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Circles of Light #1
Soul Bonds
A young slave girl flees from the Lord who owns her, choosing to die in the mountains rather than become one of his 'pretties'. When that death seems all too likely, she is found by one of the Dragon Kindred and Tika's life takes a twist she could never have imagined in her wildest dreams - or her worst nightmares.
337 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 31, 2007
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
March 22, 2013
others that complain about the lack of plot, or bizarre & frequent writing style changes one would expect to see in a collaborated slashfic as authors change are spot on.
I'll start off with this point, on page 834 of my nook, the fengars being rode on & occasionally killing their redshirt riders for the last 800 some pages are described with sharp fangs & talons, but this is only mentioned in order to show how different some other creature with hooves is from normal fengars. This is not an isolated problem. "great eye" "hoppers" something that started with a V & was hunted as a staple early in the book, its size & even vague description never glances the pages of this book. In the later half of the book, there is a practically main character called a "Kephi", but it is never described beyond occasionally mentioning things like the fact that it has claws, is orange, a flicks its long tail in irritation, curls up on people's laps, etc over the span of hundreds of pages
Creatures are given made up names without so much as a description & the reader is expected to simply be familiar to them as a native of this world would be. To underscore it, at one point in the story there is a discussion about how to send a message, to which a couple characters look at each other and say that "merrins(?)" might take the message. Half the group is surprised by the suggestion. Several pages later it , one has been called & arrives where it makes a crack about how most people would never think to try talking to them because of their looks & it eventually flies away with the message. Later in the book, the merrin is described with a bumpy beak & carrion eater... apparently it's basically a vulture.
dragons are introduced through many parts of the book with nothing beyond a name & possibly color. Rather than devoting any solid chunk of space to letting the user get a feel for them as individuals, the book zips from split small parts of the group seemingly at random. Sometimes mere sentenses within the same paragraph, sometimes as paragraphs start. The way conversation is demarcated out changes so often, it makes the book read like it was written on a phone & never edited. Sometimes it has : "stuff, other times you get a , "stuff", other times a line break is addes for no discernible reason.
It's one thing if a book occasionally makes you go back a few lines because you really weren't paying attention to who was the blond one & it suddenly became important,it's another matter entirely when you find yourself thumbing back a couple pages just trying to figure out WTF is going on so you can reread that part knowing what it's talking about.
At around the 800 page mark, there is such a jarring change in the writng style compared to all the ones previously used, that it feels like the book is suddenly wrtten by a native english speaker born of earth who understands that things in this new fictional world need descriptions for fellow terrans. It was this author who took pity upon readers and started describing things like fengars (and everything else) for the first time. The only sort of review I can think would give this book the justice it deserves would be the sort you see on somethingawful & zeropunctuation.
No, just stay away from this book
I'll start off with this point, on page 834 of my nook, the fengars being rode on & occasionally killing their redshirt riders for the last 800 some pages are described with sharp fangs & talons, but this is only mentioned in order to show how different some other creature with hooves is from normal fengars. This is not an isolated problem. "great eye" "hoppers" something that started with a V & was hunted as a staple early in the book, its size & even vague description never glances the pages of this book. In the later half of the book, there is a practically main character called a "Kephi", but it is never described beyond occasionally mentioning things like the fact that it has claws, is orange, a flicks its long tail in irritation, curls up on people's laps, etc over the span of hundreds of pages
Creatures are given made up names without so much as a description & the reader is expected to simply be familiar to them as a native of this world would be. To underscore it, at one point in the story there is a discussion about how to send a message, to which a couple characters look at each other and say that "merrins(?)" might take the message. Half the group is surprised by the suggestion. Several pages later it , one has been called & arrives where it makes a crack about how most people would never think to try talking to them because of their looks & it eventually flies away with the message. Later in the book, the merrin is described with a bumpy beak & carrion eater... apparently it's basically a vulture.
dragons are introduced through many parts of the book with nothing beyond a name & possibly color. Rather than devoting any solid chunk of space to letting the user get a feel for them as individuals, the book zips from split small parts of the group seemingly at random. Sometimes mere sentenses within the same paragraph, sometimes as paragraphs start. The way conversation is demarcated out changes so often, it makes the book read like it was written on a phone & never edited. Sometimes it has : "stuff, other times you get a , "stuff", other times a line break is addes for no discernible reason.
It's one thing if a book occasionally makes you go back a few lines because you really weren't paying attention to who was the blond one & it suddenly became important,it's another matter entirely when you find yourself thumbing back a couple pages just trying to figure out WTF is going on so you can reread that part knowing what it's talking about.
At around the 800 page mark, there is such a jarring change in the writng style compared to all the ones previously used, that it feels like the book is suddenly wrtten by a native english speaker born of earth who understands that things in this new fictional world need descriptions for fellow terrans. It was this author who took pity upon readers and started describing things like fengars (and everything else) for the first time. The only sort of review I can think would give this book the justice it deserves would be the sort you see on somethingawful & zeropunctuation.
No, just stay away from this book
September 19, 2021
An engaging series
Very well written, very complex, high fantasy. Other than Dragons, all of the myths seem foreign. It's a complete world creation, but it's fairly easy to follow. The quasi omnipotent POV, with occasional glimpses inside characters can be a little disjointed, but works. It's not 'edge of seat' tense, but definitely begs return to see where it will wind next. A very complex, but enjoyable escape. Just enough humor to lighten the load (I LOVE the Kephi!). Excellent setup for what promises to be an engaging series.
Very well written, very complex, high fantasy. Other than Dragons, all of the myths seem foreign. It's a complete world creation, but it's fairly easy to follow. The quasi omnipotent POV, with occasional glimpses inside characters can be a little disjointed, but works. It's not 'edge of seat' tense, but definitely begs return to see where it will wind next. A very complex, but enjoyable escape. Just enough humor to lighten the load (I LOVE the Kephi!). Excellent setup for what promises to be an engaging series.
December 14, 2018
I love dragons. Knowing that, I finished this book despite choppy writing, extremely confusing animals and creatures with no proper description, badly needed editing and too many POV'S changing quickly. I can't classify this as a bad book, just in need of plenty of growing up to do. I will try to read book two with hope of it being better.
May 28, 2016
This is the first book in the Circles of Light Series. It is epic fantasy safe for young adults, though there is mild fantasy violence. If you're looking for books to keep your interest for lots of reading that may keep you up well past your bedtime, you've found it here.
Tika is a young slave girl with a mysterious past. After escaping from her slavery to almost certain death, she discovers the fascinating world of dragons. Those dragons are the best part of the story. I could tell the author spent a lot of time daydreaming about them and what their existence would be like.
The story begins immediately with Tika's discovery of those dragons. She forms a bond (thus the title name) with one and her life intertwines with the species from that point on. You learn about the dragons and about Tika for a chapter or two, giving you the foundation for the rest of the story.
While Tika is the main character, the story that follows is largely about the dragons. They have personalities as big as they are. The characters of the dragons are distinct. It's easy to fall in love with some and dislike others with a passion. Not surprisingly, they aren't all happy about having a human among them, a fact that becomes pivotal in the events that follow.
Once much of the dragon's story is presented, the plot switches back to Tika, who may be more than just a runaway slave girl. Tika is a strong and courageous woman without being a Mary Sue. She's capable and talented, but inexperienced. There are other strong women in the story whose conversations move the plot forward, rather than focusing on relationships and the such. Basically, the author avoids the pitfalls that plague so many other strong female leads.
Upon reaching a new destination midway through the book, the rest of the world begins opening up. The reader gets to meet some of the other races in the world. It's a fascinating world too with exotic geographies and civilizations that are touched upon without bogging down into mind-numbing world-building.
The villain and some of the evil races are quite easy to dislike. The villain's personality is well developed and multifaceted rather than being one-dimensional. There's also a good deal of mystery as to his past.
The ending closes the book well with excitement and suspense. It leads one to want the next story. The one negative I found was that it was difficult to keep track of the names on occasion as a few of them sound similar. But that was resolved as the personalities developed. Each character is very much their own and their voices are distinct from each other.
One of the things I liked is the mystery involved with every character, who they are and why they are that way. The author teases the reader with hints, but never fully reveals what the past may hold. There are stories to develop through the rest of the series.
E.M. Sinclair's writing is daydreamy (yes, that's a word). You can see the fascination she has in exploring her world with her characters. The book is professional quality and well edited. I highly recommend for all ages.
Tika is a young slave girl with a mysterious past. After escaping from her slavery to almost certain death, she discovers the fascinating world of dragons. Those dragons are the best part of the story. I could tell the author spent a lot of time daydreaming about them and what their existence would be like.
The story begins immediately with Tika's discovery of those dragons. She forms a bond (thus the title name) with one and her life intertwines with the species from that point on. You learn about the dragons and about Tika for a chapter or two, giving you the foundation for the rest of the story.
While Tika is the main character, the story that follows is largely about the dragons. They have personalities as big as they are. The characters of the dragons are distinct. It's easy to fall in love with some and dislike others with a passion. Not surprisingly, they aren't all happy about having a human among them, a fact that becomes pivotal in the events that follow.
Once much of the dragon's story is presented, the plot switches back to Tika, who may be more than just a runaway slave girl. Tika is a strong and courageous woman without being a Mary Sue. She's capable and talented, but inexperienced. There are other strong women in the story whose conversations move the plot forward, rather than focusing on relationships and the such. Basically, the author avoids the pitfalls that plague so many other strong female leads.
Upon reaching a new destination midway through the book, the rest of the world begins opening up. The reader gets to meet some of the other races in the world. It's a fascinating world too with exotic geographies and civilizations that are touched upon without bogging down into mind-numbing world-building.
The villain and some of the evil races are quite easy to dislike. The villain's personality is well developed and multifaceted rather than being one-dimensional. There's also a good deal of mystery as to his past.
The ending closes the book well with excitement and suspense. It leads one to want the next story. The one negative I found was that it was difficult to keep track of the names on occasion as a few of them sound similar. But that was resolved as the personalities developed. Each character is very much their own and their voices are distinct from each other.
One of the things I liked is the mystery involved with every character, who they are and why they are that way. The author teases the reader with hints, but never fully reveals what the past may hold. There are stories to develop through the rest of the series.
E.M. Sinclair's writing is daydreamy (yes, that's a word). You can see the fascination she has in exploring her world with her characters. The book is professional quality and well edited. I highly recommend for all ages.
September 1, 2013
I really enjoyed this book. There was a lot of different things happening, and I loved the way the dragons came across as well.
Everything starts off pretty simple, but it gets way more complicated the father you read into the book. Twists and turns happen making sure to keep you on your toes. But at the same time its a pretty straight forward plot, for all they go through you already know what the main goal is, and so does everyone else.
Its told from a couple different point of views, and for the most part this is done really well. Only a couple of times was there a switch without warning. I love reading books like this as it gives me more than one angle to look at everything.
The one thing I didn't like about this book was all the names. It was seriously hard to keep track of who was who, especially since some of the dragons had simpler names in the beginning. Towards the end it was hard because there was so many people all doing different things. Its like the saying "To many cooks spoil the broth," to many people made it much harder to enjoy the last end of the book because I was constantly trying to remember who was who and why they were there in the first place.
Other then that I really enjoyed the entire concept of the book. The balance between good and evil, the changes that both main character go under in order to keep this balance, and more importantly the dragons. I don't think I have ever read dragons portrayed this way before and I really liked it. They are smart, gentle creatures that can kick your butt in a blink of an eye if they felt the need.
I also like the different "magics" or powers found in the book. It isn't something you come across in every fantasy book, and it was interesting to learn about them and how they work.
Would I recommend this book? Yes, anyone that likes dragons will love this book, and it defiantly has an epic fantasy feel to it as well.
http://zephyrbookreviews.blogspot.com/
Everything starts off pretty simple, but it gets way more complicated the father you read into the book. Twists and turns happen making sure to keep you on your toes. But at the same time its a pretty straight forward plot, for all they go through you already know what the main goal is, and so does everyone else.
Its told from a couple different point of views, and for the most part this is done really well. Only a couple of times was there a switch without warning. I love reading books like this as it gives me more than one angle to look at everything.
The one thing I didn't like about this book was all the names. It was seriously hard to keep track of who was who, especially since some of the dragons had simpler names in the beginning. Towards the end it was hard because there was so many people all doing different things. Its like the saying "To many cooks spoil the broth," to many people made it much harder to enjoy the last end of the book because I was constantly trying to remember who was who and why they were there in the first place.
Other then that I really enjoyed the entire concept of the book. The balance between good and evil, the changes that both main character go under in order to keep this balance, and more importantly the dragons. I don't think I have ever read dragons portrayed this way before and I really liked it. They are smart, gentle creatures that can kick your butt in a blink of an eye if they felt the need.
I also like the different "magics" or powers found in the book. It isn't something you come across in every fantasy book, and it was interesting to learn about them and how they work.
Would I recommend this book? Yes, anyone that likes dragons will love this book, and it defiantly has an epic fantasy feel to it as well.
http://zephyrbookreviews.blogspot.com/
July 19, 2012
I am a lazy bastard. "Why?" you might ask. Well it's like this. We went for a trip over the weekend to attend my mother's cousin's wedding, and on the way I read a couple of books. I purposely left this one behind, but that's neither here nor there. After returning I decided to finish this one, rationalizing that because I read some other stuff my irritation with this one would be lessened. Clearly I am an idiot, and need to have my head examined. Anyway, so after deciding to finish this book even though the writing is juvenile - nay, scratch that; it's more like multiple personality disorder. Every few chapters the writing style changes. We see first that childish form of prose then as the novel progresses the writing changes to a more formal style, and finally towards the end we see a change to more "YA" author style (you know, the open approachable, dialogue heavy way of writing.) At any rate this greatly disturbed my enjoyment. After all who wants to change the way they have to read every couple of pages? Next up on the chopping block: the plot. Or the lack thereof. My God! Was there an editor even involved? Confusing, and befuddling does not even begin to describe what went on here. Jumping around, throwing new characters in without fully describing existing ones, adding weird creatures that are human (but not?). I just couldn't understand the story. I'm not relegating this one to the one-star Hall of Shame, but it comes awfully close. The only good thing about this book, is that it's free. And I'm definitely not checking out the sequels.
As to why I classified myself as lazy? Well it took me three days to review the book; and even then only because I had nothing better to do and I was bored.
As to why I classified myself as lazy? Well it took me three days to review the book; and even then only because I had nothing better to do and I was bored.
November 21, 2015
It starts of good
I love dragons and gave this book a try. It was good but I started to dislike how books these days that have dragons seem to be female human and male dragon and if there a male human and female dragon they are either barely present or barely have books on them. I was really hoping to find this book had more of male human and female dragon relation ship and adventure instead I find all books in the series have to do with female human and male dragon. I am disappointed but gave book 5 stars due to it seems like good book and im currently on chapter 13. I do not know if I can continue or not but will give it a try because it has dragons in it that are treated as good.
I love dragons and gave this book a try. It was good but I started to dislike how books these days that have dragons seem to be female human and male dragon and if there a male human and female dragon they are either barely present or barely have books on them. I was really hoping to find this book had more of male human and female dragon relation ship and adventure instead I find all books in the series have to do with female human and male dragon. I am disappointed but gave book 5 stars due to it seems like good book and im currently on chapter 13. I do not know if I can continue or not but will give it a try because it has dragons in it that are treated as good.
September 11, 2013
Made it to 26% before giving up. A slooooooow start with very little real conflict and no tension worth mentioning. If everybody is kind and gentle and rational and willing to get along, if the only way to have a bad guy is because "balance is necessary" and this balance has been disrupted, e.g., somebody's gone nuts, well, there's a flaw in the world-building and characterization. I don't enjoy books with too much realism, but there must be some.
November 9, 2016
Great story
Ever since reading the Dragon riders of pern I am hooked on these type of stories. This book did not disappoint. The characters are lovable though dealing with a serious issue the interactions are at times funny.
Ever since reading the Dragon riders of pern I am hooked on these type of stories. This book did not disappoint. The characters are lovable though dealing with a serious issue the interactions are at times funny.
July 25, 2012
Got to p. 100 and gave up. Promising start but needed an editor. Bad writing style and I was confused about what if anything was going on.
January 8, 2015
An interesting concept, but I just couldn't get used to way the book was written. Something about the book's writing structure just didn't agree wtih me.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews