Hi! & Welcome to my tour stop for The Ferryman and the Flame series by Rhiannon Paille, hosted by Xpresso Book Tours! Today I have a review & giveaway to share (:
Enjoy & don't forget to check out the rest of the tour here!
About the Author:
Rhi was never a normal girl. Her life was an urban fantasy wrapped in a paranormal romance and served with a side of horror. To escape her everyday weirdness she began writing fantasy. She studied at U of Sedona and MIMT, obtaining a PhD in Metaphysical Science and Parapsychology. She's married to a chef/comic book shop owner and has a fondness for architecture. She frequents twitter and facebook, but if you really want to get to know her you should visit her site!
Website | Facebook | Twitter | Tumblr | Youtube | Google+ | Yahoo | Pinterest | Goodreads
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Surrender by Rhiannon PailleRelease Date: October 2, 2012
Series: The Ferryman and the Flame, #1
Publisher: Self Published
Age Group: Young Adult
Pages: 402
Source: Review copy provided through NetGalley - thanks!
Interest: YA Fantasy; Blog Tour
Buy the Book: Amazon | B&N
How far would you go to save everything you ever loved?
Kaliel was warned about her love for the Ferryman. One day he will marry the land and leave Avristar forever. She doesn't listen, and because of what she is-- a Flame-- one of nine apocalyptic weapons, she sparks a war. In a desperate attempt to save her home and her love, Kaliel tries to awaken Avred, not knowing she may have to make the ultimate sacrifice.
Rating: 3 / 5 Riceballs
Book Review:
Surrender is probably one of those books that many people will end up loving, recommending to everyone, giving 5-star reviews, etc., while a few people like me will be sitting in the corner wondering what they missed. It wasn't that the book was badly written, but in the end, it failed to WOW me. Nevertheless, I liked the idea of the story and the world building, and enjoyed a good part of the book.
First thing's first: The world was absolutely beautiful. I love Paille's descriptions of the merfolk and their land, as well as the different forests, people, and creatures inside it. I also liked the idea of elvens, learning with elders, venturing towards the "Land of Men", and eventually marrying the land. Like any well-written fantasy book, lots of magical powers also surface and were cool to read about, like Kaliel's ability to communicate with trees and merfolk, and Pux's fun abilities. Overall, I guess I loved the magic, beautiful prose, and detail!
What turned me off though, was the characters & romance. The romance was always there, and I felt like a lot of the book could be focused more on developing the magic and action in the story. It also felt a little like insta-love; in fact, after one encounter, both Kaliel and Krishani were always thinking I can't live without you. This then led me to be unable to connect with the characters :/ But, again, this is the type of romance SO many YA readers like, so this book may appeal to those readers.
And the plot! Honestly, if it wasn't for the ending, the book would have ended up getting 2.5 or 2 stars, but I guessI'm a sadistic human being I enjoy that type of ending? I don't want to give too much away, but compared to the large amount of romance-focused plot in the beginning, I found the ending to be much more exciting.
Overall, I guess I still have mixed feelings on the book - I loved the world and the ending of the book, but can't ignore the fact that the characters and romance threw me off. Nevertheless, if you're looking for a more mythology-centered less-romance-focused book, this wouldn't be the book for you. However, if you're a HUGE fan of romance, or of paranormal romance novels, this book will definitely be for you (:
First thing's first: The world was absolutely beautiful. I love Paille's descriptions of the merfolk and their land, as well as the different forests, people, and creatures inside it. I also liked the idea of elvens, learning with elders, venturing towards the "Land of Men", and eventually marrying the land. Like any well-written fantasy book, lots of magical powers also surface and were cool to read about, like Kaliel's ability to communicate with trees and merfolk, and Pux's fun abilities. Overall, I guess I loved the magic, beautiful prose, and detail!
What turned me off though, was the characters & romance. The romance was always there, and I felt like a lot of the book could be focused more on developing the magic and action in the story. It also felt a little like insta-love; in fact, after one encounter, both Kaliel and Krishani were always thinking I can't live without you. This then led me to be unable to connect with the characters :/ But, again, this is the type of romance SO many YA readers like, so this book may appeal to those readers.
And the plot! Honestly, if it wasn't for the ending, the book would have ended up getting 2.5 or 2 stars, but I guess
Overall, I guess I still have mixed feelings on the book - I loved the world and the ending of the book, but can't ignore the fact that the characters and romance threw me off. Nevertheless, if you're looking for a more mythology-centered less-romance-focused book, this wouldn't be the book for you. However, if you're a HUGE fan of romance, or of paranormal romance novels, this book will definitely be for you (:
The Ferryman and the Flame, #2
Krishani always knew he would have to go to the Lands of Men, but he never thought it would be like this. Enemies everywhere, an ancestor he can't respect, elders he can't trust, a curse he can't stop and friends he can't help but hate. Desperate to end the pain, he sets out on a quest to find the other Flames and face the enemy that took everything from him.
Hadwen is no more. The Daed have no choice but to travel to Avrigost to awaken Crestaos. They're thrown into a whirlwind quest for the Flames, not knowing how ruthless and sadistic Crestaos can be.
Meet Isadora The Iolite Flame, Lotesse The Emerald Flame, Cossisea The Ruby Flame, Shezeel The Quartz Flame and Tiki The Carnelian Flame in this novella that dives deeper into Kaliel and Krishani's nightmare.
The Ferryman and the Flame, #2.5
The Daed are pawns to one of the most powerful members of the Valtanyana. Crestaos is insane, his hunger for the Flames insatiable. The closer the Daed get to achieving his goal, the more expendable they become.
Giveaway!
For the tour, the author is giving away signed copies of Surrender & Justice, as well as 3 11x7 prints of each book, and book marks! Good luck!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
