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A review by jenjuxtapose
Shadows of Lela by Tessonja Odette
3.0
3.5 stars really, but I can't do halves.
The whole review can be read on my blog
Disclaimer: I usually try not to get too spoilery in my reviews, and I don't want to pick apart the novel, but beware there are some spoilers ahead!
Right off the bat, this book gave me Graceling and Red Queen vibes. It's a high fantasy novel without the pretentiousness that can sometimes come with it. The book also deals with royal families and the complicated relations between them. Tessonja Odette has created a vast fantastical land full of ancient magic, lost lore, and many kingdoms.
The world building has been done really well. I found the part describing the Ancient Ones quite interesting and I would've loved to delve into the lore even more. I also would've loved more scenery descriptions. As a reader, I've been given this wide new world, and sometimes I felt like I couldn't see where I was. Cora and Teryn are journeying across the land, but I wanted more descriptions of how the landscape changed as they moved into the different kingdoms. I wanted to be fully immersed.
Also, a map at the beginning of the book would've been a huge bonus! They're always helpful when reading a fantasy with many different locations.
The whole review can be read on my blog
Disclaimer: I usually try not to get too spoilery in my reviews, and I don't want to pick apart the novel, but beware there are some spoilers ahead!
Right off the bat, this book gave me Graceling and Red Queen vibes. It's a high fantasy novel without the pretentiousness that can sometimes come with it. The book also deals with royal families and the complicated relations between them. Tessonja Odette has created a vast fantastical land full of ancient magic, lost lore, and many kingdoms.
The world building has been done really well. I found the part describing the Ancient Ones quite interesting and I would've loved to delve into the lore even more. I also would've loved more scenery descriptions. As a reader, I've been given this wide new world, and sometimes I felt like I couldn't see where I was. Cora and Teryn are journeying across the land, but I wanted more descriptions of how the landscape changed as they moved into the different kingdoms. I wanted to be fully immersed.
Also, a map at the beginning of the book would've been a huge bonus! They're always helpful when reading a fantasy with many different locations.