Release Date: January 10, 2013
Series: Standalone
Publisher: Dial, an imprint of Penguin
Age Group: Young Adult
Pages: 400
Source: Bought
Interest: YA High Fantasy; 2013 Debut Author!
Buy the Book: IndieBound | Amazon | B&N
Tamora Pierce meets George R. R. Martin in this smart, political, medieval fantasy-thriller.
There is a new king on the throne of Tildor. Currents of political unrest sweep the country as two warring crime families seek power, angling to exploit the young Crown's inexperience. At the Academy of Tildor, the training ground for elite soldiers, Cadet Renee de Winter struggles to keep up with her male peers. But when her mentor, a notorious commander recalled from active duty to teach at the Academy, is kidnapped to fight in illegal gladiator games, Renee and her best friend Alec find themselves thrust into a world rife with crime, sorting through a maze of political intrigue, and struggling to resolve what they want, what is legal, and what is right.
Rating: 3.75 or 4 / 5 Riceballs
Book Review:
The first thing that you should know is that despite all my issues and my rating of The Cadet of Tildor, I definitely enjoyed this book! Even though some issues with how the book was “packaged” and character development, I enjoyed this fun-filled fantasy read (:
Throughout the book, you follow the journey of the Cadet, Renee de Winter. Especially in Tildor, where it’s pretty uncommon for a girl, much less common a lady, to strive to become a Servant, Renee really stood out as a character to me. In some ways, she’s your standard “kick-ass” heroine: she’s strong, persistent, tomboy-ish, and shines as a true warrior. However, there’s also many moments where you can see her struggle and vulnerability; obviously, as the only female Cadet, she has to deal with the physical disadvantage of competing with males. After a while, I was also glad to find Renee’s character and relationships with others to become more complex and develop. Overall, she was a strong and clever character for me to admire!
However, other side characters, or even other “main” characters seemed less developed. Even though I was able to get a general idea of what their personalities and values were, it still seemed like there was a lack of characterization. For example, on the surface Savoy is a hardened and strict warrior and instructor, and eventually you get an idea of what’s truly important to him, but I still felt like I wanted to know his character better. Alec, Renee’s best friend, also had a general “feel” to him, although his character and relationship with Renee wasn’t too flushed out either. All in all, even though the cast of characters and personalities fit well together, I still wanted to see more of their characters!
The plot developed at a pretty quick pace and was fun to read! I’m a pretty big fantasy-adventure-action fan, so I loved the battles, sword fights, and magic in the kingdom. There were also quite a few twists I enjoyed :D My one problem with it was how the general book was packaged. From the flap & cover, you’re told it’s like a George R. R. Martin or Tamora Pierce book, which already creates pretty big shoes to fill. In a way, because of the overall genre and storyline, it’s true to an extent, but there’s still not as much complexity. You’re also told Renee is forced to choose between the “law” and her “instincts”, but I also felt like the story wasn’t ALL about Renee’s choice between following the law or her own desires.
I should also mention, though, that there’s this sort-of romance with Renee and Savoy: there’s a good amount of romantic thinking and longing, but their relationship eventually moves more to a close friendship. Personally I didn’t feel a lot of chemistry between the two, so I wasn’t too disappointed, but I was still a bit confused on Renee’s feelings for Savoy. All in all, if you’re expecting a romance-y type of book, you’ll probably be disappointed :/
However, I liked Lidell’s development of the land of Tildor and its magic! Truthfully, it’s a world that’s not too original, but still isn’t too over-used. Either way, the different details and descriptions of various villages, dark corners, Predator, forests, and the castle immediately captivated me, really making me fall in love with the book. And because of this (and I think this is a good thing), I also feel like the book could be extended into a series, since there definitely was more of the world to explore, and enough storyline to fill a sequel or trilogy.
Overall, The Cadet of Tildor was, most importantly, a book that I enjoyed and fondly remember upon. Fantasy fans looking for a relatively quick but (almost) significantly less complex version of George R. R. Martin or Tamora Pierce books will probably enjoy this book, although romance fans will probably be disappointed.. Either way, if you’re thinking of picking this one up, I still strongly recommend at least checking it out (:
Throughout the book, you follow the journey of the Cadet, Renee de Winter. Especially in Tildor, where it’s pretty uncommon for a girl, much less common a lady, to strive to become a Servant, Renee really stood out as a character to me. In some ways, she’s your standard “kick-ass” heroine: she’s strong, persistent, tomboy-ish, and shines as a true warrior. However, there’s also many moments where you can see her struggle and vulnerability; obviously, as the only female Cadet, she has to deal with the physical disadvantage of competing with males. After a while, I was also glad to find Renee’s character and relationships with others to become more complex and develop. Overall, she was a strong and clever character for me to admire!
However, other side characters, or even other “main” characters seemed less developed. Even though I was able to get a general idea of what their personalities and values were, it still seemed like there was a lack of characterization. For example, on the surface Savoy is a hardened and strict warrior and instructor, and eventually you get an idea of what’s truly important to him, but I still felt like I wanted to know his character better. Alec, Renee’s best friend, also had a general “feel” to him, although his character and relationship with Renee wasn’t too flushed out either. All in all, even though the cast of characters and personalities fit well together, I still wanted to see more of their characters!
The plot developed at a pretty quick pace and was fun to read! I’m a pretty big fantasy-adventure-action fan, so I loved the battles, sword fights, and magic in the kingdom. There were also quite a few twists I enjoyed :D My one problem with it was how the general book was packaged. From the flap & cover, you’re told it’s like a George R. R. Martin or Tamora Pierce book, which already creates pretty big shoes to fill. In a way, because of the overall genre and storyline, it’s true to an extent, but there’s still not as much complexity. You’re also told Renee is forced to choose between the “law” and her “instincts”, but I also felt like the story wasn’t ALL about Renee’s choice between following the law or her own desires.
I should also mention, though, that there’s this sort-of romance with Renee and Savoy: there’s a good amount of romantic thinking and longing, but their relationship eventually moves more to a close friendship. Personally I didn’t feel a lot of chemistry between the two, so I wasn’t too disappointed, but I was still a bit confused on Renee’s feelings for Savoy. All in all, if you’re expecting a romance-y type of book, you’ll probably be disappointed :/
However, I liked Lidell’s development of the land of Tildor and its magic! Truthfully, it’s a world that’s not too original, but still isn’t too over-used. Either way, the different details and descriptions of various villages, dark corners, Predator, forests, and the castle immediately captivated me, really making me fall in love with the book. And because of this (and I think this is a good thing), I also feel like the book could be extended into a series, since there definitely was more of the world to explore, and enough storyline to fill a sequel or trilogy.
Overall, The Cadet of Tildor was, most importantly, a book that I enjoyed and fondly remember upon. Fantasy fans looking for a relatively quick but (almost) significantly less complex version of George R. R. Martin or Tamora Pierce books will probably enjoy this book, although romance fans will probably be disappointed.. Either way, if you’re thinking of picking this one up, I still strongly recommend at least checking it out (:
Let's Chat! Have you heard of or read this book? What do you think of it? And out of curiosity, would you rather be a Mage or Servant (like a knight)?
Book Trailer:
