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Silver Tongue
As the ice melts on Pearl Lake and the first frost blossom pushes its way up through the snow, a letter arrives. It is a request from the royal family; Belin is to spend the summer in Casterwick. Not just a week or two stuck in court, but the entire summer! Belin Vaulatrix is, as her mother puts it, “The only daughter of prominence who has been invited.” As the realization of what this means begins to sink in, Belin has no choice but to make her escape. The entire country will have to grow walls before she is going to marry that fat, dullard of a boy Edmon Casterwick!
However, in a country on the verge of civil war, plagued with a series of mysterious disappearances, she might just find herself on an adventure she does not expect…
For deep in the tunnels and passages of the Grendel mines there is a secret waiting to be uncovered – a mysterious weapon left behind and long forgotten. An army is forming, the country is dividing, and a terrible weapon is about to be unleashed on the innocent.
However, in a country on the verge of civil war, plagued with a series of mysterious disappearances, she might just find herself on an adventure she does not expect…
For deep in the tunnels and passages of the Grendel mines there is a secret waiting to be uncovered – a mysterious weapon left behind and long forgotten. An army is forming, the country is dividing, and a terrible weapon is about to be unleashed on the innocent.
259 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 7, 2014
2 people are currently reading
75 people want to read
About the author
Evelyn Ink
5 books29 followersEvelyn Ink was formally trained to be a parachutist, but found it did not fit her longstanding desire to avoid heights and thus decided to study the much less vertically horrifying subject of English Literature.
Due to the web of conspiracy which surrounds Evelyn Ink, she rarely appears in public, but when she does it’s best to avoid her on account of her enduring history of social disrepute. There has been more than one regrettable event regarding bent cameras and shattered umbrellas.
It’s hard to say how old she is, but I would guess she was born well before you were. Her childhood home, deep in some unknown, but undoubtably pleasant countryside, was turned into a plastic bubblepuck factory forcing her family to move far into the Stonegrave Mountains. These Mountains were unfortunately chosen to be used as an experimental avalanche catastrophe (EAC) site and once again the Ink Family was forced to move. It seems ill-fortune struck again and again as they were repeatedly obligated to change locations: once due to a plague of urban badgers, a fracking sinkhole, and then again when a tuna factory’s waste disposal sight was established just outside their home.
As an adult she has continued on in this nomadic lifestyle, crossing oceans and continents when necessary. Necessary being: under the scrutiny of the press, unwarranted investigations, and an ill-timed anarchist fan base. Evelyn was quoted saying,
Mrs. Ink also prefers the term “vacation” to “exile.”
That said, Mrs. Ink continues on writing and publishing while in exile . . . sorry, on vacation, with her husband, who (name unknown) is thought by many to be both an anarchist and mad philosopher.
You may choose to follow Evelyn Ink on her blog, although due to her absolute terror of electronics and a crippling phobia of the social media (technical term: Socmephobia), her blog posts tend to be infrequent and erratic. Also, due to several post exile investigations and her current relocation program, she is generally prevented from giving specific information regarding her whereabouts (Though, by the hollowly echo and vintage-like hum of a rotary phone, I would suspect from our last conversation, she is somewhere deep underground).
This report was conducted by:
Mr. Edwin Riddle
Of Public Relations, Personal Investigates, and Subterfuge.
Due to the web of conspiracy which surrounds Evelyn Ink, she rarely appears in public, but when she does it’s best to avoid her on account of her enduring history of social disrepute. There has been more than one regrettable event regarding bent cameras and shattered umbrellas.
It’s hard to say how old she is, but I would guess she was born well before you were. Her childhood home, deep in some unknown, but undoubtably pleasant countryside, was turned into a plastic bubblepuck factory forcing her family to move far into the Stonegrave Mountains. These Mountains were unfortunately chosen to be used as an experimental avalanche catastrophe (EAC) site and once again the Ink Family was forced to move. It seems ill-fortune struck again and again as they were repeatedly obligated to change locations: once due to a plague of urban badgers, a fracking sinkhole, and then again when a tuna factory’s waste disposal sight was established just outside their home.
As an adult she has continued on in this nomadic lifestyle, crossing oceans and continents when necessary. Necessary being: under the scrutiny of the press, unwarranted investigations, and an ill-timed anarchist fan base. Evelyn was quoted saying,
Mrs. Ink also prefers the term “vacation” to “exile.”
That said, Mrs. Ink continues on writing and publishing while in exile . . . sorry, on vacation, with her husband, who (name unknown) is thought by many to be both an anarchist and mad philosopher.
You may choose to follow Evelyn Ink on her blog, although due to her absolute terror of electronics and a crippling phobia of the social media (technical term: Socmephobia), her blog posts tend to be infrequent and erratic. Also, due to several post exile investigations and her current relocation program, she is generally prevented from giving specific information regarding her whereabouts (Though, by the hollowly echo and vintage-like hum of a rotary phone, I would suspect from our last conversation, she is somewhere deep underground).
This report was conducted by:
Mr. Edwin Riddle
Of Public Relations, Personal Investigates, and Subterfuge.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
December 28, 2014
"A good soul can neither be bought, nor sold." That's one of my favorite lines from Silver Tongue. The other is, "It's the waiting that makes one mad."
In writing of other times, other worlds, other realms, sometimes it's hard to come up with an original way of stringing phrases, unique to the place you are building. Evelyn crafted such a fun adventure with phrases such as: Croak bones. It definitely made me smile, and there were so many others, unique all.
Fun words aside, I was riveted from the first to the last. The heroine Belin became so real, I felt as if I were right there beside her, in the joys and miseries, the dangerous quests, and getting caught up in a revolution.
Every inch of this world was painted with such a detailed brush, you could experience it as clearly as if immersed in a 3-D movie. In fact, this would make for an exciting movie, or even a series of movies.
Of all the fairy tales and scary tales that have ever been told, this one is as artfully crafted as Lord of the Rings, though it's a tale of a very different nature. Yes, I would rank it right up there with the best of the best. There is only a single flaw: the cover does not do this tale justice, nor does it match the rich world and adventures that lie within.
Ancient, age-old mysteries, almost as if she were telling a tale straight out of history, vividly real, but you won't read a history like this in any earthbound book. What's interesting is that Earth's history really does include races that flourished, and then disappeared, leaving almost no trace of who they were, how they lived, what they believed, or what happened to them. Silver Tongue makes you wonder about what might have been, in our own history, at least it does for this history buff.
Being a fantastic fairy tale (minus actual fairies and elves and such), you might not agree with this assessment. But having studied some of Earth's most ancient history of giants, and advanced civilizations that rose up and then disappeared leaving little more than a shadow for us to know them by, I can visualize the Grendel giants as being real. We even have genuine legends, and discoveries, of ancient cities like those built by the Grendels. In fact, there is nothing so outlandish in Silver Tongue that it couldn't have once been real. Even the giant Leon...
Well done, Evelyn Ink!
-- Sharon Delarose
In writing of other times, other worlds, other realms, sometimes it's hard to come up with an original way of stringing phrases, unique to the place you are building. Evelyn crafted such a fun adventure with phrases such as: Croak bones. It definitely made me smile, and there were so many others, unique all.
Fun words aside, I was riveted from the first to the last. The heroine Belin became so real, I felt as if I were right there beside her, in the joys and miseries, the dangerous quests, and getting caught up in a revolution.
Every inch of this world was painted with such a detailed brush, you could experience it as clearly as if immersed in a 3-D movie. In fact, this would make for an exciting movie, or even a series of movies.
Of all the fairy tales and scary tales that have ever been told, this one is as artfully crafted as Lord of the Rings, though it's a tale of a very different nature. Yes, I would rank it right up there with the best of the best. There is only a single flaw: the cover does not do this tale justice, nor does it match the rich world and adventures that lie within.
Ancient, age-old mysteries, almost as if she were telling a tale straight out of history, vividly real, but you won't read a history like this in any earthbound book. What's interesting is that Earth's history really does include races that flourished, and then disappeared, leaving almost no trace of who they were, how they lived, what they believed, or what happened to them. Silver Tongue makes you wonder about what might have been, in our own history, at least it does for this history buff.
Being a fantastic fairy tale (minus actual fairies and elves and such), you might not agree with this assessment. But having studied some of Earth's most ancient history of giants, and advanced civilizations that rose up and then disappeared leaving little more than a shadow for us to know them by, I can visualize the Grendel giants as being real. We even have genuine legends, and discoveries, of ancient cities like those built by the Grendels. In fact, there is nothing so outlandish in Silver Tongue that it couldn't have once been real. Even the giant Leon...
Well done, Evelyn Ink!
-- Sharon Delarose
March 5, 2014
{Giveaway} Silver Tongue by Evelyn Ink {via Smashwords, Ends 3/11}
Egalley courtesy of the author in exchange for honest opinion.
***
When I first received a request from Evelyn Ink asking me to review her new YA fantasy – Silver Tongue, I was a bit hesitant at first. But the premise caught my attention, so I decided to give it a try and am very happy that I did because Silver Tongue turned out to be a great read. The fantasy world created herein was interesting and unique, the characters fun and exciting, and with plenty of action, adventure and a bit of mystery to urge the plot on, I was quite engrossed and thoroughly entertained in my reading.
The story follows Belin Vaulatrix, a feisty fifteen year old, who is about to be married off to a prince, except that Belin has other plans and taking matters into her own hands runs away. Only her escape is abruptly halted and instead she finds herself a prisoner deep in the mines, along with other kids whose mysterious disappearances have sparked rumors of unrest across Shalendorf. Now, treading carefully Belin must uncover who abducted her and what mystery awaits them in the old mines…
Belin was a great character, impulsive and bratty at times, she turned out to be a fierce fighter, brave and honorable in the face of danger, and yet once all was said and done she was back to being the same silly girl which was quite funny and refreshing. She also reminded me of Lyra Belacqua from Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials series, and interesting enough Lyra is also known as Lyra Silvertongue (perhaps the title of this book is a nod to the aforementioned series). Either way, Belin was quite a character and her snarky commentary on the events added a humorous touch to a somewhat dark story.
The first part of the novel is told solely from Belin’s POV, but second and third switch narratives to other characters as well, giving the reader a chance to witness events outside of Belin’s viewpoint. There is a great cast of interesting characters aiding in Belin’s quest, from Sender (Belin’s childhood friend and romantic interest), to Leon (who was quiet mysterious and intriguing), to Aeolus, Myra and many others – all of whom have parts to play in this grand adventure.
At the end, Silver Tongue was an enjoyable fantasy with a touch of steampunk elements. The story started out a bit slow but picked up the pace quick enough and was action-packed with exciting adventures and misadventures along the way. I did note a few errors and character confusion in one particular scene but these didn’t hinder my reading enjoyment, thus I would happily recommend this novel to you.
Recommended
***
For this and other review please visit Nocturnal Book Reviews.
Egalley courtesy of the author in exchange for honest opinion.
***
When I first received a request from Evelyn Ink asking me to review her new YA fantasy – Silver Tongue, I was a bit hesitant at first. But the premise caught my attention, so I decided to give it a try and am very happy that I did because Silver Tongue turned out to be a great read. The fantasy world created herein was interesting and unique, the characters fun and exciting, and with plenty of action, adventure and a bit of mystery to urge the plot on, I was quite engrossed and thoroughly entertained in my reading.
The story follows Belin Vaulatrix, a feisty fifteen year old, who is about to be married off to a prince, except that Belin has other plans and taking matters into her own hands runs away. Only her escape is abruptly halted and instead she finds herself a prisoner deep in the mines, along with other kids whose mysterious disappearances have sparked rumors of unrest across Shalendorf. Now, treading carefully Belin must uncover who abducted her and what mystery awaits them in the old mines…
“Continuing to stare into the dark, she couldn’t let the question go: what would the Grendels have that someone might want? Now. Years later… something still preserved within the mines?” Silver Tongue (Kindle Location 885).
Belin was a great character, impulsive and bratty at times, she turned out to be a fierce fighter, brave and honorable in the face of danger, and yet once all was said and done she was back to being the same silly girl which was quite funny and refreshing. She also reminded me of Lyra Belacqua from Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials series, and interesting enough Lyra is also known as Lyra Silvertongue (perhaps the title of this book is a nod to the aforementioned series). Either way, Belin was quite a character and her snarky commentary on the events added a humorous touch to a somewhat dark story.
The first part of the novel is told solely from Belin’s POV, but second and third switch narratives to other characters as well, giving the reader a chance to witness events outside of Belin’s viewpoint. There is a great cast of interesting characters aiding in Belin’s quest, from Sender (Belin’s childhood friend and romantic interest), to Leon (who was quiet mysterious and intriguing), to Aeolus, Myra and many others – all of whom have parts to play in this grand adventure.
At the end, Silver Tongue was an enjoyable fantasy with a touch of steampunk elements. The story started out a bit slow but picked up the pace quick enough and was action-packed with exciting adventures and misadventures along the way. I did note a few errors and character confusion in one particular scene but these didn’t hinder my reading enjoyment, thus I would happily recommend this novel to you.
Recommended
***
For this and other review please visit Nocturnal Book Reviews.
April 21, 2014
Silver Tongue by Evelyn ink is an adventure in steam punk and myths. Airships and mechanical carriages mixed with anicent legends make this an exciting read.
Belin Vaulatrix is an earl's daughter betrolled to the king's son. Great, huh? Not for Belin. She'd rather run away than marry the prince. He's spoiled, boring and pudgy. Unfortunately Belin's plan to escape disguised as her maid backfires when she is kidnapped by a band of "hired knives." Apparently someone has been kidnapping servants and orphan children all over the land of Shalendorf. Belin picked the wrong disguise and finds herself herded underground into hundreds-of-years-old mines to dig for scrap lunas, a form a currency. But there aren't enough lunas to be worth anything. Belin suspects something is not right and she's determined to find out what. But she must keep her identity secret to do so.
I really enjoy Evelyn Ink's writing style. She brings you into a world that she knows well and expertly navigates you through a worthwhile adventure. The characters are relatable and entertaining. The setting in this companion novel to Ill-fated brought the story to life. The Grendel mines where Belin finds herself is full of rich history, mystery and breathtaking beauty. The description of the Grendel's artistry and architecture was well done. I wouldn't mind reading stories about the Grendels as well.
The pacing slowed for just a bit right after the kidnapping, but quickly returned and kept the adrenaline going through the end. The only thing that threw me off a little was the concept of Belin being "silver tongued." There is little actual conversation where she uses this gift. Most of the time it just says that she was able to persuade and calm or convince someone without actually showing her doing this. Other than that, I think it is a great read. I wasn't even disappointed about not seeing Leila and Sam again. Although I wouldn't mind reading more of their adventures, Belin and her friends led me on a good adventure as well. I enjoyed reading about the land of Shalendorf. I highly recommend Silver Tongue for fans of Evelyn Ink, steam punk and adventure.
Belin Vaulatrix is an earl's daughter betrolled to the king's son. Great, huh? Not for Belin. She'd rather run away than marry the prince. He's spoiled, boring and pudgy. Unfortunately Belin's plan to escape disguised as her maid backfires when she is kidnapped by a band of "hired knives." Apparently someone has been kidnapping servants and orphan children all over the land of Shalendorf. Belin picked the wrong disguise and finds herself herded underground into hundreds-of-years-old mines to dig for scrap lunas, a form a currency. But there aren't enough lunas to be worth anything. Belin suspects something is not right and she's determined to find out what. But she must keep her identity secret to do so.
I really enjoy Evelyn Ink's writing style. She brings you into a world that she knows well and expertly navigates you through a worthwhile adventure. The characters are relatable and entertaining. The setting in this companion novel to Ill-fated brought the story to life. The Grendel mines where Belin finds herself is full of rich history, mystery and breathtaking beauty. The description of the Grendel's artistry and architecture was well done. I wouldn't mind reading stories about the Grendels as well.
The pacing slowed for just a bit right after the kidnapping, but quickly returned and kept the adrenaline going through the end. The only thing that threw me off a little was the concept of Belin being "silver tongued." There is little actual conversation where she uses this gift. Most of the time it just says that she was able to persuade and calm or convince someone without actually showing her doing this. Other than that, I think it is a great read. I wasn't even disappointed about not seeing Leila and Sam again. Although I wouldn't mind reading more of their adventures, Belin and her friends led me on a good adventure as well. I enjoyed reading about the land of Shalendorf. I highly recommend Silver Tongue for fans of Evelyn Ink, steam punk and adventure.
November 28, 2014
An amazing read!
This is such a wonderful book, filled with action, adventure, excitement and edge of your seat suspense. The heroine Belin is just marvelous, bravely abandoning her life of privilege and luxury to avoid a marriage she knows will bring her a lifetime of unhappiness. Things soon go from bad to worse and she finds herself deep in the mines, working and living under horrible conditions with other unfortunate children and young adults. She willingly endures such hardships rather than have her secret identity revealed and makes friends with her fellow captives.
Eventually, her secret is revealed but Belin is quick witted and manages to convince her captors it’s in their best interest to merely confine her to some luxurious quarters, which is her due as either a future princess or else an important hostage and, while they don’t trust her, they consider her as someone far above those other captives. They underestimate how loyal she is to those same captives and how intelligent she is, never for a moment believing they are anything but selfish traitors. With some luck and some help from a few others, she manages to disrupt the evil plans and it’s really a lot of fun for the reader to be right there with her as she impulsively strives to right what is wrong, with no concern for herself, while then experiencing one harrowing adventure after another.
There’s even more fun since one of those others who helps her is a young man she has always liked, in spite of his social standing being below hers and thus any future with him could never happen. Or could it? The author does a really amazing job of making the story race along, keeping the reader both entertained and enthralled, wondering what will happen next and how things might ever possibly work out well for all those unfortunate captives. Will they be killed or worse, become drudges (a life of slavery far from all loved ones) or … by some miracle … can Belin’s efforts save the day? I encourage everyone to read this book to find out for themselves just how this fascinating story will eventually play out.
This is such a wonderful book, filled with action, adventure, excitement and edge of your seat suspense. The heroine Belin is just marvelous, bravely abandoning her life of privilege and luxury to avoid a marriage she knows will bring her a lifetime of unhappiness. Things soon go from bad to worse and she finds herself deep in the mines, working and living under horrible conditions with other unfortunate children and young adults. She willingly endures such hardships rather than have her secret identity revealed and makes friends with her fellow captives.
Eventually, her secret is revealed but Belin is quick witted and manages to convince her captors it’s in their best interest to merely confine her to some luxurious quarters, which is her due as either a future princess or else an important hostage and, while they don’t trust her, they consider her as someone far above those other captives. They underestimate how loyal she is to those same captives and how intelligent she is, never for a moment believing they are anything but selfish traitors. With some luck and some help from a few others, she manages to disrupt the evil plans and it’s really a lot of fun for the reader to be right there with her as she impulsively strives to right what is wrong, with no concern for herself, while then experiencing one harrowing adventure after another.
There’s even more fun since one of those others who helps her is a young man she has always liked, in spite of his social standing being below hers and thus any future with him could never happen. Or could it? The author does a really amazing job of making the story race along, keeping the reader both entertained and enthralled, wondering what will happen next and how things might ever possibly work out well for all those unfortunate captives. Will they be killed or worse, become drudges (a life of slavery far from all loved ones) or … by some miracle … can Belin’s efforts save the day? I encourage everyone to read this book to find out for themselves just how this fascinating story will eventually play out.
January 24, 2014
3.9 stars ('cause I don't like the number 4)
Might contain spoilers...
Okay, I only have two minutes to spare so this will be an overview of my review.
Since I read Ill-Fated, I was really into this world where princesses had to fulfill quests before getting the throne, and (with Silver Tongue) where children were getting kidnapped and put into armies.
Like Ill-Fated, Silver Tongue had a bunch of action and adventure, but also like Ill-Fated, Silver Tongue has many grammar mistakes.
Most of the grammar mistakes were due to the lack of a comma when addressing someone ("bring me an apple Layla" in stead of "bring me an apple, Layla", that latter being the correct form), mixing up "to" and "too", and once, suddenly bringing Sender in a scene when he was on the aero-skiff (I think you meant to say "Leon" instead of "Sender", but accidentally put in "Sender" because you were thinking of the next scene, Evelyn).
Plot:
At the beginning the plot seemed slow and slightly boring, but it started picking up the pace and getting more exciting, and I was like "Yes! Yes! Beautiful, I like it! Yes..." Also, some of the description of events were vague, and I felt so lost.
Characters:
The character for the most part were well developed and good, but I kept wanting more. It was hard to connect with the characters in this book at some points too. Belin didn't seem to have something to push her into wanting to save the kingdom, no real ambition, I guess.
Other:
Okay, so one day, Belin and Sender are friends, and the next they're completely in love? Sounds like Romeo and Juliet to me: Sunday, they see each other, Monday they get married, Tuesday they do stuff, and Wednesday day they die. It just happened so fast.
So far I've only touched up on the negative, but I have to say that I loved this book a lot. It was so full of action, evil people, puzzles, mysteries, determination... I loved it! And I'm praying for a sequel (After You Write A Sequel For Ill-Fated!).
Keep up this wonderful work Evelyn,
أميره
Amera
February 9, 2015
Belin has a few problems. She’s engaged to the Crown Prince of the realm – and doesn’t want to be. It seems her ability to diplomatically smooth over her friend Chloe's verbal gaffes and being overly nice to the prince to compensate for not actually liking him have both worked against her. How does one go about turning down a future king? It simply isn’t done.
The young man she is in love with treats her like a little sister and when she determines to run away from it all, Belin finds out firsthand what’s happening to all the youths going missing in the realm. Posing as her maid to make her get away, she is kidnapped by the rebel force that’s seeking to overthrow the current king. Unsure whether being found out to be from a family of consequence will work for her or against her, Belin stills that tongue of hers and falls in line with the other girls to work the mines.
But she doesn’t curl up and whine. Belin puts some callouses on those hands, uses that silver tongue of hers to make some friends, and begins to plot how to stop a rebel army bent on revolution.
Silver Tongue is the second book of a series begun in Ill-Fated. I was expecting the characters from Ill-Fated to move forward with their next adventure. Instead, Ink delivered a second story inside the same fantasy world build. This one has an element of steampunk and like the first, action, action, action. The good guys are smart, tough and heroic – and the bad guys are working their devious plot. All of the characters are completely believable, fitting into the world and their roles effortlessly. This is YA well done.
The ending felt rushed a bit to me. I wanted more with Belin and Sender, but maybe I just wasn’t ready for the story to end.
The young man she is in love with treats her like a little sister and when she determines to run away from it all, Belin finds out firsthand what’s happening to all the youths going missing in the realm. Posing as her maid to make her get away, she is kidnapped by the rebel force that’s seeking to overthrow the current king. Unsure whether being found out to be from a family of consequence will work for her or against her, Belin stills that tongue of hers and falls in line with the other girls to work the mines.
But she doesn’t curl up and whine. Belin puts some callouses on those hands, uses that silver tongue of hers to make some friends, and begins to plot how to stop a rebel army bent on revolution.
Silver Tongue is the second book of a series begun in Ill-Fated. I was expecting the characters from Ill-Fated to move forward with their next adventure. Instead, Ink delivered a second story inside the same fantasy world build. This one has an element of steampunk and like the first, action, action, action. The good guys are smart, tough and heroic – and the bad guys are working their devious plot. All of the characters are completely believable, fitting into the world and their roles effortlessly. This is YA well done.
The ending felt rushed a bit to me. I wanted more with Belin and Sender, but maybe I just wasn’t ready for the story to end.
August 4, 2014
I got Silver Tongue while it was free for Kindle but I'd be awfully interested in paying for a paper copy if only so I can loan it out to friends! I was expecting a rather fun but trope-laden read when I read the premise (smart, headstrong girl chosen to marry insufferable prince) but after the familiar initial set-up the story took several turns for the delightfully unexpected.
Characters were well developed, antagonists and protagonists both have strengths and weaknesses and even the "trope" characters are given personalities all their own. The world comes across as being fully formed, without being exhaustively explained. The steampunk aspects are a flavor of the setting, rather than the focal point of the story; which is a refreshing change. I was also very impressed with the fact that the author managed to use quite a bit of in world "lingo" to enrich the setting, but she did so by mainly using conjunctions (evendine = dinner)that are intuitive enough that I was never thrown out of the flow of the story trying to figure out what a made-up word meant.
Lastly this story was truly young-adult friendly without feeling either prudish, boring or unrealistic. There is ample romantic tension without anything more than kisses taking place and, while there certainly is violence, it is neither gratuitous or graphic.
This is a book I'd be glad to have on my shelves and I'm looking forward to more by this author, I think she has exceptional talent.
Characters were well developed, antagonists and protagonists both have strengths and weaknesses and even the "trope" characters are given personalities all their own. The world comes across as being fully formed, without being exhaustively explained. The steampunk aspects are a flavor of the setting, rather than the focal point of the story; which is a refreshing change. I was also very impressed with the fact that the author managed to use quite a bit of in world "lingo" to enrich the setting, but she did so by mainly using conjunctions (evendine = dinner)that are intuitive enough that I was never thrown out of the flow of the story trying to figure out what a made-up word meant.
Lastly this story was truly young-adult friendly without feeling either prudish, boring or unrealistic. There is ample romantic tension without anything more than kisses taking place and, while there certainly is violence, it is neither gratuitous or graphic.
This is a book I'd be glad to have on my shelves and I'm looking forward to more by this author, I think she has exceptional talent.
March 18, 2014
Disclaimer: This was a free Smashwords ebook from the author for an honest review, Thank you!
I love the way Evelyn Ink thinks. Her books are always so creative and fun. The worlds she builds are like our own but not. The people have many words similar to ours and some that stray from ours but in logical ways. The best part about her worlds are that they are somewhat steampunkie with aeroships at the like. Her characters are believable, flawed but ever growing.
Silver Tongue's blurb presents the book as dark and scary. As a middle schooler or junior high student that might be thrilling but as an older student I think this book is just a fun adventure. I can imagine reading this book to my own children so long ago and having a great time with it. But it isn't simple. Older people can enjoy it, too!
I love the way Evelyn Ink thinks. Her books are always so creative and fun. The worlds she builds are like our own but not. The people have many words similar to ours and some that stray from ours but in logical ways. The best part about her worlds are that they are somewhat steampunkie with aeroships at the like. Her characters are believable, flawed but ever growing.
Silver Tongue's blurb presents the book as dark and scary. As a middle schooler or junior high student that might be thrilling but as an older student I think this book is just a fun adventure. I can imagine reading this book to my own children so long ago and having a great time with it. But it isn't simple. Older people can enjoy it, too!
July 25, 2015
I really got into this book. It is a YA fantasy novel and I am not a lover of those, but it really got me hooked and I finished it in record time. It is the story of Belin, fifteen-year-old daughter to a noble family. Belin has been chosen as bride for the “fat, dull, sausage of a boy,” who is the royal prince. Of course, spirited as she is, Belin instead runs away, running head on into a whole set of unexpected intrigue and adventure.
One interesting aspect of the book is the ‘world’ the author created. Elements of Nordic myths such as the Grendel race mixed with those of steampunk such as flying ‘balloon ships,’ automated carriages, and elevator cages make a dynamic fictional universe.
The story is a clean-read with everything a young reader might enjoy: daring young heroes, terrible villains, fast action, and understated romance! I definitely recommend it.
September 4, 2014
I loved this book - more than the first book in the series, Ill-Fated.
I think it was entirely Belin, the heroine's fault. She's castle born and bred and destined to be the next queen by marriage to the heir to the throne - a fate she doesn't want. So she decides to run away...only fate doesn't quite work that way. And that's when the story really gets interesting, because she's forced to grow up fast. Yet she manages to demonstrate exactly why she SHOULD be queen.
Airships and mysterious berserker drugs, a rebel army and a misunderstood people whose king was their downfall...this is an absolutely fascinating world and story to boot.
Five fascinating stars.
I think it was entirely Belin, the heroine's fault. She's castle born and bred and destined to be the next queen by marriage to the heir to the throne - a fate she doesn't want. So she decides to run away...only fate doesn't quite work that way. And that's when the story really gets interesting, because she's forced to grow up fast. Yet she manages to demonstrate exactly why she SHOULD be queen.
Airships and mysterious berserker drugs, a rebel army and a misunderstood people whose king was their downfall...this is an absolutely fascinating world and story to boot.
Five fascinating stars.
January 27, 2015
I read this not realizing there was a book that comes for it, but, it was a good read. Very craft fantasy. There were moments that gave me shivers and moments that made me want to crawl inside this book and walk through the world. Unfortunately, since I can't do that, I'll settle for reading the other book in the series.
January 17, 2015
Excellent plot and character development in this young adult story. I was up until 3am reading the first half, and loved the strong female protagonist (young, but not a silly ninny!). The story line was layered yet easy to follow. A great read!
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