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Untalented
Saroya: Untalented, a stain on her family's honor. Orphaned and barred from the Guilds, she has nowhere to go when her Talent fails to emerge.
Loric: Brother-in-law to the king. Thwarted in his ambitions, he'd do anything to usurp the throne. And he finds just the scandal he needs when he unearths Saroya's hidden pedigree.
The Kingdom of Veyle: Where all power flows to the Talented, and where the Guilds and the Order of Adepts control the destinies of Talented and Untalented alike.
When calamity strikes the capital city, with Untalents blamed and on trial, Saroya knows that proving her Talent and parentage means saving more than just her own life. A tangle of lies hides secrets that force Saroya to choose between her future and Veyle's.
Loric: Brother-in-law to the king. Thwarted in his ambitions, he'd do anything to usurp the throne. And he finds just the scandal he needs when he unearths Saroya's hidden pedigree.
The Kingdom of Veyle: Where all power flows to the Talented, and where the Guilds and the Order of Adepts control the destinies of Talented and Untalented alike.
When calamity strikes the capital city, with Untalents blamed and on trial, Saroya knows that proving her Talent and parentage means saving more than just her own life. A tangle of lies hides secrets that force Saroya to choose between her future and Veyle's.
- GenresFantasyYoung Adult
288 pages, Paperback
First published July 30, 2014
45 people are currently reading
571 people want to read
About the author
Katrina Archer
10 books70 followersKatrina Archer is the author of dark fantasy The Tree of Souls, YA fantasy Untalented, and nature photography book Shorescapes of Southern British Columbia. A former engineer, she lives on her sailboat in Vancouver, BC, Canada. Katrina has worked in aerospace, video games, and film, and has been known to copy edit for fun.
Katrina’s work was a 2016 Library Journal Indie Ebook Awards Honorable Mention. She is an alumnus of the Viable Paradise and Paradise Lost writing workshops, and a member of Codex Writers and SF Canada.
She can operate almost any vehicle that can’t fly, doesn’t believe in life without books or chocolate, and was once owned by a cat more famous in Germany than she is.
Connect with her online at www.katrinaarcher.com.
Katrina’s work was a 2016 Library Journal Indie Ebook Awards Honorable Mention. She is an alumnus of the Viable Paradise and Paradise Lost writing workshops, and a member of Codex Writers and SF Canada.
She can operate almost any vehicle that can’t fly, doesn’t believe in life without books or chocolate, and was once owned by a cat more famous in Germany than she is.
Connect with her online at www.katrinaarcher.com.
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
July 29, 2015
This book is such a mixed bag, I have no clue how to rate it. There were parts of this book that made me foam at the mouth in rage, and then there were moments of absolute brilliance that practically blinded me with the complete awesomeness that was present.
The following might contain spoilers and a bit of ranting. You have been warned.
First, the setting seemed to me to be an alternate past/fantasy Medieval/Renaissance mixture. There were Guilds of different professions that one had to test into. If you didn't test into a Guild, you were considered "Untalented" and basically scum of the earth. The "Untalented" did the jobs no one else wanted, were kept in poverty and segregated into certain areas of the city. They were blamed for the plague and other ills, despite their having no nexus to anything more negative than any other group.
I drew a connection between how the "Untalented" were treated and hated and disliked to how the Jews were treated in Europe and other places in the past. I may have only made that connection because the book I finished before this one was about the Nazi occupation of Poland during WWII and the plight of the Jews was still fresh in my mind.
Whether the author intended that connection or not, that is what I picked up and I admit, I thought it was BRILLIANT. Fiction is a good way to teach those reading it about how cruel people can be, so the reader avoids acting like that and can make connections in their own world and life. Again, not sure if that was the intention of the author or not, but it worked for me.
I'm also a sucker for infectious diseases and epidemiology, so having the plague in the book and the MC doing footwork, going hovel to hovel, asking questions, to try to determine the cause and spread of the disease was SOOOO COOL.
So, two major pluses for this book. Now, for the less than stellar.
1) TSTL characters. The MC is CONSTANTLY being accused of lying by EVERYONE because she is "Untalented". Granted, she did try to lie to get into a Guild so she wouldn't live in squaller and poverty the rest of her life, but when she WAS telling the truth, she should have led off with her PROOF instead of waiting until the end of the discussion when her friend walked out on her, AGAIN.
2) You promise not to do something, you stick by it. Preggers woman comes to you for help, you send the kid that comes with her to get the healer. You don't wait it out to see what happens and assume you can make it work.
3) The absolute UNFAIRNESS of what happened to the MC when she wasn't busy shooting herself in the foot, was overwhelming. You would think with the deck stacked against her so badly, that she wouldn't self-sabotage, but I guess some people are really that clueless.
4) The love interest came out of NOWHERE. 98% of the way into the book, the guy the MC has to keep turning to for help, who sometimes helps her and sometimes turns her away, who thinks she is a liar because she is "Untalented"
SPOILER SPOLIER SPOLIER
reveals that he is ALSO "Untalented" and shows a bit of emotion other than disdain for her.
Dude, if you are the same as she, only she was unlucky enough to be publicly found to be "Untalented", maybe her lies are for SURVIVAL. And MAYBE she isn't really lying!!!
He treats her like crud the ENTIRE time, yet at the end when he touches her face, her heart's all racing and she seems to have an interest in him too.
Say WHAT??!? There was NO INKLING of ANY attraction between them at ALL and then it just pops out 2% before the end?? Why even bother at that point?
5) Our "Untalented" MC is really a "Visionary" and is a special snowflake. She's a long lost Princess, a "Visionary" and "Divergent"... wait, no, that was another book, much worse than this one. There was a bit too much that sounded like "Divergent" to me for me to overlook it.
All in all, not a horrible book, but not a great one either, which is a shame, because it had such potential. It would probably do well with a YA audience. 2.5 stars, rounded up because of the historical tie in and the plague. I would recommend this with reservations.
The following might contain spoilers and a bit of ranting. You have been warned.
First, the setting seemed to me to be an alternate past/fantasy Medieval/Renaissance mixture. There were Guilds of different professions that one had to test into. If you didn't test into a Guild, you were considered "Untalented" and basically scum of the earth. The "Untalented" did the jobs no one else wanted, were kept in poverty and segregated into certain areas of the city. They were blamed for the plague and other ills, despite their having no nexus to anything more negative than any other group.
I drew a connection between how the "Untalented" were treated and hated and disliked to how the Jews were treated in Europe and other places in the past. I may have only made that connection because the book I finished before this one was about the Nazi occupation of Poland during WWII and the plight of the Jews was still fresh in my mind.
Whether the author intended that connection or not, that is what I picked up and I admit, I thought it was BRILLIANT. Fiction is a good way to teach those reading it about how cruel people can be, so the reader avoids acting like that and can make connections in their own world and life. Again, not sure if that was the intention of the author or not, but it worked for me.
I'm also a sucker for infectious diseases and epidemiology, so having the plague in the book and the MC doing footwork, going hovel to hovel, asking questions, to try to determine the cause and spread of the disease was SOOOO COOL.
So, two major pluses for this book. Now, for the less than stellar.
1) TSTL characters. The MC is CONSTANTLY being accused of lying by EVERYONE because she is "Untalented". Granted, she did try to lie to get into a Guild so she wouldn't live in squaller and poverty the rest of her life, but when she WAS telling the truth, she should have led off with her PROOF instead of waiting until the end of the discussion when her friend walked out on her, AGAIN.
2) You promise not to do something, you stick by it. Preggers woman comes to you for help, you send the kid that comes with her to get the healer. You don't wait it out to see what happens and assume you can make it work.
3) The absolute UNFAIRNESS of what happened to the MC when she wasn't busy shooting herself in the foot, was overwhelming. You would think with the deck stacked against her so badly, that she wouldn't self-sabotage, but I guess some people are really that clueless.
4) The love interest came out of NOWHERE. 98% of the way into the book, the guy the MC has to keep turning to for help, who sometimes helps her and sometimes turns her away, who thinks she is a liar because she is "Untalented"
SPOILER SPOLIER SPOLIER
reveals that he is ALSO "Untalented" and shows a bit of emotion other than disdain for her.
Dude, if you are the same as she, only she was unlucky enough to be publicly found to be "Untalented", maybe her lies are for SURVIVAL. And MAYBE she isn't really lying!!!
He treats her like crud the ENTIRE time, yet at the end when he touches her face, her heart's all racing and she seems to have an interest in him too.
Say WHAT??!? There was NO INKLING of ANY attraction between them at ALL and then it just pops out 2% before the end?? Why even bother at that point?
5) Our "Untalented" MC is really a "Visionary" and is a special snowflake. She's a long lost Princess, a "Visionary" and "Divergent"... wait, no, that was another book, much worse than this one. There was a bit too much that sounded like "Divergent" to me for me to overlook it.
All in all, not a horrible book, but not a great one either, which is a shame, because it had such potential. It would probably do well with a YA audience. 2.5 stars, rounded up because of the historical tie in and the plague. I would recommend this with reservations.
April 11, 2022
What would she do in a town full of strangers? Better strangers, though, than a tiny village where everybody knew just what she was. Untalented.
February 1, 2015
I received a copy of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Soo this book was pretty great. To be honest my expectations going in weren’t the highest, and it was probably due in part to the cover (just not a fan – at all). BUT the premise sounded fairly interesting and obviously that’s a little more important! So in the end I am so glad I decided to try it out because yes. 100% approved.
Pros:
- The plot was exciting. There was action, and people went places, and attacks happened and illnesses broke out and plots were enacted. I may or may not keep contrasting this book and The Selection, not because there is really any reason to directly compare the two but just because I recently read – and was disappointed by – it. And where that book totally failed to give me any political intrigue, this one was completely full of it.
- The setting was also pretty great, with the author really giving me a good feel for the world without having to explicitly explain things (cough, cough, The Selection). Saroya’s adventures took her to a variety of locations, from a rural village cloister to the capital city’s busy marketplaces, royal palace, and slums. Basically, girl really got around. And physical setting aside, there was the whole idea of Talents. The political setup of guilds, nobles, and the order of Adepts that ultimately decides the fates of EVERYONE in Veyle was both original and believable (….The Selection….) Crazy, I know.
- Adding to the concept of Talents: I didn’t notice until about two thirds of the way through the book that there was actually no magic involved, and then I was totally okay with it. The world was so interesting that it wasn’t necessary; the balance between Saroya’s struggle to prove her worth as an Untalent, the politics going on behind the scenes in U’Veyle, the threat of Plague, and basic issues of survival was perfect, no additional elements required.
- Saroya, the protagonist, was a perfect example of a well-rounded character who ISN’T perfect. Readers aren’t constantly hit over the head with her beauty, intelligence, and general status as special-magic-unicorn-of-rainbows-and-wonder, which at times can be a rare occurrence. She was also not stupid, a surprisingly common flaw in these “perfect” heroines. It was generally refreshing to see a main character who wasn’t constantly praised (more like the opposite, actually), who repeatedly failed, who was kind of annoyingly stubborn, and who above all took control of her own destiny and actually did things to change it.
- And finally, there was no romance. Not that romance is inherently a bad characteristic - in fact I am ALL FOR IT if it’s done well. However, there is nothing worse than a book that sounds exciting and awesome and then turns out to be 300 pages of a girl whining about how much she wants to be with a guy. Untalented had maybe one sentence near the end that hinted at romance, and that’s only if I’m reading into things. Hooray!
Cons:
- Not too many for this book, but the climax was a little confusing to me…I had to go back and reread a few pages because I was a little unsure of what exactly had happened. I’d definitely rather have that than a book that insults my intelligence by being too simplistic, but it could maybe have been written a little more clearly.
- As I mentioned, not a fan of the cover. I think it’s mainly the whole floating, disembodied head thing that’s throwing me off? That and the font.
- And there were several maps included that were more aggravating than helpful. I am normally a huge fan of maps in books, but these were (to me at least) incredibly hard to read and gave me zero insight into the layout of anything. Obviously they were a little bit smaller on my kindle/phone screens, but even printed in a book I think it’d be an issue only solved by complete redrawing.
In summary, this was a really cool fantasy book with a unique setting and a great main character. And THINGS HAPPENED. That was probably the best part – the fact that I was constantly excited and constantly impatient to find out what would happen next. Hoorah!
Soo this book was pretty great. To be honest my expectations going in weren’t the highest, and it was probably due in part to the cover (just not a fan – at all). BUT the premise sounded fairly interesting and obviously that’s a little more important! So in the end I am so glad I decided to try it out because yes. 100% approved.
Pros:
- The plot was exciting. There was action, and people went places, and attacks happened and illnesses broke out and plots were enacted. I may or may not keep contrasting this book and The Selection, not because there is really any reason to directly compare the two but just because I recently read – and was disappointed by – it. And where that book totally failed to give me any political intrigue, this one was completely full of it.
- The setting was also pretty great, with the author really giving me a good feel for the world without having to explicitly explain things (cough, cough, The Selection). Saroya’s adventures took her to a variety of locations, from a rural village cloister to the capital city’s busy marketplaces, royal palace, and slums. Basically, girl really got around. And physical setting aside, there was the whole idea of Talents. The political setup of guilds, nobles, and the order of Adepts that ultimately decides the fates of EVERYONE in Veyle was both original and believable (….The Selection….) Crazy, I know.
- Adding to the concept of Talents: I didn’t notice until about two thirds of the way through the book that there was actually no magic involved, and then I was totally okay with it. The world was so interesting that it wasn’t necessary; the balance between Saroya’s struggle to prove her worth as an Untalent, the politics going on behind the scenes in U’Veyle, the threat of Plague, and basic issues of survival was perfect, no additional elements required.
- Saroya, the protagonist, was a perfect example of a well-rounded character who ISN’T perfect. Readers aren’t constantly hit over the head with her beauty, intelligence, and general status as special-magic-unicorn-of-rainbows-and-wonder, which at times can be a rare occurrence. She was also not stupid, a surprisingly common flaw in these “perfect” heroines. It was generally refreshing to see a main character who wasn’t constantly praised (more like the opposite, actually), who repeatedly failed, who was kind of annoyingly stubborn, and who above all took control of her own destiny and actually did things to change it.
- And finally, there was no romance. Not that romance is inherently a bad characteristic - in fact I am ALL FOR IT if it’s done well. However, there is nothing worse than a book that sounds exciting and awesome and then turns out to be 300 pages of a girl whining about how much she wants to be with a guy. Untalented had maybe one sentence near the end that hinted at romance, and that’s only if I’m reading into things. Hooray!
Cons:
- Not too many for this book, but the climax was a little confusing to me…I had to go back and reread a few pages because I was a little unsure of what exactly had happened. I’d definitely rather have that than a book that insults my intelligence by being too simplistic, but it could maybe have been written a little more clearly.
- As I mentioned, not a fan of the cover. I think it’s mainly the whole floating, disembodied head thing that’s throwing me off? That and the font.
- And there were several maps included that were more aggravating than helpful. I am normally a huge fan of maps in books, but these were (to me at least) incredibly hard to read and gave me zero insight into the layout of anything. Obviously they were a little bit smaller on my kindle/phone screens, but even printed in a book I think it’d be an issue only solved by complete redrawing.
In summary, this was a really cool fantasy book with a unique setting and a great main character. And THINGS HAPPENED. That was probably the best part – the fact that I was constantly excited and constantly impatient to find out what would happen next. Hoorah!
September 14, 2014
*I was given a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review*
I was very excited to read this book. I love stories like this! Thankfully, it did not disappoint! There was so much I enjoyed about this book. I loved the character Saroya, she was very relatable because she made good and bad choices. She always seemed to mean well and kept her head up even when everything (and I mean everything) didn't go her way.
I enjoyed the world this story takes place in. It is well created and comes across as a vibrant world with complexities. The structure of having to be assigned a talent and what happens if your not brought many ideas of how this story could compare to our own world.
The pace of the story is perfect and moves along with perfect ease. The plot develops at a great pace as well and makes this story a fast read. Fantasy readers are going to love this book and want to keep reading more in this series.
I was very excited to read this book. I love stories like this! Thankfully, it did not disappoint! There was so much I enjoyed about this book. I loved the character Saroya, she was very relatable because she made good and bad choices. She always seemed to mean well and kept her head up even when everything (and I mean everything) didn't go her way.
I enjoyed the world this story takes place in. It is well created and comes across as a vibrant world with complexities. The structure of having to be assigned a talent and what happens if your not brought many ideas of how this story could compare to our own world.
The pace of the story is perfect and moves along with perfect ease. The plot develops at a great pace as well and makes this story a fast read. Fantasy readers are going to love this book and want to keep reading more in this series.
November 29, 2014
At some point during their lives, all people are tested for Talents. Having a Talent means pursuing a higher education or getting a well paying job, being found Untalented gets you kicked to the curb and treated like scum.
Unfortunately, Sayora has just failed to pass her third and final Test, and the Adepts she has been living with decide to send her away. A twist of fate sends her to the country's capital, where she becomes central to a long hidden conspiracy in the very heart of the royal palace.
A nice light read, both thrilling and enjoyable. It reminded me a lot of Jennifer Neilson's 'the Ascendance trilogy', so if you have read those and liked them, this may be the book for you. I recommend it for girls age 13-16, especially if they like medieval-ish based books about princesses.
Thanks to Sara, who lent me this copy, and I hope to read the sequel when it comes out!
Unfortunately, Sayora has just failed to pass her third and final Test, and the Adepts she has been living with decide to send her away. A twist of fate sends her to the country's capital, where she becomes central to a long hidden conspiracy in the very heart of the royal palace.
A nice light read, both thrilling and enjoyable. It reminded me a lot of Jennifer Neilson's 'the Ascendance trilogy', so if you have read those and liked them, this may be the book for you. I recommend it for girls age 13-16, especially if they like medieval-ish based books about princesses.
Thanks to Sara, who lent me this copy, and I hope to read the sequel when it comes out!
January 25, 2016
I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. I thoroughly enjoyed reading "Untalented", the story of a teenage orphan girl named Saroya who suffered many unfair situations simply because testing deemed her "Untalented". In Saroya, the author developed a main character you simply wanted to root for. The plot thickens and twists and turns in all the right places. Unlike many YA books these days, there aren't any parts to censor or worry about. I look forward to the further adventures of Saroya from Katrina Archer.
October 1, 2014
This is the first book that I have read in a long time all-one-go. I read it sight unseen, not knowing at all what is was about . To my surprise it was an easy fun read! I'm looking forward to the sequel!
January 4, 2019
I picked up this ebook from my library's collection when I needed something to read on my phone. This turned out to be a good gamble. It was full of intrigue, and had pretty good world-building. Some satisfying twists to the plot.
I feel like the "plague" was an odd mix of the bubonic plague (arrival by ship, the symptoms) and cholera (the importance of drinking sources). In fact, the possibility of it being carried by rats from the ship was only brought up in the last few pages. *I'm not considering this a spoiler because the spread of bubonic plague via fleas on rodents should be common knowledge.* While the importance of certain water sources was explained through the plot, I found the combination a little jarring. Maybe that's just me and my interest in epidemiology.
Three stars because, while it was enjoyable, it had underwhelming side characters and a need for more polished grammatical editing. The antagonists were wretchedly flat.
I feel like the "plague" was an odd mix of the bubonic plague (arrival by ship, the symptoms) and cholera (the importance of drinking sources). In fact, the possibility of it being carried by rats from the ship was only brought up in the last few pages. *I'm not considering this a spoiler because the spread of bubonic plague via fleas on rodents should be common knowledge.* While the importance of certain water sources was explained through the plot, I found the combination a little jarring. Maybe that's just me and my interest in epidemiology.
Three stars because, while it was enjoyable, it had underwhelming side characters and a need for more polished grammatical editing. The antagonists were wretchedly flat.
January 15, 2020
In the back of my book it says the adventures will continue... guess that book hasn’t been published yet? Not that this book needs a sequel, but I’d totally read one. Anyways I enjoyed this book. Certain parts reminded me vaguely of other things I’ve read but it was unique enough that it was clearly it’s own story.
August 23, 2018
3.5 stars: I really liked this book! It was a blend of Divergent and a book about medieval plague. There were parts that were better written than others but overall I enjoyed the progression and was excited to read the second in the series, only to find out if hasn't been released yet. 😑
May 1, 2020
Plot prideful girl is deemed untalented like no caste or untouchable. Makes poor choices lies and steals. has terrible luck some good luck. The end
Not sure which came first but identical to divergent.
Seriously if you think your mother is the queen why try to be a builder wtf!
Not sure which came first but identical to divergent.
Seriously if you think your mother is the queen why try to be a builder wtf!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 13, 2020
Overall a fairly entertaining read. Constant action and activity. But there is a strong resemblance to the Divergent books, enough to be somewhat distracting, though Archer did have her own spin on the concept.
January 25, 2022
Too simplistic
The writing is good but the story is best for juvinile readers. I was expecting talent to be magic, but it was simply a natural leaning or interest. Also our heroine is a whiner and her friend is prissy.
The writing is good but the story is best for juvinile readers. I was expecting talent to be magic, but it was simply a natural leaning or interest. Also our heroine is a whiner and her friend is prissy.
September 20, 2018
A really interesting premise for the book, but the ending left me feeling like it was really rushed and chaotic while the rest of the book just dawdled along. Great idea, but poorly executed.
June 20, 2019
This is my second time reading
Great character s and story line. Everything doesn't just fall into place for the heroin .She has to work her way through and fail and try again
Great character s and story line. Everything doesn't just fall into place for the heroin .She has to work her way through and fail and try again
August 26, 2018
I really enjoyed this one.
December 5, 2025
Picked this book up for a challenge on another platform. It was better than a lot of books being published today. Enjoyed it but definitely had more potential.
October 19, 2018
Do you enjoy righteous anger? That blood pumping feeling that only comes when a true wrong has been committed. Do you enjoy experiencing that feeling for hours on end?
If you do, then do I have a book for you!
Untalented is a well-written little novel about a young woman living in a world where people are classified as having different “Talents”. Some people are good at designing buildings, some people are good at being doctors, and so on. Then you have another category: the “Untalents”. Untalents are those who aren’t skilled in any one thing and therefore don’t belong. Saroya, our main character, is one of these.
The book starts the day that she’s classified and from page one on you get to sit back and watch as every bad thing that could possibly happen to her happens. Most of the time, its powers outside of her control causing these thing – thus the previous righteous anger comments – but a decent chunk of the awful situations she gets into are those of her own doing. On top of all that, pretty much every person in this book treats Saroya like she's filth as soon as they know what she is.
All of that makes for an emotionally exhausting read.
Very little of this one was enjoyable for me. I enjoy righteous anger in the same way I enjoy sugar in my tea: in small doses that make it sweet. If you fill half the cup with sugar, it ruins the drink! If you fill a book with stuff to get angry about, you just wind up upset and angry.
That being said, once the story reaches its more interesting phase about 60% of the way through, it does elevate itself to emotions beyond pure rage. I found myself roped in and I wanted to see where the story went. Before that, I was forcing myself to keep going simply because I wanted to see if Saroya would finally get her just ending.
The state of emotional exhaustion that this one has left me in means that I don’t really recommend it, but it is a decent little story about prejudice and how stupid it is, so I can’t say that it’s bad. If the idea of someone fighting against insane odds for what is rightfully hers sounds amazing to you and my warnings don’t sound like warnings, then give this one a go. If you want something a little more relaxing or fun, then look elsewhere.
If you do, then do I have a book for you!
Untalented is a well-written little novel about a young woman living in a world where people are classified as having different “Talents”. Some people are good at designing buildings, some people are good at being doctors, and so on. Then you have another category: the “Untalents”. Untalents are those who aren’t skilled in any one thing and therefore don’t belong. Saroya, our main character, is one of these.
The book starts the day that she’s classified and from page one on you get to sit back and watch as every bad thing that could possibly happen to her happens. Most of the time, its powers outside of her control causing these thing – thus the previous righteous anger comments – but a decent chunk of the awful situations she gets into are those of her own doing. On top of all that, pretty much every person in this book treats Saroya like she's filth as soon as they know what she is.
All of that makes for an emotionally exhausting read.
Very little of this one was enjoyable for me. I enjoy righteous anger in the same way I enjoy sugar in my tea: in small doses that make it sweet. If you fill half the cup with sugar, it ruins the drink! If you fill a book with stuff to get angry about, you just wind up upset and angry.
That being said, once the story reaches its more interesting phase about 60% of the way through, it does elevate itself to emotions beyond pure rage. I found myself roped in and I wanted to see where the story went. Before that, I was forcing myself to keep going simply because I wanted to see if Saroya would finally get her just ending.
The state of emotional exhaustion that this one has left me in means that I don’t really recommend it, but it is a decent little story about prejudice and how stupid it is, so I can’t say that it’s bad. If the idea of someone fighting against insane odds for what is rightfully hers sounds amazing to you and my warnings don’t sound like warnings, then give this one a go. If you want something a little more relaxing or fun, then look elsewhere.
December 10, 2014
My Rating: 2 out of 5 stars.
Disclaimers: I received an e-galley of this novel from the publisher in exchange for my honest opinion. I was not obligated to write a good review nor did I receive any compensation for writing this review.
An Overview of the Novel: Saroya's world comes crashing down when she's declared an Untalented. Suddenly, she has no future. Nobody will hire her and she's bound to end up working in the mines, practically a death sentence.
No, she's determined to survive and to make something of herself. But what she didn't mean to do was to walk into a world full of deceit and power. Saroya has a past that makes her a pawn to some very powerful people and she needs to be at the top of her game if she's going to outwit them.
My Overall Thoughts/Impressions: I honestly don't know why but I just got not get into this one. I found myself trudging through the pages, almost wanting to skim. I kept waiting for something to happen and yet I just never got drawn into the novel. That rarely happens.
I don't know if it was the writing, the characters, the setting, the plot...I'm not sure. It just fell flat for me. I think Archer has a lot of potential and I think the story had a lot of potential, but it just didn't click for me.
I think the characters were underdeveloped and the plot was too jumpy. This novel has got good ratings, but for me it wasn't one that I enjoyed.
Having said that, I would give Archer another chance. She has potential.
So why 2 stars? I didn't get drawn in to the story had to fight the urge to skim.
Warnings/Side-notes: None, suitable for readers of all ages.
The Wrap-up: A novel with potential, but one that just fell flat for me.
Love,
Danica Page
Disclaimers: I received an e-galley of this novel from the publisher in exchange for my honest opinion. I was not obligated to write a good review nor did I receive any compensation for writing this review.
An Overview of the Novel: Saroya's world comes crashing down when she's declared an Untalented. Suddenly, she has no future. Nobody will hire her and she's bound to end up working in the mines, practically a death sentence.
No, she's determined to survive and to make something of herself. But what she didn't mean to do was to walk into a world full of deceit and power. Saroya has a past that makes her a pawn to some very powerful people and she needs to be at the top of her game if she's going to outwit them.
My Overall Thoughts/Impressions: I honestly don't know why but I just got not get into this one. I found myself trudging through the pages, almost wanting to skim. I kept waiting for something to happen and yet I just never got drawn into the novel. That rarely happens.
I don't know if it was the writing, the characters, the setting, the plot...I'm not sure. It just fell flat for me. I think Archer has a lot of potential and I think the story had a lot of potential, but it just didn't click for me.
I think the characters were underdeveloped and the plot was too jumpy. This novel has got good ratings, but for me it wasn't one that I enjoyed.
Having said that, I would give Archer another chance. She has potential.
So why 2 stars? I didn't get drawn in to the story had to fight the urge to skim.
Warnings/Side-notes: None, suitable for readers of all ages.
The Wrap-up: A novel with potential, but one that just fell flat for me.
Love,
Danica Page
March 19, 2015
Ever felt like you nobody recognized your talents? Well, Saroya is told she has no talent and where she's from talents are everything. She also faces having no known family. This quickly makes her life extremely difficult. Then she gets a sudden chance but it gets complicated. Will her chances improve in the capital or will life get worse?
March 17, 2016
really enjoyed this books and will be reading the next one.
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