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Namesake
“Who needs magic in an age of electricity? I can flip the switch on the wall with the best of them.”Anjeni Sigourna bears the name of a legendary goddess, but her resemblance to that honored figure ends there. Eighteen and jaded, she has cultivated sarcasm instead of the elusive magic everyone expects her to possess. Such power lacks purpose in her modern world.But when an adverse encounter with the Eternity Gate lands her in an alien realm, magic marks the boundary between life and certain death. Anjeni alone holds the keys to saving an ancient people from a savage enemy. Her bitterness notwithstanding, she must now create a legend instead of living in its shadow.
428 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 6, 2017
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 184 reviews
October 15, 2017
It always frustrates me a little when I come across an excellent book, but it's got a not-so excellent cover. Particularly in the case of an excellent indie book, because then the book doesn't LOOK as professional as it is, and I have a harder time convincing others to read it.
Actually, this was precisely my own reason for not bothering to try Kate Stradling's work for quite some time now. A trusted reader-friend kept telling me to pick up her books, telling me I was bound to love them. But I kept looking at the covers and going "Eh. Never mind."
DON'T MAKE MY MISTAKE.
WHAT I LOVED
Okay, within the first chapter I knew I'd found a book I was going to enjoy. Within the first five chapters, I knew I'd found an author whose entire library of work I'm going to buy and read over time. Her writing is just THAT GOOD.
It’s funny, but this book kind of makes me think of THE HERO AND THE CROWN or THE BLUE SWORD by Robin McKinley. It’s first person present tense, which feels much more modern than both of those, but something about the mood and flavor strikes me the same way. And I LOVE it!
Anjeni makes for a fascinating heroine in her way. She is very, very angsty, so prepare yourself for the angst. But she grows as well. She’s never exactly likeable, but she’s interesting, conflicted, struggling, striving. I felt invested in her and her story, and I cared about her.
The thing that impressed me the most about this book was the magic system. It is so brilliantly developed! Stradling made something utterly unreal feel absolutely real. And the difficulty of learning it, mastering it, executing it properly all added to the suspense and drama of the plot as our heroine is racing against time to not only hone her own skills but also to train others to march into battle.
The story is quite an action-packed adventure with some seriously brilliant and beautiful magical battle scenes that wowed me along the way. The climactic sequence in particular was incredible, with a perfect face-off moment between Anjeni and her great antagonist (who shall remain nameless. Don’t want to risk spoilers here!)
WHAT I DIDN’T LIKE SO MUCH
Well . . . I loved this book, don’t get me wrong. But there were a couple of things that kind of bugged me. The romance between Anjeni and her hero was interesting, but it was a little bit forced. Just my opinion, but it got a little annoying and distracting sometimes. I did like how their story resolved though. That was a surprise twist I actually didn’t see coming!
The thing that frustrated me the most was the “other woman” character. She was SUCH a Mean Girl with no redeeming qualities whatsoever. And yet I’m supposed to believe that the hero had told this girl that he loved her only a year before? I don’t know—if you’re going to have an “other woman” character, it just seems cheap to make her irredeemably petty and selfish and stupid. Give her something to make her interesting!
Maybe this was all because the story is told through Anjeni’s eyes, and Anjeni is tremendously jealous of “other woman.” Anjeni isn’t a particularly nice person herself, so I guess I could believe that she would interpret everything about this other girl in the worst possible light. But that doesn’t endear Anjeni to me.
Oh well. Neither of those little things ultimately damaged my love of this book or my firm intention of reading every Kate Stradling book I can get my hands on in the near future. She has become a must-read author for me.
Actually, this was precisely my own reason for not bothering to try Kate Stradling's work for quite some time now. A trusted reader-friend kept telling me to pick up her books, telling me I was bound to love them. But I kept looking at the covers and going "Eh. Never mind."
DON'T MAKE MY MISTAKE.
WHAT I LOVED
Okay, within the first chapter I knew I'd found a book I was going to enjoy. Within the first five chapters, I knew I'd found an author whose entire library of work I'm going to buy and read over time. Her writing is just THAT GOOD.
It’s funny, but this book kind of makes me think of THE HERO AND THE CROWN or THE BLUE SWORD by Robin McKinley. It’s first person present tense, which feels much more modern than both of those, but something about the mood and flavor strikes me the same way. And I LOVE it!
Anjeni makes for a fascinating heroine in her way. She is very, very angsty, so prepare yourself for the angst. But she grows as well. She’s never exactly likeable, but she’s interesting, conflicted, struggling, striving. I felt invested in her and her story, and I cared about her.
The thing that impressed me the most about this book was the magic system. It is so brilliantly developed! Stradling made something utterly unreal feel absolutely real. And the difficulty of learning it, mastering it, executing it properly all added to the suspense and drama of the plot as our heroine is racing against time to not only hone her own skills but also to train others to march into battle.
The story is quite an action-packed adventure with some seriously brilliant and beautiful magical battle scenes that wowed me along the way. The climactic sequence in particular was incredible, with a perfect face-off moment between Anjeni and her great antagonist (who shall remain nameless. Don’t want to risk spoilers here!)
WHAT I DIDN’T LIKE SO MUCH
Well . . . I loved this book, don’t get me wrong. But there were a couple of things that kind of bugged me. The romance between Anjeni and her hero was interesting, but it was a little bit forced. Just my opinion, but it got a little annoying and distracting sometimes. I did like how their story resolved though. That was a surprise twist I actually didn’t see coming!
The thing that frustrated me the most was the “other woman” character. She was SUCH a Mean Girl with no redeeming qualities whatsoever. And yet I’m supposed to believe that the hero had told this girl that he loved her only a year before? I don’t know—if you’re going to have an “other woman” character, it just seems cheap to make her irredeemably petty and selfish and stupid. Give her something to make her interesting!
Maybe this was all because the story is told through Anjeni’s eyes, and Anjeni is tremendously jealous of “other woman.” Anjeni isn’t a particularly nice person herself, so I guess I could believe that she would interpret everything about this other girl in the worst possible light. But that doesn’t endear Anjeni to me.
Oh well. Neither of those little things ultimately damaged my love of this book or my firm intention of reading every Kate Stradling book I can get my hands on in the near future. She has become a must-read author for me.
October 10, 2020
Every time I finish one of her books, I am struck with confusion. How is it that Kate Stradling is so under appreciated? I would recommend her books to anyone who enjoys Maria V. Snyder or Sharon Shinn.
4.5 Stars
2020 Read it or Delete it Challenge: Read it
4.5 Stars
2020 Read it or Delete it Challenge: Read it
September 2, 2017
I think this might be a perfect fantasy novel. I just finished reading it and am deep in the throes of the type of deep admiration that makes me not want to even pick up another book for a while and just let this one sink in.
Anjeni is the type of character at first you'll think you've seen before. A stubborn, defiant, teenager who has a potential to be grating. But Stradling deftly avoids the clichés, and I had nothing but empathy for Anjeni and her plight. The conflicts and tension of the story is always taut and I was glued to my Kindle with no idea how it would end, even though I kind of knew how it had to end. But I wasn't sure, and I loved it.
Highly recommended!
Anjeni is the type of character at first you'll think you've seen before. A stubborn, defiant, teenager who has a potential to be grating. But Stradling deftly avoids the clichés, and I had nothing but empathy for Anjeni and her plight. The conflicts and tension of the story is always taut and I was glued to my Kindle with no idea how it would end, even though I kind of knew how it had to end. But I wasn't sure, and I loved it.
Highly recommended!
June 11, 2020
I really enjoyed this one!
This book is about an 18 year old girl who has spent the majority of her life being constantly compared to her 'golden child younger sister. Not only that- but she doesn't connect to her parents, and feels like she is always disappointing them due to the fact that she can't access her magic.
Frustrated and at the end of her rope she visits the Eternity Gate, a spiritual relic left over from the time that her culture was first established, and her country men worshiped a Goddess of Fire- her namesake.
While trying to figure out what to do with her life she is shoved through the re-opened Gate, and finds her self in a completely different world than her own- facing down two opposing armies.
Like I said I really enjoyed this book, the premise, and the characters- but if I could say one thing I wish there wasn't so much romantic angst and the will they won't they story line wasn't constantly pushed- I get that it had to happen bc but it just got a teeny bit annoying.
All in all good stand alone find on KU!
This book is about an 18 year old girl who has spent the majority of her life being constantly compared to her 'golden child younger sister. Not only that- but she doesn't connect to her parents, and feels like she is always disappointing them due to the fact that she can't access her magic.
Frustrated and at the end of her rope she visits the Eternity Gate, a spiritual relic left over from the time that her culture was first established, and her country men worshiped a Goddess of Fire- her namesake.
While trying to figure out what to do with her life she is shoved through the re-opened Gate, and finds her self in a completely different world than her own- facing down two opposing armies.
“Off you go on your spiritual journey, Goddess Anjeni!”
Like I said I really enjoyed this book, the premise, and the characters- but if I could say one thing I wish there wasn't so much romantic angst and the will they won't they story line wasn't constantly pushed- I get that it had to happen bc but it just got a teeny bit annoying.
All in all good stand alone find on KU!
February 22, 2024
This book was so beautiful I cried when it was over. Kate Stradling might be my new favorite author. I’ve binge read 3 of her books in a row now and loved every single one. Namesake is an epic adventure which involves magic and time travel. Anjeni is a great fmc and I loved watching her grow. Anjeni and Demetrios are everything. I don’t know how Kate manages to keep writing relationships I ship so hard. I am so glad I decided to pick this up despite my initial hesitation of the sypnosis.
August 20, 2017
It started off quite classically YA - with a sullen and rebellious teenage heroine - but turned into a fascinating sword and sorcery type fantasy tale with time travel, politically maneuvering, and an epic war with demonic hordes. I loved the heroine - once she snapped out of her sullen angst, she was a force to be reckoned with and kept all the other characters on their toes.
November 30, 2020
I loved the first 95% of the book. I thought it was inventive and clever, and handled the time paradox well. The relationship developing with Dima seemed quite abrupt, but that was a nice addition to the story. I would give it 5 stars except her return to her parents was awful. She sounded spoiled and immature again, as if she hadn’t progressed at all. She should have thanked her dad for all the political maneuvering she learned how to do from him. She should have thanked her mom for keeping her in magic studies, even though it was unpleasant. I liked that she thanked the dean of magic. And she should have either forgiven her sister, or stated what really happened. After Aitana was held over her head throughout the plot, there should have been more resolution between them. Her encounter sounded like she regressed to the same sulky teenager, after she had seemed to mature and value people better.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 16, 2023
Kate's writing and plot premises always suck me right in, but alas, the romance once again did not hit for me.
"The Heir and the Spare" truly was something else. :)
"The Heir and the Spare" truly was something else. :)
January 5, 2022
Actual Rating: 3.5
I started off loving this book but as it went on I grew a bit tired of the characters. I didn't know what this book was about so once everything started to unravel in the beginning it was super exciting and reminded me of the old school YA fantasy novels but, it was all a bit flat for me. The characters are super one dimensional and the first POV from Anjeni is a bit limiting. I usually don't really care too much when a book has more tell than show but, this one impacted the quality of the story. For the first 1/3, Anjeni is always ranting about Aitana but, I feel like we don't even get an interaction between the two until much later. She's already severely judged her character before we even met her. Which all things considered is okay because of the knowledge Anjeni has but, I really wish Stradling took the route of making Aitana more layered. She did it for Demetrios so why not her?
I also didn't really like the final interaction between
The romance was also kinda meh which was disappointing considering how much of the story revolved around it. It really had potential but it wasn't just executed the best.
What it lacks in character development and dialogue it sure makes up in charm. The story is fun and I'm sure if I read this when I was around 11/12 it would've been a sure favourite.
I started off loving this book but as it went on I grew a bit tired of the characters. I didn't know what this book was about so once everything started to unravel in the beginning it was super exciting and reminded me of the old school YA fantasy novels but, it was all a bit flat for me. The characters are super one dimensional and the first POV from Anjeni is a bit limiting. I usually don't really care too much when a book has more tell than show but, this one impacted the quality of the story. For the first 1/3, Anjeni is always ranting about Aitana but, I feel like we don't even get an interaction between the two until much later. She's already severely judged her character before we even met her. Which all things considered is okay because of the knowledge Anjeni has but, I really wish Stradling took the route of making Aitana more layered. She did it for Demetrios so why not her?
I also didn't really like the final interaction between
The romance was also kinda meh which was disappointing considering how much of the story revolved around it. It really had potential but it wasn't just executed the best.
What it lacks in character development and dialogue it sure makes up in charm. The story is fun and I'm sure if I read this when I was around 11/12 it would've been a sure favourite.
November 21, 2017
This might just be my favorite book of the year. I was completely engrossed in the story from start to finish, so the pacing of the action was well done. I loved the protagonist. I loved the setting. A couple of the characters were a little flat, but it worked with the style of the story. And I can't tell you how happy I was with the ending... it was just right for the story. The flavor of the writing was right up my alley. I can't wait to read everything by this author now!
October 23, 2017
Kate Stradling's books need more love! This is exactly the kind of YA fantasy that would do amazingly well if snapped up by one of the big-name publishers.
I loved Anjeni and the whole twist on the portal fantasy plot. The romance was perhaps less believable, but overall, this was a book I stayed up late to finish.
I loved Anjeni and the whole twist on the portal fantasy plot. The romance was perhaps less believable, but overall, this was a book I stayed up late to finish.
August 25, 2017
This one is going to be my Book of the Year
October 5, 2022
This book was great! Nice, original delivery on a familiar plot, with some adventure and romance and even a touch of sarcasm stirred in.
I’d recommend this as a good fantasy book for folks who tend to like historical fiction. Or those who like fantasy but need a break from your typical storyline
The protagonist is turning 18; I might recommend this for 16+ *
*The violence could potentially be disturbing to younger readers. The setting is medieval, and the villain tortures many people barbarically. The injuries are seen by the protagonists, but not described graphically during the torture process.
*The romance was suitable for teens - nothing more than kissing described or insinuated. The culture they are in values chastity until marriage and fidelity until death, and that is where you spend most of the book.
I’d recommend this as a good fantasy book for folks who tend to like historical fiction. Or those who like fantasy but need a break from your typical storyline
The protagonist is turning 18; I might recommend this for 16+ *
*The violence could potentially be disturbing to younger readers. The setting is medieval, and the villain tortures many people barbarically. The injuries are seen by the protagonists, but not described graphically during the torture process.
*The romance was suitable for teens - nothing more than kissing described or insinuated. The culture they are in values chastity until marriage and fidelity until death, and that is where you spend most of the book.
February 21, 2024
A Goddess or Mere Mortal?
All her life Anjeni has felt compared to the goddess Anjeni, who she was named for, and to her younger sister, the golden child. While things come easy for her sister, Anjeni struggles especially with magic. An unexpected trip into the past has Anjeni questioning everything she knew about history, about magic, and about herself. I loved seeing how everything unfolded, and what parts of history were accurate. Kate Stradling is brilliant!
All her life Anjeni has felt compared to the goddess Anjeni, who she was named for, and to her younger sister, the golden child. While things come easy for her sister, Anjeni struggles especially with magic. An unexpected trip into the past has Anjeni questioning everything she knew about history, about magic, and about herself. I loved seeing how everything unfolded, and what parts of history were accurate. Kate Stradling is brilliant!
June 18, 2021
Absolutely fantastic!
I thoroughly enjoyed this book! I adored the main characters and loved the plot. Kate Stradling's writing, characters, and plots are definitely stories that pull me in. This is her fifth book I've read in the past 9 days. She's my new favorite author!
I thoroughly enjoyed this book! I adored the main characters and loved the plot. Kate Stradling's writing, characters, and plots are definitely stories that pull me in. This is her fifth book I've read in the past 9 days. She's my new favorite author!
October 15, 2019
This darn amazing heart wrenching book
This book perfectly encapsulates epic fantasy, time travelling romance, politics, war and magic. This was perfectly written and edited and I could ask for nothing more.
This book perfectly encapsulates epic fantasy, time travelling romance, politics, war and magic. This was perfectly written and edited and I could ask for nothing more.
September 30, 2021
Was a good read. The pent up frustration in how Anjeni was raised was perfectly unleashed into her destiny. Both Aitanas were bloody annoying and I felt like they didn't reply get their comeuppance
April 7, 2022
If you like
-time-travel fantasy
-Moody Teenagers who go through Personal Growth™️
-true loveeeee
Then you will enjoy this.
-time-travel fantasy
-Moody Teenagers who go through Personal Growth™️
-true loveeeee
Then you will enjoy this.
January 15, 2021
4.5 stars
Lovedddd this (mainly the romance because I'm trash)
Lovedddd this (mainly the romance because I'm trash)
July 26, 2020
My friends, this is a fantastic selection. She did a fabulous job. AND it's appropriate for all ages. (applauds)
August 16, 2020
"Then I plop into the sand, look up at the vast starry sky above, and cry until my tears run dry. I am alone, as I always have been."
Absolutely stunning. It's been a while since a book has captivated me so wonderfully. To be perfectly honest, I stayed up till 5am before giving in and calling it a night because this book just absolutely refused to be let down. Stradling's writing, like many other great authors, has a certain allure to it, placing you right into the story. The very next second I had some free time, I naturally gravitated towards the book, replacing sleep again with some more reading.
While this novel does follow a well-known plot, Stradling captivates and draws readers in with her engaging storyline and a relatable heroine. The story follows, Anjeni, a stubborn "mistake" who is constantly outshined and outperformed by her younger sister. Thrown into a situation where she must, for the first time in her life, leave the shadows, take charge, and claim the very thing she grew up hating and wanting. From the stubborn student who refused to learn and made it her mission to drive teachers away to becoming the patient instructor, we see Anjeni's growth alongside her warring thoughts.
This is the story of girl who was raised with bitterness and resentment, scorned by her people, and yet still found the strength to set aside her own feelings and emotions in order to make countless sacrifices for the future.
"I do understand. The timing between us is off. But it was always off and —assuming the legends get our story correct— it always will be."
Usually when I read a novel on my Kindle, I use the built in highlight feature and color-code different quotes with a corresponding color to match how it made me feel at the time. For me, blue represents despair, a sense of hollow, and this novel was filled with them. Maybe it's because I was reading this during the soft hours of the night, but this book was a home run for me.
June 15, 2022
This was a fun story, and I really enjoyed the main concept and how it unfolded.
I was annoyed the author seemed to equate active stubborn rebellion against parents (legitimate authority) with ability to be stubborn in a situation that truly calls for determination and standing against illegitimate authority. While these could have been fairly shown as different sides of the same root personality trait, I HATE them being shown as actually the same.
Some caution recommended for younger readers because of the heavy use of magic and references to multiple gods and goddesses woven through the story. There's also a lot of reference to, and some mild depiction of, death, torture, war, and such.
I was annoyed the author seemed to equate active stubborn rebellion against parents (legitimate authority) with ability to be stubborn in a situation that truly calls for determination and standing against illegitimate authority. While these could have been fairly shown as different sides of the same root personality trait, I HATE them being shown as actually the same.
Some caution recommended for younger readers because of the heavy use of magic and references to multiple gods and goddesses woven through the story. There's also a lot of reference to, and some mild depiction of, death, torture, war, and such.
August 5, 2025
At first I didn’t think I would like this book because the main character had such a bad attitude. But the more I got into the book, more I realized that Anjeni wouldn’t have survived without her bad attitude because she is a VOLCANO! Anjeni does have some character growth by the end of the book, but surprisingly I liked how she didn’t completely lose her bad attitude because again she is a VOLCANO! I also loved Anjeni and Demetrios’ relationship.
Kate Strandling is such a good writer! I normally can’t read books with such flawed main characters, but by the end of the book I loved Anjeni! Her other books are sooo good, and unpredictable. There is always something that catches me by surprise.
My favorite line from Anjeni, “ No way am I getting caught in a love triangle with this beefcake” 😂😂
Reread Aug 2025: loved it even more. I loved how flawed all the characters were, how they weren’t all good or all bad. I loved Anjeni’s bad attitude so much the second time around, and how that bad attitude came in to play. Trust me, it was very necessary! I do wish we got to see Anjeni’s sister get her comeuppance, and her parents realize that they were pretty horrible to her, but on the other side I liked that Anjeni had moved past that. Loved the romance even more as well!
Kate Strandling is such a good writer! I normally can’t read books with such flawed main characters, but by the end of the book I loved Anjeni! Her other books are sooo good, and unpredictable. There is always something that catches me by surprise.
My favorite line from Anjeni, “ No way am I getting caught in a love triangle with this beefcake” 😂😂
Reread Aug 2025: loved it even more. I loved how flawed all the characters were, how they weren’t all good or all bad. I loved Anjeni’s bad attitude so much the second time around, and how that bad attitude came in to play. Trust me, it was very necessary! I do wish we got to see Anjeni’s sister get her comeuppance, and her parents realize that they were pretty horrible to her, but on the other side I liked that Anjeni had moved past that. Loved the romance even more as well!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 27, 2019
This is the only one of Kate Stradling's books that I didn't really love. DNF.
It seemed to lack the humor of the other novels, and the protagonist starts out as pretty annoying. I don't like angry protagonists, which was a big turnoff; Stradling's other books that I have read have much more pleasant heroes. Usually her protagonists start off as clueless but winsome; this one is clueless and an annoying brat, and she didn't grow out of that fast enough for me to care. And the other characters somehow weren't interesting to me either.
The basic premise is that a woman who bears the name of an ancient goddess is suddenly thrust back into the time where the legends of the goddess come from. What starts to happen to her looks a lot like the legend, but the characters don't quite line up with the legend. The heroic one looks merely petty, the evil betrayer doesn't seem that way. Interesting idea, I guess, but since I didn't actually like *any* of the characters, it fell flat.
It seemed to lack the humor of the other novels, and the protagonist starts out as pretty annoying. I don't like angry protagonists, which was a big turnoff; Stradling's other books that I have read have much more pleasant heroes. Usually her protagonists start off as clueless but winsome; this one is clueless and an annoying brat, and she didn't grow out of that fast enough for me to care. And the other characters somehow weren't interesting to me either.
The basic premise is that a woman who bears the name of an ancient goddess is suddenly thrust back into the time where the legends of the goddess come from. What starts to happen to her looks a lot like the legend, but the characters don't quite line up with the legend. The heroic one looks merely petty, the evil betrayer doesn't seem that way. Interesting idea, I guess, but since I didn't actually like *any* of the characters, it fell flat.
March 1, 2018
Damn!
Have you ever read a book so good that you just can't put it down even through dinner you even when you're supposed to be doing homework? This is that book. From beginning to end the characters were relatable and they had dimension to them. There is also that constant reminder that we are in charge of our fate and that nothing is written in stone.
Have you ever read a book so good that you just can't put it down even through dinner you even when you're supposed to be doing homework? This is that book. From beginning to end the characters were relatable and they had dimension to them. There is also that constant reminder that we are in charge of our fate and that nothing is written in stone.
November 16, 2018
Wow
This book was SO SO good! Loved every minute of it! And I liked the unexpected twists and turns of it the story! I loved it and will definitely read it again. I wish there was more (not because it's incomplete, just because what's there is really good)
This book was SO SO good! Loved every minute of it! And I liked the unexpected twists and turns of it the story! I loved it and will definitely read it again. I wish there was more (not because it's incomplete, just because what's there is really good)
September 8, 2017
Wonderful
I don't write reviews, ever. This book deserves a review. It's going to be a simple review. It was fantastic.
I don't write reviews, ever. This book deserves a review. It's going to be a simple review. It was fantastic.
November 22, 2017
I enjoyed this book, I was intrigued until the end. I would like it to continue to possible second book...
May 4, 2018
Love, love, loved this book!
September 7, 2018
I enjoyed this one. Loved the time travel aspect of it. And we Jen really grow as a character. I so hope we get another book
Displaying 1 - 30 of 184 reviews