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The Waking Land #1
The Waking Land
It's been fourteen years, since King Antoine took Elanna hostage. Fourteen years since her father's rebellion failed. Fourteen years spent being raised by the man who condemned her people to misery. A man she's come to love as a father.
Now 20, Elanna is about to be taken prisoner once again... but this time by her father's mysterious righthand man.
Her father wants to reignite his rebellion, this time using Elanna as figurehead. He will tell his followers she is the legendary Wildegarde reborn, a sorceress who could make the very earth tremble.
But what no one knows is that magic really does flow through Elanna's veins. Now she must decide which side she's on, and whether she'll use her powers for mercy... or revenge.
Now 20, Elanna is about to be taken prisoner once again... but this time by her father's mysterious righthand man.
Her father wants to reignite his rebellion, this time using Elanna as figurehead. He will tell his followers she is the legendary Wildegarde reborn, a sorceress who could make the very earth tremble.
But what no one knows is that magic really does flow through Elanna's veins. Now she must decide which side she's on, and whether she'll use her powers for mercy... or revenge.
400 pages, Hardcover
First published June 27, 2017
317 people are currently reading
8853 people want to read
About the author
Callie Bates
7 books269 followersCallie Bates is a writer, harpist and certified harp therapist, sometimes artist, and nature nerd. When she’s not creating, she’s hitting the trails or streets and exploring new places. Her debut fantasy novel, THE WAKING LAND, is forthcoming from Del Rey Books in 2017.
She is represented by Hannah Bowman of Liza Dawson Associates.
She is represented by Hannah Bowman of Liza Dawson Associates.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 945 reviews
May 27, 2017
My resolve to avoid spoilers almost falters in the face of a book well worth talking about! Let's see. What can I say? Buy this book when it comes out. Read it, but write your name big in the front, because when you loan it out, it may not come back.
Also, I think this is the first time I've read a fantasy book that looks at Stockholm syndrome so well. Yes, GRRM does it in A Song of Ice and Fire with Theon Greyjoy. But I think that how Bates looks at it through her protagonist and the protagonist's slow awakening from it is well worth a mention.
Must I say that there are strong female characters with agency? Oh if you insist. There are strong male characters with agency, too.
I like that 'minor' characters are glimpsed as doing things, and then those things blossom and are very important. There are whole other novels going on in the background of this book.
There is obviously more to come in this story. Jump on the wagon now, because I think Bates is an author well worth watching.
Also, I think this is the first time I've read a fantasy book that looks at Stockholm syndrome so well. Yes, GRRM does it in A Song of Ice and Fire with Theon Greyjoy. But I think that how Bates looks at it through her protagonist and the protagonist's slow awakening from it is well worth a mention.
Must I say that there are strong female characters with agency? Oh if you insist. There are strong male characters with agency, too.
I like that 'minor' characters are glimpsed as doing things, and then those things blossom and are very important. There are whole other novels going on in the background of this book.
There is obviously more to come in this story. Jump on the wagon now, because I think Bates is an author well worth watching.
July 23, 2020
I decided to read this book during finals period. You know the book is no good when you find yourself preferring to study instead of reading it.
I don't have much to say about The Waking Land. It had potential, lots of it. A girl with magical powers that can wake the land, returning to her homeland to lead a rebellion? As much as cliche this sounds, I actually enjoy these stuff. However, I ended up bored most of the time because this book dragged a lot. Now I know this is a debut and I shouldn't be harsh so I'll keep this review short.
The characters:
We had many characters in this book. Some were okay, others totally forgettable. The main character, Elena, irritated me. She's always lost and no I shouldn't do this, no I shouldn't go there.. all of this was very repetitive and annoyed the hell out of me. The characters were flat and I couldn't connect with any of them. I only liked Sophie but still, not much. The villains were the typical stereotypes, I'm bad because I want power and I'll do anything to get it with no personality whatsoever beyond evil.
The romance:
Oh, the romance... It made me cringe. This is supposed to be a YA fantasy, right? Don't be fooled. It has some graphics.
Now I don't know about you, but I don't like the girl to "propose" especially if she doesn’t know the guy. I didn't feel any chemistry between Elena and Jahan. I didn't hate him but I wasn't swooning. She also wed the land? Sorry, what??
Story and plot:
It would've been better if it was shorter. It stretched a lot and the pacing was off. The real action only started toward the end and by then, I had already lost all interest. If you skipped to the end, you would still understand everything. A bad sign. The plot didn't offer any surprises and I would've said predictable, however, I couldn't even bring myself to guess what will happen. It was just tiring. Others might enjoy this book but it wasn't for me.
There are many plot holes and things that don't make sense. The book was also confusing sometimes. For example, when they escape, they don't cover their trail or do anything to misguide their pursuers. Her friend was able to track them but the royal guard couldn't. Wow.
Writing and world building:
The writing was nothing impressive. There's a lot of skin touching *eye roll*. The same thoughts are repeated all the time. While we read too much about the history, we still barely know anything about the world. The world building was lacking. So much information dropping. I couldn't keep track of all the names and I didn't even try to because I had 0 interest in the story.
The best thing about this book is that pretty cover.
Now I'll be quoting a part of the book's descriptions I found on GR (different editions).
"A bold and gorgeous fantasy featuring a brilliant heroine on the cusp of womanhood, The Waking Land is the first of a trilogy that will delight fans of The Red Queen, Six of Crows, and Court of Thorns and Roses."
Now if by the comparison to Red Queen they mean both are bad... then I agree. Oh, the revolution! Silly me.
Common points with ACOTAR? Annoying heroine? (Feyre annoyed me in ACOTAR but now she's alright). Oh.. You mean the spring court and the whole plants and shit like this! But they are not similar in any way.
I haven't read Six of Crows yet but I know they have nothing in common.
"In the lush and magical tradition of Naomi Novik s award-winning Uprooted comes this riveting debut from brilliant young writer Callie Bates whose boundless imagination places her among the finest authors of fantasy fiction, including Sarah J. Maas and Sabaa Tahir."
AM I SERIOUSLY READING THIS??????????????????
Uprooted certainly isn't fast-paced but I enjoyed EVERY minute of it. I loved the characters, the world, the story, everything.
Even though I'm not her biggest fan, SJM nails the world building. Something that was very lacking here.
And Sabaa? You mean AEITA?? I loved it, yes one of my favorite YA fantasy.
This book has nothing to do with these POPULAR books/authors.
I guess this is the new way to promote every new book. I can't guarantee that everyone won't be fooled, though.
arc received via NetGalley
I don't have much to say about The Waking Land. It had potential, lots of it. A girl with magical powers that can wake the land, returning to her homeland to lead a rebellion? As much as cliche this sounds, I actually enjoy these stuff. However, I ended up bored most of the time because this book dragged a lot. Now I know this is a debut and I shouldn't be harsh so I'll keep this review short.
The characters:
We had many characters in this book. Some were okay, others totally forgettable. The main character, Elena, irritated me. She's always lost and no I shouldn't do this, no I shouldn't go there.. all of this was very repetitive and annoyed the hell out of me. The characters were flat and I couldn't connect with any of them. I only liked Sophie but still, not much. The villains were the typical stereotypes, I'm bad because I want power and I'll do anything to get it with no personality whatsoever beyond evil.
The romance:
Oh, the romance... It made me cringe. This is supposed to be a YA fantasy, right? Don't be fooled. It has some graphics.
Now I don't know about you, but I don't like the girl to "propose" especially if she doesn’t know the guy. I didn't feel any chemistry between Elena and Jahan. I didn't hate him but I wasn't swooning. She also wed the land? Sorry, what??
Story and plot:
It would've been better if it was shorter. It stretched a lot and the pacing was off. The real action only started toward the end and by then, I had already lost all interest. If you skipped to the end, you would still understand everything. A bad sign. The plot didn't offer any surprises and I would've said predictable, however, I couldn't even bring myself to guess what will happen. It was just tiring. Others might enjoy this book but it wasn't for me.
There are many plot holes and things that don't make sense. The book was also confusing sometimes. For example, when they escape, they don't cover their trail or do anything to misguide their pursuers. Her friend was able to track them but the royal guard couldn't. Wow.
Writing and world building:
The writing was nothing impressive. There's a lot of skin touching *eye roll*. The same thoughts are repeated all the time. While we read too much about the history, we still barely know anything about the world. The world building was lacking. So much information dropping. I couldn't keep track of all the names and I didn't even try to because I had 0 interest in the story.
The best thing about this book is that pretty cover.
Now I'll be quoting a part of the book's descriptions I found on GR (different editions).
"A bold and gorgeous fantasy featuring a brilliant heroine on the cusp of womanhood, The Waking Land is the first of a trilogy that will delight fans of The Red Queen, Six of Crows, and Court of Thorns and Roses."
Now if by the comparison to Red Queen they mean both are bad... then I agree. Oh, the revolution! Silly me.
Common points with ACOTAR? Annoying heroine? (Feyre annoyed me in ACOTAR but now she's alright). Oh.. You mean the spring court and the whole plants and shit like this! But they are not similar in any way.
I haven't read Six of Crows yet but I know they have nothing in common.
"In the lush and magical tradition of Naomi Novik s award-winning Uprooted comes this riveting debut from brilliant young writer Callie Bates whose boundless imagination places her among the finest authors of fantasy fiction, including Sarah J. Maas and Sabaa Tahir."
AM I SERIOUSLY READING THIS??????????????????
Uprooted certainly isn't fast-paced but I enjoyed EVERY minute of it. I loved the characters, the world, the story, everything.
Even though I'm not her biggest fan, SJM nails the world building. Something that was very lacking here.
And Sabaa? You mean AEITA?? I loved it, yes one of my favorite YA fantasy.
This book has nothing to do with these POPULAR books/authors.
I guess this is the new way to promote every new book. I can't guarantee that everyone won't be fooled, though.
arc received via NetGalley
September 6, 2017
At five years old, Elanna Valtai is seized from her family at gunpoint and kidnapped by a powerful king who raises her as his own, in his palace, under one condition: her father is never to come and reclaim her. In her home land of Caeris, Elanna was loved and doted upon, warmly welcomed for her natural inclination to magic; in the royal city of Laon, however, despite the king's growing affections for her, she is subjected to prejudices for her darker skin, her Caerisian blood, and her family name. Worst of all, she must hide her magic at all costs, for the witch hunters would surely execute her if they found out her blood could wake the stones and the earth, and bring forth spirits of ancestors past.
When the king is poisoned and his daughter takes her place as Queen, she accuses Elanna of regicide, and thus begins an adventure that leaves Elanna running for her life - right into the arms of the family she was stolen from. They've got big plans for her and her magic, but will she be able to leave behind the life the kingdom gave her?
---
Where do I even begin? I usually try to type up my RTCs in the order that I read the books, but I had to let The Waking Land cut to the front of the line because I just have so many feelings about this book. I hope you guys are buckled in. I'll start with the positives, because this book was not a total loss.
What I liked:
First and foremost, Callie Bates has real potential as an author. Her style is enjoyable and easy to read, she paints beautiful pictures without being too flowery and descriptive, and the plot itself was intriguing to me. I always love a good story of magic and betrayal, and that's the central theme to this entire book. There were a lot of really enjoyable side characters, such as Jahan, Rhia, Hugh, and Victoire.
I actually found the main plot line to be fairly refreshing, with the whole idea that El's magic comes from the earth, and that she can see through the eyes of animals and trees and such. The entire Caveadear ordeal reminded me a lot of the spiritual beliefs of some indigenous peoples, with the emphasis on the idea that the earth is a living, feeling entity that deserves respect and kindness, and is capable of feeling grief, rage, sorrow, etc. Between that aspect, and the fact that the Caerisians have darker skin than the Ereni people, are called "savages" as an insult, and the back story that the Paladisan emperors essentially came in and forced them to forsake their religion, magic, homes, and destroyed their lands... well, I saw huge similarities to how settlers affected the native people here in North America, and I actually really enjoyed the political nudge that I felt Callie Bates gave the whole book.
What I didn't like:
The absolute worst thing about this book is that, no matter how I felt about anything else, Elanna is absolutely horrible. She is one of the single most infuriating, self-obsessed, arrogant, self-contradicting, and obtuse narrators I have ever had the displeasure of reading about. She has a nasty temper and constantly starts screaming at people for nothing. It felt like at least once every few chapters, she would completely misunderstand someone, yell at them for a little bit, realize she misunderstood (or was just wrong), and then she just moves on. She never apologizes once for treating everyone around her like shit, and she continues to treat them terribly right to the very end of the book, yet intermingled with some of these incidents, she thinks to herself that these people are her family, her best friends, etc. Well, lady, you sure have one hell of an odd way to show your affection to people.
She spends the entire book contradicting herself at every possible turn. She says she refuses to let anyone see her cry, yet cries constantly. She says she never allows herself to indulge in her magic, but then immediately explains that she goes to this special, magical spot in Laon once every year to practice her magic. She implies in the beginning of the book that she never knew she was magical as a kid until this one specific incident, but later describes that she played with magic a lot as a small child. She acts stunned to find out she is the Caveadear (which is basically a fancy sorcerer of the land), but says that her family and Hugh basically acknowledged from her toddler years that they knew she would be the Caveadear.
The absolute worst part of her behavior is her attitude towards the Caerisians, and her family. She fully remembers being pulled from them at gunpoint, and the king telling her father that, if he ever came to take her back home, she would be killed immediately rather than being raised as the king's daughter. Any form of common sense would lead one to think El should blame the king for ripping their family apart, but instead, she decides to worship the ground the king walks on, and spends her entire childhood/teen life hating her parents for not coming to get her. When she first sees Hugh, one of her childhood best friends and her father's right-hand man, she is absolutely awful to him. She accuses him of lying every time he opens his mouth, and constantly asks him for explanations only to interrupt him with what she thinks actually happened (which is wrong, literally every single time). Characteristic of her own self-contradicting behavior, though, in the span of about a day, she goes from hating and disbelieving him to being willing to die to save him because he is so important to her.
Moving on from the focus on El as a character, there are some major issues with the story and writing itself, too. The insta love in this book is ridiculously strong. She literally spends a day or two with Jahan before becoming obsessed with him, and after five-minute conversations through magical mirrors, accusing him of betraying them, and then changing her mind, she's suddenly considering marrying the guy - partially out of love, and partially out of trying to avoid telling Finn that she isn't interested. After another day or two together, she's in love, and it's all just so insta-lovey and gagworthy that I couldn't even enjoy the fact that Jahan was actually a likable love interest.
One last issue I'll touch on before I let this rant end is that the author, despite having potential, has one problem that I really hope she'll focus on fixing before her next project: she frequently describes things only halfway before trailing off or changing topics, yet the narrator clearly expects us to fully understand what is being described with the half explanations. There are also several moments when a side character will start to ask a question or say something that seems important, but they then get cut off by an event or another character and they never go back and finish the thought process. This frustrated me to no end, because I kept thinking, "Was that something important? Am I supposed to know what they were going to say?" It makes the entire book feel very jumpy and dismembered.
All in all, this was not an absolutely terrible book - I powered through and finished it, which should tell you something about how much I did want to know how everything ended. That said, if El had been an even remotely enjoyable character, and the insta-love had been cut out of it, I probably could have given this a solid 3.5 or even 4 stars. As it stands, 2 stars for this one. I've been told this will be the first book in a series, and if that's the case, I can safely say I won't be picking up the next installment.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishing company for giving me an ARC of this book to review. All thoughts expressed in this review are my own honest opinions.
You can find this review (and more) on my blog here!
When the king is poisoned and his daughter takes her place as Queen, she accuses Elanna of regicide, and thus begins an adventure that leaves Elanna running for her life - right into the arms of the family she was stolen from. They've got big plans for her and her magic, but will she be able to leave behind the life the kingdom gave her?
---
Where do I even begin? I usually try to type up my RTCs in the order that I read the books, but I had to let The Waking Land cut to the front of the line because I just have so many feelings about this book. I hope you guys are buckled in. I'll start with the positives, because this book was not a total loss.
What I liked:
First and foremost, Callie Bates has real potential as an author. Her style is enjoyable and easy to read, she paints beautiful pictures without being too flowery and descriptive, and the plot itself was intriguing to me. I always love a good story of magic and betrayal, and that's the central theme to this entire book. There were a lot of really enjoyable side characters, such as Jahan, Rhia, Hugh, and Victoire.
I actually found the main plot line to be fairly refreshing, with the whole idea that El's magic comes from the earth, and that she can see through the eyes of animals and trees and such. The entire Caveadear ordeal reminded me a lot of the spiritual beliefs of some indigenous peoples, with the emphasis on the idea that the earth is a living, feeling entity that deserves respect and kindness, and is capable of feeling grief, rage, sorrow, etc. Between that aspect, and the fact that the Caerisians have darker skin than the Ereni people, are called "savages" as an insult, and the back story that the Paladisan emperors essentially came in and forced them to forsake their religion, magic, homes, and destroyed their lands... well, I saw huge similarities to how settlers affected the native people here in North America, and I actually really enjoyed the political nudge that I felt Callie Bates gave the whole book.
What I didn't like:
The absolute worst thing about this book is that, no matter how I felt about anything else, Elanna is absolutely horrible. She is one of the single most infuriating, self-obsessed, arrogant, self-contradicting, and obtuse narrators I have ever had the displeasure of reading about. She has a nasty temper and constantly starts screaming at people for nothing. It felt like at least once every few chapters, she would completely misunderstand someone, yell at them for a little bit, realize she misunderstood (or was just wrong), and then she just moves on. She never apologizes once for treating everyone around her like shit, and she continues to treat them terribly right to the very end of the book, yet intermingled with some of these incidents, she thinks to herself that these people are her family, her best friends, etc. Well, lady, you sure have one hell of an odd way to show your affection to people.
She spends the entire book contradicting herself at every possible turn. She says she refuses to let anyone see her cry, yet cries constantly. She says she never allows herself to indulge in her magic, but then immediately explains that she goes to this special, magical spot in Laon once every year to practice her magic. She implies in the beginning of the book that she never knew she was magical as a kid until this one specific incident, but later describes that she played with magic a lot as a small child. She acts stunned to find out she is the Caveadear (which is basically a fancy sorcerer of the land), but says that her family and Hugh basically acknowledged from her toddler years that they knew she would be the Caveadear.
The absolute worst part of her behavior is her attitude towards the Caerisians, and her family. She fully remembers being pulled from them at gunpoint, and the king telling her father that, if he ever came to take her back home, she would be killed immediately rather than being raised as the king's daughter. Any form of common sense would lead one to think El should blame the king for ripping their family apart, but instead, she decides to worship the ground the king walks on, and spends her entire childhood/teen life hating her parents for not coming to get her. When she first sees Hugh, one of her childhood best friends and her father's right-hand man, she is absolutely awful to him. She accuses him of lying every time he opens his mouth, and constantly asks him for explanations only to interrupt him with what she thinks actually happened (which is wrong, literally every single time). Characteristic of her own self-contradicting behavior, though, in the span of about a day, she goes from hating and disbelieving him to being willing to die to save him because he is so important to her.
Moving on from the focus on El as a character, there are some major issues with the story and writing itself, too. The insta love in this book is ridiculously strong. She literally spends a day or two with Jahan before becoming obsessed with him, and after five-minute conversations through magical mirrors, accusing him of betraying them, and then changing her mind, she's suddenly considering marrying the guy - partially out of love, and partially out of trying to avoid telling Finn that she isn't interested. After another day or two together, she's in love, and it's all just so insta-lovey and gagworthy that I couldn't even enjoy the fact that Jahan was actually a likable love interest.
One last issue I'll touch on before I let this rant end is that the author, despite having potential, has one problem that I really hope she'll focus on fixing before her next project: she frequently describes things only halfway before trailing off or changing topics, yet the narrator clearly expects us to fully understand what is being described with the half explanations. There are also several moments when a side character will start to ask a question or say something that seems important, but they then get cut off by an event or another character and they never go back and finish the thought process. This frustrated me to no end, because I kept thinking, "Was that something important? Am I supposed to know what they were going to say?" It makes the entire book feel very jumpy and dismembered.
All in all, this was not an absolutely terrible book - I powered through and finished it, which should tell you something about how much I did want to know how everything ended. That said, if El had been an even remotely enjoyable character, and the insta-love had been cut out of it, I probably could have given this a solid 3.5 or even 4 stars. As it stands, 2 stars for this one. I've been told this will be the first book in a series, and if that's the case, I can safely say I won't be picking up the next installment.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishing company for giving me an ARC of this book to review. All thoughts expressed in this review are my own honest opinions.
You can find this review (and more) on my blog here!
December 28, 2017
This book wasn’t a complete disaster. I thought the world was intriguing and although it started out quite confusing, with all the different lands, emperors, kings and pretend-kings, I've never been one to be put off by complicated fantasy and so happily started compiling a mental list of all the places and names. The magic system based on the natural world was fairly original if a little too simplistic for my taste. Unfortunately, that’s all the good stuff I can think to say about The Waking Land. This is going to be one of the most ranty, possibly incoherent, reviews I’ve ever written so consider yourself warned.
Firstly, there were far too many pages dedicated to the main character’s internal monologue, which just served to the detriment of the entire novel because she is, quite frankly, an idiot. Elanna has the honour of being one of the most detestable characters I’ve ever had the misfortune of reading about. Too much time was given to the thoughts of a character I was never going to like, time that was taken away from the character dialogue and the development of the secondary characters who have the potential to be much more interesting than the MC the author chose to afflict us with. She is constantly raging about her hatred for her father because he ‘abandoned’ her, despite the fact that she has a clear memory of the king pointing a gun at her head when she was taken hostage. Would she rather her father had protested and watched her have her brains blown out? She spends the beginning of the novel fiercely defending the king to his critics and then acts shocked when she later discovers that the king’s ‘goodness’ had been a lie and that he had been involved in a corruption scandal. This is the same man who ruined her family and threatened to kill her, yet it’s the fact that only five percent of his annual revenue goes to the poor that finally gets her to see the light. And why the hell does she only remember the fact that he held a pistol to her face when it’s convenient? Not only has she spent her entire life resenting her parents for not rescuing her, but when her father does rescue her she runs away and attacks his men when they come after her. There is literally no pleasing this woman. The hell does she even have to complain about anyway? She had everything she could have asked for at court – sure, she was technically a hostage but she was never treated like one. But, of course, she does a complete character u-turn once reunited with her family. She suddenly decides that she now idolises her father and is willing to die for her homeland of Caeris, a land she referred to as run by savages only a couple of pages ago. I’m all for character growth, but it has to be realistic and grounded. I want to see a gradual transformation that actually makes sense, not this hot mess.
Her idiocy and constant u-turns only get worse as the plot progresses. After being framed for the king’s murder, she plans to escape to a neighbouring kingdom, Ida, but when Jahan, the ambassador from Ida of all places, tries to leave the city with her, she starts screaming at him and accusing him of kidnapping. Bitch, do the details even matter if you end up in the same place anyway? Would you rather he just left you to be executed, because there is no way you’re escaping that city on your own. She’s more likely to fall down a drain hole or accidentally decapitate herself than successfully plot her way out of that city. This girl couldn't plot her way out of a plastic bag. There was also the time that a man so renowned for his cruel methods that he earned the nickname ‘the butcher’ came to Elanna’s family home looking for her and when her family covered for her by saying she wasn’t there, she decides it’s worth revealing herself to him simply in order to make a snarky response to something he’d said. Her actions brought a massive shitstorm upon her entire family for harbouring a fugitive and triggered an actual war, but what the hell? At least Elanna got in that one-liner. She knows what's important.
It wasn’t just Elanna’s actions that made zero sense, pretty much all the characters did things which completely defied all logical reason at some point. When Elanna is finally taken (against her will) out of the city full of people trying to kill her, her friend from court, Victorie, decides to sneak along and leave with them. Why would a wealthy noblewoman abandon her parents and the only life she’s ever known to go on the run with a wanted criminal when she is so utterly useless? She literally has nothing to contribute to this half-baked escape attempt, so she’s pretty much throwing away her entire life for nothing. She was just there , and the whole thing felt so unrealistic and so contrived. Yet the best example of character development that didn’t make any sense was the fact that not one but two guys developed feelings for Elanna. Out of an entire fantasy novel with magic and an earth that literally ‘comes alive’, this was the least plausible part of the plot. All Elanna ever does is scowl in between making ignorant and prejudiced comments about other people. There wasn't one conversation with either of them that was in the least bit interesting or witty. The only funny part was when in response to somebody’s stupid idea, Elanna said ‘I don’t suffer fools’. This must be one of the most hilarious and unintentionally ironic things I’ve ever read. Girl, if you can 'suffer' yourself, you can suffer anyone.
There were so many other things the characters did that annoyed me that I soon stopped bothering to keep track of them, and it stopped me enjoying this novel. I was glad when it ended so I never had to suffer through another of Elanna’s internal monologues again. This disaster of a character made even the queen of inconsistency herself, Celaena Sardothien, look almost semi-decent.
Thank you to the publisher for sending me an advanced copy to review.
Firstly, there were far too many pages dedicated to the main character’s internal monologue, which just served to the detriment of the entire novel because she is, quite frankly, an idiot. Elanna has the honour of being one of the most detestable characters I’ve ever had the misfortune of reading about. Too much time was given to the thoughts of a character I was never going to like, time that was taken away from the character dialogue and the development of the secondary characters who have the potential to be much more interesting than the MC the author chose to afflict us with. She is constantly raging about her hatred for her father because he ‘abandoned’ her, despite the fact that she has a clear memory of the king pointing a gun at her head when she was taken hostage. Would she rather her father had protested and watched her have her brains blown out? She spends the beginning of the novel fiercely defending the king to his critics and then acts shocked when she later discovers that the king’s ‘goodness’ had been a lie and that he had been involved in a corruption scandal. This is the same man who ruined her family and threatened to kill her, yet it’s the fact that only five percent of his annual revenue goes to the poor that finally gets her to see the light. And why the hell does she only remember the fact that he held a pistol to her face when it’s convenient? Not only has she spent her entire life resenting her parents for not rescuing her, but when her father does rescue her she runs away and attacks his men when they come after her. There is literally no pleasing this woman. The hell does she even have to complain about anyway? She had everything she could have asked for at court – sure, she was technically a hostage but she was never treated like one. But, of course, she does a complete character u-turn once reunited with her family. She suddenly decides that she now idolises her father and is willing to die for her homeland of Caeris, a land she referred to as run by savages only a couple of pages ago. I’m all for character growth, but it has to be realistic and grounded. I want to see a gradual transformation that actually makes sense, not this hot mess.
Her idiocy and constant u-turns only get worse as the plot progresses. After being framed for the king’s murder, she plans to escape to a neighbouring kingdom, Ida, but when Jahan, the ambassador from Ida of all places, tries to leave the city with her, she starts screaming at him and accusing him of kidnapping. Bitch, do the details even matter if you end up in the same place anyway? Would you rather he just left you to be executed, because there is no way you’re escaping that city on your own. She’s more likely to fall down a drain hole or accidentally decapitate herself than successfully plot her way out of that city. This girl couldn't plot her way out of a plastic bag. There was also the time that a man so renowned for his cruel methods that he earned the nickname ‘the butcher’ came to Elanna’s family home looking for her and when her family covered for her by saying she wasn’t there, she decides it’s worth revealing herself to him simply in order to make a snarky response to something he’d said. Her actions brought a massive shitstorm upon her entire family for harbouring a fugitive and triggered an actual war, but what the hell? At least Elanna got in that one-liner. She knows what's important.
It wasn’t just Elanna’s actions that made zero sense, pretty much all the characters did things which completely defied all logical reason at some point. When Elanna is finally taken (against her will) out of the city full of people trying to kill her, her friend from court, Victorie, decides to sneak along and leave with them. Why would a wealthy noblewoman abandon her parents and the only life she’s ever known to go on the run with a wanted criminal when she is so utterly useless? She literally has nothing to contribute to this half-baked escape attempt, so she’s pretty much throwing away her entire life for nothing. She was just there , and the whole thing felt so unrealistic and so contrived. Yet the best example of character development that didn’t make any sense was the fact that not one but two guys developed feelings for Elanna. Out of an entire fantasy novel with magic and an earth that literally ‘comes alive’, this was the least plausible part of the plot. All Elanna ever does is scowl in between making ignorant and prejudiced comments about other people. There wasn't one conversation with either of them that was in the least bit interesting or witty. The only funny part was when in response to somebody’s stupid idea, Elanna said ‘I don’t suffer fools’. This must be one of the most hilarious and unintentionally ironic things I’ve ever read. Girl, if you can 'suffer' yourself, you can suffer anyone.
There were so many other things the characters did that annoyed me that I soon stopped bothering to keep track of them, and it stopped me enjoying this novel. I was glad when it ended so I never had to suffer through another of Elanna’s internal monologues again. This disaster of a character made even the queen of inconsistency herself, Celaena Sardothien, look almost semi-decent.
Thank you to the publisher for sending me an advanced copy to review.
March 23, 2017
I have so many thoughts..
I will put them in a video..
gah
I will put them in a video..
gah
June 27, 2017
4 of 5 stars at The BiblioSanctum https://bibliosanctum.com/2017/06/27/...
The Waking Land is a gorgeous new fantasy novel from debut author Callie Bates, and it was on my wishlist long before I had the opportunity to read it. There are just certain types of stories, while not entirely groundbreaking or new to the genre, that are just irresistible to me, and this is one of them. The book encompasses a lot of the elements I love, including a courageous heroine, an evocative magic system tied to the living earth, and a complex world built upon the political alliances and animosities between various kingdoms.
Things get off to a rather intense start, with the prologue opening on the scene of an interrupted dinner party. Our protagonist Elanna Valtai, five years old at this point, watches as her nurse is murdered in front of her eyes. Meanwhile, King Antoine and the rest of his royal guards are storming the house downstairs, putting an end to her father’s rebellion. To ensure no more attempted uprisings, Elanna’s parents are banished back to their ancestral home of Caeris, while Elanna herself is seized as a hostage, to be raised in the king’s household in Eren.
Fourteen years pass. For all that she is an outsider and the daughter of a known traitor, Elanna has been treated well by King Antoine, whom she regards and loves as a father. She has not seen her real parents since the night of the party, and Eren has become the only place she feels at home. In fact, she even has her future all planned out; once she comes of age, the king will send her off to study botany, where she will hone her gift of working with plants.
But then one day, King Antoine sickens and dies. And unfortunately, his heir Princess Loyce has never accepted Elanna, always ridiculing her for her Caerisian heritage. Worse, it has been ruled that the king died of poisoning, and being the botanical expert, Elanna is the number one suspect. With no other choice left to her, our protagonist is forced to flee back to her homeland and reunite with her estranged blood kin. It is there, however, where she discovers the truth about her birthright and the mysterious magical powers she always knew she had—and with that knowledge, she must lead a rebellion against the very kingdom to which she once pledged her loyalty.
While I realize this was not the most original plot, I didn’t care; books like The Waking Land are usually well represented in my reading repertoire despite their familiar elements, simply because I always know I’ll have a good time with them and they remind me of why I love the genre. Plus, there are certain aspects which were handled extremely well, like the world-building and magic. Under Bates’ deft touch, some of these well-known tropes are transformed into something slightly different—just enough to offer a bit of flavor without too much distraction. Take Elanna’s powers, for example. Earth magic is certainly nothing new in fantasy, but nevertheless, I enjoyed how the story introduced fresh context for it by incorporating some unique history and lore. Likewise, the conflicts between the kingdoms were interesting. After all, it’s rare to meet a heroine whose loyalties are torn in such a way, her dual roles of dutiful daughter vs. brainwashed hostage giving the political landscape a whole new dynamic.
Speaking of which, Elanna was a great character. At nineteen, she is dealing with a lot of “new adult” type problems on top of being accused of regicide, so it’s a bit of an emotional journey. The occasional moment of angst aside though, I found her to be likeable and down-to-earth (no pun intended). Undoubtedly, the author’s biggest challenge was to make Elanna’s transition from one side to the other believable, and I think for the most part Bates succeeded. Gradually, her protagonist’s eyes are opened to see beyond her upbringing, letting her take control of her own life and decide for herself what she wants to do.
In terms of criticisms, I only have a few, and none of them are deal breaking. I felt the pacing was a little off in places, especially with the amount of filler in the middle. There was also a romance plot that was emotionally flat and did little for me, its only saving grace being the fact that it probably wasn’t meant to be a big part of the story. I also wish that we’d gotten to see more of Elanna’s powers in the first half of the novel, though in all fairness, the book ultimately makes up for that with an epic magical showdown in the ending.
When all is said and done, I very much enjoyed this book. The Waking Land is not out to reinvent the wheel as far as the premise or the story goes, but I was nonetheless delighted and satisfied with the way it turned out. Callie Bates has concocted a magically captivating tale that will draw you in from the very first page, exactly the kind of fantasy novel I crave. A strong protagonist, an entertaining plot, and a well-crafted world are all reasons why this would make a great pick for any fantasy reader, especially if you enjoy a dash of enchantment and magic. The author has a bright future ahead of her, and I look forward to her next project.
The Waking Land is a gorgeous new fantasy novel from debut author Callie Bates, and it was on my wishlist long before I had the opportunity to read it. There are just certain types of stories, while not entirely groundbreaking or new to the genre, that are just irresistible to me, and this is one of them. The book encompasses a lot of the elements I love, including a courageous heroine, an evocative magic system tied to the living earth, and a complex world built upon the political alliances and animosities between various kingdoms.
Things get off to a rather intense start, with the prologue opening on the scene of an interrupted dinner party. Our protagonist Elanna Valtai, five years old at this point, watches as her nurse is murdered in front of her eyes. Meanwhile, King Antoine and the rest of his royal guards are storming the house downstairs, putting an end to her father’s rebellion. To ensure no more attempted uprisings, Elanna’s parents are banished back to their ancestral home of Caeris, while Elanna herself is seized as a hostage, to be raised in the king’s household in Eren.
Fourteen years pass. For all that she is an outsider and the daughter of a known traitor, Elanna has been treated well by King Antoine, whom she regards and loves as a father. She has not seen her real parents since the night of the party, and Eren has become the only place she feels at home. In fact, she even has her future all planned out; once she comes of age, the king will send her off to study botany, where she will hone her gift of working with plants.
But then one day, King Antoine sickens and dies. And unfortunately, his heir Princess Loyce has never accepted Elanna, always ridiculing her for her Caerisian heritage. Worse, it has been ruled that the king died of poisoning, and being the botanical expert, Elanna is the number one suspect. With no other choice left to her, our protagonist is forced to flee back to her homeland and reunite with her estranged blood kin. It is there, however, where she discovers the truth about her birthright and the mysterious magical powers she always knew she had—and with that knowledge, she must lead a rebellion against the very kingdom to which she once pledged her loyalty.
While I realize this was not the most original plot, I didn’t care; books like The Waking Land are usually well represented in my reading repertoire despite their familiar elements, simply because I always know I’ll have a good time with them and they remind me of why I love the genre. Plus, there are certain aspects which were handled extremely well, like the world-building and magic. Under Bates’ deft touch, some of these well-known tropes are transformed into something slightly different—just enough to offer a bit of flavor without too much distraction. Take Elanna’s powers, for example. Earth magic is certainly nothing new in fantasy, but nevertheless, I enjoyed how the story introduced fresh context for it by incorporating some unique history and lore. Likewise, the conflicts between the kingdoms were interesting. After all, it’s rare to meet a heroine whose loyalties are torn in such a way, her dual roles of dutiful daughter vs. brainwashed hostage giving the political landscape a whole new dynamic.
Speaking of which, Elanna was a great character. At nineteen, she is dealing with a lot of “new adult” type problems on top of being accused of regicide, so it’s a bit of an emotional journey. The occasional moment of angst aside though, I found her to be likeable and down-to-earth (no pun intended). Undoubtedly, the author’s biggest challenge was to make Elanna’s transition from one side to the other believable, and I think for the most part Bates succeeded. Gradually, her protagonist’s eyes are opened to see beyond her upbringing, letting her take control of her own life and decide for herself what she wants to do.
In terms of criticisms, I only have a few, and none of them are deal breaking. I felt the pacing was a little off in places, especially with the amount of filler in the middle. There was also a romance plot that was emotionally flat and did little for me, its only saving grace being the fact that it probably wasn’t meant to be a big part of the story. I also wish that we’d gotten to see more of Elanna’s powers in the first half of the novel, though in all fairness, the book ultimately makes up for that with an epic magical showdown in the ending.
When all is said and done, I very much enjoyed this book. The Waking Land is not out to reinvent the wheel as far as the premise or the story goes, but I was nonetheless delighted and satisfied with the way it turned out. Callie Bates has concocted a magically captivating tale that will draw you in from the very first page, exactly the kind of fantasy novel I crave. A strong protagonist, an entertaining plot, and a well-crafted world are all reasons why this would make a great pick for any fantasy reader, especially if you enjoy a dash of enchantment and magic. The author has a bright future ahead of her, and I look forward to her next project.
June 1, 2017
The Waking Land by Callie Bates is a book I was allowed to read from NetGalley and I am so glad indeed! This book is so rich in fantasy, world building, character depth, plot, and twists that I was totally enthralled in its wonders. Elanna has earth magic, more than anyone knows, in a time that magic is forbidden except in the far north where the land shifts and protects the people, the old ways, and the land itself. Elanna is forced/kidnapped from her family as a young child and is held by the King to make her father be submissive to the King. She is raised by the King and told so many lies about her birth land that she believes them. Then, the King is murdered and she is blamed. The daughter of the King is now Queen and has always hated her. Elanna meets a man that also knows magic and knows about hers but he wants her to go to her real father and she believes all the lies. It is so action packed, so many twists, so much magic mixed in there, so much emotion...I am not doing it justice here and only touching on the tip of the iceberg. The Queen's men are after her, the witch hunters are after her...She has the power of the land, earth, and things of the earth. She will need all of these if she can get the land to wake up. It is so exciting to see how and when and with who ....so excellent!!!
June 23, 2020
3.5 I randomly came upon this as a recommended read in Google books. I was very pleasantly surprised. A nice love story, that was given time to build, not instant. The story and the hard as hell path the heroine faces is stressful, but rewarding as a result. It's not a terribly new concept of plot. It's missing some additional depth from supporting characters. But there is potential for that to develop in the next book. Overall it's a decently done YA supernatural fantasy, that is generally/somewhat fulfilling.
Read
August 12, 2017DNFing @ 7%.
I've been trying to read this book for a month or so, and I just really can't get into the way it's written.
I've been trying to read this book for a month or so, and I just really can't get into the way it's written.
Read
May 6, 2017An ambitious debut novel that I inhaled over two days, The Waking Land has a lot going for it: a passionate heroine, complicated politics, lots of magic, and some colorful characters.
It was also a rocky read in places, though I wonder how much of the confusing opening is due to the heroine being nineteen years old, which is not an age for emotional logic much less rational logic. In that sense, Bates did a terrifically believable job, though .
It is written in the currently hip first person present tense, which works during the action sequences, but tended to stand out awkwardly during the history lessons, and the many reflective scenes.
Elana Valtai has been a hostage since she was five, and she was taken from her home with a pistol (not a gun, though muskets and pistols are repeatedly called "guns" and there doesn't seem to be any artillery, which was what guns were originally) to her head. She dashes off this way and that, impelled by passions that contradict from moment to moment, even when told facts that she seems to believe, and then to forget.
We do not learn why the two kingdoms tragically divided two centuries ago speak completely different languages (one faux Welsh and one faux French), but the grief handed down through the years, the shadows of violence, and the result of failed revolution all resonate through current politics with grim effect.
Elana finally gets away from the really evil Princess Loyce and her equally slimy lover Denis, after the king is mysteriously murdered and Elana gets the blame. Even though we suspect from the gitgo who really did the deed, it is regarded even by apparently far-sighted characters as a mystery until the end.
Elana has been brainwashed by the ex-king, and bit by bit has to face what she was told and reevaluate, amid action, emotional turmoil, and meeting some cute guys who may or may not be allies.
I especially liked Finn, the prince most revolutionaries favor (though not everyone, a step away from "the peasants all think alike" trope of many fantasies, that I thought a plus); the politics are not so simple. Finn was raised to this revolution, and his conversations with Elana about the not-so-hot aspects of being raised for 'great' purposes I thought were among the best points in the book.
Treachery abounds, Elana meets her parents again, and discovers that they are human beings, and she is called to action, while dealing with the responsibility of growing powers.
It's a fast-paced read, and I think older teens especially will have no problem with the emotion-driven decisions and the vivid action and magical razzle-dazzle. I look forward to seeing what Bates writes next.
Copy provided by NetGalley
It was also a rocky read in places, though I wonder how much of the confusing opening is due to the heroine being nineteen years old, which is not an age for emotional logic much less rational logic. In that sense, Bates did a terrifically believable job, though .
It is written in the currently hip first person present tense, which works during the action sequences, but tended to stand out awkwardly during the history lessons, and the many reflective scenes.
Elana Valtai has been a hostage since she was five, and she was taken from her home with a pistol (not a gun, though muskets and pistols are repeatedly called "guns" and there doesn't seem to be any artillery, which was what guns were originally) to her head. She dashes off this way and that, impelled by passions that contradict from moment to moment, even when told facts that she seems to believe, and then to forget.
We do not learn why the two kingdoms tragically divided two centuries ago speak completely different languages (one faux Welsh and one faux French), but the grief handed down through the years, the shadows of violence, and the result of failed revolution all resonate through current politics with grim effect.
Elana finally gets away from the really evil Princess Loyce and her equally slimy lover Denis, after the king is mysteriously murdered and Elana gets the blame. Even though we suspect from the gitgo who really did the deed, it is regarded even by apparently far-sighted characters as a mystery until the end.
Elana has been brainwashed by the ex-king, and bit by bit has to face what she was told and reevaluate, amid action, emotional turmoil, and meeting some cute guys who may or may not be allies.
I especially liked Finn, the prince most revolutionaries favor (though not everyone, a step away from "the peasants all think alike" trope of many fantasies, that I thought a plus); the politics are not so simple. Finn was raised to this revolution, and his conversations with Elana about the not-so-hot aspects of being raised for 'great' purposes I thought were among the best points in the book.
Treachery abounds, Elana meets her parents again, and discovers that they are human beings, and she is called to action, while dealing with the responsibility of growing powers.
It's a fast-paced read, and I think older teens especially will have no problem with the emotion-driven decisions and the vivid action and magical razzle-dazzle. I look forward to seeing what Bates writes next.
Copy provided by NetGalley
September 17, 2020
ARC in exchange for an honest review
I was skeptical about this book when I read the synopsis. There’s a girl who has it all and then all of a sudden she doesn’t and then she has to lead the rebellion. To me, it kind of seems done, but I also kind of love a broken person rising above it all and becoming the reason the world changes. So I requested, I got, and... I didn’t love it.
Don’t get me wrong, it was unique in some of its concepts and it was written with beautiful lyrical words. But some of it was... I’m not sure; I just wasn’t on board for it. And some I never quite grasped the concept on what in the world was going on.
Half the time I was retracting because there were just a lot of things to remember. There were a ton of kingdoms and characters and I didn’t fall in love with any of them. There’s a line between giving a ton of information to grow the world you want the reader to explore and just information explosion.
And, as I said, I just didn’t fall in love with any of the characters. Actually, the main character kind of annoyed me with her bipolar feelings (and I read that a lot of other people felt the same way so I know I am not just crazy). And her, like “super power” was never really explained and it was kind of weird.
The author has a way with words, but I feel this world could have been explained better. I will read other books by this author as she grows as a writer because I can feel the potential in her words.
I was skeptical about this book when I read the synopsis. There’s a girl who has it all and then all of a sudden she doesn’t and then she has to lead the rebellion. To me, it kind of seems done, but I also kind of love a broken person rising above it all and becoming the reason the world changes. So I requested, I got, and... I didn’t love it.
Don’t get me wrong, it was unique in some of its concepts and it was written with beautiful lyrical words. But some of it was... I’m not sure; I just wasn’t on board for it. And some I never quite grasped the concept on what in the world was going on.
Half the time I was retracting because there were just a lot of things to remember. There were a ton of kingdoms and characters and I didn’t fall in love with any of them. There’s a line between giving a ton of information to grow the world you want the reader to explore and just information explosion.
And, as I said, I just didn’t fall in love with any of the characters. Actually, the main character kind of annoyed me with her bipolar feelings (and I read that a lot of other people felt the same way so I know I am not just crazy). And her, like “super power” was never really explained and it was kind of weird.
The author has a way with words, but I feel this world could have been explained better. I will read other books by this author as she grows as a writer because I can feel the potential in her words.
July 8, 2017
* I received The Walking Land for an honest review *
Well, I finished it! I'm not going to lie the beginning and half the middle almost made me want to quit, but I'm extremely happy I didn't. The Walking Land proved to be a pretty awesome and interesting book.
So, I should start by saying this book is a cross between, young adult and new adult, so if you are under 16-17 I can't recommend The Walking Land. It has plenty of twists and turns, lots of trials and tribulations that could benefit a young adult though, and could be an inspiration growth story.
Like I stated in the beginning of the review, the beginning and part of the middle were incredibly difficult for me, whether because of the MC who stayed on my nerves the whole time or the lack of world building. The author kind of just throws you in and its a sink or swim kind of start, I really started sinking, but by page 150 it dramatically improved, and the charters started to develop a bit more. The world building never really improved but that's a personal preference for me. I like to see the world unfold as I read and be completely submerged in the writing, so for me, that means creating a person and a place.
Callie Bates may have had a hard time building the world (in my opinion) but she had zero issue in finishing it, by the end of this book I couldn't put it down. I was thrilled with the way she ties everything together. Very impressively done.
I recommend this to anyone who is looking for a good fantasy, one with a touch of love but not written around it. Instead about the life of a young woman who conquers her past and takes on her future. One who teaches herself to be brave and strong, for her people. If you like magic and plot twists, this is a great book for you!
I hope you enjoy!!
Well, I finished it! I'm not going to lie the beginning and half the middle almost made me want to quit, but I'm extremely happy I didn't. The Walking Land proved to be a pretty awesome and interesting book.
So, I should start by saying this book is a cross between, young adult and new adult, so if you are under 16-17 I can't recommend The Walking Land. It has plenty of twists and turns, lots of trials and tribulations that could benefit a young adult though, and could be an inspiration growth story.
Like I stated in the beginning of the review, the beginning and part of the middle were incredibly difficult for me, whether because of the MC who stayed on my nerves the whole time or the lack of world building. The author kind of just throws you in and its a sink or swim kind of start, I really started sinking, but by page 150 it dramatically improved, and the charters started to develop a bit more. The world building never really improved but that's a personal preference for me. I like to see the world unfold as I read and be completely submerged in the writing, so for me, that means creating a person and a place.
Callie Bates may have had a hard time building the world (in my opinion) but she had zero issue in finishing it, by the end of this book I couldn't put it down. I was thrilled with the way she ties everything together. Very impressively done.
I recommend this to anyone who is looking for a good fantasy, one with a touch of love but not written around it. Instead about the life of a young woman who conquers her past and takes on her future. One who teaches herself to be brave and strong, for her people. If you like magic and plot twists, this is a great book for you!
I hope you enjoy!!
June 12, 2017
3.5
Fantastic nature centered magical adventure with interesting characters topped with action.
What a bang this author made with this her debut book. The details, abilities, personal and political drams so complex, so visually written. I hope her work only gets better from here.
Ellana was kidnapped when very young by a king that raised and treated her well, by him but she was never allowed to be who she was or see her family. The kings daughter, well she's not so kind toward his ward. Having been raise in this kingdom she becomes part of their culture, absorbing their beliefs and customs. When a death/murder happens and she forced to face her old home and family the culture clash and old hurts scar everything for this young woman.
Faced with who she really is she explores her nature, her magic that she has always hidden. This is really a fantastic part of the book. She is part of the earth, part of the ancestors souls, connected to the world. Her magic is at the center of a political war, her power coveted. She resents and relishes this at the same time.
Why wasn't it a 5 star read for me:
The romance is slow and frustraiting at times. They would separate, come together talk or not talk, ignore or cling. While I loved the love interests it bordered on obsession one chapter to disappearing in the next. I didn't love the courtship process, it felt jerky and without a natural flow.
It dragged on a bit too long on several sections, the mountain lessons, the traveling, the rehashing on the same thoughts. It needed so trimming for this reader. For a first book this was was amazing, it is rare to hit it out of the park with #1. Bravo Ms. Bates
Fantastic nature centered magical adventure with interesting characters topped with action.
What a bang this author made with this her debut book. The details, abilities, personal and political drams so complex, so visually written. I hope her work only gets better from here.
Ellana was kidnapped when very young by a king that raised and treated her well, by him but she was never allowed to be who she was or see her family. The kings daughter, well she's not so kind toward his ward. Having been raise in this kingdom she becomes part of their culture, absorbing their beliefs and customs. When a death/murder happens and she forced to face her old home and family the culture clash and old hurts scar everything for this young woman.
Faced with who she really is she explores her nature, her magic that she has always hidden. This is really a fantastic part of the book. She is part of the earth, part of the ancestors souls, connected to the world. Her magic is at the center of a political war, her power coveted. She resents and relishes this at the same time.
Why wasn't it a 5 star read for me:
The romance is slow and frustraiting at times. They would separate, come together talk or not talk, ignore or cling. While I loved the love interests it bordered on obsession one chapter to disappearing in the next. I didn't love the courtship process, it felt jerky and without a natural flow.
It dragged on a bit too long on several sections, the mountain lessons, the traveling, the rehashing on the same thoughts. It needed so trimming for this reader. For a first book this was was amazing, it is rare to hit it out of the park with #1. Bravo Ms. Bates
February 23, 2019
A fantasy novel about a young woman who was raised away from her home who is destined to become something greater than anyone ever imagined she could be.
There were shades of Irish mythology in this story with magic surrounding standing stones and a midnight ritual about "marrying the land".
Overall, I just felt like I had read this book before in some form or another. It stuck to so many forms — heroine who doesn't know her own strength, falls in love with a man who may help her or betray her, trusts everyone she shouldn't and doesn't trust everyone she should.
There were so few unexpected moments. Even the big stuff is heavily foreshadowed. Take this passage:
"I can do nothing. I am a botanist, not a sorcerer. Botanists have a place in this world — a respectable place. As the emperor of Paladis likes to remind us, sorcerers are worse than nothing — their impious actions are a mockery of the gods, and their historical conviction that they could rule kingdoms presented a threat to civilization itself, a danger that had to be exterminated." pg 22
Ok, now guess what is going to happen in this book... you're probably right. And that blurb is from the first chapter.
There were shades of Irish mythology in this story with magic surrounding standing stones and a midnight ritual about "marrying the land".
Overall, I just felt like I had read this book before in some form or another. It stuck to so many forms — heroine who doesn't know her own strength, falls in love with a man who may help her or betray her, trusts everyone she shouldn't and doesn't trust everyone she should.
There were so few unexpected moments. Even the big stuff is heavily foreshadowed. Take this passage:
"I can do nothing. I am a botanist, not a sorcerer. Botanists have a place in this world — a respectable place. As the emperor of Paladis likes to remind us, sorcerers are worse than nothing — their impious actions are a mockery of the gods, and their historical conviction that they could rule kingdoms presented a threat to civilization itself, a danger that had to be exterminated." pg 22
Ok, now guess what is going to happen in this book... you're probably right. And that blurb is from the first chapter.
September 21, 2018
ETA 9/21/18: Re-read so I can read the sequel, but now I think I'm gonna wait because I'm not quite ready yet. As in, my brain hurts and fantasy worlds don't help matters, even when they're being revisited. So, I'm going to wait until I can give it the proper attention it deserves since I loved the first one.
*****
This stand-alone fantasy novel was utterly gorgeous in its telling and breathtaking in its brilliant use of magic to spark a revolution in a kingdom already besieged by pretenders and usurpers. I rarely find the time to read on the weekends, let alone listen to a book, but once I started this audiobook on my way home on Friday afternoon, there was no stopping me. The book almost comes to life with the rich narration, waking your senses as the land is waking in the story, and it made it very hard to put down. This story was simply lovely and unique, and well...magical.
*****
This stand-alone fantasy novel was utterly gorgeous in its telling and breathtaking in its brilliant use of magic to spark a revolution in a kingdom already besieged by pretenders and usurpers. I rarely find the time to read on the weekends, let alone listen to a book, but once I started this audiobook on my way home on Friday afternoon, there was no stopping me. The book almost comes to life with the rich narration, waking your senses as the land is waking in the story, and it made it very hard to put down. This story was simply lovely and unique, and well...magical.
July 3, 2017
The full review can be viewed on my blog along with others at: Shesgoingbookcrazy.com
I received this copy from the publisher via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.
Elanna Valtai, the daughter of a wealthy Caerisian family, doesn't know much of her homeland. She hasn't lived there for many years. Taken from her home and family at a young age, she was raised in the enemy's courts as "insurance" that her father wouldn't head up an uprising again.
Contrary to what she wants to believe, Elanna has an uncanny connection to the land. She feels the soil beneath her feet, the whispers of growth around her. When she touches a flower, it thrives in health. But magic is forbidden in the realm in which she is prisoner---but has also come to love as her rightful home. She was treated well, cared for, and allowed to study botany.
Nothing was amiss until the king, her surrogate father, suddenly falls ill and dies. Come to find out, he had been poisoned. Because of her association to botany, she suddenly finds herself being blamed for the King's murder, and sets to escape her impending punishment.
Fleeing back to her homeland, she realizes that she must face the truth, along with the magic connecting her to the land.
-----------------------------
The plot pacing resembled a valley between two hills.
(Did you like the metaphor? I thought it was rather clever.)
The beginning was so enticingly gorgeous, but then it just fell off from there and plateaued for the entire bulk of the body. The end ramped up again so fast, that I wanted for it to last for much longer than it had! I feel like if the end was paced out over the rest of the book, it would have been a full star's worth (or more) of an improvement.
This world has a lot of history. One also can't deny that this world was well deeply considered and thought out. However, as stated before, it needed more time to be processed and divulged.
Elanna, frankly, drove me nuts. She was so back and forth with wanting, or not wanting her magic, meeting her parents again, and just about everything else.
In a way, if she didn't want to become the Steward of the Land, then I might sympathize because she didn't really have a choice. However, she needed to just deal with her lot in life because she clearly desired to use her magic.
Speaking of being the Steward (which was basically taking the title of "queen") and "wedding the land" was odd. Basically, she made love with a guy in the dirt and became attached to it. I just really didn't care for that entire portrayal. It reminded me a lot of Tamlin's Spring "mating" in A Court of Thorns and Roses. No thank you. It was almost like the author was trying include fornication into the book somewhere and landed on that.
In regards to characters; there were many of them. I kept getting a few of them mixed up, and never really understood their roles because of this happening.
Bates is clearly a talented author. The book is beautifully written, and was unique in it's ideas. The premise of the story was so enticing, but it just didn't meet my expectations. I think if the text had somehow been rearranged, it would have been a more engaging read throughout its entirety.
Vulgarity: I believe there is some, but it is minute.
Sexual content: Yes - the odd "wedding the land" scene.
Violence: Some. There is a war between nations, and lots of palm slashing for ritualistic behaviors and summonings.
3 stars.
A big thanks to the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book!
I received this copy from the publisher via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.
All plants are ordinary, until I touch them. All my life, I've had to hid what happens when I touch anything that comes from the earth--plants, stones, trees, soil, orchids.
Elanna Valtai, the daughter of a wealthy Caerisian family, doesn't know much of her homeland. She hasn't lived there for many years. Taken from her home and family at a young age, she was raised in the enemy's courts as "insurance" that her father wouldn't head up an uprising again.
Contrary to what she wants to believe, Elanna has an uncanny connection to the land. She feels the soil beneath her feet, the whispers of growth around her. When she touches a flower, it thrives in health. But magic is forbidden in the realm in which she is prisoner---but has also come to love as her rightful home. She was treated well, cared for, and allowed to study botany.
Nothing was amiss until the king, her surrogate father, suddenly falls ill and dies. Come to find out, he had been poisoned. Because of her association to botany, she suddenly finds herself being blamed for the King's murder, and sets to escape her impending punishment.
Fleeing back to her homeland, she realizes that she must face the truth, along with the magic connecting her to the land.
-----------------------------
The plot pacing resembled a valley between two hills.
(Did you like the metaphor? I thought it was rather clever.)
The beginning was so enticingly gorgeous, but then it just fell off from there and plateaued for the entire bulk of the body. The end ramped up again so fast, that I wanted for it to last for much longer than it had! I feel like if the end was paced out over the rest of the book, it would have been a full star's worth (or more) of an improvement.
This world has a lot of history. One also can't deny that this world was well deeply considered and thought out. However, as stated before, it needed more time to be processed and divulged.
Elanna, frankly, drove me nuts. She was so back and forth with wanting, or not wanting her magic, meeting her parents again, and just about everything else.
I'm supposed to be safe here, safe to taunt myself with a magic I am not supposed to possess. A magic I still don't understand.
In a way, if she didn't want to become the Steward of the Land, then I might sympathize because she didn't really have a choice. However, she needed to just deal with her lot in life because she clearly desired to use her magic.
Speaking of being the Steward (which was basically taking the title of "queen") and "wedding the land" was odd. Basically, she made love with a guy in the dirt and became attached to it. I just really didn't care for that entire portrayal. It reminded me a lot of Tamlin's Spring "mating" in A Court of Thorns and Roses. No thank you. It was almost like the author was trying include fornication into the book somewhere and landed on that.
In regards to characters; there were many of them. I kept getting a few of them mixed up, and never really understood their roles because of this happening.
Bates is clearly a talented author. The book is beautifully written, and was unique in it's ideas. The premise of the story was so enticing, but it just didn't meet my expectations. I think if the text had somehow been rearranged, it would have been a more engaging read throughout its entirety.
Vulgarity: I believe there is some, but it is minute.
Sexual content: Yes - the odd "wedding the land" scene.
Violence: Some. There is a war between nations, and lots of palm slashing for ritualistic behaviors and summonings.
3 stars.
A big thanks to the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book!
August 31, 2017
Fairly run of the mill fantasy about Elanna Valtai, a "chosen one" from the subjugated Kingdom of Caeris raised as a hostage in the conquering Kingdom of Eren. When the King of Eren is poisoned, Elanna is framed for his murder and she is forced to flee to the country of her birth where she is a stranger.
I found this book to be long and repetitive with not enough going on to justify its length. Fortunately it is a complete story, even though it's the first of a trilogy. I did appreciate the point of view of a hostage child with divided loyalties, but I didn't feel the progression of her loyalties was particularly well done.
I found this book to be long and repetitive with not enough going on to justify its length. Fortunately it is a complete story, even though it's the first of a trilogy. I did appreciate the point of view of a hostage child with divided loyalties, but I didn't feel the progression of her loyalties was particularly well done.
June 12, 2017
Elanna became a pawn in a game of political power tug-of-war when she was kidnapped by the king her father was leading a rebellion against. Growing up in the royal palace, actually being loved by the king tainted her view and her memories of the family she was stolen from. But Elanna is different than those around her, she has magic that she doesn’t understand and she must keep it hidden. When the king is murdered, she discovers who her true allies are when she is falsely accused and must run to the only place she can think to be safe, the family she lost, the family she was poisoned against and turned her back on. Could it be she was lied to for all those years? These people are not the monsters she came to believe, or will one prove her wrong?
In a world tainted by hatred, war and lies, Elanna will learn the truth about herself, her family and the land that calls to her, but with that truth could be the most painful betrayal she will ever face, even as she changes sides to become the leader of a rebellions her father started years before.
THE WAKING LAND is about change, opening one’s eyes to the world around them, about coming of age and learning to think for one’s self. Callie Bates starts out with a bang high tension, intrigue and the promise of a fascinating story to tell. I could not connect with the main character once she “grew up.” I realize she is struggling with a new world, a new way of thinking, lies and the terror of the unknown both within herself and all around her, but, something was missing for me.
Perhaps, it is just me, but I found that some scenes did not belong in a young adult read, which the tone of this book appeared to be. Other times, I wondered where I was being led in this chaotic world that failed to give me the magnetic action the editorial one-liners promised.
I received an ARC edition from Del Ray in exchange for my honest review.
My rating: 2.5 stars
Publisher: Del Rey (June 27, 2017)
Publication Date: June 27, 2017
Genre: Fantasy | Coming of Age |YA
Print Length: 400 pages
Available from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
For Reviews & More: http://tometender.blogspot.com
In a world tainted by hatred, war and lies, Elanna will learn the truth about herself, her family and the land that calls to her, but with that truth could be the most painful betrayal she will ever face, even as she changes sides to become the leader of a rebellions her father started years before.
THE WAKING LAND is about change, opening one’s eyes to the world around them, about coming of age and learning to think for one’s self. Callie Bates starts out with a bang high tension, intrigue and the promise of a fascinating story to tell. I could not connect with the main character once she “grew up.” I realize she is struggling with a new world, a new way of thinking, lies and the terror of the unknown both within herself and all around her, but, something was missing for me.
Perhaps, it is just me, but I found that some scenes did not belong in a young adult read, which the tone of this book appeared to be. Other times, I wondered where I was being led in this chaotic world that failed to give me the magnetic action the editorial one-liners promised.
I received an ARC edition from Del Ray in exchange for my honest review.
My rating: 2.5 stars
Publisher: Del Rey (June 27, 2017)
Publication Date: June 27, 2017
Genre: Fantasy | Coming of Age |YA
Print Length: 400 pages
Available from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
For Reviews & More: http://tometender.blogspot.com
August 4, 2024
I put this book down while crap was happening in real life, then felt bad about abandoning it before page 100 and overcompensated by reading long past the point at which I should have put it down. It didn't improve, and now I'm even more annoyed that a book about a botanist who can talk to plants could be so bad.
The premise is totally up my alley, as a botanist talks to plants but doesn't hear their replies - good thing, too, since my work involves killing invasive ones, and plants scream at frequences we can't hear when we stress or injure them. In execution, however, heroine Elanna doesn't talk to many plants at all (she hates having that power initially, forgets? to use it later), would far rather banter with the male lead than chat up an ancient tree, goes to new places and doesn't identify a single plant. What kind of botanist representation is this?? Has the author ever actually spoken to a botanist? Maybe not a super common profession (when I told a bank teller I was a botanist, she asked, "A phlebotomist?"), but we do exist, and what we have in common is the vast quantity of real estate that plants occupy in our heads.
The rest of The Waking Land is exceedingly forgettable in a YA/NA fantasy way. There's some mythical land re-awakening to get on with. An assassination by amanita (Callie Bates does get the drawn out process of dying by Amanita virosa right, although she doesn't explain why her made up world has the same European species of our world - when just over the pond our destroying angel species is Amanita ocreata). Then there's a heroine who makes epically stupid choices (if you're trying to escape being framed and see your face on a flyer, surely the smart thing is not to go into town to read the flyer but rather continue escaping?) and spends a lot of time narrating her political and other maundering in the present tense ("I run a hand through my hair, trying to calm myself enough to think rationally"). Lots of info dumps. Men who smell like spices. 🤦♀️
Can you have a visceral memory (in your gut) of a smell (in your nose)? Hmm. I dislike the writing, which is humorless, full of choppy sentence-paragraphs, and awkwardly worded in ways that kept snagging my attention (someone's chest "flashes" - as if he were wearing an LED necklace? not "heaves"?). Plants are merely escape mechanisms ("A man screams as a rhododendron flings him to the earth" - curious why this violence would be attributed to a rhododendron of all plants? surely a cactus or exploding cucumber would be more inclined to choose violence?), and the relationship that I thought would be the most central in this book - of Elanna with her plants and her land - comes across as the most shallow. I also thought I'd identify at least a little with Elanna's ambivalence about her cultural heritage and the way people make assumptions because of her skin color, but there are far more thoughtful and less tedious explorations of this topic.
DNF 50%, dragged my whole will to read into the gutter. You know who could do justice to the full kookiness of botanists who talk to plants (and are spoken back to)? T. Kingfisher. And she has a new book out in two days, so this is when I kick The Waking Land back to the library donations from whence it came.
The premise is totally up my alley, as a botanist talks to plants but doesn't hear their replies - good thing, too, since my work involves killing invasive ones, and plants scream at frequences we can't hear when we stress or injure them. In execution, however, heroine Elanna doesn't talk to many plants at all (she hates having that power initially, forgets? to use it later), would far rather banter with the male lead than chat up an ancient tree, goes to new places and doesn't identify a single plant. What kind of botanist representation is this?? Has the author ever actually spoken to a botanist? Maybe not a super common profession (when I told a bank teller I was a botanist, she asked, "A phlebotomist?"), but we do exist, and what we have in common is the vast quantity of real estate that plants occupy in our heads.
The rest of The Waking Land is exceedingly forgettable in a YA/NA fantasy way. There's some mythical land re-awakening to get on with. An assassination by amanita (Callie Bates does get the drawn out process of dying by Amanita virosa right, although she doesn't explain why her made up world has the same European species of our world - when just over the pond our destroying angel species is Amanita ocreata). Then there's a heroine who makes epically stupid choices (if you're trying to escape being framed and see your face on a flyer, surely the smart thing is not to go into town to read the flyer but rather continue escaping?) and spends a lot of time narrating her political and other maundering in the present tense ("I run a hand through my hair, trying to calm myself enough to think rationally"). Lots of info dumps. Men who smell like spices. 🤦♀️
And, though earlier I thought Father's intent to go south was pure madness, now I find I want to say yes so badly. It's not just because Jahan's scheme thrills me, or because I want to see Ida and the imperial court. No, I want to look into Jahan's eyes, in person. I'm struck with a sudden, visceral memory of how he smells: of cloves and cinnamon.
Can you have a visceral memory (in your gut) of a smell (in your nose)? Hmm. I dislike the writing, which is humorless, full of choppy sentence-paragraphs, and awkwardly worded in ways that kept snagging my attention (someone's chest "flashes" - as if he were wearing an LED necklace? not "heaves"?). Plants are merely escape mechanisms ("A man screams as a rhododendron flings him to the earth" - curious why this violence would be attributed to a rhododendron of all plants? surely a cactus or exploding cucumber would be more inclined to choose violence?), and the relationship that I thought would be the most central in this book - of Elanna with her plants and her land - comes across as the most shallow. I also thought I'd identify at least a little with Elanna's ambivalence about her cultural heritage and the way people make assumptions because of her skin color, but there are far more thoughtful and less tedious explorations of this topic.
DNF 50%, dragged my whole will to read into the gutter. You know who could do justice to the full kookiness of botanists who talk to plants (and are spoken back to)? T. Kingfisher. And she has a new book out in two days, so this is when I kick The Waking Land back to the library donations from whence it came.
November 28, 2020
This was an absolute dumpster fire. I can't believe this ever was published to be honest. The writing was so elementary and cheesey that I had to skim the rest of the book that I forced myself to read. The plot is equally cliche. A girl discovers her hidden power and is forced to lead a rebellion. But dont worry, there are two equally charming and handsome men she seems to fall for within seconds of meeting. I hated everything about this book, so do yourself a favor and skip it.
December 22, 2016
What a riveting debut! I love fantasy and this gives it to me on an enchanting plate!
Rich with edge of your seat vibrancy.. to find first love entangled with rebellion and repressed magic! It’s a relationship between nature, magic and humankind.
First in a trilogy and definitely Young Adult crossover elements
Rich with edge of your seat vibrancy.. to find first love entangled with rebellion and repressed magic! It’s a relationship between nature, magic and humankind.
First in a trilogy and definitely Young Adult crossover elements
August 27, 2017
It's been fourteen years, since King Antoine took Elanna hostage. Fourteen years since her father's rebellion failed. Fourteen years spent being raised by the man who condemned her people to misery. A man she's come to love as a father.
The Waking Land was a mixed bag for me. I wanted to like the main character Elanna, but there were too many times that I just wanted to slap her silly. I get that she was probably going through Stockholm Syndrome and confusion because she genuinely thought the king cared about her as a daughter, but she also came across as willfully stupid at times. She also had the annoying habit of contradicting herself over and over. She's not going to do this, but she does it. She doesn't ever do that, but then she does. She changed her mind about things way too easily at times, and then at other times was stubborn to the point of stupidity.
I liked the love interest quite a lot, but would have liked if the romance and the relationship between the two of them had been explored more. It came off a little too much like insta-love for me. Also, the whole "wedding the land" thing was just weird and there wasn't enough explanation as to what exactly happened and how it worked. And the love scene makes this book too mature for younger readers in my opinion.
There were some things about this book that I did really like. I liked the way the magic worked with Elanna drawing on the land and nature for assistance. I also thought the way the land would fold and then they would be in another location was really cool. I liked that it showed how conflicted Elanna was about who she was, her origins, and where her loyalties were; even though I don't feel like it was executed all that well. This looks to be a stand-alone, which is ok with me. I'm not sure I would want to continue on with it if it was a series.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher Random House for giving me a copy of this book for review. Review also posted at Writings of a Reader
The Waking Land was a mixed bag for me. I wanted to like the main character Elanna, but there were too many times that I just wanted to slap her silly. I get that she was probably going through Stockholm Syndrome and confusion because she genuinely thought the king cared about her as a daughter, but she also came across as willfully stupid at times. She also had the annoying habit of contradicting herself over and over. She's not going to do this, but she does it. She doesn't ever do that, but then she does. She changed her mind about things way too easily at times, and then at other times was stubborn to the point of stupidity.
I liked the love interest quite a lot, but would have liked if the romance and the relationship between the two of them had been explored more. It came off a little too much like insta-love for me. Also, the whole "wedding the land" thing was just weird and there wasn't enough explanation as to what exactly happened and how it worked. And the love scene makes this book too mature for younger readers in my opinion.
There were some things about this book that I did really like. I liked the way the magic worked with Elanna drawing on the land and nature for assistance. I also thought the way the land would fold and then they would be in another location was really cool. I liked that it showed how conflicted Elanna was about who she was, her origins, and where her loyalties were; even though I don't feel like it was executed all that well. This looks to be a stand-alone, which is ok with me. I'm not sure I would want to continue on with it if it was a series.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher Random House for giving me a copy of this book for review. Review also posted at Writings of a Reader
August 20, 2017
First person telling of a hostage who seems to 'love' her captor. Elanna grows into an independent character with latent resentment towards her family and country.
The tale grows into a sprawling adventure of interesting characters and magic systems. Whilst this is book one, there is no cliff-hanger and the story arc closes.
The tale grows into a sprawling adventure of interesting characters and magic systems. Whilst this is book one, there is no cliff-hanger and the story arc closes.
July 7, 2017
**Thank you to Hachette Australia and Netgalley for sending me a ARC in return for an honest review.
4 stars!!!
When I started to read this book, I have to admit I did find it a bit confusing and hard to get into. Fortunately, I'm glad to have kept at it because the story turned out better than I expected. I would classify this novel as new adult as opposed to young adult as there are adult situations within the book. Besides this, I feel that Callie Bates writes beautifully. I found the worldbuilding exceptionally intriguing, as well as the prose, flowed smoothly. The magic system in place was written gorgeously and I liked how the system was based on nature. The descriptions were very vivid and colourful. I also commend her for the complex history of the characters' world as well as the beliefs that they held. I felt that these details added richness to the overall plot. I also enjoyed how the world was built around the Rococo period from the descriptions of the clothes and setting. This point of reference helped to visualise the world from a distinctly French-inspired period angle.
In terms of the characters, Elanna was an engaging character and we see significant development her character as the story unravels. However, I couldn't really relate to her and I found many of her actions irritating. She is painted as a woman who is fierce and is on a journey of self discovery. But it seems that she is being constantly saved by others. In this regard, I feel the minor characters played a major role in adding dimension to the story as opposed to the MC. She does redeem herself towards the end of the novel, but by then, I had given up on endearing to her character. I just found the plot to be more enticing.
The overall plot of the novel is infused with politics, betrayal, romance, family drama, murder and so on. There were a lot of action sequences which were thrilling. But, I have to admit that some chapters did contain a lot of info-dumping which slowed down the pacing of the plot. On the other hand, I did find the revelations and tying up of loose ends to be satisfying if not a bit rushed. Since, this book is part of a series I would have preferred a more dramatic end or some sort of cliff hanger. The same could be said of the romance, it felt like the MC had won on many levels. I would have preferred a messier ending to have me more excited for the sequel. Anyway, I still did enjoy the book for its complexity and writing. I would recommend reading this novel if you are looking for something a tad bit unique in the upper YA/NA fantasy genre. Just keep i mind, that it is quite a heavy read, I wouldn't say call it a light afternoon sort of novel :)
4 stars!!!
When I started to read this book, I have to admit I did find it a bit confusing and hard to get into. Fortunately, I'm glad to have kept at it because the story turned out better than I expected. I would classify this novel as new adult as opposed to young adult as there are adult situations within the book. Besides this, I feel that Callie Bates writes beautifully. I found the worldbuilding exceptionally intriguing, as well as the prose, flowed smoothly. The magic system in place was written gorgeously and I liked how the system was based on nature. The descriptions were very vivid and colourful. I also commend her for the complex history of the characters' world as well as the beliefs that they held. I felt that these details added richness to the overall plot. I also enjoyed how the world was built around the Rococo period from the descriptions of the clothes and setting. This point of reference helped to visualise the world from a distinctly French-inspired period angle.
In terms of the characters, Elanna was an engaging character and we see significant development her character as the story unravels. However, I couldn't really relate to her and I found many of her actions irritating. She is painted as a woman who is fierce and is on a journey of self discovery. But it seems that she is being constantly saved by others. In this regard, I feel the minor characters played a major role in adding dimension to the story as opposed to the MC. She does redeem herself towards the end of the novel, but by then, I had given up on endearing to her character. I just found the plot to be more enticing.
The overall plot of the novel is infused with politics, betrayal, romance, family drama, murder and so on. There were a lot of action sequences which were thrilling. But, I have to admit that some chapters did contain a lot of info-dumping which slowed down the pacing of the plot. On the other hand, I did find the revelations and tying up of loose ends to be satisfying if not a bit rushed. Since, this book is part of a series I would have preferred a more dramatic end or some sort of cliff hanger. The same could be said of the romance, it felt like the MC had won on many levels. I would have preferred a messier ending to have me more excited for the sequel. Anyway, I still did enjoy the book for its complexity and writing. I would recommend reading this novel if you are looking for something a tad bit unique in the upper YA/NA fantasy genre. Just keep i mind, that it is quite a heavy read, I wouldn't say call it a light afternoon sort of novel :)
June 30, 2017
Now this was FUN. :D The characters are fantastic, especially Elanna. She's scholarly, determined (to the point of being headstrong), and not afraid to stand up for herself. It's easy to understand why she's so conflicted about her situation, and her gradual shift in allegiance from Eren to Caeris as she learns the truth about both countries / peoples and to embrace her nature-centric powers. The worldbuilding is rich with history and lore, and while the idea of "earth magic" isn't new, it's presented in a fresh and exciting way here. I wasn't completely sold on the romance, and some of the transitions between chapters were disorienting and rushed the final 70-ish pages. But overall, THE WAKING LAND is thrilling, breathtaking, and vividly written - to the point where I felt I had become the land with Elanna, smelling it and sensing it and reveling in its wild and ancient beauty.
Also, I think THE WAKING LAND is one the first adult fantasies I've read that's written in first-person present tense (a trend that typically happens in YA). This took some getting used to, but in the end it suited the story well, giving a real sense of urgency and emphasizing the intensity of Elanna's conflict and growth into her powers without compromising its strengths. I think fans of more mature YA fantasy would appreciate this.
NOTE: I received an ARC of THE WAKING LAND from the publisher as part of winning a giveaway. This has in no way influenced my opinion of the book.
Also, I think THE WAKING LAND is one the first adult fantasies I've read that's written in first-person present tense (a trend that typically happens in YA). This took some getting used to, but in the end it suited the story well, giving a real sense of urgency and emphasizing the intensity of Elanna's conflict and growth into her powers without compromising its strengths. I think fans of more mature YA fantasy would appreciate this.
NOTE: I received an ARC of THE WAKING LAND from the publisher as part of winning a giveaway. This has in no way influenced my opinion of the book.
June 29, 2017
2.5 stars.
Read this review and more at Book Geeks Uncompromised!
A big thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC!
Elanna Valtai was taken from her family as a young girl and held hostage by the king against her family’s good behavior. Growing up in the castle with the king, Elanna developed relationships with the people there and now as the country is thrown in turmoil must choose whether to support her homeland or the world that she grew up in.
Obviously I don’t want to go into spoilers but the plot point of which side Elanna will choose was over way too fast and with way too little fanfare. Starting this book, that was honestly what hooked me about Elanna, her struggle over where she belongs and her anger at her family for doing the things that led to her being taken away from them.
Unfortunately, it seemed like this internal conflict needed to be solved to make way for another internal conflict that also resolved really easily and that didn’t need to exist: which guy should she marry/be with?
Ugh.
The only thing that this really did was raise the question of how much Elanna was willing to sacrifice for the war effort. Being with one man would have political benefits, the other is the one that she loves. I kind of liked that aspect but the whole love triangle was really rather pointless. I think this story would have been better served without any emphasis on romance and instead a focus on the politics themselves.
Back to Elanna’s first struggle though regarding which country to side with, there are some justifications for why Elanna ends up choosing sides the way that she does, but after Elanna having such strong feelings about her birth country at the start of the story there was so little emotion behind her decision that I never felt it.
This is probably in large part because Elanna’s characterization was kind of weak. She is kind of forced into some of her decisions and rather than standing up for herself and what she believes, more often than not she seems to just go with what is decided for her and alters her opinions to justify it. She is very wishy washy; strong feelings about one thing on one page then 5 pages later she is all for the opposite!
A paraphrased example:
“No, I can’t go into the mountains with you, Rhia! I have to stay here with my people! How dare you suggest such a thing!”
…5 pages later…
“I’m so worried about the people that I care about but I can’t leave the mountains now! This is too important!”
The other characters are okay. I liked several of them but just wasn’t able to form a connection with them. I think that a lot of people will really like this book because under these flaws there is a decent story. There was a section in the middle that I did enjoy and then towards the last 10-15% I got into it again, though this was largely because the romance aspect was pretty much settled by then so there was more focus on the plot.
Recommended for fans of YA but I think the YA tropes in this book will turn off some that don’t generally read YA fantasy.
Read this review and more at Book Geeks Uncompromised!
A big thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC!
Elanna Valtai was taken from her family as a young girl and held hostage by the king against her family’s good behavior. Growing up in the castle with the king, Elanna developed relationships with the people there and now as the country is thrown in turmoil must choose whether to support her homeland or the world that she grew up in.
Obviously I don’t want to go into spoilers but the plot point of which side Elanna will choose was over way too fast and with way too little fanfare. Starting this book, that was honestly what hooked me about Elanna, her struggle over where she belongs and her anger at her family for doing the things that led to her being taken away from them.
Unfortunately, it seemed like this internal conflict needed to be solved to make way for another internal conflict that also resolved really easily and that didn’t need to exist: which guy should she marry/be with?
Ugh.
The only thing that this really did was raise the question of how much Elanna was willing to sacrifice for the war effort. Being with one man would have political benefits, the other is the one that she loves. I kind of liked that aspect but the whole love triangle was really rather pointless. I think this story would have been better served without any emphasis on romance and instead a focus on the politics themselves.
Back to Elanna’s first struggle though regarding which country to side with, there are some justifications for why Elanna ends up choosing sides the way that she does, but after Elanna having such strong feelings about her birth country at the start of the story there was so little emotion behind her decision that I never felt it.
This is probably in large part because Elanna’s characterization was kind of weak. She is kind of forced into some of her decisions and rather than standing up for herself and what she believes, more often than not she seems to just go with what is decided for her and alters her opinions to justify it. She is very wishy washy; strong feelings about one thing on one page then 5 pages later she is all for the opposite!
A paraphrased example:
“No, I can’t go into the mountains with you, Rhia! I have to stay here with my people! How dare you suggest such a thing!”
…5 pages later…
“I’m so worried about the people that I care about but I can’t leave the mountains now! This is too important!”
The other characters are okay. I liked several of them but just wasn’t able to form a connection with them. I think that a lot of people will really like this book because under these flaws there is a decent story. There was a section in the middle that I did enjoy and then towards the last 10-15% I got into it again, though this was largely because the romance aspect was pretty much settled by then so there was more focus on the plot.
Recommended for fans of YA but I think the YA tropes in this book will turn off some that don’t generally read YA fantasy.
June 27, 2017
Filled with magic, dueling lands, and a continent on the brink of battle, The Waking Land was a fantastic first installment in debut author Callie Bates' new trilogy.
Lady Elanna Valtai has spent the past 14 years living in the kingdom of Eren. Brutally taken from her home in the land of Caeris at the age of 5, she has since been raised by the King as a sort of adopted daughter. Tensions between the King's blood daughter and Elanna have always been high, but now that the King has been murdered, the situation has grown even more dire. Loyce, the King's daughter and the new Queen, has her sights set on Elanna as the murderer, forcing Elanna to flee Eren for safe territory, and her journey takes her unexpectedly back to the land she was ripped from. Back to the people who can't be trusted, the ones who let her be taken in the first place.
The Waking Land surprised me in so many ways. I initially wanted to read this books based on the cover alone, not thinking that the greenery on the cover would perfectly mirror Lady Elanna and the magic surrounding her. Yes, Elanna is the central character, but the heart of this story is the land itself and how it's a living, breathing entity that's as important, if not more so, than the actual humans in this tale. Having always had a greener than the greenest thumb, it's no surprise that Lady Elanna's magic would be tied to the earth and the plants, and I absolutely adored that aspect of the story.
For me, the strength of The Waking Land lies in its worldbuilding; the multitude of lands and kingdoms and how the land itself is an incredibly prominent character that only yields to a chosen few. The various lands are in a battle for many reasons, mostly for freedom, and the earth itself, again, plays a very important role in the war, fighting alongside Elanna and her people in hopes of affording the various lands and the people the freedoms and the respect they desire.
As with most fantasy novels, there were quite a number of characters involved in many aspects of this story, and while it was a little difficult to keep some of them straight, Bates managed to ensure that everyone was dimensional and varied. Even the most minor of characters were fully developed, making it a bit easier to grasp who was who among the crowd. While the world and the various lands stood out to me as the highlight, the characterization was just as top-notch as the worldbuilding was.
Bottom line - I loved this story, I loved the magic and the hint of romance thrown in (romance really does make everything better :-) ) and the politics between the various territories. Highly recommended, and I'll certainly be anxiously awaiting the next book in this trilogy.
*eARC received via NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion.
Lady Elanna Valtai has spent the past 14 years living in the kingdom of Eren. Brutally taken from her home in the land of Caeris at the age of 5, she has since been raised by the King as a sort of adopted daughter. Tensions between the King's blood daughter and Elanna have always been high, but now that the King has been murdered, the situation has grown even more dire. Loyce, the King's daughter and the new Queen, has her sights set on Elanna as the murderer, forcing Elanna to flee Eren for safe territory, and her journey takes her unexpectedly back to the land she was ripped from. Back to the people who can't be trusted, the ones who let her be taken in the first place.
The Waking Land surprised me in so many ways. I initially wanted to read this books based on the cover alone, not thinking that the greenery on the cover would perfectly mirror Lady Elanna and the magic surrounding her. Yes, Elanna is the central character, but the heart of this story is the land itself and how it's a living, breathing entity that's as important, if not more so, than the actual humans in this tale. Having always had a greener than the greenest thumb, it's no surprise that Lady Elanna's magic would be tied to the earth and the plants, and I absolutely adored that aspect of the story.
For me, the strength of The Waking Land lies in its worldbuilding; the multitude of lands and kingdoms and how the land itself is an incredibly prominent character that only yields to a chosen few. The various lands are in a battle for many reasons, mostly for freedom, and the earth itself, again, plays a very important role in the war, fighting alongside Elanna and her people in hopes of affording the various lands and the people the freedoms and the respect they desire.
As with most fantasy novels, there were quite a number of characters involved in many aspects of this story, and while it was a little difficult to keep some of them straight, Bates managed to ensure that everyone was dimensional and varied. Even the most minor of characters were fully developed, making it a bit easier to grasp who was who among the crowd. While the world and the various lands stood out to me as the highlight, the characterization was just as top-notch as the worldbuilding was.
Bottom line - I loved this story, I loved the magic and the hint of romance thrown in (romance really does make everything better :-) ) and the politics between the various territories. Highly recommended, and I'll certainly be anxiously awaiting the next book in this trilogy.
*eARC received via NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion.
May 13, 2017
I received an e-ARC of this novel through NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group Ballantine De Rey. Thank you.
When she was five years old Elanna had been kidnapped for political reasons and by the time this story takes place she is nineteen and has come to look upon her kidnapper as a father figure. That was a pretty important idea for the story which wasn't explored as much as I think it should have been. Now Elanna is involved in a political movement again, also against her will - at least in the beginning. In this fantasy world magic is forbidden and we are reminded multiple times + 10 about the witch hunts to remove magic from the kingdom. Well, guess what....or guess who has magical abilities. Now all she has to do is learn what her powers can do and how to control her use of them.
This fantasy world is superficially drawn with very little real depth to any of its elements and Elanna is not someone I want to spend any more time with. The story is written in first person so you get many gems such as "I wake." "I fold my arms. I don't believe it." That writing style is not ever going to be my favorite because I feel I'm missing so much by being trapped inside the head of one character. However, this coming of age novel will definitely appeal to the mid-teen age group I think it was written for. There is lots of talk of kings and princesses and using magical power for the world's good and romance, romance, romance. All presented in a completely fairy tale atmosphere which will be entirely satisfactory to its target audience.
When she was five years old Elanna had been kidnapped for political reasons and by the time this story takes place she is nineteen and has come to look upon her kidnapper as a father figure. That was a pretty important idea for the story which wasn't explored as much as I think it should have been. Now Elanna is involved in a political movement again, also against her will - at least in the beginning. In this fantasy world magic is forbidden and we are reminded multiple times + 10 about the witch hunts to remove magic from the kingdom. Well, guess what....or guess who has magical abilities. Now all she has to do is learn what her powers can do and how to control her use of them.
This fantasy world is superficially drawn with very little real depth to any of its elements and Elanna is not someone I want to spend any more time with. The story is written in first person so you get many gems such as "I wake." "I fold my arms. I don't believe it." That writing style is not ever going to be my favorite because I feel I'm missing so much by being trapped inside the head of one character. However, this coming of age novel will definitely appeal to the mid-teen age group I think it was written for. There is lots of talk of kings and princesses and using magical power for the world's good and romance, romance, romance. All presented in a completely fairy tale atmosphere which will be entirely satisfactory to its target audience.
January 4, 2020
LORD this was boring. i was soooo close to DNF-ing it, and i kinda wish i did, because it did not improve. i strongly disliked the main character - she was so stuck up and annoying and made stupid decisions - and i also didn't like the side characters that much. i found that they kinda changed personalities and i literally felt nothing when one of the main characters died. i was barely skimming this book by the end, and i was just so confused throughout the book? probably because i was skimming it lmao but still.
disappointed :/
disappointed :/
July 5, 2017
The Waking Land had potential to be a captivating novel, and though I did enjoy reading parts of it, my interest waned in the last quarter. Despite a strong opening, I had some difficulty getting into it due to being written in first person present tense, but I did find Elanna's internal war with herself added some interesting dimension to the protagonist and mainly kept reading because of that.
However, it was a fairly standard, predictable story in the end, and I did not find the prose, characters, and world compelling enough to make it a memorable novel.
My Rating: 5/10 - It's ok
Full Review on My Website
However, it was a fairly standard, predictable story in the end, and I did not find the prose, characters, and world compelling enough to make it a memorable novel.
My Rating: 5/10 - It's ok
Full Review on My Website
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