Please Note: I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This did not influence the opinions of my review in any way.
Synopsis (From Goodreads):
Sophy Dunbarron--the
illegitimate daughter of a king who never was--has always felt like an
impostor. Separated from her birth mother, raised by parents mourning
the loss of their true daughter, and unacknowledged by her father, Sophy
desires only a place and a family to call her own. But fate has other
ideas. Caught up in Elanna Valtai's revolution, Sophy has become the
reigning monarch of a once-divided country--a role she has been groomed
her whole life to fill.
But as she quickly discovers, wearing a
crown is quite a different thing from keeping a crown. With an influx of
magic-bearing refugees pouring across the border, resources already
thinned by war are stretched to the breaking point. Half the nobility in
her court want her deposed, and the other half question her every
decision. And every third person seems to be spontaneously manifesting
magical powers.
When Elanna is captured and taken to Paladis,
Sophy's last ally seems to have vanished. Now it is up to her alone to
navigate a political maze that becomes more complex and thorny by the
day. And worse, Sophy is hiding a huge secret--one that could destroy
her tenuous hold on the crown forever.
Review:
I have really loved The Waking Land series, by Callie Bates. It has been so imaginative and fun. Plus, this series had the most unusual narrative structure! Each of the three books focuses on one particular character in the story. I have never seen a series organized in this way. The Soul of Power, the final book, is a fine ending to this series.
What I Liked:
Setting:
With the third book, the setting is pretty familiar to the reader by now. But the world-building continues with even more types of magical abilities being shown. I love that many more people have magic, some even as powerful as Elanna.
There is also much more about the treatment of women and refugees in this society. I couldn't help but see the parallels between this book and real life. I love that!
Characters:
Sophy is the main focus in The Soul of Power, and she is a far more complex character than I originally thought.
But Sophy also has personal issues to resolve. Will she marry Allister, her lover, or use a marriage to seal a political alliance? Or does she even need to marry? The issue of marriage illustrates how women are treated in this world's society. Misogyny is alive and well in this world. Seeing women have magic, or any sort of power, is a threat to many of the men.
Sophy also must confront her parentage. As her parents were not married, and her mother seemed more interested in leading a rebellion than in being a parent, Sophy felt like a cast-off. But can she understand that her self-worth should not be tied to anything her parents did?
Story:
While the other books focused on Elanna (The Waking Lands), and Jahan (The Memory of Fire), The Soul of Power
is Sophy's story. This is definitely a case of "be careful what you
wish for"! Now that she is finally the queen, Sophy realizes governing
is harder than it seems. Navigating the various factions vying for power is no easy task, no matter how prepared one seems. For anyone who
has started a new job, you will be able to relate to Sophy's
frustration and anxiety.
Sophy's story runs parallel to the action in book two, The Memory of Fire. So it would be important for the reader to have read The Memory of Fire just before starting book three.
I also love all the political intrigue and betrayals in this book. Although she knows that she is unpopular as the new queen, Sophy is not prepared for how much opposition there is to her reign. Noblemen who are used to getting kickbacks find ways to force Sophy to appoint their allies to key positions. There are several plots to her life, putting her friends in danger, as well.
Series Ending:
After all the buildup of Sophy's story, the real fun begins when she is finally reunited with Elanna and Jahan. You'd think it would all be smooth sailing once these characters finally find each other. But the jealousy between Elanna and Sophy finally comes to a head.
There is plenty of action as the final battle for the crown gets underway. I loved how each character's strengths are highlighted in the ending. Of course, there are also sacrifices that must be made. No good story is without them. I liked that some of Sophy's choices come with a price. This makes the ending more complex and satisfying.
What I Was Mixed About:
While I love all the plots and close calls Sophy has, I think this went on a few times too many. What's that saying, "Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me"? Were there three, or four, attempts on her life? I lost count after a while. I know this serves the plot by creating confrontations between Sophy and certain characters, but this device became tiresome after a while. Don't you think Sophy would be more wary of isolated meetings after the first ambush?
Reading Note: This isn't a criticism of the series, but you really need to read the other two books, The Waking Land, and The Memory of Fire, fairly soon before you read the final book. The stories are so closely tied together, that it would be difficult to follow the action if you haven't recently read those books first.
Rating:
Release Date: June 4th, 2019
Author: Callie Bates
Publisher: Del Rey Books
Genre: YA Fantasy
Page Length: 480 Pages
Source: NetGalley
Format: E-Book
Recommendation: A worthy end for an exciting series. But read (or reread) the other books first.
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Synopsis (From Goodreads):
The land has awoken,
and news of magic's rebirth has traveled across the sea. Jahan, a daring
noble who has been concealing his powers, is finally ready to stop
hiding. Now he returns to the imperial capital, where the use of magic
carries a death sentence. There, he must face his dark past, learn to
embrace his gifts, and prevent an all-out war across the kingdoms.
Review:
The Waking Land, by Callie Bates, was one of my favorite books of 2017. I don't know how I missed reading the next book, The Memory of Fire when it came out last year, but it was equally amazing! Set in a magical world with lots of royal intrigue, the fun characters, story, and ending make this book a winner.
What I Liked:
Setting:
There are lots of books with magic in them, but this world is one of a kind. Elanna, the Caveadear, can literally make the trees walk with her magic that is tied to the land! Jahan has a different sort of magic where he can move between walls, and start fires. I loved the fact that, although many people had magic, they all manifested it differently. This made the story so much more complex.
Also, the different kingdoms, with their varying values and prejudices, made the conflicts all the more realistic. Eren and Caeris, where magic once flourished have been overshadowed by the much larger empire of Paladis, where magic as seen as an abomination. Well, the biggest country makes the rules, so people with magic are in hiding (you don't want to know what happens to sorcerers in Paladis!). I couldn't help but feel the analogy between this fantasy world, and real-life world powers who assert their control over smaller nations.
Characters:
Jahan is the main focus of this book. Normally, I am more drawn to the female characters in these type of books. But the author really shows us Jahan's turmoil and struggles. His backstory is a heart-breaker.
Jahan must really reconcile that he hid his magic while others were being killed for their magical abilities. Was he brave to use his talents secretly to help others, or cowardly to not come forward and help even more? There are no easy answers in this book.
Jahan's family dynamic is so twisted, that it was no wonder he was a troubled soul. So many people used him, rather than protected him as a child, that it was no wonder that he had a difficult time with friendships and love.
Story:
The Waking Land was centered around Elanna, but The Memory of Fire is completely about Jahan. Elanna is a very minor character in this book. While I was annoyed at first, because I wanted to learn even more about Elanna, I now get it (book three will be about Sophy). This narrative choice makes each book very focused on the main character, without the pressure to keep Elanna in every scene. This really could have been a VERY large book with all three novels being parts I, II, and III. But I see the wisdom in breaking them into separate novels. All three books together are 1244 pages long!
Ending:
I really loved the ending of this book. One of my pet peeves with series is that usually book two is just one drawn out cliff-hanger! Not so with The Memory of Fire. The significant plot points are definitely resolved, but we know more is waiting for us. This was very satisfying for me as a reader.
Rating:
Release Date: June 5th, 2019
Author: Callie Bates
Publisher: Del Rey Publishing
Genre: YA Fantasy
Page Length: 464 Pages
Source: Public Library
Format: E-Book
Recommendation: With an exciting story set in a world of magic, The Memory of Fire was a page-turner! I loved it.
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Please note: I received an advanced reader's copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This did not influence the opinions of my review in any way.
Synopsis (From Goodreads):
Lady Elanna Valtai is
fiercely devoted to the King who raised her like a daughter. But when he
dies under mysterious circumstances, Elanna is accused of his murder
and must flee for her life.
Returning to the homeland of
magical legends she has forsaken, Elanna is forced to reckon with her
despised, estranged father, branded a traitor long ago. Feeling a
strange, deep connection to the natural world, she also must face the
truth about the forces she has always denied or disdained as
superstition powers that suddenly stir within her.
But an
all-too-human threat is drawing near, determined to exact vengeance. Now
Elanna has no choice but to lead a rebellion against the kingdom to
which she once gave her allegiance. Trapped between divided loyalties,
she must summon the courage to confront a destiny that could tear her
apart.
Review:
When I read a new fantasy book, one of the things I look for is how well the author does world-building. It can be really tricky to give out he necessary information so that everything makes sense, yet keeps the ball rolling so the story doesn't stall. I thought The Waking Land, by Callie Bates, did a wonderful job of introducing the reader to this world, while keeping a fast-paced story moving along. This was a very enjoyable book with a love story that took some wonderfully unexpected turns.
What I Liked:
Characters:
Elanna is headstrong yet is very conflicted about who she should be loyal to. Although king Antoine has treated her as a daughter, the fact remains that Elanna has been a hostage in Eren for fourteen years. She is very resentful the fact that her father never tried to rescue her.
It's no surprise that as the story begins, Elanna is certain her allegiance lies with Antoine and his kingdom of Eren. But she begins to question everything as she flees for her life, travelling to her father's lands in Caeris. Was king Antoine really such a benevolent leader? Did her parents actually forget about her? I liked that Elanna had to take in lots of conflicting information and decide who to believe.
I also appreciated that she wasn't a fool for love. She forged her own path with the men in her life, not letting custom dictate what she should do.
Most of the other women in the book were equally complex. Her childhood friend, Victoire, also begins to question what she has been taught, and must decide how to respond to the reality that her father worked to hide money for the king. Elanna's mother appeared to be uncaring and too consumed with her own
pursuits to care about Elanna. Yet, she actually finds ways to
contribute to the cause for freedom. Her actions are subtle and show
how women often work behind the scenes to get things done.
World-Building:
I thought the author did a wonderful job of creating several different kingdoms. Eren is supposed to be the superior, refined kingdom. People in that capitol regard the people of Caeris as uneducated barbarians because they use magic and are in tune with the land. The mountain region of Dalriada is an isolated part of Caeris that is the home of the wardens of the mountains. They live more simply than the people of Eren, but are highly educated and have an intricate society.
I particularly enjoyed the complex structure of power in Caeris. Power is shared equally between a King, the wardens of the mountain, and the Caveadear, the steward of the land. However, there hasn't been a king, or a Caveadear, in nearly 200 years. When Elanna shows that she has magical powers, her father determines that she is the Caveadear. Is she really destined to be the steward of the land? Or is her father just trying to use Elanna to grab power for himself?
Love Story:
At first I groaned when I saw that there would be a love triangle between Elanna, Finn, and Jahan. Finn is set to be the new King of Caeris and there is pressure for Elanna and Finn to marry. But she has already formed a connection with Jahan. I think this plays out in a very smart way. It wasn't forced and it showed that Elanna could maintain her independence.
There is a sex scene in this book. While it does not go into "mommy porn" territory, the moment is frank so I would recommend this for older teens and up.
What I Was Mixed About:
Characters:
I thought the character of Princess Loyce was a bit two-dimensional. She served the purpose of creating a situation where Elanna would need to escape to Caeris. But we don't have any idea of why she is so vengeful toward Elanna. I would have also liked to have seen how Loyce was coping with suddenly becoming queen. This would have provided a great contrast with Elanna's struggle to understand her new role as the Caveadear.
This was an exciting book that was hard for me to put down. As the land wakes up, so does Elanna. She not only finds out the truth about her family, but finds her own way to live in the role life has given her.
Rating:
Release Date: June 27th, 2017
Genre: YA Fantasy
Source: NetGalley
Format: ARC E-Book
Recommendation: For older teens and up. An exciting page-turner, with strong female characters and fantastic world-building.
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