Review: It seems to be a popular premise in young adult fiction but the idea continues to find its inventory of readers: ‘young hero or heroine turns a magical age and their special powers are revealed and they must go forth to save the world.’ Or some variation on that theme. Some are shocked, some sensed the possibility all along, others are hurt or angry their parents lied to them about their heritage and of course, need time to come to terms with the magnitude of their new mission when they just want to be regular teens.
I had a difficult decision to make with this work, as I considered whether to read it from an adult’s angle simply as a story in and of itself, or try to look at it from a young person’s perspective and how it might be viewed. To me, just because a book is specifically geared towards a certain age group doesn’t mean it is less well written. Though I don’t look usually read books specifically labeled for young adults, I’ve read very many where the characters were of those ages. I enjoy any author who shows a certain proficiency of writing skills no matter the genre, age group or anything else.
For me there was just too big a jump from the character’s behavior as first presented, which I enjoyed, an intelligent young woman, to when magical beings, heavy on mythical and legend terms appear, and though she’s been thoroughly briefed by a parent on her secret history revealed, she completely cannot believe anything they say and thing it all a game. Among other things, including the stereotypical behavior of far too many fantasy female characters who use wise-cracks and insultory dialogue supposedly to should how feisty and spirited they are. One of the main reasons I’m really selective in my fantasy choices these days though it’s by far my traditional favorite is I’ve never really cared for that character type.
If one is using a common theme I think it’s crucial to make your characters themselves unique in some way and likeable, or at least admirable. The characterization has to engage the reader so readers remain interested in the plot development. Maybe it was the irony the author wished to show, but having Xandra guilty of the same self-absorbed and centred behavior she accuses Kallen of, just really made it seemed like her social I.Q. dropped several levels after she found out about her heritage. From a nice, reasonable young woman she turns into a wise-cracker, toggling between acerbic and petulant remarks, and for me too often behaved like a hard-headed jerk.
The romance that then develops between Xandra and Kallen was a little problematic for me. I’ve never understood how someone is still attracted to a person who is insulting, mean-spirited towards you and acts like they hate your guts, yet suddenly you’re kissing. Again, that’s a popular formula some people do think of as de rigeur to be a “true” romance.
I felt the writer had a clear direction in which they wished their story and characters to go. “True of Blood” was very descriptive and packed with fairies, Pooka, and various other creatures, magic, sudden realizations, dire warnings and the possibility of “happy ever after’s.” Because of some suggestive sexual situations I would recommend it more for older teens +16 or adults.
Description: “I have a television so I know what a family is supposed to look like but mine is nothing like that. To begin with, both my parents are dead. Not the kind of dead where you bury them in the ground, say some nice words, cry a lot and then never see them again. Nope, when they died they refused to go into the light; or whatever it is you’re supposed to do when you die. Instead, they came back home. As ghosts. Have you ever been sent to your room by a parent who has no corporeal form? I have and it sucks…”
Xandra Illuminata Smith has lived for the last three years with ghosts as parents but her life gets even stranger after her seventeenth birthday when she finds out that her mother is actually a Witch in hiding and her biological father, whom she knew nothing about, is a Fairy and King of the Fae realm.
Xandra is the first Witch Fairy to be born in thousands of years for very good reason. No one should be able to control that much magic and Xandra was never meant to be born at all but her mother has manged to keep her hidden away until now.
The Witches want her dead and the Fairies want her blood, for only her blood will reopen the gateway to the Fae realm and allow them back into this realm to take revenge on humans and Witches alike for having banished them hundreds of years ago.
Xandra has very little time to learn how to use her powerful Witch and Fairy magic that has been bound since her birth while running from the Fairies who managed to jump realms and want to take her blood to set the others free. She needs someone to teach her and her parents enlist the help of one powerful Fairy who claims to want to keep the realms closed to each other. He will help keep her safe and alive as she learns, at least that’s what he says…
Published: April 15, 2011
Publisher: Hugo Klam
Please visit author website for availabilities http://bonnielamer.blogspot.com/
Source: Author
Red Haircrow Review 