourite so far :)

Worldbuilding was great, seriously, everything down to the dirt in a river bedding was clear and well written. It made it so easy to imagine yourself walking alongside Emrys or flying on Rue with Alaya! Really well written.

Character development was good with both Alaya and show more Emrys growing and learning a lot. They conquer their fears only to discover new ones, and while they are very cautious and not fully trusting, you feel them wanting to lay their soul bare for the other. But then there is Sylven, the freaking SNAKE! Well, technically he is Serpent-kind, so it is kinda true... but you know what I mean! I wish I could just... aargghhh!

Ahem, on with the review...

Pacing and flow were decent and I think this was my main issue. Now as I've said, I read this book during some busy weeks (Xmas and New Year), so I might not have been as immersed into the book and story as I'd normally be, but it just felt a tad slow in the middle. I had to man up and work through it. Around 70% all was well again and the pacing was a lot better! Happy me!

The book itself was well written with no (noticeable) errors.

I voluntarily read an advanced reader copy of this book and even though it had a bit of a rough (slow) patch in the middle, it was a very enjoyable read. You will get emotionally attached (if you weren't already), rooting for both Emrys and Alaya to just trust each other and near throw your book (or Kindle) as you read about the damned Serpent-kind... grrrr... Wish Rue would just eat them and be done with it... Aaaaaaasssssss I was saying, can't wait for book 3! :D show less