Book Blog Tour (Review + Giveaway): Island of Exiles by Erica Cameron

Title: Island of Exiles

Author: Erica Cameron

Date Published: February 14th 2017

Publisher: Entangled Teen

Synopsis:

In Khya’s world, every breath is a battle.

On the isolated desert island of Shiara, dying young is inevitable. The clan comes before self, and protecting her home means Khya is a warrior above all else.

But when following the clan and obeying their leaders could cost her brother his life, Khya’s home becomes a deadly trap. The only person who can help is Tessen, her lifelong rival and the boy who challenges her at every turn. The council she hoped to join has betrayed her, and their secrets, hundreds of years deep, reach around a world she’s never seen.

To save her brother’s life and her island home, her only choice is to trust Tessen, turn against her clan, and go on the run—a betrayal and a death sentence.

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REVIEW

Ola peeps!

How are you all?

Here I am again to give not just a book review but a book tour! Well, how are your Valentines peeps? Did you get a date with someone you like or love? If you did then good for you! 😀

Don’t ask about mine. Asian kids have to deal with their Asian parents so I’m off limits on dating. Haha!

Anyway, let’s go now to reviewing this great book! First of all, I want to let you know that this book tour is brought to you by YA Reads Blog Tour so I want to thank them for giving me the chance to host a tour.

Let’s start!

The story is about a girl named Khya who has a brother named Yorri. Yorri is about to have his herynshi, a trial undergone by all citizens of Itagami the year of their sixteenth birthday to find out which status they belong (Nyshin, Ahdo, Yonin respectively from high to low), but he hasn’t discovered his magic yet. So Khya got worried because if Yorri can’t manifest a magic during his herynshi then he will be put as Yonin, normal people who only work for those higher to them. And Khya doesn’t want that because their parents were both in the high ranks in their government. So Khya did something to force Yorri’s magic out in which she succeeded. And so does Yorri during his herynshi. However, days after Yorri got assigned on a squad; he died while doing his duty protecting a clan mate. When Khya found out about it, her whole world suddenly crumble. Until one day, a friend of Yorri’s talk to Khya and told her that Yorri is still alive. So Khya plan to find his brother even if it means betraying Itagami. And then Khya also found an unwanted help from Tessen, her love interest. The three of them, Khya, Sanii, Yorri’s friend, and Tessen created a plan to find Yorri. No matter what it takes.

When I read the blurb of the book, it interests me because there is a sibling love, the kind of love that I rarely read in a book. So I grabbed it and read it.

However, when I was reading the first part of it I was so confused as to what was going on. I even assumed that Khya was a boy. It feels like she’s a boy at first. And I also got confused about her powers. I know what a ward is but I just didn’t expect that that was Khya’s powers. In the beginning of the book I thought her power was to control the weather or maybe the lightning. But then it turns out that she’s a fykina, a mage who can build a shield to protect them from other magic and the physical world (like rocks, debris, and even rain).

But after clearing all the confusions, I find myself enjoying the book. I love how Khya takes care of Yorri so much and vice versa. I understand why Khya was so concerned in forcing Yorri’s power out of him though it would also be good if Khya just let Yorri decide on his own whether he likes to be a nyshin or an ahdo or even yonin. But then there’s a reason for everything.

One of the things I like about this book is how Khya is towards her relationship with Tessen. I mean Tessen is the man but the way they treat each other it’s Khya who’s the one wearing the pants in the relationship. If ever there’s a relationship to begin with. Khya is so slow when it comes to feelings and emotions that doesn’t have to do with Yorri. Seriously. That’s what we Filipinos call “manhid” which means numb. Because she’s too numb not to feel what Tessen really felt towards her. Manhid! Lol.

The only downside of this book is the lack of adventure. I mean they have powers and magic and mysteries but while I was reading it I feel like I’m only standing in one place of the book all throughout the story. It’s not an action genre but they have powers and magic, aren’t they supposed to be like a very wild adventure because of that. If there is I didn’t feel it while I was reading it. There are a lot of talking and less adventure. The action only happened on the last part of the book which leaves me wanting for more. Though there are parts where Khya and her squad go out to hunt food and stuff in between chapters, I feel like it’s not the kind of action and adventure I want to read in a book with magic in it.

On the end of the book I get to see Khya use her powers beyond her usual limit. She pushed herself just to save the people important to her. Although there were no exchange of blows and spilling of blood, the fact that they used their magic in the end of the book a lot more than throughout the whole book is what made the ending a step up.

The book is good, don’t get me wrong. I just thought that it’s still lacking. I feel like the author could still do better. And I am hoping that she will in the second book of this series. I am still looking forward on reading the second book.

I would recommend this book to you peeps but not as much as I recommend some other books I reviewed here. Though if you want to give this book a chance, go ahead. Don’t let my opinion get in the way.

That’s all for this review peeps! Thank you for reading up to here! Love you all!

Any of you who have read this book? What do you think about it? Let’s talk in the comments!

 

Some quotes/teasers!

 

 

 

 

 

 

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About the Author…

After a lifelong obsession with books, Erica Cameron spent her college years getting credit for reading and learning how to make stories of her own. Erica graduated with a double major in psychology and creative writing from Florida State University and began pursuing a career as an author.

Erica is many things but most notably the following: writer, reader, editor, asexual, dance fan, choreographer, singer, lover of musical theater, movie obsessed, sucker for romance, Florida resident, and quasi-recluse. She loves the beach but hates the heat, has equal passion for the art of Salvador Dali and Venetian Carnival masks, has a penchant for unique jewelry and sun/moon décor pieces, and a desire to travel the entire world on a cruise ship. Or a private yacht. You know, whatever works.

Her debut novel, Sing Sweet Nightingale, released March 2014 and it was the first volume of The Dream War Saga. In May 2015, Erica and her co-author Lani Woodland launched the Laguna Tides series with Taken by Chance. Riptide’s new YA imprint Triton Books will release both books in the Assassins series, Discord and Nemesis, in 2016. The Ryogan Chronicles, a fantasy trilogy set to launch through Entangled Teen, will launch in 2017 with Island of Exiles.

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Brought to you by:

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