Solid, interesting, new world. Plenty of drama and I admire any book that holds up the magical power of literacy, so I'm on board for that. I'm not totally into the characters, but I also appreciate the very real moral dilemmas that they face. I suspect that readers who like The Red Queen will enjoy this one, too.

Advanced Readers Copy provided by Edelweiss. ( )

The characters were good. The worldbuilding was excellent. But could we maybe not promote cheating? :P ( )

2.5 stars. I was quite disappointed with this...I was expecting a fantasy with political intrigue, fascinating word power, and romance that would sweep me away. But that absolutely did not happen. Sigh.

First, I was unbelievably bored. You'd think that with all this political tension going on, I'd want to know what happens next. And okay, yes, there was some part of me that did care to know (and that was the part that made me finish the book), but it was more out of my own trifling curiosity and a hope that the book would become more engaging, rather than the events' ability to excite me. I think it was the tone that made me feel this way. The tone was jarringly modern, which was an awkward fit into the fantastical and mythical world the author created. This infuriating modern-ness and simplicity was probably the cause for my boredom.

Another thing I disliked was the plot being so generic. Even though the made-up mythology was pretty creative, the overall plot seemed like the epitome of the typical fantasy story you'd immediately think of when you're trying to conjure one in your mind. Lowborn girl is inducted into a higher class, and she has a wonderful romance with the great prince of the land. Some problems arise, people don't like her, she's thrust into a couple betrayals, blah blah blah, but suddenly she discovers an ancient secret of her mysterious heritage and she finds out that she holds the key to the goddess's power! There's a big fight, people die, she reunites with the prince, and everyone lives happily ever after . The embellishment and extra twisty events that make a story not an average one was absent. This ordinary plotline was also another reason for me finding this book boring.

One good aspect of this book was the characters. Raisa was a strong heroine, and she put her best effort into everything she was willing to do. I think Mati was supposed to be shown as kind and strong, and even though his character fell a bit flat at times, I still appreciated his presence. Also, Laiyonea was an interesting person, as well as Jonis, Kiti, and Soraya. I'm glad that the characters weren't too bad.

However, I would still not recommend this novel. I personally think it wouldn't be worth your time, what with it lacking a unique plotline and all. Although, if you're someone who isn't bothered by modern tones and doesn't mind a very ordinary storyline, you may enjoy it more than I did. ( )

The world felt a little light (I often have this problem with YA fantasy, though, because the balance of pacing versus depth of world swings towards the former) but it drew on Egyptianate elements - systems of writing as gatekeepers of knowledge and power, the brutal mysteries of religion, the significant power imbalance between slaves and the rulers - and it did so in ways that were explored in their complexities by the characters. The central romance started out feeling flimsy, but was built up believably through the course of the book; I started out disdainful, but I found it thoroughly satisfying and believable by the end. In the end, this misses out on being great in my opinion only because the plot felt more things-happening than compelling and ineluctable, but that may not be a flaw for everyone. ( )

The Arnathian Island was raided, the learned ones destroyed and the rest taken into slavery. However, the learned mother of six year old, Raisa, had her flee to a friends house so her life was spared. Because of her early training, she was tested for a tutor position and prevailed. As a tutor-in-training, she met daily with the Prince Matti...Only a few years her senior. They developed a secret , close friendship as they grew older. Would this be their undoing?

This is a tale of cruelty, betrayal, trust, change, rebellion, and Rites of Passage.

The characters were very well developed and felt real. The scenes were detailed in a way, easily visualized. The Title and the Cover image were both eye-catching and well chosen.

The Narrator of the CD's, Emily Rankin, was very talented and did an impressive job in creating the voices for the various characters. Her voice was very pleasant to listen to.

The action was non-stop and the story foundation began building steadily until ist ended in a astounding manner.

The only negative was the verse of the God's which preceded each chapter. That was slightly vague for the most part and wasn't clearly introduced before the story began. It took the reader awhile and great thought to connect and decipher it.

I really di enjoy listening to the CDs and the ending left the reader anxious to discover more!
I offer a strong Four Stars rating.
This was gifted me with no suggestion, whatsoever, for a positive review. This is my honest review. ( )