Tag: YA Dystopian

#BOOK REVIEW BY @LRWLEE OF RITE OF REDEMPTION BY SARAH NEGOVETICH

RiteofRedemptionRite of Redemption is the third and final book in the Acceptance dystopian trilogy by Sarah Negovetich.

SUMMARY (from back): Rebecca escaped the PIT, found a family among the Freeman…and watched too many loved ones die. All she wants is the Cardinal to leave her in peace, but he’s made it clear that’s never going to happen.

When the Cardinal attacks other Freeman villages, she finally understands that no one is safe from his wrath. As the only one who’s stood up to the evil that is the Cardinal, it’s up to her to convince the others that they can’t hide forever. It’s time to fight.

The Machine predicted Rebecca would become the Cardinal’s enemy. It may have gotten that one right.

In the conclusion to the Acceptance series, enemies become allies and old friends emerge, but in the end, sacrifice may be the price of freedom.

WHAT I THOUGHT: I will be the first to say I am not a huge dystopian fan, but Negovetich’s writing hooked me in the first book and kept me buying the subsequent books in the series.

Plot – As with all dystopian books, the world as we know it has been reorganized after a cataclysmic event. The Cardinal is the epicenter of power in this society. In this book, Rebecca, the central heroine, is after taking him down. And of course, only she, as the face of the resistance, can do so. I thought the stakes were set high and Negovetich delivered on suspense, obstacles, and distrust among characters/entities. One thing that drives me crazy with some authors is that they set these elements up then make the resolution way too easy. This was not the case in Rite of Redemption for the most part. I won’t give away the ending, but I would say all but the absolute end where Rebecca “just happens” to run into the guy and it resolves rather easily, gave me a great “ride”.

Characters – I loved Rebecca! I loved how she matured throughout the series based upon everything that happened to her. She becomes the one to save that world by default as a result of who she is and what she values rather than some artificial “nomination” by outsiders.

Her now-husband, Daniel, I didn’t appreciate so much in this book. I thought he bordered on the whiny, petulant side and while I suppose his behavior could have happened in real life, I didn’t care for the change in this guy who used to be so supportive of Rebecca.

Pacing – I liked how the story unfolded. I loved how the Cardinal’s move triggers the beginning of events that must play out. And the author created a logical progression of events, visiting various Freeman villages, etc. I particularly loved how Rebecca’s childhood best friend appears once more in the final installment to wrap up that connection.

Overall, I give this 4.5 stars!

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Review by YA fantasy author L. R. W. Lee
Website: LRWLee.com
Twitter: @lrwlee
FB: LRWLee Author
Blog: blog.LRWLee.com

IF YOU ENJOYED THIS POST I also invite you to download the free ebooks of the award winning Prequel and Book one in the Andy Smithson coming-of-age epic fantasy series.

#INTERVIEW BY @LRWLEE OF YA DYSTOPIAN & FANTASY AUTHOR ARIA MICHAELS

Meet YA Fantasy/Dystopian author Aria Michaels and watch as she reads from KILLSHOT, Book one in the Icarus series. Then get to know her as she shares a favorite quote and poses a fun trivia question. Be sure to leave a comment to enter the giveaway for one of two ebook copies of Killshot, book one in the Icarus series by Aria Michaels. She may also give away a paperback if there’s lots of entries. She is also reserving the last slot of beta readers for book two in the series that’s releasing June 1st for one lucky winner!!Giveaway open to domestic & international entrants.

https://youtu.be/CVy41oN3GHc

SUMMARY: After the death of their parents, seventeen year old Liv Larson and her younger brother are separated by the foster care system. Her grades slip, her friends drift away, and she gives up on her plans for college. The only thing that matters is keeping the promise to get back to her brother. After months of solitude and anti-social behavior, Liv’s best friend Riley drags her to their high school’s rooftop solar flare party. Despite the beautiful lights dancing in the sky, Liv finds herself captivated by Zander, a mysterious boy with a crooked smile. For a few hours, she allows herself to feel normal again.

That is until what should have been a small flare erupts into a massive solar storm. Cut off from the rest of the world with no sign of rescue, fear and paranoia begin to take their toll on the group. Battle lines are drawn and their ranks are divided. Soon, those left behind must embark on a perilous journey to save one of their own…but, something sinister awaits them in the shadows and it’s undeniably connected to Liv.

Can she keep her promise to reunite with her brother? What are Liv and her friends willing to do to survive? Will their bravery and determination be enough to save them all from a rogue military unit, a terrifying virus, and the things that go bump in the night?

Or was Icarus really the KILLSHOT?

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Book Nerd ParadiseInterview by Book Nerd Paradise
Twitter: @BookNerdParadis
FB: bit.ly/BookNerdParadiseFB

IF YOU ENJOYED THIS POST, be sure to leave a comment to let us know what you thought.

ALSO, BE SURE TO follow our host YA Fantasy author L. R. W Lee at:
Website: LRWLee.com
Twitter: @lrwlee
FB: LRWLee Author
Blog: blog.LRWLee.com

DOWNLOAD the FREE ebooks of the award winning Prequel andBook one in the Andy Smithson coming-of-age epic fantasy series.

#BookReview by @LRWLee of Rite of Revelation

Rite of Revelation Delightful craft. Expanding world. Flawed but growing characters. These phrases well summarize Rite of Revelation by Sarah Negovetich.

SUMMARY (from back): Before you Stands the Future.

The Cardinal plans to execute seventeen-year-old Rebecca Collins, just as soon as he gets what he needs to solidify his rule over the United Territories. Faced with certain death, Rebecca discovers not everyone is under the Cardinal’s control. A new alliance helps Rebecca and her friends escape the PIT, giving Rebecca a chance to live the life her Rejection took away.

But the Cardinal needs her in order to stay in power, and he doesn’t care who has to die to bring her back to justice.

Her last fight was a push to survive. This time, Rebecca has a life that might be worth dying for.

WHAT I THOUGHT: When I started reading this second installment in the Acceptance series, I wasn’t clear what the title, Rite of Revelation, meant especially in the context of the series. It becomes clear at the end and that revelation is what will move the narrative forward into the final book. It was definitely appropriately titled.

Sarah Negovetich’s craft again delighted me for her prose are crisp and dialogue efficient. It’s clear she’s studied craft and I appreciate her mastery.

The world built in book one grows in book two and we find out there are 142 freeman colonies. With the complexity of trade between each, we come to understand how these folks not only survived, but thrived apart from the economy of the Cardinal and his power. Although the threat always loomed and the reader wonders when the other shoe will drop.

I loved how Rebecca grows in this book as well as her counterparts. I appreciated how she wrestles with the balance between passion and action. Her propensity to go off half cocked, while at times admirable, is becoming a flaw that I speculate will cause her and others problems in book three. One complaint I had about Rebecca is that her taking on the problems of the world and feeling guilty if she can’t save everyone gets to be too much at times. I felt like shaking some sense into her. I question whether anyone in life would ever go as far overboard as she seems to. I felt going “there” too frequently made her annoying at times.

But the other characters grow as well and these maturings seemed appropriate, especially Eric and Patrice as well as Liam.

All in all I enjoyed book two and give it 4.5 stars. Now to await the final showdown in book three.

Buy Rite of Revelation (on Amazon)

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Review by YA fantasy author L. R. W. Lee
Website: LRWLee.com
Twitter: @lrwlee
FB: LRWLee Author
Blog: blog.LRWLee.com

IF YOU ENJOYED THIS POST, be sure to leave a comment to let me know what you thought.

FREE EBOOKS: I also invite you to download the free ebooks of the award winning Prequel and Book one in the Andy Smithson coming-of-age epic fantasy series.

#BookReview by @LRWLee of Red Queen

RedQueen_coverImaginative world building. Dynamic characters. Unexpected twists.

These snippets summarize Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard, Book One in the Red Queen series.

SUMMARY from back: Graceling meetsThe Selection in debut novelist Victoria Aveyard’s sweeping tale of seventeen-year-old Mare, a common girl whose once-latent magical power draws her into the dangerous intrigue of the king’s palace. Will her power save her or condemn her?

Mare Barrow’s world is divided by blood—those with common, Red blood serve the Silver- blooded elite, who are gifted with superhuman abilities. Mare is a Red, scraping by as a thief in a poor, rural village, until a twist of fate throws her in front of the Silver court. Before the king, princes, and all the nobles, she discovers she has an ability of her own.

To cover up this impossibility, the king forces her to play the role of a lost Silver princess and betroths her to one of his own sons. As Mare is drawn further into the Silver world, she risks everything and uses her new position to help the Scarlet Guard—a growing Red rebellion—even as her heart tugs her in an impossible direction. One wrong move can lead to her death, but in the dangerous game she plays, the only certainty is betrayal.

WHAT I THOUGHT: I have to begin by mentioning the imaginative world invented by Aveyard. She takes us from the Stilts, slums where red blood folks live in abject poverty, to a castle made with unbreakable, diamondglass walls that is the captial of Silver life. The contract couldn’t be clearer. While Reds have seen the amazing powers demonstrated by a few Silvers, what Reds don’t know is that Silvers with powers they could never fathom exist–fireburners, telkies, folks who can become invisible, beings who take the form of shadows and can bend light, Oblivions who can explode things with a touch, Storms who control the weather, others who can bend metal to their will, and more. The variety of powers adds an interesting dynamic to the world and I’ll be very curious to see how Aveyard develops this in the next book in the series.

I thought the author brought forth the three main characters with a lot of depth. The central protaginist, Mare Barrow, demonstrated herself to be a strong heroine. It’s clear she will do whatever it takes, including sacrifice her own life, to upset the uneasy imbalance of power between Red and Silver. She has a conflict before her that is significant and had me cheering her success! And then there’s the two princes, Cal and Maven who have different mothers, setting up conflict, not only with the pecking order, but inner conflict as well. Cal, while the eldest, is the dutiful son, groomed for the monarchy who also holds a role as general, commanding the armies of the nation. Maven, the younger, is his mother, the queen’s, favorite and must navigate this family dynamic…and boy does he. I won’t give away any spoilers, but let’s just say this produces a huge plot twist that you won’t want to miss.

Having said all that, it was clear from the get go that this is the first book in a multi-book series (at least three). For all the positives, I found the first half of the book dragged for me with so much background on Mare. While I suppose it’s important to understand her life history, I felt as though the narrative could have begun at a different place and much of this material could have been woven throughout the storyline in a different, more engaging manner. The next installment in the series, Glass Sword, is coming Feb 9, 2016 and is available for preorder on Amazon

All told, I give this book 4 out of 5 stars.

Get Red Queen (on Amazon)

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Review by YA fantasy author L. R. W. Lee
Website: LRWLee.com
Twitter: @lrwlee
FB: LRWLee Author
Blog: blog.LRWLee.com

IF YOU ENJOYED THIS POST, be sure to leave a comment to let me know what you thought.

FREE EBOOKS: I also invite you to download the free ebooks of the award winning Prequel and Book one in the Andy Smithson coming-of-age epic fantasy series.

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