Alina comes from nothing. Orphaned as a child, she's grateful to have made a little something of herself as a cartographer in the King's Army - especially since she is still able to be near her best friend Mal from the orphanage. On one terrifying day, however, Alina learns something about herself that changes everything and finding out who she really is and where her loyalty must lie is a journey that will take her deep into a magical world that she'd only heard about as childhood stories. In this very Russian fantasy story, Alina and her choices will determine the fate of a nation at war.
Couldn't put it down. Nope. Read it in one afternoon/evening because from the beginning I loved this world, it was so Russian and yet so very unique, with its own mythical beasts and very complex hierarchies. I loved Alina and how she grew. I was completely intrigued by the magical setup, the men she fell for, the swiftly moving plot. I liked the political intrigue, not always being sure of who to trust and I loved the romantic thread. I can't even remember if there was anything that annoyed me, so there you go. As much as it didn't actually change my life or anything, it gets five stars from me for just giving me some really wonderful hours in a totally different world.
FYI: when I went to Goodreads, it says it's the beginning of a trilogy. I can see where there are places to go in the story but I was satisfied with the ending.
note: if you're interested in the content of the books I read, please go to http://ratedreads.com
2 comments:
we just chose this for next month's book group! i get to pick it up from the library tomorrow. :)
Oh, thanks for this! I've been on the fence about whether or not to pick this one up. And it's nice to know that it has comes to a satisfying conclusion even though it's the start of a series.
Post a Comment