Tuesday, June 13, 2017

Review: Black Dawn by Mallory McCartney with Giveaway





BLACK DAWN

Mallory McCartney
 Clean Reads Publishing
 February 14th 2017
YA/NA Fantasy





The end of an Empire. The rise of a Queen.”
Emory Fae enjoys leading a quiet, normal life that is until two mysterious, and dare I say handsome soldiers show up at her apartment doorstep and the life she knew is instantly whisked away. Coming from the magical and ravaged world of Kiero, Emory is brought back not realizing that both men are darkly woven in her past. Discovering she is the long lost heir to the Royal Line Emory is thrown into Black Dawn Rebellion with a dynamic role to ignite the rebels and reclaim her throne. With both lives clashing Emory uncovers hidden secrets from her past, a power held long dormant, and will soon realize there are worse things than supernatural humans, love, loss, betrayal, and a Mad King.
Some things are better left in the shadows.

MY TIDBITS

This is the first book in what promises to be an exciting series.

The world of Kiero, a magical realm separate from modern day Earth, has been immersed in war for several years. Emory, the rightful heir to lead Kiero, was hidden on Earth when she was a young teen, all memories erased to save her from being killed like her parents, the king and queen. Now, several years later, the rebellion decides it's time for her return. But only knowing her life on Earth, Emory has no idea how to fit the role Kiero has laid out for her or how to save the rebellion.

I love the cover on this one, and after reading the blurb, was excited to get my hands on it. Kiero is a well-developed world, full of surprises and rich with layers. The author does a wonderful job  bringing it to life and letting the plot storm from one page to the next. The characters grow on one until, by the end of the book, it's very hard to let them go. There is so much more to explore in this world, and it will be a delight to see where it goes after this first adventure.

That said, it took a bit for me to get into this read. The story is told from multiple points of view, which normally isn't an issue, but here, it was a bit unclear whose turn it was, and I found myself having to pull out of the story to remember whose voice it was in. The world itself starts with explosive power but with little explanation as to what's going on. No time is spent on letting anything first sink in or develop, which makes for an immediately engaging read but also for a mumble-jumble feel. As the book continues, all of this smooths out tremendously, and by the end, it totally had me immersed in the characters and world.

There is a lot going on--action, adventure, romance, intrigue, rebellion, magic and more. In other words, it's a fast-paced adventure with little time to just sit around. The pages flow, and thanks to the short length, the tale ends just as it begins. I can't wait to see where the next book will take all of it.

And here she is. . .
 
Mallory McCartney currently lives in London, Ontario with her husband and their two dachshunds Link and Lola. Black Dawn is her debut novel, the first in a series. When she isn’t working on her next novel or reading, she can be found dog grooming, book shopping and hiking. Other favorite pastimes involve reorganizing perpetually overflowing bookshelves and seeking out new coffee and dessert shops. 


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2 comments:

Giselle said...

Thanks for being on the tour! This sounds like a fun and unique story! :)

Mary Preston said...

An amazing cover. I like the sound of this.