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The Mahryn Chronicles. Book one: Adira
Never again. Adira had made her choice. She had awakened. Never again would she bow her head and meekly accept the cruelty and exploitation that had been so callously thrust upon her. No matter what the cost. This enthralling dystopian journey follows the life and heroic struggles of Adira as she grows and transforms from a fearful, traumatized, innocent Mahryn girl into a ferocious, defiant force. From the time she came of age, she was missioned into servitude as a Domestic Comfort slave for the powerful Wasak. Now, she has become a force that would rock the very foundation of her tormentors' world. At times edgy and uncompromising, the story of Adira rages in its righteous struggle against the evils of despotic authoritarianism and the moral right to be free.
273 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 17, 2025
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
May 7, 2025
** Thank you to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for giving me this eARC**
Unfortunately, Adira by J. Harold Williams just wasn’t for me. Although the core idea—a dystopian tale of rebellion and freedom—sounded intriguing, I struggled from the very start.
Right away, the timeline was confusing. The book begins dramatically with Adira losing her Wasak master after ten years of harsh servitude, only to abruptly shift back ten years earlier. Then it hops again just hours before another significant event. This constant jumping back and forth disrupted any momentum and made it incredibly hard to connect with the characters or follow the story clearly.
Adding to the confusion was the narrative style. Perspectives changed rapidly—sometimes paragraph by paragraph—which felt jarring and made it difficult to keep track of who was thinking or speaking. The glossary and character list were extensive and crowded, overwhelming me with details that were hard to retain.
Another frustration was a lengthy historical section interrupting the storyline entirely, which felt tedious and unnecessary. Scenes depicting ruthless violence against children also came off as overly brutal and unsettling rather than meaningful or impactful.
I tried my best, but by about 60% of the way through, I simply lost interest. The constant narrative shifts, confusing timelines, and chaotic viewpoint changes made this a struggle rather than an enjoyable read. Although the premise had potential, the way it was executed just wasn’t my style at all.
Unfortunately, Adira by J. Harold Williams just wasn’t for me. Although the core idea—a dystopian tale of rebellion and freedom—sounded intriguing, I struggled from the very start.
Right away, the timeline was confusing. The book begins dramatically with Adira losing her Wasak master after ten years of harsh servitude, only to abruptly shift back ten years earlier. Then it hops again just hours before another significant event. This constant jumping back and forth disrupted any momentum and made it incredibly hard to connect with the characters or follow the story clearly.
Adding to the confusion was the narrative style. Perspectives changed rapidly—sometimes paragraph by paragraph—which felt jarring and made it difficult to keep track of who was thinking or speaking. The glossary and character list were extensive and crowded, overwhelming me with details that were hard to retain.
Another frustration was a lengthy historical section interrupting the storyline entirely, which felt tedious and unnecessary. Scenes depicting ruthless violence against children also came off as overly brutal and unsettling rather than meaningful or impactful.
I tried my best, but by about 60% of the way through, I simply lost interest. The constant narrative shifts, confusing timelines, and chaotic viewpoint changes made this a struggle rather than an enjoyable read. Although the premise had potential, the way it was executed just wasn’t my style at all.
April 12, 2025
I received an eARC copy of this book by Netgalley, and it was the first Netgalley ARC that I picked up this year..
I had very high expectations for it, the synopsis was interesting and the cover very intriguing.
However, I got bored quite a lot throughout this book, there were very large paragraphs without dialogue or any shift in events, and there were scenes that actually made me uncomfortable.
I wanted more of this book and unfortunately, I did not enjoy reading it as I wanted.
I had very high expectations for it, the synopsis was interesting and the cover very intriguing.
However, I got bored quite a lot throughout this book, there were very large paragraphs without dialogue or any shift in events, and there were scenes that actually made me uncomfortable.
I wanted more of this book and unfortunately, I did not enjoy reading it as I wanted.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews