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The Cat's Eye Chronicles #1
Sora's Quest
Librarian's note: There is an Alternate Cover Edition for this edition of this book here.
A noblewoman, an assassin, and a soul-stealing necklace....
Sora planned on running away from her wedding, but she never expected to be kidnapped! Dumped into a world of magical races, arcane jewelry and forgotten lore, she finds herself at the mercy of a dangerous assassin, haunted by an even darker past. She yearns for freedom, but he won’t let her go—not when her Cat’s Eye necklace is the only thing that can save his life.
But the necklace itself presents a problem. It is an ancient device from the long forgotten War of the Races, and its magic has the ability to steal souls. Can Sora learn to wield its power—or will the power wield her? (Winner of the SKOW 2006 Best Fantasy Award)
A noblewoman, an assassin, and a soul-stealing necklace....
Sora planned on running away from her wedding, but she never expected to be kidnapped! Dumped into a world of magical races, arcane jewelry and forgotten lore, she finds herself at the mercy of a dangerous assassin, haunted by an even darker past. She yearns for freedom, but he won’t let her go—not when her Cat’s Eye necklace is the only thing that can save his life.
But the necklace itself presents a problem. It is an ancient device from the long forgotten War of the Races, and its magic has the ability to steal souls. Can Sora learn to wield its power—or will the power wield her? (Winner of the SKOW 2006 Best Fantasy Award)
382 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 18, 2012
582 people are currently reading
8719 people want to read
About the author
T.L. Shreffler
17 books718 followersT. L. Shreffler was born and raised in Burbank, CA. She grew up only a few blocks away from Warner Bros. and Disney studios. Inspired by such a creative community of friends, family and neighbors, she dedicated herself to her creative goals since her teen years. She has been writing The Cat's Eye Chronicles and other works since she was 12 years old. She moved to Washington State in 2020 and currently lives in Snohomish County with her family. She loves diversity, travel, and experiencing different cultures; she tries to evoke a similar sense of wonder at the unfamiliar in her readers. She holds a BA in Eloquence (English) and her poetry has been published in Eclipse: A Literary Journal and The Northridge Review. She is author of The Cat's Eye Chronicles (YA/Epic Fantasy) and The Dragon Pearl Series (YA/Epic Fantasy). She writes Paranormal Romance under the penname A. Mariposa.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 475 reviews
July 26, 2025
This book is free on Amazon for now.
✅🆗 Relationships
✅🆗 Pace
🆗 World-building
🆗 Characters
🆗 Plot
Free book on Amazon, why not? Let’s give it a try! Also, it doesn’t hurt that the story is about fantasy, magic, an assassin, and a runaway girl. The reviews were also quite good but honestly, I was disappointed. I was expecting (and hoping for) more.
The world-building was quite ordinary. We understand that there are humans and a few other species (some with magic, some without...?), that there was a war between the humans and the species, but other than that, it is hard to imagine what this world looks like. What is its history? How is it mapped? I need more details, all I kept imagining was a swamp and a jungle. There is blood magic, Earth magic, a king of wolf-fae species, were-cats…. Overall a lot of potential for world-building, but it was not well exploited, nor was it developed enough.
The characters were plain. Sora (the main character) was just painfully naive at times. She is also a bit hypocrite at the beginning of the story… Bitch-talking about the nobles while being exactly like them with her misplaced pride and belief that she’s safe just because she’s somebody’s daughter. It does get better as the book went on, but I did not like her at all, I just couldn’t get attached to her. Dorian was the only one that I found funny and grew attached to… A little bit.
Finally, the story… I’m still not sure what the plot is supposed to be. There is a huge hatred between Crash and Volcrian because Crash killed Volcrian’s brother (a few years ago I would assume…). Volcrian is chasing Crash to get revenge and all Crash and his gang seem to be doing is fleeing and taking side criminal jobs to get money. They stumble upon Sora who conveniently has a magic necklace that can help them escape Volcrian and that’s it, she can be part of the crew, but they still need to escape and start anew someplace far away. That’s it. Nothing else.
The story was also quite fast-paced, but not in a bad way. The characters are in a hurry, but the evolution of their relationship is still "normal-paced", nobody magically falls in love after 3 days (I was a little afraid of a basic, rushed love story between Sora and one of the other characters, probably Crash).
Overall it is an "okay" book if you can go through the first half. Although I was not impressed by the first half of the book, I must admit that the end was better and it lets me hope that maybe the second book is better, I will not be reading it because I already have so many books on my TBR, I don't want to waste time on "okay" books.
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✅🆗 Relationships
✅🆗 Pace
🆗 World-building
🆗 Characters
🆗 Plot
Free book on Amazon, why not? Let’s give it a try! Also, it doesn’t hurt that the story is about fantasy, magic, an assassin, and a runaway girl. The reviews were also quite good but honestly, I was disappointed. I was expecting (and hoping for) more.
The world-building was quite ordinary. We understand that there are humans and a few other species (some with magic, some without...?), that there was a war between the humans and the species, but other than that, it is hard to imagine what this world looks like. What is its history? How is it mapped? I need more details, all I kept imagining was a swamp and a jungle. There is blood magic, Earth magic, a king of wolf-fae species, were-cats…. Overall a lot of potential for world-building, but it was not well exploited, nor was it developed enough.
The characters were plain. Sora (the main character) was just painfully naive at times. She is also a bit hypocrite at the beginning of the story… Bitch-talking about the nobles while being exactly like them with her misplaced pride and belief that she’s safe just because she’s somebody’s daughter. It does get better as the book went on, but I did not like her at all, I just couldn’t get attached to her. Dorian was the only one that I found funny and grew attached to… A little bit.
Finally, the story… I’m still not sure what the plot is supposed to be. There is a huge hatred between Crash and Volcrian because Crash killed Volcrian’s brother (a few years ago I would assume…). Volcrian is chasing Crash to get revenge and all Crash and his gang seem to be doing is fleeing and taking side criminal jobs to get money. They stumble upon Sora who conveniently has a magic necklace that can help them escape Volcrian and that’s it, she can be part of the crew, but they still need to escape and start anew someplace far away. That’s it. Nothing else.
The story was also quite fast-paced, but not in a bad way. The characters are in a hurry, but the evolution of their relationship is still "normal-paced", nobody magically falls in love after 3 days (I was a little afraid of a basic, rushed love story between Sora and one of the other characters, probably Crash).
Overall it is an "okay" book if you can go through the first half. Although I was not impressed by the first half of the book, I must admit that the end was better and it lets me hope that maybe the second book is better, I will not be reading it because I already have so many books on my TBR, I don't want to waste time on "okay" books.
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May 26, 2016
3.5 stars
Meh. Everything about this book was a serious meh. But hey, it's free on Amazon so I'm not going to bitch about it! But my biggest problem was that the only character I got attached to was Dorian. I know, I know, that didn't turn out quite as I was hoping to. Crash and Sora were both really decent. I wasn't annoyed with them but they didn't make me feel anything. I just didn't care for them. Burn, on the other hand, is a really great character and I liked him a lot as well. I got really bored at about 60% but this book deserves this half of a star for that quite cool plot-twist! I'm not really sure if I'm going to continue with this series. (✿◠‿◠)
Meh. Everything about this book was a serious meh. But hey, it's free on Amazon so I'm not going to bitch about it! But my biggest problem was that the only character I got attached to was Dorian. I know, I know, that didn't turn out quite as I was hoping to. Crash and Sora were both really decent. I wasn't annoyed with them but they didn't make me feel anything. I just didn't care for them. Burn, on the other hand, is a really great character and I liked him a lot as well. I got really bored at about 60% but this book deserves this half of a star for that quite cool plot-twist! I'm not really sure if I'm going to continue with this series. (✿◠‿◠)
June 7, 2016
FREE on Amazon!
I've been having a little trouble lately finding books that manage to keep me entertained throughout. I wouldn't exactly call it a book slump, but I've definitely been easier to please.
Which is why I've been doing some re-reads of books I really enjoyed in the past, one of which is Sora's Quest by T.L. Shreffler, and I feel like I should finally do a review of it.
I really am not into High Fantasy. Stories of that genre have the tendency to be too abstract for my simple little mind to follow and comprehend. Urban Fantasy I understand. I can relate. Epic Fantasy? Not so much, what with all those strange places and societies and names and creatures and stuff.
So color me surprised that I ended up really, really enjoying this one.
This is the story of Sora Fallcrest, a noble-born, sheltered girl who longs for adventure instead of being wed off to a stranger as a status symbol. What she doesn't bank on is being kidnapped on her 17th birthday by an assassin who is as ruthless as he is deadly, and ending up on the run both from authorities and a dangerous mage who has nothing left to lose.
I consider this book "Epic Fantasy light". There was some good world building, definitely enough to satisfy my needs, a fast-paced, well-wrought plot, very enjoyable characters () and the slightest hint of romance that will be growing and evolving as the series progresses, but never be in the fore.
(Seriously, the romance is so slow-burn that even 70% into the book, Sora thinks this:
She put her hand to her chest, trying to calm her heart. He might be dead. The thought didn't truly upset her - but he was her only chance of survival.
And what can I say? I loved that the author didn't succumb to the ever-present insta-love cliché.)
Long story short: This is one hell of a series that deserves a lot more attention. You should read it. Really.
August 19, 2012
Let me start by saying, Cover LOVE! The story did not disappoint, I was jerked in from the first page and, before I knew it, I was screaming at my Kindle because I’d come to the end. The writing and the story are completely original and, although you’re just reading the story, it will seem as though you’ve been swept away and dropped into the middle of Sora’s world; Shreffler is just that good a writer. Her characters embody realism, depth and courage.
Crash (AKA Viper) stole the book for me though, a complete ass to the point of hating him in the beginning.. and yet, there is that mystery about him that makes you second guess your initial opinion of him. Sexy, brooding and secretive; I can’t wait to run into him again in book 2 (conveniently titled Viper’s Creed!). I thoroughly enjoyed watching the relationships between the characters as they developed and grew, leaving me in tears several times! Shreffler leaves us on the edge of a cliff, anxiously waiting to see what will happen with Sora and Crash.
I do love a strong female character and Sora definitely delivers. She is young and unsure of herself to start but, she is determined to see her journey through to the end and becomes extremely loyal and protective of her 3 new friends by the end.
I give this book 5/5 but, that’s just my two cents.
Crash (AKA Viper) stole the book for me though, a complete ass to the point of hating him in the beginning.. and yet, there is that mystery about him that makes you second guess your initial opinion of him. Sexy, brooding and secretive; I can’t wait to run into him again in book 2 (conveniently titled Viper’s Creed!). I thoroughly enjoyed watching the relationships between the characters as they developed and grew, leaving me in tears several times! Shreffler leaves us on the edge of a cliff, anxiously waiting to see what will happen with Sora and Crash.
I do love a strong female character and Sora definitely delivers. She is young and unsure of herself to start but, she is determined to see her journey through to the end and becomes extremely loyal and protective of her 3 new friends by the end.
I give this book 5/5 but, that’s just my two cents.
June 9, 2014
I guess you could say I had high expectations for this series. It's a fantasy, there is an assassin involved. I was sold from the get-go. The raving reviews just solidified my resolve to read this. I was expecting it to be awesome. It wasn't.
It wasn't bad, but I wanted better. Let me break it down so I can make it easier.
World-building (3.5/5): It wasn't as lush and detailed as it could be/wanted it to be, but it was more than decent enough. We get told of different races, the War of the Races, the destruction by the humans (Damn humans!) with the Cat's Eye. We get to meet some of them as well. 2 of our main characters are Wolfies (which is such a cute name!). They reminded me of a blend between Fae and werewolf.
Our assassin, seems to be of a different race entirely and we only get bits and pieces of information about this race in general. I'm hoping for more in the next book. One of the conflicts that out characters go through is fighting the Catlins, which are these huge werecat type of race, that use Earth Magic. As I said, very nice world building, but it could have been exploited a lot more as well.
Characters (2.5/5): Characters are huge for me, and for the life of me I could not like Sora at all. She got a bit more tolerable as the book went on, but just enough that I didn't finally give up on it. She would have single-handedly ruined the whole book for me. The only thing that kept me going and hoping that Sora would get better was the promise of the world-building, but I came SO close to just DNFing it because of her.
She was so naive and plain stupid at times. She liked to think that she wasn't like those snobbish nobles from the City, but she was exactly like them. She was also irrational and I just don't handle irrational characters well. She had this forced hatred towards the men that made me want to strangle her!
They treated her so damn well, even giving her weapons after only like 2 days of being 'kidnapped' and all she did was judge, bitch and whine the whole fucking time. If it had been some kind of plan, that she was masking her brilliance with this act, or getting on their nerves so they would tired of her and just dump her ass, I would have been all for it, but it wasn't! Ugh.
With that said I liked the rest of our gang, Burn, Dorian and specially Crash, just being a badass assassin :)
Plot (2/5): The plot seems too simple? Idk if I'm missing something but the basic thing is, Crash/Viper (the assassin) killed Volcrian's brother as an assignment. Volcrian vows revenge, fails the first time and the chase ensues. So all Crash and the rest of his party are doing is just running from Volcrian, while doing side jobs to keep the money going. That't it. That's the whole of the plot. There is no side issues going on that I can see. Just straightforward revenge.
The pacing (4/5) was quite nice always a sense of urgency, suspense. Always being chased, or chasing. The romance (2/5) was well, idk. There wasn't much of anything really, which I appreciated, but we are getting weird vibes/feelings between Sora and Crash and I just don't think Sora is anywhere good enough for Crash, which is why I don't like where things are going.
So overall it was an enjoyable enough fantasy once you get past the halfway mark (before that Sora was just too plain irritating to enjoy anything else). Would I recommend it? Idk. I'd have to finish the series to see if it was worth starting, but I think I might just find out. Still haven't made up my mind about reading the second book or not.
It wasn't bad, but I wanted better. Let me break it down so I can make it easier.
World-building (3.5/5): It wasn't as lush and detailed as it could be/wanted it to be, but it was more than decent enough. We get told of different races, the War of the Races, the destruction by the humans (Damn humans!) with the Cat's Eye. We get to meet some of them as well. 2 of our main characters are Wolfies (which is such a cute name!). They reminded me of a blend between Fae and werewolf.
Our assassin, seems to be of a different race entirely and we only get bits and pieces of information about this race in general. I'm hoping for more in the next book. One of the conflicts that out characters go through is fighting the Catlins, which are these huge werecat type of race, that use Earth Magic. As I said, very nice world building, but it could have been exploited a lot more as well.
Characters (2.5/5): Characters are huge for me, and for the life of me I could not like Sora at all. She got a bit more tolerable as the book went on, but just enough that I didn't finally give up on it. She would have single-handedly ruined the whole book for me. The only thing that kept me going and hoping that Sora would get better was the promise of the world-building, but I came SO close to just DNFing it because of her.
She was so naive and plain stupid at times. She liked to think that she wasn't like those snobbish nobles from the City, but she was exactly like them. She was also irrational and I just don't handle irrational characters well. She had this forced hatred towards the men that made me want to strangle her!
They treated her so damn well, even giving her weapons after only like 2 days of being 'kidnapped' and all she did was judge, bitch and whine the whole fucking time. If it had been some kind of plan, that she was masking her brilliance with this act, or getting on their nerves so they would tired of her and just dump her ass, I would have been all for it, but it wasn't! Ugh.
With that said I liked the rest of our gang, Burn, Dorian and specially Crash, just being a badass assassin :)
Plot (2/5): The plot seems too simple? Idk if I'm missing something but the basic thing is, Crash/Viper (the assassin) killed Volcrian's brother as an assignment. Volcrian vows revenge, fails the first time and the chase ensues. So all Crash and the rest of his party are doing is just running from Volcrian, while doing side jobs to keep the money going. That't it. That's the whole of the plot. There is no side issues going on that I can see. Just straightforward revenge.
The pacing (4/5) was quite nice always a sense of urgency, suspense. Always being chased, or chasing. The romance (2/5) was well, idk. There wasn't much of anything really, which I appreciated, but we are getting weird vibes/feelings between Sora and Crash and I just don't think Sora is anywhere good enough for Crash, which is why I don't like where things are going.
So overall it was an enjoyable enough fantasy once you get past the halfway mark (before that Sora was just too plain irritating to enjoy anything else). Would I recommend it? Idk. I'd have to finish the series to see if it was worth starting, but I think I might just find out. Still haven't made up my mind about reading the second book or not.
May 20, 2017
Free Ebook on Amazon? Sure, why not. Fast-paced? Sure. Entertaining? Sure. Did I skim over the paragraphs? Sure. Did I think it was just all right and nothing terribly good or bad? Yes.
Would I give the sequel a try? Yes, because I'm hoping for more action and explanation.
Did I understand the Wulvies? Not one bit. So...they're elves...but werewolves?
And is that a naked Sora on the cover...?
Would I give the sequel a try? Yes, because I'm hoping for more action and explanation.
Did I understand the Wulvies? Not one bit. So...they're elves...but werewolves?
And is that a naked Sora on the cover...?
September 13, 2013
This and my other reviews can be found at http://amethystbookwyrm.blogspot.co.uk/
Sora is not happy that her father is marrying her to a stranger, so she plans to run away. However before she can, her father is murdered and she is kidnaped by the assassin and a thief of a thought long extinct magical race called wolfies. However Sora is wearing a Cat’s Eye, a necklace that can protect her, which might help her complete her quest.
This is a YA fantasy book which is usually my favourite type of book but Sora’s Quest was just ok, because of the plot holes you just could not connect to much in this story.
Sora is a very sheltered character who does know much about the outside world, but my main problem with her is that her thoughts make no sense, one second she hates Crash and next she is worrying about his safety. Also after a few days she seems to act like part of the group not a prisoner, which must be one of the quickest cases of Stockholm syndrome, which did not seem realistic.
The one positive thing about this book is that it is very vivid and imaginative. Also it was nice to see some different races in fantasy books apart from elves, dwarfs etc. Overall Sora’s Quest is an average story that is let down by motives which do not make sense.
Sora is not happy that her father is marrying her to a stranger, so she plans to run away. However before she can, her father is murdered and she is kidnaped by the assassin and a thief of a thought long extinct magical race called wolfies. However Sora is wearing a Cat’s Eye, a necklace that can protect her, which might help her complete her quest.
This is a YA fantasy book which is usually my favourite type of book but Sora’s Quest was just ok, because of the plot holes you just could not connect to much in this story.
Sora is a very sheltered character who does know much about the outside world, but my main problem with her is that her thoughts make no sense, one second she hates Crash and next she is worrying about his safety. Also after a few days she seems to act like part of the group not a prisoner, which must be one of the quickest cases of Stockholm syndrome, which did not seem realistic.
The one positive thing about this book is that it is very vivid and imaginative. Also it was nice to see some different races in fantasy books apart from elves, dwarfs etc. Overall Sora’s Quest is an average story that is let down by motives which do not make sense.
November 3, 2023
"Crash smiled slowly. He didn't waste words while fighting. It was useless to taunt the dead."
Now this book was a whole lot of fun and adventure!
The story starts out with out h, Sora, who is a young and spirited- but ultimately a naive country noble. She has been sheltered all her life amongst wealth and status, but chafes at the constraints that have been put on her by society and her overbearing father.
At the start of the story Sora is about to experience her 17th birthday, and her party (her "Blooming") is her introduction into the marriage market. However, things don't go according to plan, and during a disruptive moment Sora uses the crowds confusion to slip away into the night. But during her impromptu escape she run into a sketchy man dressed in black who has a knife at her throat. But instead of pleading to be spared she instead asks "Can you take me with you?"
As she flees with this dangerous man into the woods she soon realizes that he is an assassin named Crash and that he obviously didn't bring her along because of her request or out of the goodness of his heart. In fact he has plans that involve her sticking with him. (Voluntary or not.)
When the two meet up with his companions-Dorian and Burn- Sora realizes that she was even more sheltered that she thought because these two men are Wulven (a race long thought to be wiped out or even legend) and that magic is real!
But being captive to this band of baddies isn't the worst of it! It seems that the group is being tirelessly chased by a Wulven mage with a grudge...and now he's on her tail as well.
Can this rag tag group make it to safety with not only the King's men, but a vengeful Wulven on their tail?
x------------------------------x
So all in all I liked that Sora's character grew throughout the book, and I'm looking forward to how the group dynamic will change in the rest of the series. I also liked the mix of magic and supernatural-esque creatures we got. But also
Additionally, there were obviously some parts of the book that could easily be a bit too cliche (or YA in nature) but overall it all worked for me, and I really ended up caring about the characters-plus that ending makes me want to read on!
February 3, 2015
I have a weird relationship with this book. My affection for it is split along a very clear divide. There’s the first 80% of the book, which I’ll review in one chunk, and then the remaining 20%, which I will also review in its own separate chunk.
So, let’s take a look at the first 80%.
For the first 80% of the book I really wasn’t feeling it. It read more like a middle grade book to me. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with middle grade, but it just wasn’t what I was expecting. I didn’t feel a huge connection with the characters, nor was I super interested in their dynamic with one another. (I did however like all the bits with Dorian though. He’s such a darling.) The writing was just okay at this point. It wasn’t anything spectacular, and to be honest a little cheesy in parts. The pacing had a major lull in the middle, as is sort of common in fantasy novels. Also common is the fantasy formula for generating plot which is “don’t know what to do next with your characters? Have them get attacked by a crazy monster!”. This gets very old vey fast when used in abundance, as it is here.
Now, the remaining 20%.
You may be wondering, then why the high rating? You see, I have no idea what happened in the last bit of the book, but the writing suddenly took on a new, astonishing quality. The pace was perfection. The character dynamics showed multiple layers, tantalizing and rich. The characters were infused with an indescribable vitality. I have to be honest, if I’d only read the first 80% I wouldn’t have been interested in reading the next book. The last 20% changed everything, and I’m very excited to read book number two!
In conclusion, I would recommend this book. While I initially didn’t care for it, the ending part was just too compelling, too awesome to ignore. It has the promise of an exciting world to explore, authentic characters, and a plot that draws you in. If you’re a fan of fantasy far and wide, this is most definitely the book for you!
February 2, 2015
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My experiences with self-published works vary from good to bad to ugly. Luckily, this is one of the "good." I downloaded it to my Nook on a whim, read it during a crazy reading mood, and was pleased to find a good old fashioned fantasy adventure with danger, magic and killer cat people.
What I Liked:
I want more information on the world and the magic system, but I'm pretty happy with the little I've seen.
The characters grew on me. Sora isn't one of my all-time favorite heroines, but she matures from a spoiled noble to a toughened trekker. A few sparring sessions does not a warrior make, but she's learning to take responsibility for herself and others and to work hard and purposely rush into danger. :) And the three traveling companions, while I would have liked to know them better, are decent. Of course, we are reading from Sora's perspective (in third person ^^), so we are limited by her thoughts and observations; but still, a cool little company.
There is no romance, but there are hints that it may develop (very, very slowly) somewhere down the line.
The ending could have been a complete letdown because the pages after the climax seemed to be winding down to a simple, "Bye, see you in the next book." But then the author did something really fun with it. No spoilers, but it was fun. :)
What I Didn't Like:
The world is populated by humans and...others. The (nearly extinct) different races are a little...eh, almost stereotypical or cliched? Cat people, "Wolfies," some other to-be-named stuff, but at least they weren't all just humans with pointy ears. (Looking at you, Star Trek.) And the different types of magic they use are kind of cool.
I want more details on the Cat's Eye magic (and other magic) and how it works.
Volcrian, the main bad guy, was more creepy than scary to me. The blood sacrifices/magic and everything- creepy, yes, but I had a hard time believing our fierce band of warriors was running from him. Then again, he does have a tendency to conjure magical creatures that are near impossible to kill and bent on destroying the (anti)heroes.
Final Thoughts:
I didn't fully realize this was self-published until after I'd finished it, but it read better than some of the small (and large) press books I've read recently, and I can't recall a single typo. When I get that kind of quality for free, I'm definitely more willing to spend a little on the sequels. (Which made me extra happy to catch Book 2, Viper's Creed, on sale for $0.99!)
It's not the world's most amazing or original fantasy book, but the writing is pretty solid, it's not bogged down by the usual YA insta-love/love triangles, and it's free. Can't beat that, right? :)
My experiences with self-published works vary from good to bad to ugly. Luckily, this is one of the "good." I downloaded it to my Nook on a whim, read it during a crazy reading mood, and was pleased to find a good old fashioned fantasy adventure with danger, magic and killer cat people.
What I Liked:
I want more information on the world and the magic system, but I'm pretty happy with the little I've seen.
The characters grew on me. Sora isn't one of my all-time favorite heroines, but she matures from a spoiled noble to a toughened trekker. A few sparring sessions does not a warrior make, but she's learning to take responsibility for herself and others and to work hard and purposely rush into danger. :) And the three traveling companions, while I would have liked to know them better, are decent. Of course, we are reading from Sora's perspective (in third person ^^), so we are limited by her thoughts and observations; but still, a cool little company.
There is no romance, but there are hints that it may develop (very, very slowly) somewhere down the line.
The ending could have been a complete letdown because the pages after the climax seemed to be winding down to a simple, "Bye, see you in the next book." But then the author did something really fun with it. No spoilers, but it was fun. :)
What I Didn't Like:
The world is populated by humans and...others. The (nearly extinct) different races are a little...eh, almost stereotypical or cliched? Cat people, "Wolfies," some other to-be-named stuff, but at least they weren't all just humans with pointy ears. (Looking at you, Star Trek.) And the different types of magic they use are kind of cool.
I want more details on the Cat's Eye magic (and other magic) and how it works.
Volcrian, the main bad guy, was more creepy than scary to me. The blood sacrifices/magic and everything- creepy, yes, but I had a hard time believing our fierce band of warriors was running from him. Then again, he does have a tendency to conjure magical creatures that are near impossible to kill and bent on destroying the (anti)heroes.
Final Thoughts:
I didn't fully realize this was self-published until after I'd finished it, but it read better than some of the small (and large) press books I've read recently, and I can't recall a single typo. When I get that kind of quality for free, I'm definitely more willing to spend a little on the sequels. (Which made me extra happy to catch Book 2, Viper's Creed, on sale for $0.99!)
It's not the world's most amazing or original fantasy book, but the writing is pretty solid, it's not bogged down by the usual YA insta-love/love triangles, and it's free. Can't beat that, right? :)
April 27, 2012
Sora's Quest was such a fun read! During the whole time I was reading this, I felt like I was whisked away to a brand new world with endless possibilities of adventures and wonders.
I really liked the world building, especially the mythology and all the different races. I also loved the way how magic was perceived in this book, how it was mysterious and powerful and even dangerous. The only problem for me was that I wish there was more world building! I wanted to actually experience the different cultures each of these races had to offer and while reading this, I felt limited with what I was given.
I also enjoyed the characters as well! My favorite out of all of them would probably be Crash. He's the most mysterious and even though he might have seemed like a total jerk at times, he had his moments. Dorian and Burn were also great, though I wished I could have seen more of Burn and both his and Dorian's back story. Last, but not least, we have our heroine, Sora! I couldn't help but be irritated at Sora sometimes because of her naivety but it wasn't her fault since she's been sheltered her entire life. However, she's a brave, strong heroine with admirable qualities like the courage to put her life before her friends. She may have her flaws, but she's a realistic kind of heroine which I adore.
The plot was pretty interesting as well. Although not as many twists as I would have liked, I was constantly kept guessing at what would happen next! I couldn't stop turning the pages and I just ended up devouring the whole book.
If there was something I wished I could have seen more in the plot, it would be romance. Good gosh, if you know me, you know I want, need, and crave romance! I'm not sure if Theresa intended there to be romance between our dark assassin and heroine, but I definitely felt just a bit of spark between the two. The slow build up between Sora and Crash was nice as they became from hostile strangers to friends who've shared memories together. Perhaps in the next book, their relationship will continue to grow and perhaps become something more. (Oh please, please, please, let it become something more!)
The ending was completely bittersweet, with a couple of loose threads needed to tie up. Only very few of my questions were answered and I hope the rest of my questions will be answered in the next book. (Why must the sequel be in September? *sigh* I need more Crash and Sora time now.)
Sora's Quest is a purely whimsical ride filled with enchanting adventures, witty banter between charming characters, and wonderful friendships (one with a possibility of romance) that will only grow even greater between our heroine and companions over the course of this series.
I really liked the world building, especially the mythology and all the different races. I also loved the way how magic was perceived in this book, how it was mysterious and powerful and even dangerous. The only problem for me was that I wish there was more world building! I wanted to actually experience the different cultures each of these races had to offer and while reading this, I felt limited with what I was given.
I also enjoyed the characters as well! My favorite out of all of them would probably be Crash. He's the most mysterious and even though he might have seemed like a total jerk at times, he had his moments. Dorian and Burn were also great, though I wished I could have seen more of Burn and both his and Dorian's back story. Last, but not least, we have our heroine, Sora! I couldn't help but be irritated at Sora sometimes because of her naivety but it wasn't her fault since she's been sheltered her entire life. However, she's a brave, strong heroine with admirable qualities like the courage to put her life before her friends. She may have her flaws, but she's a realistic kind of heroine which I adore.
The plot was pretty interesting as well. Although not as many twists as I would have liked, I was constantly kept guessing at what would happen next! I couldn't stop turning the pages and I just ended up devouring the whole book.
If there was something I wished I could have seen more in the plot, it would be romance. Good gosh, if you know me, you know I want, need, and crave romance! I'm not sure if Theresa intended there to be romance between our dark assassin and heroine, but I definitely felt just a bit of spark between the two. The slow build up between Sora and Crash was nice as they became from hostile strangers to friends who've shared memories together. Perhaps in the next book, their relationship will continue to grow and perhaps become something more. (Oh please, please, please, let it become something more!)
The ending was completely bittersweet, with a couple of loose threads needed to tie up. Only very few of my questions were answered and I hope the rest of my questions will be answered in the next book. (Why must the sequel be in September? *sigh* I need more Crash and Sora time now.)
Sora's Quest is a purely whimsical ride filled with enchanting adventures, witty banter between charming characters, and wonderful friendships (one with a possibility of romance) that will only grow even greater between our heroine and companions over the course of this series.
December 28, 2016
4/4.5 stars.
This was surprisingly good.
Sora's Quest follows a band of misfit characters on a journey... my favourite type of story, speckled with a fantasy background.
Sora is a second tier noblewoman, although without a place in high society as rumours swirl speculating on her legitimacy. Crash is an unfeeling assassin who knows his purpose and gets the job done. Dorian, cheeky and charismatic, the giver of comedic relief. And Burn, the mediator and giant teddy bear who I adored in their mini cadre.
When circumstances propel Sora into the paths of the three men, fear, dislike and hostility ensue. And somewhere along the way, loyalty, laughter... camaraderie?
I love how smoothly the group dynamics changed. Each character began to reevaluate their preconceived notions of each other after each endurance the group experiences. The Stockholm Syndrome trope was entertaining as hell, but I would have been happier with another female character just to mix up the cast.
The elements of fantasy and world building were easy to follow and explained succintly without leaving too many blanks. What I appreciated was that Sora was completely mundane and anti-speshul-snowflake-- she's clumsy, slightly spoilt and uncoordinated, but in a turn of events becomes the wielder of a Cat's Eye and forces her to accept the responsibility thrust upon her. She begins to learn to fight and develops beautifully into a believable blooming heroine.
Crash and Sora are PLAYING WITH MY HEARTSTRINGS. The slow burn (pun unintended) is killing me and yet I fucking love that nothing has really started. The book promises a blossoming romance for the series, and thank god for no insta-love because I would have exploded in my review.
Also I wasn't initially a big fan of the cover, but I've grown to like that it accurately depicts what was described in the book.
While Sora's Quest had no elaborate plot and integrated the SS trope, it deserves a high rating for being unadulturatedly enjoyable, and I feel like that word is entirely underwhelming as a compliment to the book, but it's really that simple. I found myself compelled to keep reading in anticipation of what was to come and constantly bouncing with unsurpressed excitement.
I'm so, so ready for the next book.
This was surprisingly good.
Sora's Quest follows a band of misfit characters on a journey... my favourite type of story, speckled with a fantasy background.
Sora is a second tier noblewoman, although without a place in high society as rumours swirl speculating on her legitimacy. Crash is an unfeeling assassin who knows his purpose and gets the job done. Dorian, cheeky and charismatic, the giver of comedic relief. And Burn, the mediator and giant teddy bear who I adored in their mini cadre.
When circumstances propel Sora into the paths of the three men, fear, dislike and hostility ensue. And somewhere along the way, loyalty, laughter... camaraderie?
I love how smoothly the group dynamics changed. Each character began to reevaluate their preconceived notions of each other after each endurance the group experiences. The Stockholm Syndrome trope was entertaining as hell, but I would have been happier with another female character just to mix up the cast.
The elements of fantasy and world building were easy to follow and explained succintly without leaving too many blanks. What I appreciated was that Sora was completely mundane and anti-speshul-snowflake-- she's clumsy, slightly spoilt and uncoordinated, but in a turn of events becomes the wielder of a Cat's Eye and forces her to accept the responsibility thrust upon her. She begins to learn to fight and develops beautifully into a believable blooming heroine.
Crash and Sora are PLAYING WITH MY HEARTSTRINGS. The slow burn (pun unintended) is killing me and yet I fucking love that nothing has really started. The book promises a blossoming romance for the series, and thank god for no insta-love because I would have exploded in my review.
Also I wasn't initially a big fan of the cover, but I've grown to like that it accurately depicts what was described in the book.
While Sora's Quest had no elaborate plot and integrated the SS trope, it deserves a high rating for being unadulturatedly enjoyable, and I feel like that word is entirely underwhelming as a compliment to the book, but it's really that simple. I found myself compelled to keep reading in anticipation of what was to come and constantly bouncing with unsurpressed excitement.
I'm so, so ready for the next book.
July 26, 2017
I once again find myself with an unpopular opinion. 😔
Sora irks me to no end. I normally enjoyed reading about flawed heroine but nothing about her is likable. She is so self-absorbed and whiny. I can't recall if she ever spared a thought about her people. Being naive is one thing; not using common sense is another. She knows she is being interrogated for so what did she do? She provide motive for the said crime she is being accused. 🙄 She confirms the speculation. She is also a hypocrite She is the definition of damsel-in-distress. She did improve on the last 4 chapters. She is almost like a different person.
Please don't get me started with the other characters. Crash/Viper had a sudden character growth on the last couple chapters that made me a little interested to check out the second book especially because it is titled after him. My favorite parts to read is the POV of the villain. 🙈 He is actually seem the only one to act rationally and being perfectly evil. 😉
The only thing I can count as positive is the slow burn romance. There is only very little romance (only a possibility of one for future installments).
The good news is the ebook version
🎉 🎉Who knows? It might be a future favorite. I'm on the minority who doesn't like this book.
March 21, 2016
Here is the book that got me obsessed with reading again! I've gone awhile without finding a series that I could really love. This is going on my favorite books ever shelf. I read all 4 books in 5 days because it was so danged good.
This book has a fantasy/paranormal feel to it. The main character (Sora) is a noble that wants to run away from her terrible father. Sora's father is murdered on the same night that she planned to run away. She ends up being kidnapped by the same person that murdered her father. The man is cruel and oddly inhuman. His companion isn't human at all and is what they call a "wolfy". The wolfy and the man have plans for Sora because they are on the run from a powerful wolfy mage. Sora is wearing a special necklace called a cats eye and the two kidnappers know that it can protect them. Sora is oblivious to the necklace but soon finds out that she is in for one crazy and terrifying adventure.
The adventures found in these 4 books have been amazing. The characters were built up exactly the way I like them without the world building suffering at all. Everything was balanced. I just can't say enough about these books. You will find tons of magic and some very interesting characters.
The first book is free on kindle and I'm pretty sure the author says it will always be free. Apparently the author knows that we will be hooked if we read the first book. The only bad thing is that the series isn't finished. There are 4 books so far.
This book has a fantasy/paranormal feel to it. The main character (Sora) is a noble that wants to run away from her terrible father. Sora's father is murdered on the same night that she planned to run away. She ends up being kidnapped by the same person that murdered her father. The man is cruel and oddly inhuman. His companion isn't human at all and is what they call a "wolfy". The wolfy and the man have plans for Sora because they are on the run from a powerful wolfy mage. Sora is wearing a special necklace called a cats eye and the two kidnappers know that it can protect them. Sora is oblivious to the necklace but soon finds out that she is in for one crazy and terrifying adventure.
The adventures found in these 4 books have been amazing. The characters were built up exactly the way I like them without the world building suffering at all. Everything was balanced. I just can't say enough about these books. You will find tons of magic and some very interesting characters.
The first book is free on kindle and I'm pretty sure the author says it will always be free. Apparently the author knows that we will be hooked if we read the first book. The only bad thing is that the series isn't finished. There are 4 books so far.
April 18, 2013
**This is a review of the newly revised edition, released March 2013
About to be put on display to attract a suitor (i.e. the highest bidder), Sora decides to run away directly after her dance performance. Unfortunately for her, she's not the only one planning something: an assassin crashes the performance and kills her father. Fleeing in the ensuing chaos, Sora manages to escape the chaos, only to run into (quite literally) the assassin. Since he can't afford for her to blow his cover, he takes her with him. And things go from bad to worse. Including finding out she's psychically bound to the necklace her mother left her, a Cat's Eye with the power to eat magic...something the assassin could definitely use.
Sora's quest is a fast-paced adventure story about a naive but strong-willed heroine who intends to set out into the world, only to have the world set upon her. This was a quick and engaging read to the point that it was almost over too fast! Sora develops well as a character, and Shreffler has spent a good amount of time building the world and its mythos. The supporting characters were well rounded and realistic, and there were a number of unexpected twists. I have confidence that, as Shreffler develops as a writer, her work will only get more interesting. This is definitely a writer I'll be watching.
About to be put on display to attract a suitor (i.e. the highest bidder), Sora decides to run away directly after her dance performance. Unfortunately for her, she's not the only one planning something: an assassin crashes the performance and kills her father. Fleeing in the ensuing chaos, Sora manages to escape the chaos, only to run into (quite literally) the assassin. Since he can't afford for her to blow his cover, he takes her with him. And things go from bad to worse. Including finding out she's psychically bound to the necklace her mother left her, a Cat's Eye with the power to eat magic...something the assassin could definitely use.
Sora's quest is a fast-paced adventure story about a naive but strong-willed heroine who intends to set out into the world, only to have the world set upon her. This was a quick and engaging read to the point that it was almost over too fast! Sora develops well as a character, and Shreffler has spent a good amount of time building the world and its mythos. The supporting characters were well rounded and realistic, and there were a number of unexpected twists. I have confidence that, as Shreffler develops as a writer, her work will only get more interesting. This is definitely a writer I'll be watching.
May 5, 2015
3.5-4 STARS
PLOT - 4
CHARACTERS - 3.5
WRITING STYLE - 4
ROMANCE - 4.5
UNPUTDOWNABLE LEVEL - 4
I LOVED IT. The main female character was a bit annoying at times especially in the beginning, but it's bearable. I immensely enjoyed the adventure (oh, how I missed reading books like this!) and totally had a hard time putting the book down. I also loved the non-existent slash barely-there romance (I'm a sucker for anything subtle but powerful). No offense, but I think the cover/covers didn't do this series justice. It's unexpectedly awesome!
PLOT - 4
CHARACTERS - 3.5
WRITING STYLE - 4
ROMANCE - 4.5
UNPUTDOWNABLE LEVEL - 4
I LOVED IT. The main female character was a bit annoying at times especially in the beginning, but it's bearable. I immensely enjoyed the adventure (oh, how I missed reading books like this!) and totally had a hard time putting the book down. I also loved the non-existent slash barely-there romance (I'm a sucker for anything subtle but powerful). No offense, but I think the cover/covers didn't do this series justice. It's unexpectedly awesome!
April 11, 2016
DNF
I'm just too irritated by the main character.
The story has so much potential. I think it would have been prefect if Sarah J. Maas or Julie Kagawa had written it.
I'm just too irritated by the main character.
The story has so much potential. I think it would have been prefect if Sarah J. Maas or Julie Kagawa had written it.
June 20, 2017
This masterpiece 😭😭😭😭
The ending
The characters (I swear the author intentionally named them Crash and Burn)
No time for a review I'm busy ATM but lsekrkjdjdjfd
The ending
The characters (I swear the author intentionally named them Crash and Burn)
No time for a review I'm busy ATM but lsekrkjdjdjfd
July 8, 2012
Full review: Between the Bind
Firstly, look at that amazing cover?! Just captivating. I love having a visual of the "Cat's Eye" on this cover. And although Sora has golden blonde hair, the strawberry tint is very attractive. Now to the gushy!
Ms. Shreffler is making Sora's Quest FREE for 72 hours after this is posted (July 9-11) - so hurry and nab your free copy HERE! *high five* If you'd like, please thank her in a comment below. :)
Sum it up:
Sora, tired of her simple and boring girl-in-the-manor life, plans to escape the night of her wedding, wanting nothing more than adventures like the "stories of old." She has no idea that her desire will be fulfilled via a kidnapping - by the very assassin who murdered her father, giving her the very opening to escape, and his two Wolfy companions. What begins as hatred, turns to timid trust and wary friendship between Sora and her captors.
The yum:
Crash, the assassin, is mysterious up until the last page in Sora's Quest. Sexy, scary, and quiet are the three words best used to describe the man who seems to be running from his past. Ms. Shreffler has an interesting way of making her characters super sexy without being overt about their physical prowess or bragging about their beautiful features. Crash just is. Yum! ;)
Dorian, a mage Wolfy, is an effeminate creature with a biting sarcastic and endearing quality about him. I liked Dorian immediately - especially because he called Sora out on her irritating princessy qualities.
Burn is a large burly mercenary Wolfy that I just wanted to squeeze. He is the most open and kind of the three but still hosts his own unexplored demons.
Romance?
There was plenty of awareness occurring in Sora's Quest and I was waiting for a romance to unfold - but it seems like I have to wait until Viper's Creed (Book 2) to *hopefully* see some woo-age occur.
Overall:
Sora was a typical teenager and certainly irritated me throughout the book, but looking back, I love how the voice of Sora's voice ages from beginning to end.
The antagonist was a clever one, coming up with evil and interesting ways to follow, capture, and manipulate his prey. I enjoyed Volcrian, and the sympathy the reader had for him from chapter one.
So why the missing star, you ask? There were a LOT of unanswered questions: Who is Crash? Why are Crash, Burn, and Dorian together? Why did Crash murder Volcrian's twin and Sora's dad? What is a "protector" and is that what Crash is to Sora?
After the entire book, I still am confused about our main characters. But I managed to really connect to them too.
I can't WAIT until Book 2 - released in winter of 2012. Grab your copy and tell me what you think! :)
Firstly, look at that amazing cover?! Just captivating. I love having a visual of the "Cat's Eye" on this cover. And although Sora has golden blonde hair, the strawberry tint is very attractive. Now to the gushy!
Ms. Shreffler is making Sora's Quest FREE for 72 hours after this is posted (July 9-11) - so hurry and nab your free copy HERE! *high five* If you'd like, please thank her in a comment below. :)
Sum it up:
Sora, tired of her simple and boring girl-in-the-manor life, plans to escape the night of her wedding, wanting nothing more than adventures like the "stories of old." She has no idea that her desire will be fulfilled via a kidnapping - by the very assassin who murdered her father, giving her the very opening to escape, and his two Wolfy companions. What begins as hatred, turns to timid trust and wary friendship between Sora and her captors.
The yum:
Crash, the assassin, is mysterious up until the last page in Sora's Quest. Sexy, scary, and quiet are the three words best used to describe the man who seems to be running from his past. Ms. Shreffler has an interesting way of making her characters super sexy without being overt about their physical prowess or bragging about their beautiful features. Crash just is. Yum! ;)
Dorian, a mage Wolfy, is an effeminate creature with a biting sarcastic and endearing quality about him. I liked Dorian immediately - especially because he called Sora out on her irritating princessy qualities.
Burn is a large burly mercenary Wolfy that I just wanted to squeeze. He is the most open and kind of the three but still hosts his own unexplored demons.
Romance?
There was plenty of awareness occurring in Sora's Quest and I was waiting for a romance to unfold - but it seems like I have to wait until Viper's Creed (Book 2) to *hopefully* see some woo-age occur.
Overall:
Sora was a typical teenager and certainly irritated me throughout the book, but looking back, I love how the voice of Sora's voice ages from beginning to end.
The antagonist was a clever one, coming up with evil and interesting ways to follow, capture, and manipulate his prey. I enjoyed Volcrian, and the sympathy the reader had for him from chapter one.
So why the missing star, you ask? There were a LOT of unanswered questions: Who is Crash? Why are Crash, Burn, and Dorian together? Why did Crash murder Volcrian's twin and Sora's dad? What is a "protector" and is that what Crash is to Sora?
After the entire book, I still am confused about our main characters. But I managed to really connect to them too.
I can't WAIT until Book 2 - released in winter of 2012. Grab your copy and tell me what you think! :)
November 18, 2015
4 stars.
So this book is permanently free on amazon, so I thought why not? I downloaded it on kindle. It was everything I was hoping for.
Sora, the protagonist of the story wants to lead a life of adventure, to live freely but her Lord Father and society expects her to marry on her seventeen birthday, when a blooming ceremony is held and suitors come forward but Sora has other plans. She plots to run away after the ceremony ends, to search for her mother but things don't go as planned. Abruptly something happens at the ceremony and chaos ensues. She is at the wrong place at the wrong time, she was running away but in turn is actually kidnapped by a Assassin. Thus her adventure starts. She is stuck with the Assassin- Crash and his companion Dorian and Burn- a Wulven or Wolfie; an ancient race of magical beings, last of their kind. At the blooming ceremony, her father is killed and everybody thinks she killed her Lord father. The Crown is after her, she is kidnapped and made to journey with the assassin, the thief and the mercenary against her will. After certain misadventures she has no where to go but with them. And to top it all Volcrian- a Wulven mage is hunting the assassin for revenge for killing his brother. And only one thing stands between Volcrian and Crash and that is Sora and her Cat's eye necklace which protects it's wearer from magical attacks.
And Thank god, there is no insta love or love triangle. And the characters were complex to read and understand because when you think about it, all Volcrian is trying to do is get revenge on Crash for killing his brother but here he is the villain. And Crash or Viper(his real name) is an assassin and kills for money. Nobody is innocent or good, just circumstances are making them villain and hero out of them.
And Sora is in the middle of it all. Crash wouldn't let her go because she is the key which will help him keep alive. We see Sora at the start as a naive little girl but she grows well. She takes everything in stride. It's a fun read where there is little or no romance but adventure and action. The world building is something which was lacking a little but the writing was beautiful. We are left with a bitter sweet ending. I can't wait to read the second book in the series.
I loved reading this book and finished it in just one sitting. Recommended to everybody.
So this book is permanently free on amazon, so I thought why not? I downloaded it on kindle. It was everything I was hoping for.
Sora, the protagonist of the story wants to lead a life of adventure, to live freely but her Lord Father and society expects her to marry on her seventeen birthday, when a blooming ceremony is held and suitors come forward but Sora has other plans. She plots to run away after the ceremony ends, to search for her mother but things don't go as planned. Abruptly something happens at the ceremony and chaos ensues. She is at the wrong place at the wrong time, she was running away but in turn is actually kidnapped by a Assassin. Thus her adventure starts. She is stuck with the Assassin- Crash and his companion Dorian and Burn- a Wulven or Wolfie; an ancient race of magical beings, last of their kind. At the blooming ceremony, her father is killed and everybody thinks she killed her Lord father. The Crown is after her, she is kidnapped and made to journey with the assassin, the thief and the mercenary against her will. After certain misadventures she has no where to go but with them. And to top it all Volcrian- a Wulven mage is hunting the assassin for revenge for killing his brother. And only one thing stands between Volcrian and Crash and that is Sora and her Cat's eye necklace which protects it's wearer from magical attacks.
And Thank god, there is no insta love or love triangle. And the characters were complex to read and understand because when you think about it, all Volcrian is trying to do is get revenge on Crash for killing his brother but here he is the villain. And Crash or Viper(his real name) is an assassin and kills for money. Nobody is innocent or good, just circumstances are making them villain and hero out of them.
And Sora is in the middle of it all. Crash wouldn't let her go because she is the key which will help him keep alive. We see Sora at the start as a naive little girl but she grows well. She takes everything in stride. It's a fun read where there is little or no romance but adventure and action. The world building is something which was lacking a little but the writing was beautiful. We are left with a bitter sweet ending. I can't wait to read the second book in the series.
I loved reading this book and finished it in just one sitting. Recommended to everybody.
November 24, 2016
It is time to abandon ship me mateys!
I heard about this novel from Angela @ pooled ink who wrote a raving review. In fact, the review was so exuberant in its praise, that I immediately went and downloaded the novel, which was available for free on Amazon.
Now I had issues with this novel at the start. I didn’t like the prologue. But I thought to meself, “well, we are obviously not supposed to like the bad guy.” So I kept going. Then the novel proper started and we were introduced to the heroine.
The main character Sora was a whiny brat of a 17 year old. Yes, her father is a bit of an unlovable jerk but she didn’t seem to have the worst life. I mean, I get that she doesn’t want to marry. I was cool with that. However, she didn’t seem to have any other plans except to run away. And how she went about it didn’t seem that bright.
Now of course as she is attempting to run away, she is instead kidnapped by an assassin. I have a soft spot for assassin novels, so I got excited and thought that here is where it is going to start getting good.
Sadly that was not true for me. New characters kept getting introduced and I didn’t like any of them. Not only that, but the world building seemed almost non-existent and flat. Add to the fact that the group wanders in the swamp in seemingly circles for the majority of the novel and I just couldn’t take it anymore.
Now if I found the novel so irksome then why ye ask did I read to 79 percent? Because I somehow wanted to magically capture the reading enjoyment that Angela had. I mean, obviously she loved it and she quickly downloaded and gobbled up the remainder of the series. I kept thinking that if I kept reading the hook would catch me and the enthrallment would begin.
But this seems to be a case of this novel not being for me. I had to abandon the book and subsequently the series.
I am glad however that it has captured the fancy of other readers. So don’t necessarily take me word for it. Read the pooled ink’s contrasting viewpoint and if ye like to give this one a chance.
As always I find when people disagree with me reading tastes to be sort of fascinating.
If ye want to see me other reviews go to https://thecaptainsquartersblog.wordp...
I heard about this novel from Angela @ pooled ink who wrote a raving review. In fact, the review was so exuberant in its praise, that I immediately went and downloaded the novel, which was available for free on Amazon.
Now I had issues with this novel at the start. I didn’t like the prologue. But I thought to meself, “well, we are obviously not supposed to like the bad guy.” So I kept going. Then the novel proper started and we were introduced to the heroine.
The main character Sora was a whiny brat of a 17 year old. Yes, her father is a bit of an unlovable jerk but she didn’t seem to have the worst life. I mean, I get that she doesn’t want to marry. I was cool with that. However, she didn’t seem to have any other plans except to run away. And how she went about it didn’t seem that bright.
Now of course as she is attempting to run away, she is instead kidnapped by an assassin. I have a soft spot for assassin novels, so I got excited and thought that here is where it is going to start getting good.
Sadly that was not true for me. New characters kept getting introduced and I didn’t like any of them. Not only that, but the world building seemed almost non-existent and flat. Add to the fact that the group wanders in the swamp in seemingly circles for the majority of the novel and I just couldn’t take it anymore.
Now if I found the novel so irksome then why ye ask did I read to 79 percent? Because I somehow wanted to magically capture the reading enjoyment that Angela had. I mean, obviously she loved it and she quickly downloaded and gobbled up the remainder of the series. I kept thinking that if I kept reading the hook would catch me and the enthrallment would begin.
But this seems to be a case of this novel not being for me. I had to abandon the book and subsequently the series.
I am glad however that it has captured the fancy of other readers. So don’t necessarily take me word for it. Read the pooled ink’s contrasting viewpoint and if ye like to give this one a chance.
As always I find when people disagree with me reading tastes to be sort of fascinating.
If ye want to see me other reviews go to https://thecaptainsquartersblog.wordp...
October 22, 2012
I have to be honest, after reading the first few chapters of the book, I didn't think I was going to like it too much. Now thinking about it, that was way too early for me to even be thinking about writing off any book, let alone a review book. So I kept on reading, and from the moment Sora left the castle, I was riveted! I ended up enjoying Sora's Quest so much. It just had a bit of a slow start to me and then it really took off. The part I didn't enjoy at the beginning seems like only one speck of the story- and Sora's Quest is a great story.
Sora seems like a pretty sheltered girl at first but she certainly can rise to an occasion. This must have been so scary for her, being out in the world for the first time. It seemed a little crazy that she was so close to the guys in her group so fast considering the circumstances but her being so excited about being out in the world and the whole idea of an adventure didn't make her actions and emotions seem out of place. It kinda worked well.
The world building is the best part! I loved learning all about the different people and the magics. T.L. Shreffler does a great job of explaining everything. I would have liked to see a little bit more back story on Crash. I didn't really know what they were doing at the start of the book except that they were on the run from Volcrian. But I think that is coming in the next book, so I look forward to getting some answers. I really enjoyed the character growth I saw in Crash throughout the story. The whole fear thing was super cute! (you will know exactly what I mean when you read the story) Fans of fantasy will love the world created in T.L. Shreffler's first installment in the Cat's Eye series. The ending made me want to drop everything and start book 2 right then!
Sora seems like a pretty sheltered girl at first but she certainly can rise to an occasion. This must have been so scary for her, being out in the world for the first time. It seemed a little crazy that she was so close to the guys in her group so fast considering the circumstances but her being so excited about being out in the world and the whole idea of an adventure didn't make her actions and emotions seem out of place. It kinda worked well.
The world building is the best part! I loved learning all about the different people and the magics. T.L. Shreffler does a great job of explaining everything. I would have liked to see a little bit more back story on Crash. I didn't really know what they were doing at the start of the book except that they were on the run from Volcrian. But I think that is coming in the next book, so I look forward to getting some answers. I really enjoyed the character growth I saw in Crash throughout the story. The whole fear thing was super cute! (you will know exactly what I mean when you read the story) Fans of fantasy will love the world created in T.L. Shreffler's first installment in the Cat's Eye series. The ending made me want to drop everything and start book 2 right then!
February 3, 2016
I put off reading this book FOREVER (despite coming up on all kinds of recommended lists) basically because the cover art was super childish.
But I was feeling a new read yesterday - and I got HOOKED!
So we follow Sora - who admittedly is a bit annoying in this book (hang in there she gets WAY better in book two) as she is thrust into a world of magic with Crash - her father's assassin, Burn - the hulking Wolfy mercenary, and Dorain - the honest theif and Wolfy.
As they run from the law, and further into their relationships, they all subtly begin to change.
The ending was shocking.
The bad guy was...goodly evil.
The potential of the characters was great.
The heartwarming relationships were addictive.
*sigh* - well done.
Now that being said - it was exactly what I thought it would be:
a bit childish, decently written, and interesting. 4 stars for you glen coco.
Book type: YA fantasy
Book rating: 4/5
Read time: 3 hours
For more reviews check out my blog: www.booksandchai.com
With love, parchment, and freshly mowed grass,
Kendall
But I was feeling a new read yesterday - and I got HOOKED!
So we follow Sora - who admittedly is a bit annoying in this book (hang in there she gets WAY better in book two) as she is thrust into a world of magic with Crash - her father's assassin, Burn - the hulking Wolfy mercenary, and Dorain - the honest theif and Wolfy.
As they run from the law, and further into their relationships, they all subtly begin to change.
The ending was shocking.
The bad guy was...goodly evil.
The potential of the characters was great.
The heartwarming relationships were addictive.
*sigh* - well done.
Now that being said - it was exactly what I thought it would be:
a bit childish, decently written, and interesting. 4 stars for you glen coco.
Book type: YA fantasy
Book rating: 4/5
Read time: 3 hours
For more reviews check out my blog: www.booksandchai.com
With love, parchment, and freshly mowed grass,
Kendall
November 11, 2014
I DID NOT EXPECT THIS!
This is such an amazing book! The essence of Fantasy done right!
When I started the book, I had a stomach flop moment where i was like "Oh dear, rich girl hating her privileged life...great" but Shreffler made me eat my words and for the first time I didn't mind whatsoever!
Sora is an amazing character! She is not an amazingly strong girl, but she has spunk! The right amount of spunk that made you love her as the book progressed.
Shreffler made me adore ALL the characters, the wolfies (Dorian and Burn) and Crash...a.k.a Viper! now he surprised me the most! This author made me grumble about this character for the first half of the book and absolutely LOVE him to death. (No pun intended...no he doesn't die.)
This book is action packed and so wonderful, i need the second book ASAP
The Romance is not what you think! There's very little of it! however, don't let that discourage you! i think one of the character's is starting to figure out (at the end) that there is something there. SO I LOVE IT! because the second book is bound to have more of it...and i need more Viper in my life!
DID I MENTION THIS BOOK IS FOR FREE ON AMAZON!?
GO GET IT PEOPLE!
This is such an amazing book! The essence of Fantasy done right!
When I started the book, I had a stomach flop moment where i was like "Oh dear, rich girl hating her privileged life...great" but Shreffler made me eat my words and for the first time I didn't mind whatsoever!
Sora is an amazing character! She is not an amazingly strong girl, but she has spunk! The right amount of spunk that made you love her as the book progressed.
Shreffler made me adore ALL the characters, the wolfies (Dorian and Burn) and Crash...a.k.a Viper! now he surprised me the most! This author made me grumble about this character for the first half of the book and absolutely LOVE him to death. (No pun intended...no he doesn't die.)
This book is action packed and so wonderful, i need the second book ASAP
The Romance is not what you think! There's very little of it! however, don't let that discourage you! i think one of the character's is starting to figure out (at the end) that there is something there. SO I LOVE IT! because the second book is bound to have more of it...and i need more Viper in my life!
DID I MENTION THIS BOOK IS FOR FREE ON AMAZON!?
GO GET IT PEOPLE!
May 16, 2020
3,5 Sterne - Sora's Quest entführt auf eine gefährliche und faszinierende Reise durch eine spannende Welt, auf der die Protagonistin Sora sich selbst neu erfinden muss. Die drei Kämpfer, deren unfreiwillige Begleiterin Sora wird, bringen ihr eine Menge bei und helfen ihr, die Welt um sie herum mit anderen Augen wahrzunehmen. In der Geschichte steckt enorm viel Potenzial, das aber leider nicht ausgeschöpft wird. Man erfährt insgesamt zu wenig über die einzelnen Figuren - vor allem über Soras Begleiter Crash, Dorian und Burn -, ihre Vorgeschichten und Motive bleiben nahezu komplett im Dunkeln. Im Laufe der Handlung entwickelt sich eine Freundschaft zwischen den Figuren und sie lernen, einander zu vertauen. Diese stetige und nachvollziehbare Entwicklung war einer der großen Pluspunkte der Geschichte. Trotzdem konnte mich die Autorin auch in emotionaler Hinsicht nicht mit allen dramatischen Geschehnissen überzeugen. Ebenso erhält man immer wieder Hinweise auf einen spannenden Weltentwurf, indem es weit mehr gibt, als Sora bisher für möglich gehalten hat. Aber auch hier müssen wir uns mit wenigen Häppchen zufrieden geben.
Die Geschichte vibriert also geradezu vor Potenzial und ich hoffe, dass die Autorin dieses in den kommenden Bände stärker nutzt und ausgestaltet.
Die Geschichte vibriert also geradezu vor Potenzial und ich hoffe, dass die Autorin dieses in den kommenden Bände stärker nutzt und ausgestaltet.
August 19, 2017
So overall, I really enjoyed this- very promising for a series. Sora drove me up a wall in the beginning, but it's to be expected in YA that the heroine starts out naive (and sometimes downright stupid). If you want to predict her actions, you just have to think of the very last thing you would do ;-) HOWEVER, by the end she seemed liked she'd wizened up a bit, so I'll give her a fresh slate for the next book. I liked the vivid characters in this. Crash is complicated and intriguing, Dorian is mischievous and endearing and Burns is.... well just read the book already!
November 26, 2013
Oh my…. wow.
This book was just…amazing. Wonderful. I can't even begin to describe how much I love this book. It's going on my Ultimate Favorites of 2012 shelf. That's how much I love this book.
I'll write a real review later because I'm already buying and starting the second one! :D
Update: read again on 11/25/13, and I swear I'm weeping.
This book was just…amazing. Wonderful. I can't even begin to describe how much I love this book. It's going on my Ultimate Favorites of 2012 shelf. That's how much I love this book.
I'll write a real review later because I'm already buying and starting the second one! :D
Update: read again on 11/25/13, and I swear I'm weeping.
June 30, 2014
I have read this book SO many times and yet I still love the characters as much as before, maybe even more! T. L. Shreffler is a brilliant author and I highly recommend her books to anyone who wants to read a good romance\fantasy\adventure!
May 18, 2012
Hot bubble bath, Candles, backgroud music, and a good book. Great combination
June 16, 2012
From looneylunaravenreviews.blogspot.com:
Sora’s Quest by T.L.Shreffler chronicles the journey of a noblewoman named Sora who dreams of adventure but has always lacked the ambition and opportunity to pursue her desires. Having been sheltered for the vast majority of her life, Sora knows very little of the world outside of heroic tales such as the epics of Kaelyn the Wanderer. Fate—both a cruel and gentle messenger—intercedes on the eve of Sora’s arranged marriage with the unscrupulous Lord Garret. Moments before the ceremony commences, Sora’s father—a man who she barely knows—is struck down by a shadowy assassin, leaving the wedding procession in utter chaos. Taking advantage of the clamor and commotion, Sora slips away from the panicked masses and begins her plan of escape. All seems to be going fairly well until she runs into the very man who murdered her father. In a blur, Sora is swept away by the dark figure and threatened at knife point. After years of longing, Sora finally gets her shot at adventure. Now the only obstacle remaining is to survive to tell the tale.
This is a great book. It is a great book for many reasons, all of which I will try to cover without chirping on and on about why said reasons make this book so good(you must forgive this bird, as it has been almost a month since she’s read such a good book). Let us start with the characters, chiefly Sora. Sora(a great name for a heroine in Sora’s predicament, as the name means sky and is also the name of a bird. This is pleasantly apt, as Sora’s drive is for freedom) is a surprisingly relatable character. I didn’t know if I’d like her at first as I was worried that she, like so many heroines of this genre, would suffer from insufficient writing. Too many a female leads are made out to be “strong”, though in truth they generally possess only one trait that might be deemed as such and are often used as a tool to further romantic subplots. Sora is not one of those characters, though for a while I genuinely feared that she would be. For you see, Shreffler thrusts her lead into a situation that many others would have used to formulate a really odd and non-sensible brooding romance. The noblewoman and her kidnapping assassin—can’t you just smell the hordes of Paranormal YA Romance’s that would take this idea down the Twilight route?
Because cool, indifferent, and sometimes verbally abusive men are totally attractive. But I digress.
The thing I appreciate the most about Sora’s character is the perfect balance between naïve dreamer, spoiled noblewoman, and novice adventurer. Realistically, as Sora has only known the life of a noblewoman and her only familiarity with adventure comes from romanticized myths, life on the road does not come easily to her. Putting aside the fact that she is a captive, Sora has never had to go a morning without breakfast, never had to sleep on the cold hard ground—heck, she probably never had to suffer without a bath for days on end. While Sora does manage these situations, they are not without discomfort. She acts very much like a person in her situation should act which is frazzled yet determined to survive. She is strong in some ways(she is fairly intelligent and possess admirable will power for a girl her age), but she also has moments of weakness. Basically, she’s balanced and written in a sympathetic enough way for readers to identify with her but she’s not over exaggerated with a tragic backstory like many modern heroines. She’s simply human, which is something I admire, as many authors seem to struggle with making realistic characters. Moving on from Sora, we have the ragtag duo of thieves(plus one assassin) that fate has stuck her with. These characters aren’t overly sympathetic. Sora, like readers, has to come to terms with the fact that one of them kills for a living and the other two are involved with theft. As readers, we’re allowed to empathize with these characters but we’re also allowed to disapprove of them. They aren’t forced down our throats as loveable ruffians. We know that they’ve done wrong and will probably continue to do wrong in the future. The romantic aspect of this book is also very ambiguous. In fact, the only possible hint at romantic feelings doesn’t come into play until the very end of the book, and even then neither of the parties involved actually admit to any romantic feelings. They simply admit to feeling something, and readers are left to ponder what that something might be. Even when Sora begins to warm up to her companions we are still privy to her conflicting emotions on the matter. On one hand, she knows that she’s still a captive (though here captive status gradually weakens over the course of the story). She knows that the people that she’s coming to like had a hand in killing her father and are involved in dubious activities. However, she’s still human. She still longs to make a connection to the people around her, even if the company isn’t always preferable. In this way, Shreffler craftily avoids giving her character stockholm syndrome. Sora doesn’t make excuses for her captors, but she also cannot deny that the trials they’ve shared together have forged an unexpected bond of camaraderie. It’s an interesting dynamic, one that could have gone horribly array under a less adept pen.
In a nutshell, this is a great book. I know that I’m being terribly repetitive, but it really is a great read. The only factors that kept this book from being a five had to do with some strange unexplained motivations in the book. For instance, I never really understood why exactly Crash—also known as the assassin—took Sora captive in the first place. He obviously had not qualms about killing so why he just didn’t kill his only witness is very odd. Additionally, it was never explained why he assassinated her father. Was he hired? We know that he’s running from a man whose brother he murdered so why would he stop his flight to do a hit. Was he hired? These facts are never really made clear, though there are a few moments in the story where I was sure they’d be introduced. There’s also a reunion towards the end of the book that just kind of jumps out at you. Granted, there’s an explanation for it, but it still seemed a little too convenient. Then again, sometimes magic allows for some very convenient scenes to happen. Finally, in the closing chapters of the book, there’s a scene where our gruff assassin relaxes a bit(in a really hilarious way). I liked his growth of character, but at the same time he almost felt out of character for a bit of it. I know, I know—how can an author write his or her own creation out of character? There was just a slightly off feel to it, but at the same time I did really like the scene. I think I’m just nitpicking now. It’s a great read. You should read it. Go do so now.
Rating: 4.5/5
Sora’s Quest by T.L.Shreffler chronicles the journey of a noblewoman named Sora who dreams of adventure but has always lacked the ambition and opportunity to pursue her desires. Having been sheltered for the vast majority of her life, Sora knows very little of the world outside of heroic tales such as the epics of Kaelyn the Wanderer. Fate—both a cruel and gentle messenger—intercedes on the eve of Sora’s arranged marriage with the unscrupulous Lord Garret. Moments before the ceremony commences, Sora’s father—a man who she barely knows—is struck down by a shadowy assassin, leaving the wedding procession in utter chaos. Taking advantage of the clamor and commotion, Sora slips away from the panicked masses and begins her plan of escape. All seems to be going fairly well until she runs into the very man who murdered her father. In a blur, Sora is swept away by the dark figure and threatened at knife point. After years of longing, Sora finally gets her shot at adventure. Now the only obstacle remaining is to survive to tell the tale.
This is a great book. It is a great book for many reasons, all of which I will try to cover without chirping on and on about why said reasons make this book so good(you must forgive this bird, as it has been almost a month since she’s read such a good book). Let us start with the characters, chiefly Sora. Sora(a great name for a heroine in Sora’s predicament, as the name means sky and is also the name of a bird. This is pleasantly apt, as Sora’s drive is for freedom) is a surprisingly relatable character. I didn’t know if I’d like her at first as I was worried that she, like so many heroines of this genre, would suffer from insufficient writing. Too many a female leads are made out to be “strong”, though in truth they generally possess only one trait that might be deemed as such and are often used as a tool to further romantic subplots. Sora is not one of those characters, though for a while I genuinely feared that she would be. For you see, Shreffler thrusts her lead into a situation that many others would have used to formulate a really odd and non-sensible brooding romance. The noblewoman and her kidnapping assassin—can’t you just smell the hordes of Paranormal YA Romance’s that would take this idea down the Twilight route?
Because cool, indifferent, and sometimes verbally abusive men are totally attractive. But I digress.
The thing I appreciate the most about Sora’s character is the perfect balance between naïve dreamer, spoiled noblewoman, and novice adventurer. Realistically, as Sora has only known the life of a noblewoman and her only familiarity with adventure comes from romanticized myths, life on the road does not come easily to her. Putting aside the fact that she is a captive, Sora has never had to go a morning without breakfast, never had to sleep on the cold hard ground—heck, she probably never had to suffer without a bath for days on end. While Sora does manage these situations, they are not without discomfort. She acts very much like a person in her situation should act which is frazzled yet determined to survive. She is strong in some ways(she is fairly intelligent and possess admirable will power for a girl her age), but she also has moments of weakness. Basically, she’s balanced and written in a sympathetic enough way for readers to identify with her but she’s not over exaggerated with a tragic backstory like many modern heroines. She’s simply human, which is something I admire, as many authors seem to struggle with making realistic characters. Moving on from Sora, we have the ragtag duo of thieves(plus one assassin) that fate has stuck her with. These characters aren’t overly sympathetic. Sora, like readers, has to come to terms with the fact that one of them kills for a living and the other two are involved with theft. As readers, we’re allowed to empathize with these characters but we’re also allowed to disapprove of them. They aren’t forced down our throats as loveable ruffians. We know that they’ve done wrong and will probably continue to do wrong in the future. The romantic aspect of this book is also very ambiguous. In fact, the only possible hint at romantic feelings doesn’t come into play until the very end of the book, and even then neither of the parties involved actually admit to any romantic feelings. They simply admit to feeling something, and readers are left to ponder what that something might be. Even when Sora begins to warm up to her companions we are still privy to her conflicting emotions on the matter. On one hand, she knows that she’s still a captive (though here captive status gradually weakens over the course of the story). She knows that the people that she’s coming to like had a hand in killing her father and are involved in dubious activities. However, she’s still human. She still longs to make a connection to the people around her, even if the company isn’t always preferable. In this way, Shreffler craftily avoids giving her character stockholm syndrome. Sora doesn’t make excuses for her captors, but she also cannot deny that the trials they’ve shared together have forged an unexpected bond of camaraderie. It’s an interesting dynamic, one that could have gone horribly array under a less adept pen.
In a nutshell, this is a great book. I know that I’m being terribly repetitive, but it really is a great read. The only factors that kept this book from being a five had to do with some strange unexplained motivations in the book. For instance, I never really understood why exactly Crash—also known as the assassin—took Sora captive in the first place. He obviously had not qualms about killing so why he just didn’t kill his only witness is very odd. Additionally, it was never explained why he assassinated her father. Was he hired? We know that he’s running from a man whose brother he murdered so why would he stop his flight to do a hit. Was he hired? These facts are never really made clear, though there are a few moments in the story where I was sure they’d be introduced. There’s also a reunion towards the end of the book that just kind of jumps out at you. Granted, there’s an explanation for it, but it still seemed a little too convenient. Then again, sometimes magic allows for some very convenient scenes to happen. Finally, in the closing chapters of the book, there’s a scene where our gruff assassin relaxes a bit(in a really hilarious way). I liked his growth of character, but at the same time he almost felt out of character for a bit of it. I know, I know—how can an author write his or her own creation out of character? There was just a slightly off feel to it, but at the same time I did really like the scene. I think I’m just nitpicking now. It’s a great read. You should read it. Go do so now.
Rating: 4.5/5
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