“DEADLY INITIATION

A DETERMINED GIRL…
Dindi can’t do anything right, maybe because she spends more time dancing with pixies than doing her chores. Her clan hopes to marry her off and settle her down, but she dreams of becoming a Tavaedi, one of the powerful warrior-dancers whose secret magics are revealed only to those who pass a mysterious Test during the Initiation ceremony. The problem? No-one in Dindi’s clan has ever passed the Test. Her grandmother died trying. But Dindi has a plan.

AN EXILED WARRIOR…

Kavio is the most powerful warrior-dancer in Faearth, but when he is exiled from the tribehold for a crime he didn’t commit, he decides to shed his old life. If roving cannibals and hexers don’t kill him first, this is his chance to escape the shadow of his father’s wars and his mother’s curse. But when he rescues a young Initiate girl, he finds himself drawn into as deadly a plot as any he left behind. He must decide whether to walk away or fight for her… assuming she would even accept the help of an exile.”

When I first looked at this book I assumed, for some reason, that it was romance. Not being in the mood for Love Potion No. 9, I didn’t read it right away. When I finally sat down to test it out I was extremely surprised when I discovered a rather different tale from what I had expected!

What I should have done is read this book months ago when I first downloaded it to my kindle.

The story I uncovered was a detailed tapestry in a world I never thought I would find. It is unequivocally fantasy, through and through; though it isn’t your usual medieval tale with dragons, castles, knights and princesses. I’m not sure that I have ever read any fantasy that had a Neolithic setting before — it was much more primal than what I am used to.

I was also surprised to discover that I not only liked the ‘dance’ aspect of their magic but it added something totally new to the story. It wasn’t cheesy and it fit like a glove!

The beginning of the story was a little slow, there is a lot you need to learn about the world that Tara Maya is creating. Since it isn’t just castles and monarchies, you need to learn their system of government, their way of life and who these people are exactly. It seems like too much at first, and I was a little worried that the rest of the book would continue on in the same vein.

It didn’t.

About a third of the way through I suddenly found myself speeding through the novel and completely lost within it.

Nothing in this book is quite as it seems; there are many examples of duality within the characters and their world. There are extremes in beauty and what I fondly like to call… “blegh”. There is some pretty dark content in this novel, but you should keep in mind that the people it portrays aren’t exactly what we would consider ‘civilized’. There is gore, war crimes, and general unpleasant behaviour. In my opinion, it definitely falls under adult books.

There are quite a few characters to keep track of, and the story jumps between them, occasionally telling the same or a similar piece of story from more than one POV. It sounds unpleasant, but it wasn’t. It really helps you see the world from the eyes of the characters. By the time I figured out all the characters I was pretty much used to the style of writing. Since this is the beginning of what looks to be a rather lengthy series, taking a little while to get to know the ins and outs certainly doesn’t hurt. (Just don’t read it while trying to fall asleep at night, it deserves your concentration!)

One of my few complaints would be the fact that there are some typos; not a ton, and you could work around them, but they’re there.

I had a bit of difficulty determining the exact ages of some of the characters but it didn’t detract from the story.

There is a lot of detail and many odds and ends that I hope will be explained in the sequel, but due to the fact that it is the beginning of a series — that is to be expected!!

The ending was a cliffhanger but since I have the sequel juuuuust waiting for me… I didn’t mind! (Definitely the key to making cliffhangers bearable.)

My last suggestion would be to read the Author’s Note at the end; it really is quite enlightening.

So there you have it. My opinion! Now go forth and download this book. It’s free and fabulous — you can’t possibly ask for more!

/5

This ebook can be picked up at all of the following locations:
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