AUTHOR: Tara Maya
INFO: Paperback, Fiction, 188 pages
PUBLISHED: Misque, 2010
ISBN#: 978-0-9831-0731-6 HOW I GOT IT: Received e-book from Author
FROM GOODREADS: DEADLY INITIATION
A DETERMINED GIRL...
Dindi can't do anything right, maybe because she spends more time dancing with pixies than doing her chores. Her clan hopes to marry her off and settle her down, but she dreams of becoming a Tavaedi, one of the powerful warrior-dancers whose secret magics are revealed only to those who pass a mysterious Test during the Initiation ceremony. The problem? No-one in Dindi's clan has ever passed the Test. Her grandmother died trying. But Dindi has a plan.
AN EXILED WARRIOR...
Kavio is the most powerful warrior-dancer in Faearth, but when he is exiled from the tribehold for a crime he didn't commit, he decides to shed his old life. If roving cannibals and hexers don't kill him first, this is his chance to escape the shadow of his father's wars and his mother's curse. But when he rescues a young Initiate girl, he finds himself drawn into as deadly a plot as any he left behind. He must decide whether to walk away or fight for her... assuming she would even accept the help of an exile.
MY TAKE: When the author gifted me with an e-book copy of this book, I wasn't really sure if I was going to read it right away or not. But I had signed up for an e-book challenge (in anticipation of my Kindle :) so I took the plunge and read it on my laptop. Let me say that I am sooo glad I did.
Tara Maya has created a fascinating original world full of fairies, magic and dancing. I love that she based some of her descriptions and rituals on some Native American and other tribal practices. It lends a lot of depth to the characters and their lives.
Dindi is an interesting, rather accident-prone young girl who only wants to dance. She sees and feels things that others don't and is ridiculed by the other girls around her. Kavio is a strong warrior who is exiled because of treachery from his aunt and cousin. He and Dindi meet and their lives become intertwined.
The only thing I disliked was being left hanging at the end. I am eagerly anticipating the next installment in this story, due out in March!
Out of 5 JEWELS, I give it:
is currently on sale for $2.99! Great price for a great book! 
~~~~~ Disclaimer: All opinions expressed on this blog are 100% my own. I do not receive monetary compensation for my reviews but do utilize affiliate links. I may receive books in order to facilitate a review, but this does not guarantee a good review - only a completely honest one. Each review post denotes how I obtained the book.
I also was gifted this book by the author. She seems very generous. I'm enjoying the story, but I've not read many fantasy books. I'm having a bit of a struggle picturing the world they live in. Do you think it was in the present, past or future?
ReplyDeleteHi Gina,
ReplyDeleteI would imagine it would be past if it was set in our world. That's one of the things I like about fantasy ~ it takes us away from our world for a while.
I hope you like the book, I did. Thanks for stopping in :)
Jules