by Heather Ostler
Published June 12th 2012
by Cedar Fort
ARC from Netgalley
Like any sixteen-year-old, Julia's used to dealing with problems. From her overprotective father to her absent mother to a teacher who definitely has it in for her. But everything changes when Julia's reactions become oddly vicious and angry---more animal than human. This action-packed adventure has it all: humor, romance, and a plot that will keep you guessing to the very last page.
Thoughts:
The book has such an interesting premise; a teenage girl finding out that she's a descendant of a magical royal family from Ossai (a magical world unknown to humans) who has the ability to shape shift into a werecat but sadly I am not a fan of the disjointed style of writing.
From the beginning, I had an early sense of foreboding when the book opens with the MC; Julia and her friends gushing about the mysterious gorgeous new boy who coincidentally took an immediate interest in her. This just seems too cliché and predictable. And it turns out that the boy; Caleb is Julia's protector of some sort.
The way the story jumped from one part to the next without a proper build-up or description just confused me and left me with a lot of questions. I'm particularly puzzled about The Guild and The Soldier Union thing. I know that they are two opposite factions at war in Ossai but a further back story should be included to clarify things even more.
The whole magical school (Lockham Castle) concept where Julia had to attend once she's in Ossai to learn how to properly control her powers and the annoying love triangle between Julia, Caleb and Terrence just add to my list of grudges relating to the book. In the end, the book left me with very mixed feelings. I certainly love the idea of a fantastical adventure in a mythical world but I feel as if the book is unfortunately bogged down by its disappointing execution.
Verdict: 2 stars.
In my Début Author Reading Challenge
Available on: Amazon
ARC from Netgalley
Summary from Goodreads:
Julia is finally discovering what–not who–she is.
Like any sixteen-year-old, Julia's used to dealing with problems. From her overprotective father to her absent mother to a teacher who definitely has it in for her. But everything changes when Julia's reactions become oddly vicious and angry---more animal than human. This action-packed adventure has it all: humor, romance, and a plot that will keep you guessing to the very last page.
Thoughts:
The book has such an interesting premise; a teenage girl finding out that she's a descendant of a magical royal family from Ossai (a magical world unknown to humans) who has the ability to shape shift into a werecat but sadly I am not a fan of the disjointed style of writing.
From the beginning, I had an early sense of foreboding when the book opens with the MC; Julia and her friends gushing about the mysterious gorgeous new boy who coincidentally took an immediate interest in her. This just seems too cliché and predictable. And it turns out that the boy; Caleb is Julia's protector of some sort.
The way the story jumped from one part to the next without a proper build-up or description just confused me and left me with a lot of questions. I'm particularly puzzled about The Guild and The Soldier Union thing. I know that they are two opposite factions at war in Ossai but a further back story should be included to clarify things even more.
The whole magical school (Lockham Castle) concept where Julia had to attend once she's in Ossai to learn how to properly control her powers and the annoying love triangle between Julia, Caleb and Terrence just add to my list of grudges relating to the book. In the end, the book left me with very mixed feelings. I certainly love the idea of a fantastical adventure in a mythical world but I feel as if the book is unfortunately bogged down by its disappointing execution.
Verdict: 2 stars.
In my Début Author Reading Challenge
Available on: Amazon
Not one for me I think. Thank you for your honest review - appreciated.
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