The Serpent & The Wings of Night (Crowns of Nyaxia #1) by Carissa Broadbent

"An interesting mix of The Hunger Games meets "Underworld", where a human, Oraya, competes in a once in a century tournament, the Khejari, in hopes of binding herself to her adopted Vampire father, Vincent and gaining his powers in order to search for her family. There's violence, death, manipulation, betrayal and love, all the hallmarks of an engrossing and entertaining read. I'm interested to see how this series progresses."

3 Stars

Pros: Oraya and Raihn did have good banter/The idea of the Khejari was interesting, though I had a feeling I knew how it would end.

Cons: Some of the terms used during romance scenes were just cringeworthy/Oraya's friendship with Illana needed to be a little more defined for me to really care/Oraya always fighting with everyone, over everything.

Full Review

Oraya was found in the rubble of her home after an uprising by the Rishan Vampires in the city of Salinae. Vincent, a Hiaj Vampire and King of the House of Night, rescues her and brings her home to Srinivaj and raises her as his own daughter. He teaches her how to fight, to be strong, to always protect her heart. And when he suggests she enter the Khejari, a once in a century tournament that is hosted in Srinivaj, she accepts. She knows that if she wins she can bind herself to Vincent, be his Coriatae, human but also imbued with all his Vampiric powers. Her goal is to win the Khejari and return to her homeland to search for her lost family.

Of course, having grown up around Vampires has made Oraya a very determined and distrustful person. She's a good fighter, she knows she is, but her weaknesses when confronted with the other contestants in the Khejari are blatantly obvious. She manages to survive the first two trials but the Half Moon trial poses a particular challenge. She must form an alliance in order to survive. And though she's reluctant at first, she eventually accepts two Rishan Vampires, Raihn and Mische, as her allies. There's something different about them but she can't quite figure out what. All that matters right now though is that they're good fighters and will be good allies. So, they train together and try to ignore the feelings that are inevitably growing between them.

It all became a bit cliché near the end but it was entertaining enough that it kept me reading. The end wasn't exactly a twist, I kind of saw it coming but it was enough of a cliffhanger that I'll be keeping my eye out for the next book. It was an interesting take, Vampires in epic fantasy and though the different houses and kingdoms blurred together, it didn't take away from the story too much. Hopefully some questions that were left unanswered will be wrapped up in the sequel.

Comments

Fantastic Voyage by Isaac Asimov

"When a scientist, Benes, who has integral and world changing information attempts to defect and join our Side, he's injured. A blood clot forms in his brain and the only way to save his life is to miniaturize the crew of the Proteus and inject them into Benes' body, so they can break up the blood clot from the inside. Of course, one thing after another goes wrong and every chapter is a new catastrophe but it was definitely a fantastic voyage. 2 Stars Pros: Grant is one dry character but he's a welcome bit of amusement in an otherwise serious and scientific novel. Cons: Grant is also SUCH a man that he spends most of the mission staring at saving the one woman board, Cora./Definitely ripe with anatomical lessons and what part of the body they were in. Since I've never been great at anatomy, a lot of it was lost on me and became burdensome near the end. Full Review: As in all things, there is a good side and a bad side. This book is very vague as...

Animal Farm by George Orwell

"A blithe and scathing commentary on equality, power, corruption and how everyone is created equal, but...some are more equal than others. Orwell hit the nail right on the head with this novel and it's no wonder it's a staple for most high school curriculums. " 3 Stars. Pros: Benjamin the Donkey is the smartest animal on the farm and it would have done all the others a world of good if they had listened to him in the first place. Cons: The fact that societies like this actually do exist is nauseating and terrible. It's not a con, per se, it's just a gut wrenching fact. Full Review: When the overworked and mistreated Animals on Manor Farm decide to rise up and overthrow their cruel master, they're successful. They rebel and now find themselves with an entire Farm to run. They rename it Animal Farm and are intent on creating a paradise, where work and play are equal, where productivity is key but relaxation is a must and all the lives of all the animal...

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie.

"Arnold Spirit, Jr, or "Junior" as he's known on the Rez, does something no Spokane Indian has ever done. He enrolls in Reardon High School and begins the long and often painful process off navigating not only high school and adolescence but also being an outsider. Alexie handles it all with grace, humor and honesty. This was a great read. I would recommend it to anyone." 5 Stars Pros: Alexie handles the ups and downs of not only adolescence, but tragedy and loss in a stark, honest but gut wrenchingly relatable way. Cons: Some of Junior's all-consuming guilt, though understandable was a little repetitive but it's all part of being a teenager. Full Review: It all starts when Arnold Spirit Jr, or Junior, throws a textbook across the classroom. When he opened the book he saw his mother's name, her maiden name and it enrages him. He's furious that the reservation is so poor that they're learning from thirty-year old textbooks. He doesn't...

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