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Sword and Verse #1
Sword and Verse
Raisa was only a child when she was kidnapped and enslaved in Qilara. Forced to serve in the palace of the King, she’s endured hunger, abuse, and the harrowing fear of discovery. Everyone knows that Raisa is Arnath, but not that she is a Learned One, a part of an Arnath group educated in higher order symbols. In Qilara, this language is so fiercely protected that only the King, the Prince, and Tutors are allowed to know it. So when the current Tutor-in-training is executed for sharing the guarded language with slaves and Raisa is chosen to replace her, Raisa knows that, although she may have a privileged position among slaves, any slipup could mean death.
That would be challenging enough, but training alongside Prince Mati could be her real undoing. And when a romance blossoms between them, she’s suddenly filled with a dangerous hope for something she never before thought possible: more. Then she’s approached by the Resistance—an underground army of slaves—to help liberate the Arnath people. Joining the Resistance could mean freeing her people…but she’d also be aiding in the war against her beloved, an honorable man she knows wants to help the slaves.
Working against the one she loves—and a palace full of deadly political renegades—has some heady consequences. As Raisa struggles with what’s right, she unwittingly uncovers a secret that the Qilarites have long since buried…one that, unlocked, could bring the current world order to its knees.
And Raisa is the one holding the key.
That would be challenging enough, but training alongside Prince Mati could be her real undoing. And when a romance blossoms between them, she’s suddenly filled with a dangerous hope for something she never before thought possible: more. Then she’s approached by the Resistance—an underground army of slaves—to help liberate the Arnath people. Joining the Resistance could mean freeing her people…but she’d also be aiding in the war against her beloved, an honorable man she knows wants to help the slaves.
Working against the one she loves—and a palace full of deadly political renegades—has some heady consequences. As Raisa struggles with what’s right, she unwittingly uncovers a secret that the Qilarites have long since buried…one that, unlocked, could bring the current world order to its knees.
And Raisa is the one holding the key.
384 pages, Hardcover
First published January 19, 2016
81 people are currently reading
13898 people want to read
About the author
Kathy MacMillan
36 books439 followersKathy MacMillan is a writer, American Sign Language interpreter, librarian, and signing storyteller. She writes picture books (the Little Hands Signing series and The Runaway Shirt, Familius Press), children’s nonfiction (She Spoke: 14 Women Who Raised Their Voices and Changed the World, Familius Press), and young adult fantasy. Her debut young adult novel, Sword and Verse (2016) was a finalist for the Compton Crook Award, and its companion novel, Dagger and Coin (2018) has been called a “complex feminist fantasy” by author Heidi Heilig. She has also published 8 resource books for educators, librarians, and parents, including Little Hands and Big Hands: Children and Adults Signing Together (Huron Street Press). Kathy serves as the Mentorship Program Coordinator for the Maryland/Delaware/West Virginia Region of the Society for Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators. She lives in Baltimore, MD. Find her online at www.kathymacmillan.com or on Twitter at @kathys_quill.
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January 26, 2016
"Days in the Adytum fell into a dreamlike pattern: we talked, we kissed, occasionally we even did our work.”
DNF - 50%
I forced myself to the halfway mark just so I could say I gave this book a decent chance to become good... but when someone was murdered around 50% through and it affected me about as much as if someone had coughed - that's when I decided it was time to move on to other things.
Sometimes when I don't enjoy a book I can still understand what the publisher was thinking - fantasies full of lusty romance might make me roll my eyes but I also know they're an easy sell to the market - though I am clueless with Sword and Verse. Not only is it heavy on the romance and low on the fantasy, but it is also painfully boring.
The first 50% of this book is almost solely made up of Raisa copying symbols down or crushing on Prince Mati. The romance is so dry and uninteresting. Raisa's crush is clear from the very first chapter (it already exists prior to the novel's timeline so there's no build or tension) when she blushes every time Mati breathes:
Mati also didn’t have the rather unfair disadvantage of having to study next to himself. Realizing how close we sat on the bench, I scooted away from him and swung my hair forward to hide my blush.
Perhaps a more skilled romance author might drag this out into something thrilling - will they/won't they? - but here it is as simple as Raisa having a crush, which is then reciprocated a couple of chapters later. Cue repetitive making out scenes.
I suppose world-building might come later, after the 50% point, but in those pages I read, it was like the Raisa/Mati plot existed in a vacuum. There were some mentions of scrolls and slaves, but that is far from the story's focus. And while some might find it unfair to criticize a book's plot without actually finishing it, I'm of the opinion that some kind of interesting story should have formed by the halfway point.
Raisa's narrative is so indistinct and forgettable. I have no doubt I will have forgotten all about her by tomorrow. In fact, all the characters blended together in a stream of boredom. Just so... bland.
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January 21, 2016
DNF at 40%
This book wasn't overwhelmingly romantic. The main character wasn't overwhelmingly stupid. I guess the word "overwhelming" is the key here, because it's what this book wasn't. It was completely underwhelming and mind-numbingly boring, and I think that's reason enough for my rating.
I didn't enjoy it. It was about a slave girl who's chosen for some reason to be a royal tutor, and all of a sudden the prince falls in love with her. Like wtf? I don't even know what happened. All of a sudden around the 20% mark, they started kissing, leaving me scratching my head because damn, that escalated quickly.
I mean, if a minor resistance plot, a dreamy romance, and reading about learning to read and write floats your boat, good for you. But to me, there are more interesting things in life than this book. Like watching my laundry dry.
This book wasn't overwhelmingly romantic. The main character wasn't overwhelmingly stupid. I guess the word "overwhelming" is the key here, because it's what this book wasn't. It was completely underwhelming and mind-numbingly boring, and I think that's reason enough for my rating.
I didn't enjoy it. It was about a slave girl who's chosen for some reason to be a royal tutor, and all of a sudden the prince falls in love with her. Like wtf? I don't even know what happened. All of a sudden around the 20% mark, they started kissing, leaving me scratching my head because damn, that escalated quickly.
I mean, if a minor resistance plot, a dreamy romance, and reading about learning to read and write floats your boat, good for you. But to me, there are more interesting things in life than this book. Like watching my laundry dry.
November 23, 2015
***Review posted on The Eater of Books! blog***
Sword and Verse by Kathy MacMillan
Publisher: Harper Teen
Publication Date: January 19, 2016
Rating: 5 stars
Source: eARC from Edelweiss
Summary (from Goodreads):
Raisa was just a child when she was sold to work as a slave in the kingdom of Qilara. Despite her young age, her father was teaching her to read and write, grooming her to take his place as a Learned One. In Qilara, the Arnathim, like Raisa, are the lowest class, and literacy is a capital offense. What’s more, only the king, prince, tutor, and tutor-in-training are allowed to learn the very highest order language, the language of the gods. So when the tutor-in-training is executed for teaching slaves this sacred language, and Raisa is selected to replace her, Raisa knows any slipup on her part could mean death.
Keeping her secret is hard enough, but the romance that’s been growing between her and Prince Mati isn’t helping matters. Then Raisa is approached by the Resistance—an underground army of slave rebels—to help liberate Arnath slaves. She wants to free her people, but that would mean aiding a war against Mati. As Raisa struggles with what to do, she discovers a secret that the Qilarites have been hiding for centuries—one that, if uncovered, could bring the kingdom to its knees.
What I Liked:
Sword and Verse was one of those books that I knew I would enjoy, upon reading only the synopsis. I remember seeing the title, and then the synopsis, and then the cover... I remember discovering that the author was a fellow Baltimorean, which is REALLY exciting. Of all of Harper's 2016 Winter and Spring debuts, Sword and Verse was the one I wanted to read the most. You probably already saw my top five reasons why I think you should read this book, but this will be a more in-depth and coherent log of my thoughts on the book - which was superb!
Note: I will not do this book justice, with this review. I couldn't do it with my Top Five Reasons post (which you should check out, it's slightly more condensed), and I know I can't do it here. There are some books that are that great that I just want to say, "TRUST ME AND READ IT!" and be done with the review. Still, I hope I can write a nice review (and not spoil things).
As a child, Raisa was chosen to be the next tutor, and so she began to learn to read and write alongside the crown prince of Qilara, Mati. Years later, Raisa's feelings for Mati have grown, and she has also become a very accomplished Tutor, mastering the language and symbols with ease. Raisa and Mati know they shouldn't feel anything towards each other... but they do. When war breaks out against Qilara, Raisa will help the Resistance or stay loyal to Qilara - there is no easy way out of her past, present, or future.
This book is written from Raisa's POV, and it starts in the past, when Raisa is small. She wasn't always a distinguished tutor-in-training - she used to be a slave in the kingdom. As an Arnath child, she never felt welcome in Qilara anyway. Raisa is a different heroine from what we typically see in YA fantasy these days. She isn't bent on saving the world, or wielding swords, or defying royalty. She's loyal to Mati, and she doesn't forget her people, but she doesn't want to necessarily help the Resistance when it could mean hurting Mati (indirectly). Raisa is a mentally and emotionally strong young woman, which is just as important as being physically tough. She is intelligent and kind, and has to work through an incredible amount of emotional burden throughout the book.
Mati is the male protagonist of the book, and a very important character in the story. He has to lead Qilara for various reasons, and the learning curve is steep. He never wanted to be a part of the conflict and war that Qilara is deeply entrenched in, but he takes steps to ensure Qilara's success. Mati is selfless and clever, which is one of the reasons why I think him and Raisa are a great pair.
So much of this book revolves around language and writing and symbols. The Resistance is desperate to have Raisa helping them because she can read and write, and she is in the palace. Raisa's role as Tutor will be to teach Mati's children how to read and write, as well as train the next Tutor.
So you see that Raisa and Mati's roles were clearly defined from that start... but it didn't stop either of them from falling for each from the start. We know that Raisa has feelings for Mati since she was little, and we find out that he has feelings for her too. The romance is a strange one; no love triangle, but it isn't like any romance I've read. There was a point in the book that broke my heart, and it was less than halfway through. This book takes place over a year (maybe a little over a year?), not including the prologue. A LOT happens during that time, in terms of the romance (and in terms of the entire story). This book is a fantasy novel through and through, so there are certain elements of the story that intersect with the romance that really only occur in fantasy novels... you'll have to read the book to know what I mean, but the romance in this book is very unconventional.
And I say all of that and mean it in a GOOD way. I absolutely love how MacMillan constructed the romance, how it developed. The romance wraps up in a satisfying way, and there is no love triangle. NO LOVE TRIANGLE. None. The romance is one of my favorite aspects of this book. So. Good. Lots of swoon and fangirling from me, I will assure you.
MacMillan also does a great job with the world-building. Sometimes high fantasy novels seem to blur together, in terms of the worlds. I didn't find it the case with this book; the emphasis on language and symbols made this book highly distinctive, as well as the structure of the court and kingdom, and the role of religion.
The ending is stunning, in my opinion. The book takes it time for the most part, in terms of pacing, but the climax picks up speed and the ending is eye-opening. I love the pacing of the book overall, and I really liked how the ending felt. Everything comes together, and the ending wraps up all the loose threads. I was really happy with the ending, especially in the last few pages.
This book is a standalone, and the ending is perfect for it. It's not as tightly wrapped as I would have hoped (there are one or two things that I thought were open-ended), but I have it on good authority that things will be addressed in the future - but not as a series. So. Standalone for the win!
What I Did Not Like:
This book was really satisfying for me, so I don't think I have complaints. One of the things that I mentioned above was that I found that there were a few things that were open-ended. Usually this would be a complaint of mine if the book is a standalone (which this one is), but if those elements will be addressed in future companion novels, then by all means!
Would I Recommend It:
I highly recommend this novel. Fantasy fan, YA fan, someone who enjoyed Kristin Cashore's books, or Alexandra Bracken's Brightly Woven, etc. It's a standalone with an incredible and totally unique romance, and high-stakes action, and unforgettable world-building. This stunning debut did not disappoint on any level!
Rating:
5 stars. <--- That's a rare rating from me. I like it when I build a novel up in my head for forever, and then the novel turns out to be really, really wonderful. If you get a chance to read this book, do it! Don't miss this book!
Heh. This one did not disappoint. We can totally compare it to Fire by Kristin Cashore - which happens to be my favorite book of all time. Sword and Verse was BEAUTIFUL!
See five great reasons why you should read Sword and Verse!
And here's a swoony excerpt, if you needed further convincing. :D
SUPER EXCITED GUYS!
Sword and Verse by Kathy MacMillan
Publisher: Harper Teen
Publication Date: January 19, 2016
Rating: 5 stars
Source: eARC from Edelweiss
Summary (from Goodreads):
Raisa was just a child when she was sold to work as a slave in the kingdom of Qilara. Despite her young age, her father was teaching her to read and write, grooming her to take his place as a Learned One. In Qilara, the Arnathim, like Raisa, are the lowest class, and literacy is a capital offense. What’s more, only the king, prince, tutor, and tutor-in-training are allowed to learn the very highest order language, the language of the gods. So when the tutor-in-training is executed for teaching slaves this sacred language, and Raisa is selected to replace her, Raisa knows any slipup on her part could mean death.
Keeping her secret is hard enough, but the romance that’s been growing between her and Prince Mati isn’t helping matters. Then Raisa is approached by the Resistance—an underground army of slave rebels—to help liberate Arnath slaves. She wants to free her people, but that would mean aiding a war against Mati. As Raisa struggles with what to do, she discovers a secret that the Qilarites have been hiding for centuries—one that, if uncovered, could bring the kingdom to its knees.
What I Liked:
Sword and Verse was one of those books that I knew I would enjoy, upon reading only the synopsis. I remember seeing the title, and then the synopsis, and then the cover... I remember discovering that the author was a fellow Baltimorean, which is REALLY exciting. Of all of Harper's 2016 Winter and Spring debuts, Sword and Verse was the one I wanted to read the most. You probably already saw my top five reasons why I think you should read this book, but this will be a more in-depth and coherent log of my thoughts on the book - which was superb!
Note: I will not do this book justice, with this review. I couldn't do it with my Top Five Reasons post (which you should check out, it's slightly more condensed), and I know I can't do it here. There are some books that are that great that I just want to say, "TRUST ME AND READ IT!" and be done with the review. Still, I hope I can write a nice review (and not spoil things).
As a child, Raisa was chosen to be the next tutor, and so she began to learn to read and write alongside the crown prince of Qilara, Mati. Years later, Raisa's feelings for Mati have grown, and she has also become a very accomplished Tutor, mastering the language and symbols with ease. Raisa and Mati know they shouldn't feel anything towards each other... but they do. When war breaks out against Qilara, Raisa will help the Resistance or stay loyal to Qilara - there is no easy way out of her past, present, or future.
This book is written from Raisa's POV, and it starts in the past, when Raisa is small. She wasn't always a distinguished tutor-in-training - she used to be a slave in the kingdom. As an Arnath child, she never felt welcome in Qilara anyway. Raisa is a different heroine from what we typically see in YA fantasy these days. She isn't bent on saving the world, or wielding swords, or defying royalty. She's loyal to Mati, and she doesn't forget her people, but she doesn't want to necessarily help the Resistance when it could mean hurting Mati (indirectly). Raisa is a mentally and emotionally strong young woman, which is just as important as being physically tough. She is intelligent and kind, and has to work through an incredible amount of emotional burden throughout the book.
Mati is the male protagonist of the book, and a very important character in the story. He has to lead Qilara for various reasons, and the learning curve is steep. He never wanted to be a part of the conflict and war that Qilara is deeply entrenched in, but he takes steps to ensure Qilara's success. Mati is selfless and clever, which is one of the reasons why I think him and Raisa are a great pair.
So much of this book revolves around language and writing and symbols. The Resistance is desperate to have Raisa helping them because she can read and write, and she is in the palace. Raisa's role as Tutor will be to teach Mati's children how to read and write, as well as train the next Tutor.
So you see that Raisa and Mati's roles were clearly defined from that start... but it didn't stop either of them from falling for each from the start. We know that Raisa has feelings for Mati since she was little, and we find out that he has feelings for her too. The romance is a strange one; no love triangle, but it isn't like any romance I've read. There was a point in the book that broke my heart, and it was less than halfway through. This book takes place over a year (maybe a little over a year?), not including the prologue. A LOT happens during that time, in terms of the romance (and in terms of the entire story). This book is a fantasy novel through and through, so there are certain elements of the story that intersect with the romance that really only occur in fantasy novels... you'll have to read the book to know what I mean, but the romance in this book is very unconventional.
And I say all of that and mean it in a GOOD way. I absolutely love how MacMillan constructed the romance, how it developed. The romance wraps up in a satisfying way, and there is no love triangle. NO LOVE TRIANGLE. None. The romance is one of my favorite aspects of this book. So. Good. Lots of swoon and fangirling from me, I will assure you.
MacMillan also does a great job with the world-building. Sometimes high fantasy novels seem to blur together, in terms of the worlds. I didn't find it the case with this book; the emphasis on language and symbols made this book highly distinctive, as well as the structure of the court and kingdom, and the role of religion.
The ending is stunning, in my opinion. The book takes it time for the most part, in terms of pacing, but the climax picks up speed and the ending is eye-opening. I love the pacing of the book overall, and I really liked how the ending felt. Everything comes together, and the ending wraps up all the loose threads. I was really happy with the ending, especially in the last few pages.
This book is a standalone, and the ending is perfect for it. It's not as tightly wrapped as I would have hoped (there are one or two things that I thought were open-ended), but I have it on good authority that things will be addressed in the future - but not as a series. So. Standalone for the win!
What I Did Not Like:
This book was really satisfying for me, so I don't think I have complaints. One of the things that I mentioned above was that I found that there were a few things that were open-ended. Usually this would be a complaint of mine if the book is a standalone (which this one is), but if those elements will be addressed in future companion novels, then by all means!
Would I Recommend It:
I highly recommend this novel. Fantasy fan, YA fan, someone who enjoyed Kristin Cashore's books, or Alexandra Bracken's Brightly Woven, etc. It's a standalone with an incredible and totally unique romance, and high-stakes action, and unforgettable world-building. This stunning debut did not disappoint on any level!
Rating:
5 stars. <--- That's a rare rating from me. I like it when I build a novel up in my head for forever, and then the novel turns out to be really, really wonderful. If you get a chance to read this book, do it! Don't miss this book!
Heh. This one did not disappoint. We can totally compare it to Fire by Kristin Cashore - which happens to be my favorite book of all time. Sword and Verse was BEAUTIFUL!
See five great reasons why you should read Sword and Verse!
And here's a swoony excerpt, if you needed further convincing. :D
SUPER EXCITED GUYS!
Just confirmed that I will be presenting at @KidLitCon with @Alyssa_Susanna in October! Can't wait!
— Kathy MacMillan (@kathys_quill) August 9, 2015
December 4, 2015
YOU GUYS.
Since I was a teen, I've loved fantasy novels. The really epic ones, with fierce, smart, flawed female MCs, beautiful world-building, and complex challenges. More than anything else, I think fantasy novels (by Tamora Pierce and Mercedes Lackey and Marion Zimmer Bradley and now Kathryn Purdie and KATHY MACMILLAN) have taught me how to be a good person in a difficult world.
But one issue I've had, one and off, is that I'm not particularly a physical person, and while I love fighting and girl-knights, I also love books that show us different ways for a heroine to be strong. Raisa, in SWORD AND VERSE, is one of those heroines. This story finds her using reading as a weapon, while she's enslaved in the ruling class's palace as the prince's tutor. She's the most realistic choice on the inside to be asked to lead a rebellion, and the person too who would be the most conflicted about it. Her life is comfortable. She's falling in love with the prince, who loves her back. The dudes in the rebellion are jerks when they reach out to you; they hate you for your privilege and your complicity. What do you do?
The answer is given in a smart, well-paced plot, a complicated romance with power issues and believable misunderstandings, and a bunch of well-drawn supporting characters. My favorite was Jonis, Raisa's contact in the rebellion, who isn't very nice, or ethical, who's doing what he has to to survive. And
This is lots of fun and so smart. Recommended.
(I received this ARC in exchange for an honest review.)
Since I was a teen, I've loved fantasy novels. The really epic ones, with fierce, smart, flawed female MCs, beautiful world-building, and complex challenges. More than anything else, I think fantasy novels (by Tamora Pierce and Mercedes Lackey and Marion Zimmer Bradley and now Kathryn Purdie and KATHY MACMILLAN) have taught me how to be a good person in a difficult world.
But one issue I've had, one and off, is that I'm not particularly a physical person, and while I love fighting and girl-knights, I also love books that show us different ways for a heroine to be strong. Raisa, in SWORD AND VERSE, is one of those heroines. This story finds her using reading as a weapon, while she's enslaved in the ruling class's palace as the prince's tutor. She's the most realistic choice on the inside to be asked to lead a rebellion, and the person too who would be the most conflicted about it. Her life is comfortable. She's falling in love with the prince, who loves her back. The dudes in the rebellion are jerks when they reach out to you; they hate you for your privilege and your complicity. What do you do?
The answer is given in a smart, well-paced plot, a complicated romance with power issues and believable misunderstandings, and a bunch of well-drawn supporting characters. My favorite was Jonis, Raisa's contact in the rebellion, who isn't very nice, or ethical, who's doing what he has to to survive. And
This is lots of fun and so smart. Recommended.
(I received this ARC in exchange for an honest review.)
October 23, 2015
I was lucky enough to receive an ARC of this book. Get ready for 2016 - What a super story! A brave heroine, a caste system, gods involved in humans' lives - what more could you want? A surprise ending, that's what! The intricate descriptions of the different writing systems made me sure that they truly existed and that MacMillan was simply telling us about research she had done in some far off part of the world. I loved our Raisa, who is a scholar as opposed to a soldier and who does not wait for men to save her. I loved the idea that there are Goddesses who look after writers. We sure could use them.
December 20, 2015
(Source: I received a digital copy of this book for free on a read-to-review basis. Thanks to HarperCollins and Edelweiss.)
This was an okay fantasy story, although I lost interest a little at the end.
Raisa was a bit of an infuriating character, because she kept making bad decisions. It seemed like even though she knew what she should and shouldn’t be doing, she kept doing these things anyway, and I just wanted to smack her at times to see if it would knock some sense into her.
The storyline in this followed Raisa as she began training to be a new tutor, and learning the symbols of the different languages. She was approached by the resistance and asked to do things for them, and also began a bit of a romance with the Prince, and seemed once again to not make the best choices. The pace was quite slow in this, although it did hold my attention pretty well in the first half of the story.
The ending to this was okay, although my attention had lapsed a bit by the end. This story wasn’t quite what I was expecting though, as I expected this to be a bit more high fantasy, and instead there was quite a lot about the writing and the romance.
6.5 out of 10
“I never knew Tyasha ke Demit, but her execution started everything.”
This was an okay fantasy story, although I lost interest a little at the end.
Raisa was a bit of an infuriating character, because she kept making bad decisions. It seemed like even though she knew what she should and shouldn’t be doing, she kept doing these things anyway, and I just wanted to smack her at times to see if it would knock some sense into her.
The storyline in this followed Raisa as she began training to be a new tutor, and learning the symbols of the different languages. She was approached by the resistance and asked to do things for them, and also began a bit of a romance with the Prince, and seemed once again to not make the best choices. The pace was quite slow in this, although it did hold my attention pretty well in the first half of the story.
The ending to this was okay, although my attention had lapsed a bit by the end. This story wasn’t quite what I was expecting though, as I expected this to be a bit more high fantasy, and instead there was quite a lot about the writing and the romance.
6.5 out of 10
November 5, 2015
Wow, okay, I adored this book. It surprised me so much, and so pleasantly. I just finished and am still thrumming with the happy energy of a truly satisfying ending. The pacing was interesting to me--the first half very much serves as an establishing of the world, the rules, the characters, the stakes, and the conflict. Which is to say that I was at first hooked based solely on the romance, while everything else was being set into place. Then, as the action was building, I felt a bit of a lull toward the middle but no sooner did I have that thought than everything exploded into action and the last third to half was an absolute ROLLERCOASTER. For me, this transition from steady to break-neck pacing worked perfectly because at that point, I was SO invested in the characters that I felt every beat of their wild ride exactly as McMillan intended me to do. While I read a ton of contemporary fantasy, it's not uncommon for me to struggle to connect with characters in high fantasy. There are authors I think handle this brilliantly (Bardugo, Maas, etc.) but a lot of times the unfamiliar world and the elevated way of speaking can leave characters feeling cardboard or unrelatable, but here I was so far from having that problem.
I've seen some other reviews that called Raisa shallow but I honestly found her refreshingly complex and human. She is very much torn between her love for one specific person and her knowledge of right and wrong. Her struggle made me consider what I would do if I were forced between protecting the man I love and protecting a group of innocent people who I don't know. I think if we're honest this is a muchore difficult decision than it should be and I loved that Raisa continuously struggled with it, that she fought so hard to do what she needed to do. And because I felt I knew her so much, it just made her turmoil over whether she was trusting the wrong people that much more palpable. I found myself desperately hoping she was right, afraid of the heartbreak she would face if she was wrong.
The ending was so, so surprising, and I suspect it won't be for everyone, but for me personally, it was perfect. It was big, epic, magical, exciting, and dark. I highly recommend this book and if you start it and get to that "lull", I implore you to finish it because I think there's a good chance you'll be, like me, way more than satisfied!
I've seen some other reviews that called Raisa shallow but I honestly found her refreshingly complex and human. She is very much torn between her love for one specific person and her knowledge of right and wrong. Her struggle made me consider what I would do if I were forced between protecting the man I love and protecting a group of innocent people who I don't know. I think if we're honest this is a muchore difficult decision than it should be and I loved that Raisa continuously struggled with it, that she fought so hard to do what she needed to do. And because I felt I knew her so much, it just made her turmoil over whether she was trusting the wrong people that much more palpable. I found myself desperately hoping she was right, afraid of the heartbreak she would face if she was wrong.
The ending was so, so surprising, and I suspect it won't be for everyone, but for me personally, it was perfect. It was big, epic, magical, exciting, and dark. I highly recommend this book and if you start it and get to that "lull", I implore you to finish it because I think there's a good chance you'll be, like me, way more than satisfied!
November 1, 2015
I received a copy of this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This will probably be one of my favorite debut fantasies of 2016. The world building on display is simply phenomenal. The system of slavery in this world felt both heart breaking and authentic, and the places and people felt fully fleshed out and realized. Raisa is an utterly compelling heroine. I loved that she took time to grow into her strength and courage, to experience both love and heartbreak. She's one of the most relatable YA protagonists I've come across. The writing itself is lyrical and breathtaking. I think my favorite aspect of this world is the mythology. Each chapter begins with a section of the gods' creation story, and it absolutely felt like something I could have learned in the antiquities department of a university. This book has some of the richest world building I've ever read, and I loved it.
I massively recommend this book, and I'll keep recommending it come January.
This will probably be one of my favorite debut fantasies of 2016. The world building on display is simply phenomenal. The system of slavery in this world felt both heart breaking and authentic, and the places and people felt fully fleshed out and realized. Raisa is an utterly compelling heroine. I loved that she took time to grow into her strength and courage, to experience both love and heartbreak. She's one of the most relatable YA protagonists I've come across. The writing itself is lyrical and breathtaking. I think my favorite aspect of this world is the mythology. Each chapter begins with a section of the gods' creation story, and it absolutely felt like something I could have learned in the antiquities department of a university. This book has some of the richest world building I've ever read, and I loved it.
I massively recommend this book, and I'll keep recommending it come January.
August 26, 2015
I was lucky enough to read an early version of this book and if you like YA high fantasy in the veins of Rae Carson, then you will LOVE this book.
Raisa is raised as a slave in the palace, one of only two who are taught the language of the gods--writing--in order to tutor the prince and council him when he one day becomes king. But Raisa doesn't plan for falling in love with him, nor that he would return her love. Or that the slave resistance will pressure her to help them, even as it threatens the life and safety of both herself and the prince.
When it all comes to a head, it seems only the gods will be able to save everyone.
This story is filled with romance and wonderful, deeply realized characters. Raisa is sympathetic and believable, and Mati is swoon-worthy and kind, which I particularly love, since I'm kind of over the bad boy romance thing.
The language and religion is fully developed and it's clear MacMillan spent a lot of time and energy getting it just right. And the ending explodes with action and drama and tension and moments that literally made me gasp in surprise. Which is really the best thing I can ever hope for when reading a book.
Raisa is raised as a slave in the palace, one of only two who are taught the language of the gods--writing--in order to tutor the prince and council him when he one day becomes king. But Raisa doesn't plan for falling in love with him, nor that he would return her love. Or that the slave resistance will pressure her to help them, even as it threatens the life and safety of both herself and the prince.
When it all comes to a head, it seems only the gods will be able to save everyone.
This story is filled with romance and wonderful, deeply realized characters. Raisa is sympathetic and believable, and Mati is swoon-worthy and kind, which I particularly love, since I'm kind of over the bad boy romance thing.
The language and religion is fully developed and it's clear MacMillan spent a lot of time and energy getting it just right. And the ending explodes with action and drama and tension and moments that literally made me gasp in surprise. Which is really the best thing I can ever hope for when reading a book.
dnf
January 22, 2016**I received an ARC from HarperCollins/EpicReads as part of their early readers group in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.**
so i'm going to throw in the towel for this book. unfortunately, this book was just too dull and there's instalove. i made it about 25% through and there is literally no plot yet. whatever hints of plot there are it's not compelling enough. the characters are also just so flat and too tropey. i did get this for review from epic read early readers group so i feel a bit bad, but this book just isn't for me at all. *shrugs* oooooh well.
so i'm going to throw in the towel for this book. unfortunately, this book was just too dull and there's instalove. i made it about 25% through and there is literally no plot yet. whatever hints of plot there are it's not compelling enough. the characters are also just so flat and too tropey. i did get this for review from epic read early readers group so i feel a bit bad, but this book just isn't for me at all. *shrugs* oooooh well.
November 2, 2015
Wow! This was a fantasy power read for me--meaning, I read half one day and half the next, stopping only to sleep because the time change made me feel like 6pm was actually midnight!
SWORD AND VERSE is a richly-imagined fantasy set in a world where words are sacred, and writing is permitted only to Scholars. Raisa is an Arnath slave selected to study the written language as Tutor to the Qilarite royals, whom she comes to know and care for despite the deep, painful divide between their peoples. Raisa's story begins as that of a girl trying to find her place in between two worlds--slave and not slave, Tutor and not Qilarite--but over time, the veil between these worlds drops, and Raisa begins to question all that she knows to be true.
Perhaps the richest part of this story is how Raisa's own journey to understanding and action mirrors that of the ancient gods in this world. At the start of each chapter, we are treated to a tiny snippet of the Gods' story, and these snippets are just as captivating as the central narrative. Readers will love understanding how the worlds of the Gods and mortals collide, even when the characters do not.
There's something in SWORD AND VERSE for every reader: a true and fraught romance, secret alliances and risky choices, truth and lies. The literary qualities and complex world building will appeal to fans of FINNIKIN OF THE ROCK (Marchetta) and THE DEMON KING (Cinda Chima), while the themes speak strongly to issues facing us in today's modern world. Highly recommend!
(I received an ARC of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review)
SWORD AND VERSE is a richly-imagined fantasy set in a world where words are sacred, and writing is permitted only to Scholars. Raisa is an Arnath slave selected to study the written language as Tutor to the Qilarite royals, whom she comes to know and care for despite the deep, painful divide between their peoples. Raisa's story begins as that of a girl trying to find her place in between two worlds--slave and not slave, Tutor and not Qilarite--but over time, the veil between these worlds drops, and Raisa begins to question all that she knows to be true.
Perhaps the richest part of this story is how Raisa's own journey to understanding and action mirrors that of the ancient gods in this world. At the start of each chapter, we are treated to a tiny snippet of the Gods' story, and these snippets are just as captivating as the central narrative. Readers will love understanding how the worlds of the Gods and mortals collide, even when the characters do not.
There's something in SWORD AND VERSE for every reader: a true and fraught romance, secret alliances and risky choices, truth and lies. The literary qualities and complex world building will appeal to fans of FINNIKIN OF THE ROCK (Marchetta) and THE DEMON KING (Cinda Chima), while the themes speak strongly to issues facing us in today's modern world. Highly recommend!
(I received an ARC of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review)
December 31, 2015
Yesssssssss!!!! I got a little worried for a minute there, but in the end this book was everything I was hoping for and more!!!!!! The romance between the Prince & Raisa.... *sigh* my poor heart....
Awesome story! Full review to come!!!
----------------- FULL REVIEW 12/31/2015
Sword and Verse takes readers on an unforgettable adventure. Not only is this book amazing from the first word to the very last, it is also unpredictable, and has the PERFECT romance.
When I first saw the cover to this book I immediately knew I had to get my hands on it. Then I read the blurb and I was sold! I knew it would be one of those books that would keep me up all night reading, and would leave me with that craving for more. I honestly did not expect to be so into the story, and completely captivated with the characters like I was. It was all I thought about. Every single time I had to put the book down, I would get upset. I could not wait to dive back into Raisa’s story. It is THAT good.
One of the biggest things I love most about this story is the way the author wrote it. The story starts with Raisa as a young girl, and ends with her as a grown smart woman. I did not get lost once with the timeline. The author did an excellent job piecing it all together. For some reason this was a huge plus for me. The way the characters grow, the romance between Raisa & the Prince, the suspense whenever Raisa and the rebels were together, it was just flawless!
I will say that a little more than half of the story is romance. Of course, me being a romance junkie, this just made me fall in love with the book ten times more! I can’t describe the emotions I felt. Prince Mati & Raisa’s feelings for one another bled off the pages and I absorbed every bit of it! At one point, the author had me worried. I wasn’t sure what was going to happen to them as a couple, and was about ready to scream, but in the end I was happy with the outcome. Every detail, event, emotion, all happened at the right time, and all flowed together like putting the pieces to a puzzle together.
SWORD AND VERSE is a GOOD CHOICE FOR READING! It’s a story that you will devour and never forget. At least it was for me. Kathy MacMillan is officially on my MUST-READ list. If her other books are written anything like this one, it will be a sure read!
Awesome story! Full review to come!!!
----------------- FULL REVIEW 12/31/2015
Sword and Verse takes readers on an unforgettable adventure. Not only is this book amazing from the first word to the very last, it is also unpredictable, and has the PERFECT romance.
When I first saw the cover to this book I immediately knew I had to get my hands on it. Then I read the blurb and I was sold! I knew it would be one of those books that would keep me up all night reading, and would leave me with that craving for more. I honestly did not expect to be so into the story, and completely captivated with the characters like I was. It was all I thought about. Every single time I had to put the book down, I would get upset. I could not wait to dive back into Raisa’s story. It is THAT good.
One of the biggest things I love most about this story is the way the author wrote it. The story starts with Raisa as a young girl, and ends with her as a grown smart woman. I did not get lost once with the timeline. The author did an excellent job piecing it all together. For some reason this was a huge plus for me. The way the characters grow, the romance between Raisa & the Prince, the suspense whenever Raisa and the rebels were together, it was just flawless!
I will say that a little more than half of the story is romance. Of course, me being a romance junkie, this just made me fall in love with the book ten times more! I can’t describe the emotions I felt. Prince Mati & Raisa’s feelings for one another bled off the pages and I absorbed every bit of it! At one point, the author had me worried. I wasn’t sure what was going to happen to them as a couple, and was about ready to scream, but in the end I was happy with the outcome. Every detail, event, emotion, all happened at the right time, and all flowed together like putting the pieces to a puzzle together.
SWORD AND VERSE is a GOOD CHOICE FOR READING! It’s a story that you will devour and never forget. At least it was for me. Kathy MacMillan is officially on my MUST-READ list. If her other books are written anything like this one, it will be a sure read!
March 8, 2016
Review found at: www.awesomebooknut.com
This story was so unique. I loved the overall story and plot of this book.
This story tells of a unique kingdom that has conquered a people and outlawed learning to read and write. The levels of writing and who can read/write is complicated and different.
Raisa was from a conquered people that should’ve been extinct but she survived and is last of her “kind.” She doesn’t tell anyone of what she knows and who she really is. She is forced into servitude in the palace. She is then specially chosen to learn to read and write so that one day she may teach the heir to the throne.
She is thrown in with learning with the prince himself and they develop a bond and friendship which very quickly (when reading it) turns to love. Let’s come back to that later.
When the resistance contacts Raisa she has to make a choice that could help her people but put her at grave risk of her own life. The king does not toy or play with anyone breaking the law. Only certain kind of people are to be able to read and write. Raisa has to make a choice.
I appreciated Rasia as a character overall. She is bright, determined, and strong.
I really disliked the romance in this book. It was fast and it lacked mystery or anything magical. I found myself rolling my eyes A LOT and found it to be annoying. I thought and hoped that there might be another character involvement but I was disappointed. In the end, however I understood why the author did what she did even if I didn’t care for it.
Overall the story is intriguing and engaging, regardless if I hated the romance.
Sexual Content: moderate (lots of kissing, knowledge of 2 character had sex)
Language: mild/none
Violence: mild
Drugs/Alcohol: mild/none
This story was so unique. I loved the overall story and plot of this book.
This story tells of a unique kingdom that has conquered a people and outlawed learning to read and write. The levels of writing and who can read/write is complicated and different.
Raisa was from a conquered people that should’ve been extinct but she survived and is last of her “kind.” She doesn’t tell anyone of what she knows and who she really is. She is forced into servitude in the palace. She is then specially chosen to learn to read and write so that one day she may teach the heir to the throne.
She is thrown in with learning with the prince himself and they develop a bond and friendship which very quickly (when reading it) turns to love. Let’s come back to that later.
When the resistance contacts Raisa she has to make a choice that could help her people but put her at grave risk of her own life. The king does not toy or play with anyone breaking the law. Only certain kind of people are to be able to read and write. Raisa has to make a choice.
I appreciated Rasia as a character overall. She is bright, determined, and strong.
I really disliked the romance in this book. It was fast and it lacked mystery or anything magical. I found myself rolling my eyes A LOT and found it to be annoying. I thought and hoped that there might be another character involvement but I was disappointed. In the end, however I understood why the author did what she did even if I didn’t care for it.
Overall the story is intriguing and engaging, regardless if I hated the romance.
Sexual Content: moderate (lots of kissing, knowledge of 2 character had sex)
Language: mild/none
Violence: mild
Drugs/Alcohol: mild/none
January 18, 2016
Yaaaaaaaaawn.
November 9, 2015
First, as you know, books about books and words and the love of same tend to be my favorites.
As you can tell from the synopsis, this is a world where only a tiny handful of people are allowed to be literate. (We won't even talk about how terrifying that is for me.)
Know what we can talk about? How awesome Raisa is. Her entire motivation is to help people, even when there's a major risk to herself and her own safety. (Well, that's her primary motivation. Her secondary motivation is to decode a message given to her by her father---who is now dead---when she was a child. And that is also incredibly dangerous because all writing must be burned.)
So I loved Raisa and I loved Mati (the prince) and oh God, the two of them together. I ship it so hard, guys. So hard. I think I'm a complete sucker for love that cannot be, and is there anything more star-crossed than royalty and servants? Nope.
Plus, best news ever? It's the first book in a series. I cannot wait for the sequel; you don't even know.
Highly recommended.
As you can tell from the synopsis, this is a world where only a tiny handful of people are allowed to be literate. (We won't even talk about how terrifying that is for me.)
Know what we can talk about? How awesome Raisa is. Her entire motivation is to help people, even when there's a major risk to herself and her own safety. (Well, that's her primary motivation. Her secondary motivation is to decode a message given to her by her father---who is now dead---when she was a child. And that is also incredibly dangerous because all writing must be burned.)
So I loved Raisa and I loved Mati (the prince) and oh God, the two of them together. I ship it so hard, guys. So hard. I think I'm a complete sucker for love that cannot be, and is there anything more star-crossed than royalty and servants? Nope.
Plus, best news ever? It's the first book in a series. I cannot wait for the sequel; you don't even know.
Highly recommended.
October 24, 2017
Reseña completa -> http://thewordsofbooks.blogspot.com.e...
«Pero lo que quiero hacer no es siempre lo que debo hacer.»
25/07/2017
Terminado. Me ha mantenido muy enganchada y me ha gustado mucho toda la historia tan relacionada con la escritura y los libros. Solo tengo una pega que ponerle y el el romance que tiene demasiado protagonismo al comienzo se hace un poco pasteloso, claro que todo eso cambia y el misterio toma protagonismo y hace de este libro una historia mucho mas interesante. Si os gustan los amores prohibidos con historias de dioses, os recomiendo que le deis una oportunidad. Además, la historia se cierra por completo a pesar de que sea parte de una saga, tengo entendido que el siguiente libro son otros protagonistas.
«Pero lo que quiero hacer no es siempre lo que debo hacer.»
25/07/2017
Terminado. Me ha mantenido muy enganchada y me ha gustado mucho toda la historia tan relacionada con la escritura y los libros. Solo tengo una pega que ponerle y el el romance que tiene demasiado protagonismo al comienzo se hace un poco pasteloso, claro que todo eso cambia y el misterio toma protagonismo y hace de este libro una historia mucho mas interesante. Si os gustan los amores prohibidos con historias de dioses, os recomiendo que le deis una oportunidad. Además, la historia se cierra por completo a pesar de que sea parte de una saga, tengo entendido que el siguiente libro son otros protagonistas.
January 20, 2016
This review was originally posted on Books of Amber
I'm not entirely sure what the plot of Sword and Verse was meant to be. It had such promise. Promise of a revolution, of a slave fighting back for her people. Typically those are the stories that pull me in and make me fall head over heels, but in this case it fell flat. It just wasn't executed in a way that was enjoyable for me.
The biggest problem with this book is that the main focus is the instalove and romance between Raisa and Prince Mati. Obviously, this is forbidden, since Raisa is a slave, but there was no tension and no chemistry between them at all. They fall in love right away, and I was expecting Mati to be an "innocent first love" type thing, but that didn't turn out to be the case at all.
I also had issues with the timeline of the story and the pace at which it progressed. The book skips forward a year after the first chapter, which would normally be okay, but we missed a lot of build up between Raisa and Mati, which would have been essential for a book with this amount of romance. Then we continue to skip forward months into the future, and again, I feel like we missed a lot of character growth because of this.
I started skimming after a while because the entire first quarter - or first half, really - was just about Mati and Raisa's "love" and also about Raisa learning to read and write. There were too many descriptions of these writing lessons. I don't care if a letter has a curve that goes left or right, I just want something to happen!
I'm incredibly disappointed by this book, and I'm hesitant to call it a fantasy novel. It's definitely more of a romance.
November 8, 2015
Should Raisa stay loyal to the prince she loves or help her enslaved people carry out a secret rebellion?
I love what Kathy MacMillan does with the dilemma at the heart of this novel. Raisa's relationship with the prince isn't easy, and the leaders of the rebellion aren't always trustworthy. Raisa has to make a lot of difficult decisions, and the results didn't always play out as I expected them to.
I've been recommending this to my friends who love books like Graceling, and they're eager to get a copy!
I had a chance to read the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I love what Kathy MacMillan does with the dilemma at the heart of this novel. Raisa's relationship with the prince isn't easy, and the leaders of the rebellion aren't always trustworthy. Raisa has to make a lot of difficult decisions, and the results didn't always play out as I expected them to.
I've been recommending this to my friends who love books like Graceling, and they're eager to get a copy!
I had a chance to read the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Read
June 23, 2016I was biting my nails about Mati for like the entire book. Hoping he wasn't a bad guy. Hoping he'd do the right thing. Hoping he wouldn't die. Seriously, like the entire book. That's how invested I was in him. This is such a creative and unique world. The mythology is so interesting and the writing is cool! Reminds me a little of Chinese writing with the brush strokes. The end was so climatic! Still recovering. =)
November 26, 2015
You guise, I swore to myself I had to stop reading for a bit because I had work piled on my desk but when this ARC came i was was like (╯°□°)╯︵ ┻━┻ WORK BE DAMNED! And while my deadlines might hate me, I'm glad I followed my heart.
I flew through this stunner in less than 24 hours because I couldn't put it down. The gods! The world! The romance! THE KISSING!
SWORD AND VERSE was an epic high fantasy filled with intrigue and power struggles and incredible characters. My favorite was actually Soraya, and I can't wait for the companion novel because
But the book was really incredible and I highly recommend it, especially if you love high fantasy, because this one has a great mythos that built an amazing world for these characters to fight to change.
I flew through this stunner in less than 24 hours because I couldn't put it down. The gods! The world! The romance! THE KISSING!
SWORD AND VERSE was an epic high fantasy filled with intrigue and power struggles and incredible characters. My favorite was actually Soraya, and I can't wait for the companion novel because
But the book was really incredible and I highly recommend it, especially if you love high fantasy, because this one has a great mythos that built an amazing world for these characters to fight to change.
September 14, 2015
In her debut novel, Kathy MacMillan has created an intricately imagined fantasy world with a wonderful mythology, where slaves (and most of the populace) are forbidden literacy. But Raisa, a slave child, is given an unexpected gift when she's raised to the position of the prince's tutor, and taught to read alongside the prince. But just as a forbidden relationship with the prince blossoms, Raisa also gets drawn into an underground slave rebellion and is forced to figure out where her alliances lie. The book was beautiful, lyrical, heart-breaking and stirring all at once.
February 10, 2016
An epic high fantasy!
When I saw the gorgeous cover, with that prominent sword, I thought this might be one of those YAs with a lot of flashy blade-slashing and gory battle scenes that all become the same after a while. But I had hopes for something better.
My hopes were fulfilled. This is an intriguing story, set in a world built so well that it feels truly historical, with a reluctant heroine who has to do a hell of a lot more than step up to some pre-arranged "Destiny".
This heroine, Raisa, must first shake off the mental shackles and ingrained fears of being a captive slave for most of her life, before she can surprise herself--and everyone else--by what she becomes.
I was particularly impressed by the author's bold willingness to let Raisa have doubts, fears, and realistic caution, as well as a conflict that pulls her back at first from doing what she's not yet even sure is the right thing. She's not a cardboard cutout of a heroine (insert "Destiny" here; turn crank; spit out triumphant ending).
I've read books before where a downtrodden character in a system of oppression is inexplicably untouched by years of grinding abuse. When you create an oppressed protagonist who is somehow superhuman, who can fearlessly fight the way to freedom just beause s/he is BRAVER THAN ANYONE ELSE...it's just one step away from blaming slaves for being slaves, as if being brutalized and losing your freedom is some kind of cowardly choice you make, or the inherent and understandable condition of simply not being badass.
This doesn't happen in SWORD AND VERSE. Raisa has, at first, no notion whatsoever of trying to be free. In fact, she knows she's (relatively, for a slave) lucky to have gotten a post in the royal palace learning a secret writing system she's always wanted to know, and she's totally not going to jeopardize that, when the alternative is either doing the dangerous cleaning of temple ceilings, or...if she joins the Resistance...being burned alive. So she turns down opportunities to help the freedom fighters, who she's not even sure she can trust.
There's also the little detail that she's being tutored in the royals-only writing system by the side of Prince Mati, the heir apparent to the throne of the really-not-nice-at-all King. (Why is she, a non-royal, being tutored in a royals-only writing system? You'll find out.) And they've fallen in love.
Then a tragedy happens, and Raisa starts putting together clues from her past with strange tokens and omens in the present, to create a startling new version of reality that thrusts her into the middle of a battle. However, this battle must be won, not with the sword, but with the power of the words that have been jealously guarded by the kings of the land for so long. And Raisa happens to be an expert in them.
You will not believe how it ends. It's intensely satisfying on every level. The overarching mythos and the separate storylines of the book are all brought to a mutual, breathtaking conclusion. It feels so right, because the characters earned what they won. But there's a current of magic flowing through the narrative as well, elevating it to a very special level of "yes".
I loved this book! And if you love high fantasy, so will you.
When I saw the gorgeous cover, with that prominent sword, I thought this might be one of those YAs with a lot of flashy blade-slashing and gory battle scenes that all become the same after a while. But I had hopes for something better.
My hopes were fulfilled. This is an intriguing story, set in a world built so well that it feels truly historical, with a reluctant heroine who has to do a hell of a lot more than step up to some pre-arranged "Destiny".
This heroine, Raisa, must first shake off the mental shackles and ingrained fears of being a captive slave for most of her life, before she can surprise herself--and everyone else--by what she becomes.
I was particularly impressed by the author's bold willingness to let Raisa have doubts, fears, and realistic caution, as well as a conflict that pulls her back at first from doing what she's not yet even sure is the right thing. She's not a cardboard cutout of a heroine (insert "Destiny" here; turn crank; spit out triumphant ending).
I've read books before where a downtrodden character in a system of oppression is inexplicably untouched by years of grinding abuse. When you create an oppressed protagonist who is somehow superhuman, who can fearlessly fight the way to freedom just beause s/he is BRAVER THAN ANYONE ELSE...it's just one step away from blaming slaves for being slaves, as if being brutalized and losing your freedom is some kind of cowardly choice you make, or the inherent and understandable condition of simply not being badass.
This doesn't happen in SWORD AND VERSE. Raisa has, at first, no notion whatsoever of trying to be free. In fact, she knows she's (relatively, for a slave) lucky to have gotten a post in the royal palace learning a secret writing system she's always wanted to know, and she's totally not going to jeopardize that, when the alternative is either doing the dangerous cleaning of temple ceilings, or...if she joins the Resistance...being burned alive. So she turns down opportunities to help the freedom fighters, who she's not even sure she can trust.
There's also the little detail that she's being tutored in the royals-only writing system by the side of Prince Mati, the heir apparent to the throne of the really-not-nice-at-all King. (Why is she, a non-royal, being tutored in a royals-only writing system? You'll find out.) And they've fallen in love.
Then a tragedy happens, and Raisa starts putting together clues from her past with strange tokens and omens in the present, to create a startling new version of reality that thrusts her into the middle of a battle. However, this battle must be won, not with the sword, but with the power of the words that have been jealously guarded by the kings of the land for so long. And Raisa happens to be an expert in them.
You will not believe how it ends. It's intensely satisfying on every level. The overarching mythos and the separate storylines of the book are all brought to a mutual, breathtaking conclusion. It feels so right, because the characters earned what they won. But there's a current of magic flowing through the narrative as well, elevating it to a very special level of "yes".
I loved this book! And if you love high fantasy, so will you.
February 11, 2016
This was beautiful. I don't even have words right now. I need to let everything sink down, but I'll write a review as soon as I can.
--------------------------------------
Okay, I'm not gonna lie, I finished this book on August 29, and since then I've forgotten a lot of details I wanted to talk about. I just forgot I hadn't written my review yet, sometimes I really don't like myself.
Let me start of with saying that I won an Advanced Reader's Copy over on twitter by Harper 360 UK and I am so, so grateful that I got the chance to read this book early. I absolutely loved this book.
First of all, this is a YA fantasy standalone. Doesn't that alone sell you? I know I was very intrigued when I heard it was a fantasy standalone. That very rarely happens. It worked perfectly as a standalone. There are almost no loose ends and the ending was perfect. There is one very little thing I was a little confused about, but that might have just been me. Sometimes I miss little things, mainly because English isn't my mother tongue.
Something that plays a big part in this story is religion. I know a lot people sometimes have a hard time reading fantasy books that deals a lot with religion (I must say I'm not one of those people), but I think not many people will have that problem with this book. The religion ties in very well with the world building and the story overall.
When I read the first chapter, I was afraid the story would be too juvenile for me because the main character, Raisa, was only fourteen. That was not true at all. The story takes place over a couple of years, and in the end Raisa was, I believe, eightteen. I loved that it takes place over such a time span because people really chance during the course of a couple of years, so you could really see some character development, by multiple characters.
Because this book covers multiple years, the timespan of events and things that happen in this book is in my eyes very realistic. Sometimes you see in books that suddenly all hell breaks loose in just a few weeks or however long the timespan is in a book.
I really hope this book will get a map. I always love seeing maps in fantasy books, but I think it,ll fit this story. It isn't persé neccessary to understand, but it would be nice. Raisa and her people are enslaved and takes to this land where the story takes place, but I'd like to see where her homeland would be compared to where she lives now etcetera.
All with all, I really, really recommend this book. One of the best ones I've read this year. I think it's a very unique story. Definitely keep your eyes open in January, when it comes out :)
--------------------------------------
Okay, I'm not gonna lie, I finished this book on August 29, and since then I've forgotten a lot of details I wanted to talk about. I just forgot I hadn't written my review yet, sometimes I really don't like myself.
Let me start of with saying that I won an Advanced Reader's Copy over on twitter by Harper 360 UK and I am so, so grateful that I got the chance to read this book early. I absolutely loved this book.
First of all, this is a YA fantasy standalone. Doesn't that alone sell you? I know I was very intrigued when I heard it was a fantasy standalone. That very rarely happens. It worked perfectly as a standalone. There are almost no loose ends and the ending was perfect. There is one very little thing I was a little confused about, but that might have just been me. Sometimes I miss little things, mainly because English isn't my mother tongue.
Something that plays a big part in this story is religion. I know a lot people sometimes have a hard time reading fantasy books that deals a lot with religion (I must say I'm not one of those people), but I think not many people will have that problem with this book. The religion ties in very well with the world building and the story overall.
When I read the first chapter, I was afraid the story would be too juvenile for me because the main character, Raisa, was only fourteen. That was not true at all. The story takes place over a couple of years, and in the end Raisa was, I believe, eightteen. I loved that it takes place over such a time span because people really chance during the course of a couple of years, so you could really see some character development, by multiple characters.
Because this book covers multiple years, the timespan of events and things that happen in this book is in my eyes very realistic. Sometimes you see in books that suddenly all hell breaks loose in just a few weeks or however long the timespan is in a book.
I really hope this book will get a map. I always love seeing maps in fantasy books, but I think it,ll fit this story. It isn't persé neccessary to understand, but it would be nice. Raisa and her people are enslaved and takes to this land where the story takes place, but I'd like to see where her homeland would be compared to where she lives now etcetera.
All with all, I really, really recommend this book. One of the best ones I've read this year. I think it's a very unique story. Definitely keep your eyes open in January, when it comes out :)
November 2, 2015
3.5/5 Stars
Sword and Verse reads exactly how I want historical fiction novels to read. There is a lot of information, a very detailed setting, but with twists that change the original story. I don't think that Sword and Verse is actually a historical fiction, but I really wish that more books from that genre were more like this one. Sword and Verse would have benefited from being broken up into two books so that MacMillan would have had more time and space to develop the plot and the characters. The pacing of the book goes from to slow to BAM—you've advanced months or even years forward in time. At times, it worked and during other times, it didn't. I really like Raisa and Mati's relationship, and I especially loved how much faith Mati had in Raisa, despite everything she put him through. However, I have to say that I found Raisa to be really frustrating at times; there may have been a few instances when I wanted to shake her a bit haha. All in all, it was an interesting read, but it would have been better if some of it's plot devices were expanded upon.
Check out my full review + GIVEAWAY of an ARC of Sword and Verse by clicking HERE
Sword and Verse reads exactly how I want historical fiction novels to read. There is a lot of information, a very detailed setting, but with twists that change the original story. I don't think that Sword and Verse is actually a historical fiction, but I really wish that more books from that genre were more like this one. Sword and Verse would have benefited from being broken up into two books so that MacMillan would have had more time and space to develop the plot and the characters. The pacing of the book goes from to slow to BAM—you've advanced months or even years forward in time. At times, it worked and during other times, it didn't. I really like Raisa and Mati's relationship, and I especially loved how much faith Mati had in Raisa, despite everything she put him through. However, I have to say that I found Raisa to be really frustrating at times; there may have been a few instances when I wanted to shake her a bit haha. All in all, it was an interesting read, but it would have been better if some of it's plot devices were expanded upon.
Check out my full review + GIVEAWAY of an ARC of Sword and Verse by clicking HERE
September 8, 2015
I received an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
The premise of this book is so unique and will appeal to teen who loves books, words and an unlikely love story. Kathy MacMillan has woven a wonderful story that demonstrates the power of language and communication, and the danger of limiting those within our world.
Add Sword and Verse to your to-be read list!
The premise of this book is so unique and will appeal to teen who loves books, words and an unlikely love story. Kathy MacMillan has woven a wonderful story that demonstrates the power of language and communication, and the danger of limiting those within our world.
Add Sword and Verse to your to-be read list!
May 6, 2016
Out of all the Harper Teen Winter 2016 books, Kathy MacMillan's Sword and Verse was my most anticipated 2016 debut. The synopsis called to me with its mention of a kingdom where reading and writing is illegal. It sounded unique and a book brimming with a ton of potential. Sadly though, the execution of the story was faulty and Sword and Verse ended up disappointing me.
There's a LOT that went wrong for me with Sword and Verse, but briefly, here are my main issues:
Number 1: The bland and insufferable characters
Anytime I read a book, for me to actually like the story, I need to enjoy the characters, especially the narrators. When I can't see eye to eye with the character telling the story, then it's trouble in paradise for us no matter how exciting or interesting the story is. Without any doubt, characters are THE most important elements in a book for me. In Sword and Verse, I didn't care for any of the characters because they were flat, underdeveloped and caricatures of fantasy characters. From the protagonist, Raisa, to the villains, none of these characters were remotely given any kind of attention when it comes to past, growth and character-building. To me, they were just names on paper. We were told about these qualities Raisa had, but never truly shown them. Because of that, most of them just ended up being dull as dishwater and unmemorable in every way.
Number 2: Terrible TERRIBLE romance
Hate insta-love? Stay far far far away from Sword and Verse. I'm not one to usually vehemently hate on insta-love. But my goodness. The romance in Sword and Verse made me cringe with how uncomfortably fast it developed. By 20%, Raisa and her love interest, Prince Mati, have confessed their love for each other. By 25%, they've slept together. There was absolutely no build up, no chemistry to their relationship, which made the romance yet another boring and almost lifeless part of the story. It felt really sloppy, almost as if the author was told she needed to have a romance in her book when she didn't want to and so she tried her best to get it over with as quickly as possible. For a romance reader like me, the romance was really really frustrating. When you're sick and tired of the couple kissing (I swear Raisa and Mati kissed like EVERY freaking page - there is apparently something as too much kissing), you know the romance isn't for you.
Number 3: Where's the world building? Where's the story? Really, where's ANYTHING interesting?
As a fan of the written word, I was thrilled that Sword and Verse had all these cool Gods and symbols and a focus on literacy. That's like everything I want out of a book! But I was clearly wrong because apparently there are ways to make an intriguing concept like that flat as a pancake. The world building in Sword and Verse was truly lacking, the story telling offering nothing fresh in the fantasy genre. It was disheartening because this is a book that had so much of unexplored potential. It could have been EPIC, but the execution was sadly not that great.
I'm sad that I disliked this book so much but there just wasn't any part of Sword and Verse I was invested in. As an author, I think MacMillan has the creative juices and the potential, but perhaps she needs to work on her character development and pacing issues. I'm willing to give her a second chance if she ever does write another book in the future though.
October 1, 2015
Вкратце: есть принц, есть девица из рабов, которая вдруг выбилась в люди и стала приближенной принца. Есть сопротивление, которое обратилось к девице, чтобы "спасти обиженных и угнетенных". И девица вся в раздумьях: выручать народ али сохранить верность почти любимому?
В общем, будто бы ничего нового, но на самом деле новое и интересное есть. И кабы все остальное не было таким сомнительным, я бы могла влюбиться в эту историю.
Начнем с мира: он хорош, да. Местами недоработан и перекошен, но любопытен. Здесь грамота доступна лишь избранным - в частности, правителю, ибо используют написанные символы для общения с богами. Жрецы тоже обучены, но знают чуть меньше. Аристократы тоже мнят себя образованными, но в итоге им преподают символы лишь низшего порядка. А всем остальным запрещено даже прикасаться к бумаге.
Когда-то одна богиня - сестра царя богов - пыталась передать знание всем людям, за что царь разгневался, да наказал ее, унизив, заткнув рот кляпом и...
Эм, ладно, боги - отдельная тема. Перед каждой главой автор дает нам по кусочку из их бытия, да и из уст героев можно почерпнуть о богах много интересного - действительно безумно интересного. Выстроенная автором мифология, конечно, не уникальна на сто процентов, но она цепляет почище основной истории. В этом плане мир блестящий - у него есть прочный фундамент.
А вот дальше начинаются косяки...
Некоторые моменты романа выглядят как синопсис. К примеру, мы всю главу наблюдаем, как героиня занимается чисткой-уборкой, потом ее застукивают у свитка с символами, едва не казнят, принц спасает и... буквально в двух предложениях: меня наказали, посадили в чулан, а потом был отбор, и меня выбрали ученицей Репетитора. Серьезно, два предложения. Тыщ. Прошел год. И всю следующую главу мы на пару с принцем рисуем буковки.
И чиво? Как бы хочется побольше узнать и про отбор, и про то, с какого перепугу тебя вдруг выбрали.
Очень неравномерно автор уделяет время деталям: где-то бестолку акцентирует внимание, а важные вещи смазывает и упускает.
Далее, из-за того же "прошел год" в самом начале романа мы не видим развития отношений героев. Чувства появляются из ниоткуда. Я понимаю, что этот год они там ежедневно вместе учились, общались, глазели друг на друга, но как читатель я не успеваю этим проникнуться. Получается, пару страниц назад ребята встретились, и вот уже чуть ли не любовь до гроба.
Сами герои...
Принц такой шаблонный-шаблонный, что на нем уже штамп ставить некуда.
А героиня... ну, нытик с прибабахами. Мне понравилось, что она не сразу кинулась в сопротивление, что подумала о себе, своей размеренной жизни, вспомнила рабские деньки... Я ждала развития, осознания, взросления. Но девочка получилась слабенькой. Не совсем размазней, но там, где она не вызывала жалости, она не вызывала и никаких других эмоций.
Всех второстепенных персов вполне можно заменить картонными табличками с именами.
Короче, издательская версия выходит в январе. Очень хочется верить, что хотя бы тупо слитые и втиснутые в пару слов моменты будут доработаны, и прекрасная задумка не пропадет.
Хотя по-хорошему надо оставлять только скелет и наращивать на него новую историю.
Я поначалу радовалась, что роман самостоятельный, но теперь была бы не против продолжения - вдруг там бы все получилось на уровень выше? Хотя автор вроде упоминала, что пишет роман о том же мире и других героях... Не знаю, посмотрим, что выйдет.
Две звезды - только за богов и вкуснятину о том, дескать, у каждого сердца есть свой стих...
В общем, будто бы ничего нового, но на самом деле новое и интересное есть. И кабы все остальное не было таким сомнительным, я бы могла влюбиться в эту историю.
Начнем с мира: он хорош, да. Местами недоработан и перекошен, но любопытен. Здесь грамота доступна лишь избранным - в частности, правителю, ибо используют написанные символы для общения с богами. Жрецы тоже обучены, но знают чуть меньше. Аристократы тоже мнят себя образованными, но в итоге им преподают символы лишь низшего порядка. А всем остальным запрещено даже прикасаться к бумаге.
Когда-то одна богиня - сестра царя богов - пыталась передать знание всем людям, за что царь разгневался, да наказал ее, унизив, заткнув рот кляпом и...
Эм, ладно, боги - отдельная тема. Перед каждой главой автор дает нам по кусочку из их бытия, да и из уст героев можно почерпнуть о богах много интересного - действительно безумно интересного. Выстроенная автором мифология, конечно, не уникальна на сто процентов, но она цепляет почище основной истории. В этом плане мир блестящий - у него есть прочный фундамент.
А вот дальше начинаются косяки...
Некоторые моменты романа выглядят как синопсис. К примеру, мы всю главу наблюдаем, как героиня занимается чисткой-уборкой, потом ее застукивают у свитка с символами, едва не казнят, принц спасает и... буквально в двух предложениях: меня наказали, посадили в чулан, а потом был отбор, и меня выбрали ученицей Репетитора. Серьезно, два предложения. Тыщ. Прошел год. И всю следующую главу мы на пару с принцем рисуем буковки.
И чиво? Как бы хочется побольше узнать и про отбор, и про то, с какого перепугу тебя вдруг выбрали.
Очень неравномерно автор уделяет время деталям: где-то бестолку акцентирует внимание, а важные вещи смазывает и упускает.
Далее, из-за того же "прошел год" в самом начале романа мы не видим развития отношений героев. Чувства появляются из ниоткуда. Я понимаю, что этот год они там ежедневно вместе учились, общались, глазели друг на друга, но как читатель я не успеваю этим проникнуться. Получается, пару страниц назад ребята встретились, и вот уже чуть ли не любовь до гроба.
Сами герои...
Принц такой шаблонный-шаблонный, что на нем уже штамп ставить некуда.
А героиня... ну, нытик с прибабахами. Мне понравилось, что она не сразу кинулась в сопротивление, что подумала о себе, своей размеренной жизни, вспомнила рабские деньки... Я ждала развития, осознания, взросления. Но девочка получилась слабенькой. Не совсем размазней, но там, где она не вызывала жалости, она не вызывала и никаких других эмоций.
Всех второстепенных персов вполне можно заменить картонными табличками с именами.
Короче, издательская версия выходит в январе. Очень хочется верить, что хотя бы тупо слитые и втиснутые в пару слов моменты будут доработаны, и прекрасная задумка не пропадет.
Хотя по-хорошему надо оставлять только скелет и наращивать на него новую историю.
Я поначалу радовалась, что роман самостоятельный, но теперь была бы не против продолжения - вдруг там бы все получилось на уровень выше? Хотя автор вроде упоминала, что пишет роман о том же мире и других героях... Не знаю, посмотрим, что выйдет.
Две звезды - только за богов и вкуснятину о том, дескать, у каждого сердца есть свой стих...
July 10, 2016
Actual Rating: 3.5 stars
Let me just start off by saying how much I love this cover. IT'S SO GORGEOUSSSS AHHH. The cover and the synopsis are what actually made me pick up the book in the first place. I loved the concept of this book!
The main character, Raisa, was pretty likable. One thing I loved about her was how she didn't just sit around and not do anything. She was took action, especially at the end of the book. She did whatever she could to help people and I loved that about her, even though that got her into a few problematic situations. However, Raisa was a bit frustrating at times. I didn't really like the parts when she kept on moping around. I mean, I understood why she was moping around, but it started getting on my nerves a bit.
The romance in this book was not my favorite thing about it, but it was okay. Personally, I'm not really a fan of forbidden romances and stuff, so I guess that's why I didn't enjoy it as much as I could have. But, I did love watching how Raisa and Mati's relationship grew. And the one thing I really, really loved about their relationship was how much they trusted each other. IT WAS JUST BEAUTIFUL. Honestly, that isn't something I find that often in YA, so it was quite refreshing.
My most favorite thing about the book was definitely the world building and the writing style. If the world building of a fantasy book isn't good, then I don't expect to like it because I personally believe that world building is the most important part of it. If the world the author creates isn't believable, then everything else in the story just feels off. The world building in this book was excellent! I could actually envision the world the characters lived in and I understood pretty much everything that was going on. I loved the writing because Kathy MacMillan's writing style is just beautiful!
One other thing I loved was the little mythology portions right at the beginning of each chapter. I'm a huge fan of mythology books, so I loved how that was incorporated into Sword and Verse! And each of them connected to what was going on in the story, so I felt like I understood was happening in the story better and it helped with the world building, as well.
One problem I had with this book was that it had a lot of characters. I read this book slowly over the course of a week, and often found myself reading a character's name and being like "huh, who's that?" I felt that most characters introduced to the story were relevant, but they weren't that important. This made the book a little confusing for me at times, but it wasn't a huge problem overall.
Overall, this book was a great debut and I definitely plan on reading more of Kathy MacMillan's books in the future!
Let me just start off by saying how much I love this cover. IT'S SO GORGEOUSSSS AHHH. The cover and the synopsis are what actually made me pick up the book in the first place. I loved the concept of this book!
The main character, Raisa, was pretty likable. One thing I loved about her was how she didn't just sit around and not do anything. She was took action, especially at the end of the book. She did whatever she could to help people and I loved that about her, even though that got her into a few problematic situations. However, Raisa was a bit frustrating at times. I didn't really like the parts when she kept on moping around. I mean, I understood why she was moping around, but it started getting on my nerves a bit.
The romance in this book was not my favorite thing about it, but it was okay. Personally, I'm not really a fan of forbidden romances and stuff, so I guess that's why I didn't enjoy it as much as I could have. But, I did love watching how Raisa and Mati's relationship grew. And the one thing I really, really loved about their relationship was how much they trusted each other. IT WAS JUST BEAUTIFUL. Honestly, that isn't something I find that often in YA, so it was quite refreshing.
My most favorite thing about the book was definitely the world building and the writing style. If the world building of a fantasy book isn't good, then I don't expect to like it because I personally believe that world building is the most important part of it. If the world the author creates isn't believable, then everything else in the story just feels off. The world building in this book was excellent! I could actually envision the world the characters lived in and I understood pretty much everything that was going on. I loved the writing because Kathy MacMillan's writing style is just beautiful!
One other thing I loved was the little mythology portions right at the beginning of each chapter. I'm a huge fan of mythology books, so I loved how that was incorporated into Sword and Verse! And each of them connected to what was going on in the story, so I felt like I understood was happening in the story better and it helped with the world building, as well.
One problem I had with this book was that it had a lot of characters. I read this book slowly over the course of a week, and often found myself reading a character's name and being like "huh, who's that?" I felt that most characters introduced to the story were relevant, but they weren't that important. This made the book a little confusing for me at times, but it wasn't a huge problem overall.
Overall, this book was a great debut and I definitely plan on reading more of Kathy MacMillan's books in the future!
January 28, 2016
Wow! Talk about storytelling and world-building! From the very first page I was sucked into Raisa's world and never stopped rooting for her. When she falls in love with the Prince Mati, your heart breaks for her, for it seems like the age-old story of slave girl falling in love with the one thing she cannot have, but as is the case with every aspect of this book, there are layers within layers that lead to a surprise in every chapter and this is a page-turner to the very end. Besides the fully constructed characters, I loved the detail Kathy has put into this book - the mythology, the rules, and most of all, the written language. It was breathtaking and so impressive! The imagination and discipline to do this is mind-blogging and this book will be beloved not only by those of us who love a wonderful story, but by those who love language and linguistics. This is a special book and I will definitely be recommending it to everyone!
August 22, 2015
Absolutely amazing. One to watch, that's for sure! Review coming later on!
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