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Legendary warrior Ramya has successfully ruled as Melokai for longer than most. Prosperous, peaceful, and happy, her people love her. Or so she thinks.
Ramya’s time is up. Bracing herself for the gruesome sentence imposed on all Melokais who have served their purpose, she hears instead a shocking prophecy.
Is the abrupt appearance of a mysterious, eastern cave creature the prophesied danger? Or is it something darker, more evil? And what of the wolves? Will the ferocious war with their kind oust her from power?
Suddenly Ramya must fight threats from all sides to save her mountain realm. But while her back is turned, a conspiracy within her inner circle is festering. Ramya and her female warriors must crush an epic rebellion before it can destroy her and devastate her beloved nation.
She thinks it’s the end, but it’s just the beginning...
Ramya’s time is up. Bracing herself for the gruesome sentence imposed on all Melokais who have served their purpose, she hears instead a shocking prophecy.
Is the abrupt appearance of a mysterious, eastern cave creature the prophesied danger? Or is it something darker, more evil? And what of the wolves? Will the ferocious war with their kind oust her from power?
Suddenly Ramya must fight threats from all sides to save her mountain realm. But while her back is turned, a conspiracy within her inner circle is festering. Ramya and her female warriors must crush an epic rebellion before it can destroy her and devastate her beloved nation.
She thinks it’s the end, but it’s just the beginning...
373 pages, Paperback
Published October 10, 2017
60 people are currently reading
1335 people want to read
About the author
Rosalyn Kelly
10 books82 followersGet my novella The Fall of Vaasar as a free ebook here: www.rosalynkelly.co.uk/free-book
Rosalyn Kelly grew up in the magical New Forest in the south of England and has lived around the country as well as in the Middle East, and travelled all over the world.
She studied English Literature and Language at Oxford Brookes University before embarking on a PR and marketing career.
After ten years telling the stories of international brands and businesses, she decided the time had come to tell her own and her debut novel MELOKAI was published in 2017. Her second novel VIOLYA was published in 2019.
The inspiration for her epic fantasy trilogy came when she was trekking in the mountains of Nepal's stunning Annapurna Sanctuary.
When she's not putting her heart and soul into Book Three of the In The Heart of The Mountains trilogy, she daydreams about where to travel to next, paints with acrylic, reads voraciously and writes book reviews on her blog.
Rosalyn Kelly grew up in the magical New Forest in the south of England and has lived around the country as well as in the Middle East, and travelled all over the world.
She studied English Literature and Language at Oxford Brookes University before embarking on a PR and marketing career.
After ten years telling the stories of international brands and businesses, she decided the time had come to tell her own and her debut novel MELOKAI was published in 2017. Her second novel VIOLYA was published in 2019.
The inspiration for her epic fantasy trilogy came when she was trekking in the mountains of Nepal's stunning Annapurna Sanctuary.
When she's not putting her heart and soul into Book Three of the In The Heart of The Mountains trilogy, she daydreams about where to travel to next, paints with acrylic, reads voraciously and writes book reviews on her blog.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 69 reviews
February 27, 2018
So I must say, Melokai begins on a strong note. This self published title immediately introduces a ruthless land ruled by women, prosperous under the leadership of Melokai Ramya, but heading swiftly toward a dangerous prophecy. Quite an intriguing premise!
Unfortunately, after a beautifully promising opening, I found myself quickly losing interest in the way this story unfolded. More than anything, I just couldn't keep myself fully engaged as I read through new character introductions and events, which made for a rather slow reading experience for me personally.
I rather enjoyed author Rosalyn Kelly's writing style. She captures a multitude of diverse landscapes, bringing each one to life in its own unique way. Thanks to this, the world building aspect succeeds in creating depth both far and wide across multiple kingdoms.
At times, dialogue between characters felt a bit bland & caused the wide cast of characters present here to read similarly. But Kelly's action scenes were on point, being both gruesome & well choreographed.
My biggest issue with Melokai is that I couldn't fully get on board with any of the main characters or their actions. I felt as though I was wading through decisions & events without really understanding why they were occurring. This prevented me from really identifying with anyone & thus contributed to my overall lack of engagement.
Unusual details arose in a way that took me by surprise. Strange romantic formations that felt a bit all over the place, unclear physical appearances, lots of sexual encounters, and contrived conflicts often plagued my reading of this story.
There is a lot of writing talent here & a solid foundation (and of course a stunning cover!), afraid the actual story itself just wasn't my flavor. I'm certain this story will work for others where it didn't for me. I would most recommend this book for hard core Grimdark Fantasy Fans!
This review and other reviews of mine can be found on Book Nest!
***Special thank you to Rosalyn Kelly for sending me a beautiful review copy of Melokai!***
Unfortunately, after a beautifully promising opening, I found myself quickly losing interest in the way this story unfolded. More than anything, I just couldn't keep myself fully engaged as I read through new character introductions and events, which made for a rather slow reading experience for me personally.
I rather enjoyed author Rosalyn Kelly's writing style. She captures a multitude of diverse landscapes, bringing each one to life in its own unique way. Thanks to this, the world building aspect succeeds in creating depth both far and wide across multiple kingdoms.
At times, dialogue between characters felt a bit bland & caused the wide cast of characters present here to read similarly. But Kelly's action scenes were on point, being both gruesome & well choreographed.
My biggest issue with Melokai is that I couldn't fully get on board with any of the main characters or their actions. I felt as though I was wading through decisions & events without really understanding why they were occurring. This prevented me from really identifying with anyone & thus contributed to my overall lack of engagement.
Unusual details arose in a way that took me by surprise. Strange romantic formations that felt a bit all over the place, unclear physical appearances, lots of sexual encounters, and contrived conflicts often plagued my reading of this story.
There is a lot of writing talent here & a solid foundation (and of course a stunning cover!), afraid the actual story itself just wasn't my flavor. I'm certain this story will work for others where it didn't for me. I would most recommend this book for hard core Grimdark Fantasy Fans!
This review and other reviews of mine can be found on Book Nest!
***Special thank you to Rosalyn Kelly for sending me a beautiful review copy of Melokai!***
June 6, 2018
Ramya is the Melokai of Peqkya. She's been the Melokai for a long time and believes her time is up. When she goes to the prophet Sybilya to learn her fate she instead receives a shocking prophecy fortelling trouble and a wolf claiming the throne. Ramya is prepared to fight off all who dare challenge Peqkya, but she is not prepared for love. Ramya finds herself thrown off balance by her personal life while preparing to defend her home.
Melokai is so different from what I expected. The cover promised warrior women or at least a warrior woman, which is somewhat seen towards the end of the book. People talk about fighting, but very little is described. What the book does go into detail about is sex of all types. The book has male prostitutes, female prostitutes, inner species, homosexual, gang rape, and I'm probably forgetting some other types of sex. This read like a woman's romance novel for much of the book.
Those aren't the only unexpected aspects of the book. The book also features lots of human like animals or animal like humans. Pekya's people are described as cats. I'm not positive they actually are cat women or if it's simply a moniker for them. Pekya does have talking cats called clever cats which are largely messengers. Next comes Drome and these people are definitely part camel. They have humps on their backs that can store water. The Trogrs seem to be part bat. They don't have eyes, but them hum to see what's happening around them. Then there are the wolves who have evolved the ability to stand on their hind legs like people. They also must have opposable thumbs or something near enough because they are described as being able to hold weapons. At the end are the Fertilians who seem to be plain old humans.
So Peqkya is shown to be a horrible place to live as a male. Peqkya men are kept alive for reproduction, pleasure, and slave labor. What's worse is Peqkya has a specialized position for men known as pleasure givers. These men's only job is to please women sexually. It doesn't sound bad at first until you realize they have to have sex with any woman who demands it at any time. I know it still doesn't sound too bad. What makes it horrible is if any of these men can't perform or do not please the women they are with they have their cocks cut off, shoved in their mouths, and then are sentenced to death. So yeah, not so great. Peqkya is the home to the main point of view and title character the Melokai Ramya. It was challenging to care what happened to a place that treated men in such a worthless fashion.
My largest problem with the book is in the end there aren't many likable people. I felt somewhat sorry for Ferraz, his fellow pleasure givers, and the other Peqkya men. I also felt for Queen Jessima of Fertilian who was forced into a loveless marriage to a much older King who cries out his dead wife's name while having sex with her. The negative actions of these characters seemed to stem from their unfortunate lot in life. I couldn't feel for any Peqkya women due to their complicit nature in thoroughly terrifying the men around them with the constant threat of death.
Melokai was not at all what I expected from the description and the cover.
2.5 out of 5 stars
I received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Melokai is so different from what I expected. The cover promised warrior women or at least a warrior woman, which is somewhat seen towards the end of the book. People talk about fighting, but very little is described. What the book does go into detail about is sex of all types. The book has male prostitutes, female prostitutes, inner species, homosexual, gang rape, and I'm probably forgetting some other types of sex. This read like a woman's romance novel for much of the book.
Those aren't the only unexpected aspects of the book. The book also features lots of human like animals or animal like humans. Pekya's people are described as cats. I'm not positive they actually are cat women or if it's simply a moniker for them. Pekya does have talking cats called clever cats which are largely messengers. Next comes Drome and these people are definitely part camel. They have humps on their backs that can store water. The Trogrs seem to be part bat. They don't have eyes, but them hum to see what's happening around them. Then there are the wolves who have evolved the ability to stand on their hind legs like people. They also must have opposable thumbs or something near enough because they are described as being able to hold weapons. At the end are the Fertilians who seem to be plain old humans.
So Peqkya is shown to be a horrible place to live as a male. Peqkya men are kept alive for reproduction, pleasure, and slave labor. What's worse is Peqkya has a specialized position for men known as pleasure givers. These men's only job is to please women sexually. It doesn't sound bad at first until you realize they have to have sex with any woman who demands it at any time. I know it still doesn't sound too bad. What makes it horrible is if any of these men can't perform or do not please the women they are with they have their cocks cut off, shoved in their mouths, and then are sentenced to death. So yeah, not so great. Peqkya is the home to the main point of view and title character the Melokai Ramya. It was challenging to care what happened to a place that treated men in such a worthless fashion.
My largest problem with the book is in the end there aren't many likable people. I felt somewhat sorry for Ferraz, his fellow pleasure givers, and the other Peqkya men. I also felt for Queen Jessima of Fertilian who was forced into a loveless marriage to a much older King who cries out his dead wife's name while having sex with her. The negative actions of these characters seemed to stem from their unfortunate lot in life. I couldn't feel for any Peqkya women due to their complicit nature in thoroughly terrifying the men around them with the constant threat of death.
Melokai was not at all what I expected from the description and the cover.
2.5 out of 5 stars
I received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
March 8, 2018
I choose most of my books via r/fantasy. Last week the author offered Melokai at a discounted price so I grabbed a copy. I knew nothing about the book or the author and didn’t know what to expect.
The opening of the book is more than promising. Nicely written and intriguing, it allowed me to enter the lore in a smooth way. I was hooked from the start and wanted to learn more.
Allow me to share some thoughts.
The story follows multiple characters and cultures. The titular Melokai is a legendary warrior Ramya who has successfully reigned over Peqkya for twelve years. Her time is up. She expects a gruesome fate that awaits all Melokais after their service is over. Instead, she hears a shocking prophecy. Peqkya may no longer be safe.
Problems arise in many places. Mainly because Ramya isn't as loved and cherished as she believed to be. After she takes a mysterious cave creature from the east as a lover there is a current of discontent that gets stronger each day.
There's also a traitor who plays a game for power with the royal family of Drome.
Pleasure Givers feel tired of their chores and hard life. And their life is indeed hard. PG's are men destined to pleasure sexually women who reign Peqya. They're not supposed to have an opinion, they're supposed (and trained) to please. Here's a quote explaining PG's professional career:
Aside from rebellion brewing in Peqya the hordes of wolves start to attack people. Wolves are sentient and some of them have intriguing secrets.
And that's barely a start. The book is ambitious in its scope and number of introduced characters and subplots.
The world-building is done in a neat and elegant way and there's practically no info-dumping. Some clever end of chapter cliffhangers can be spotted and appreciated, action scenes are done mostly well and locations are fantastic. Much is happening and it keeps reader's attention from page to page.
The writing was very nice. Perhaps some of the dialogues felt a bit off but, overall, it's clearly seen Rosalyn Kelly is a skilled writer.
So, dude, why did you two stared it, eh?
Well. There are few reasons.
I'll start with the characters. I wasn’t able to relate to any of them. If I at least actively disliked them that would be better than my utter lack of interest in them. Main characters of the book and their motivations are shallow and their development is, wait, what development? There’s none.
Basically, most characters in the book are arrogant, vain, devious and shallow. They're motivated mainly by the greed, sexual drive, and power. Sure, these are powerful driving forces for real people as well. But I find it difficult to muster any sympathy for self-absorbed and hollow people. I love complex anti-heroes. Sadly, I fail to see any signs of real complexity in characters presented in Melokai.
Of course, we can agree to disagree on this one. Twists do occur. Characters die. Other characters suffer and experience a change of heart but I'm not sure it was done in a convincing way. Farraz "change" and monologue was caricatural. Ramya's reflexions near the end of the book were, well, interesting but they were just something we were told in the end. Not something that was palpable in her behavior. For me, these changes lacked subtlety and felt unbelievable.
The other reason can be defined in two words - sex and violence. I don't consider myself a prude. I have no objection to a well-written erotic scene in its place but I prefer the bedroom doors closing much sooner. In Melokai we witness gross anatomy, explicit sex scenes, things getting rough and violent. There's a rape scene and sexual violence toward both men and women. Personally, I fail to see how does it serve the plot aside from offering some shock value. So, for me, it was gritty and gruesome on the outside, empty inside.
Also, some of it was bizarre. Is it really the easiest way to poison someone by ? I mean, I'm not even a killer and I can think of few other ways to do it.
Usually, I have no problem with violence but the problem arises when the characters are built through these scenes. If sex and violence were cut out of the book only a short story would remain. I don't need to see toddler's crushed skull to despise the character who steps on it. Really.
In the end, I'll stay true to my feelings toward the book. I didn't like it. I see little value in the way the events were presented. On the other hand, the book is well structured, clever in places, well edited and neat. If you like your stories to be dark and a bit nihilistic chances are you're enjoy this tale much more than I.
The opening of the book is more than promising. Nicely written and intriguing, it allowed me to enter the lore in a smooth way. I was hooked from the start and wanted to learn more.
Allow me to share some thoughts.
The story follows multiple characters and cultures. The titular Melokai is a legendary warrior Ramya who has successfully reigned over Peqkya for twelve years. Her time is up. She expects a gruesome fate that awaits all Melokais after their service is over. Instead, she hears a shocking prophecy. Peqkya may no longer be safe.
Problems arise in many places. Mainly because Ramya isn't as loved and cherished as she believed to be. After she takes a mysterious cave creature from the east as a lover there is a current of discontent that gets stronger each day.
There's also a traitor who plays a game for power with the royal family of Drome.
Pleasure Givers feel tired of their chores and hard life. And their life is indeed hard. PG's are men destined to pleasure sexually women who reign Peqya. They're not supposed to have an opinion, they're supposed (and trained) to please. Here's a quote explaining PG's professional career:
You need to be skilled at one thing. Sex. You need to pleasure every woman every time and each woman is different. If you fail, the customary death sentence awaits. Your cock is cut off, stuffed in your mouth and you are rammed on a pole in the marketplace and left there to bleed, die and rot in shame. /i>
Aside from rebellion brewing in Peqya the hordes of wolves start to attack people. Wolves are sentient and some of them have intriguing secrets.
And that's barely a start. The book is ambitious in its scope and number of introduced characters and subplots.
The world-building is done in a neat and elegant way and there's practically no info-dumping. Some clever end of chapter cliffhangers can be spotted and appreciated, action scenes are done mostly well and locations are fantastic. Much is happening and it keeps reader's attention from page to page.
The writing was very nice. Perhaps some of the dialogues felt a bit off but, overall, it's clearly seen Rosalyn Kelly is a skilled writer.
So, dude, why did you two stared it, eh?
Well. There are few reasons.
I'll start with the characters. I wasn’t able to relate to any of them. If I at least actively disliked them that would be better than my utter lack of interest in them. Main characters of the book and their motivations are shallow and their development is, wait, what development? There’s none.
Basically, most characters in the book are arrogant, vain, devious and shallow. They're motivated mainly by the greed, sexual drive, and power. Sure, these are powerful driving forces for real people as well. But I find it difficult to muster any sympathy for self-absorbed and hollow people. I love complex anti-heroes. Sadly, I fail to see any signs of real complexity in characters presented in Melokai.
Of course, we can agree to disagree on this one. Twists do occur. Characters die. Other characters suffer and experience a change of heart but I'm not sure it was done in a convincing way. Farraz "change" and monologue was caricatural. Ramya's reflexions near the end of the book were, well, interesting but they were just something we were told in the end. Not something that was palpable in her behavior. For me, these changes lacked subtlety and felt unbelievable.
The other reason can be defined in two words - sex and violence. I don't consider myself a prude. I have no objection to a well-written erotic scene in its place but I prefer the bedroom doors closing much sooner. In Melokai we witness gross anatomy, explicit sex scenes, things getting rough and violent. There's a rape scene and sexual violence toward both men and women. Personally, I fail to see how does it serve the plot aside from offering some shock value. So, for me, it was gritty and gruesome on the outside, empty inside.
Also, some of it was bizarre. Is it really the easiest way to poison someone by ? I mean, I'm not even a killer and I can think of few other ways to do it.
Usually, I have no problem with violence but the problem arises when the characters are built through these scenes. If sex and violence were cut out of the book only a short story would remain. I don't need to see toddler's crushed skull to despise the character who steps on it. Really.
In the end, I'll stay true to my feelings toward the book. I didn't like it. I see little value in the way the events were presented. On the other hand, the book is well structured, clever in places, well edited and neat. If you like your stories to be dark and a bit nihilistic chances are you're enjoy this tale much more than I.
May 21, 2018
MELOKAI is the story of Ramya, the ruler of a mountain kingdom in the middle of a fantasy world under threat from a new race of wolf-like beings. Her people are fiercely matriarchal, keeping the men in their society enslaved and regularly culling their ranks. Ramya is what passes as a liberal in her society but is still a ruthless, vicious, and terrifying ruler.
Rosalyn Kelly does an excellent job of crafting an elaborate and well-realized society that interacts with its fellow nations in believable as well as fascinating ways. The Peqkyian society used to be more egalitarian or even slightly sexist to men but now it has reversed with men treated as nothing more than sources of pleasure as well as tools to make more women. The reversal of some of history's most misogynist societies is deliberate and explored for its horrifying potential in the book.
I was actually quite interested in the Trog society, which is a furred and night-vision capable race of underground dwellers that trades semi-regularly with the Peqkyian. Ramya takes one of them as a lover and immediately offends everyone around them as racism is alive and well in the fantasy kingdoms. The author weaves a fascinating tale of how characters from every branch of society interact and I laud her complicated amoral tale.
I particularly liked the perspective of the character Ferraz, who is a pleasure slave who serves Ramya. He has dedicated his life to trying to please his queen in hopes of not only being able to live without being killed but also to look after the well-being of his son who, as far as I can tell, is a complete nonentity to his mother. The fact he's easily replaced by Ramya's Trog lover leads to a complicated and fascinating plot that gives an interesting perspective on power in autocracies. In the harems of the past, many women were completely disposable and ended up unmourned by history but a few became central to the downfall of dictators. Rosalyn seemingly draws from these events to make one of the most engrossing subplots in the tale. I've got to say my heart went out to Ferraz, who tried to play the game by his master's rules only to learn he was never a player but a piece.
If there's any criticism I have of this book, and it's not really a criticism at all necessarily, it is the fact the protagonist is pretty damn evil. Ramya at one point castrates and takes out the tongue of a messenger for bringing a request from his king. Notably, Genghis Khan thought messengers should be sacred and Sparta historically apologized on their hands as well as knees (literally) for their murder of the diplomats dramaticized in 300. Given it's not even a slight or insult, it makes her come off as a deranged monster--which goes to show you how bad the rest of society is given she's a moderate.
Of course, as the back cover of the book states, Ramya is not nearly as beloved as she thinks she is nor as merciful. Her reality check is one of the major themes of the book. Personally, I don't see any reason a protagonist has to be likable as long as they're interesting and every character in the story is.
9/10
Rosalyn Kelly does an excellent job of crafting an elaborate and well-realized society that interacts with its fellow nations in believable as well as fascinating ways. The Peqkyian society used to be more egalitarian or even slightly sexist to men but now it has reversed with men treated as nothing more than sources of pleasure as well as tools to make more women. The reversal of some of history's most misogynist societies is deliberate and explored for its horrifying potential in the book.
I was actually quite interested in the Trog society, which is a furred and night-vision capable race of underground dwellers that trades semi-regularly with the Peqkyian. Ramya takes one of them as a lover and immediately offends everyone around them as racism is alive and well in the fantasy kingdoms. The author weaves a fascinating tale of how characters from every branch of society interact and I laud her complicated amoral tale.
I particularly liked the perspective of the character Ferraz, who is a pleasure slave who serves Ramya. He has dedicated his life to trying to please his queen in hopes of not only being able to live without being killed but also to look after the well-being of his son who, as far as I can tell, is a complete nonentity to his mother. The fact he's easily replaced by Ramya's Trog lover leads to a complicated and fascinating plot that gives an interesting perspective on power in autocracies. In the harems of the past, many women were completely disposable and ended up unmourned by history but a few became central to the downfall of dictators. Rosalyn seemingly draws from these events to make one of the most engrossing subplots in the tale. I've got to say my heart went out to Ferraz, who tried to play the game by his master's rules only to learn he was never a player but a piece.
If there's any criticism I have of this book, and it's not really a criticism at all necessarily, it is the fact the protagonist is pretty damn evil. Ramya at one point castrates and takes out the tongue of a messenger for bringing a request from his king. Notably, Genghis Khan thought messengers should be sacred and Sparta historically apologized on their hands as well as knees (literally) for their murder of the diplomats dramaticized in 300. Given it's not even a slight or insult, it makes her come off as a deranged monster--which goes to show you how bad the rest of society is given she's a moderate.
Of course, as the back cover of the book states, Ramya is not nearly as beloved as she thinks she is nor as merciful. Her reality check is one of the major themes of the book. Personally, I don't see any reason a protagonist has to be likable as long as they're interesting and every character in the story is.
9/10
Read
November 9, 2017Thanks for your interest in my epic fantasy Melokai! I won't rate my own book here but just wanted to let you know a couple of things...
You can read Chapter One of Melokai on my blog here: http://www.rosalynkelly.co.uk/blog/me...
Or you can download a free preview ebook of the first five chapters here: https://bookhip.com/VPMLJL
And I appreciate each and every review - thank you!
All the best,
Rosalyn :)
You can read Chapter One of Melokai on my blog here: http://www.rosalynkelly.co.uk/blog/me...
Or you can download a free preview ebook of the first five chapters here: https://bookhip.com/VPMLJL
And I appreciate each and every review - thank you!
All the best,
Rosalyn :)
December 14, 2017
I had so much fun with this and I am actually pretty sad I have to wait a year for part 2 but I will do just that. There were a lot of different characters but there was so much though put into them. There was so much diversity and great world building. It sucked me in right away.
May 14, 2018
Publishing Date: October 2017
Publisher: Kobo
ISBN:9781999816605
Genre: Fantasy
Rating: 4.3/5
Publisher’s Description: Ramya’s time is up. Bracing herself for the gruesome sentence imposed on all Melokais who have served their purpose, she hears instead a shocking prophecy. Is the abrupt appearance of a mysterious, eastern cave creature the prophesied danger? Or is it something darker, more evil? And what of the wolves? Will the ferocious war with their kind oust her from power? Suddenly Ramya must fight threats from all sides to save her mountain realm. But while her back is turned, a conspiracy within her inner circle is festering. Ramya and her female warriors must crush an epic rebellion before it can destroy her and devastate her beloved nation.
Review: A couple of reviewers gave this novel two stars based on their inability to connect with the characters. Contrary asswipes looking for attention among a sea of 4 star reviews or legitimate insights into a publicly praised novel? A little of both in my opinion. The characters were never built with any depth and you are asked to accept a marginal backstory while focusing on quick paced movement. Ramya never is deserving of her rise to Melokai. She was an angry child that learned to be a warrior and was chosen by a stone phrophet. That is not enough to instill a sense of regard by the reader for the main character.
What IS writing genius is Ramya’s life choices during strenuous times that distances herself from her closest allies and subsequently the reader. This sense of betrayal forms the basis of the novel and cries for constant redemption. This redemption is never fulfilled and alienates the reader due to a protagonists non-conforming personality. Ramya just honey badger’s her way through the novel. I found it refreshing as the writer did not attempt to pattern her main character after the hero fantasy mold so often seen.
What I really liked about the novel were the different kingdoms and lifeforms that expanded the world and enhanced the characters through movement. These quests instilled a solid foundation upon which the novel rests through a creative eye. An ambitious amalgamation of human derivatives in the form of blue haired pygmies, walking wolves and hump backed desert residents.
There is much gore and sex to be had so enter at your own risk. As the novel unfolds the characters do gain in depth through the tribulations endured. A definite read.
You can read all of my book reviews, here.
Publisher: Kobo
ISBN:9781999816605
Genre: Fantasy
Rating: 4.3/5
Publisher’s Description: Ramya’s time is up. Bracing herself for the gruesome sentence imposed on all Melokais who have served their purpose, she hears instead a shocking prophecy. Is the abrupt appearance of a mysterious, eastern cave creature the prophesied danger? Or is it something darker, more evil? And what of the wolves? Will the ferocious war with their kind oust her from power? Suddenly Ramya must fight threats from all sides to save her mountain realm. But while her back is turned, a conspiracy within her inner circle is festering. Ramya and her female warriors must crush an epic rebellion before it can destroy her and devastate her beloved nation.
Review: A couple of reviewers gave this novel two stars based on their inability to connect with the characters. Contrary asswipes looking for attention among a sea of 4 star reviews or legitimate insights into a publicly praised novel? A little of both in my opinion. The characters were never built with any depth and you are asked to accept a marginal backstory while focusing on quick paced movement. Ramya never is deserving of her rise to Melokai. She was an angry child that learned to be a warrior and was chosen by a stone phrophet. That is not enough to instill a sense of regard by the reader for the main character.
What IS writing genius is Ramya’s life choices during strenuous times that distances herself from her closest allies and subsequently the reader. This sense of betrayal forms the basis of the novel and cries for constant redemption. This redemption is never fulfilled and alienates the reader due to a protagonists non-conforming personality. Ramya just honey badger’s her way through the novel. I found it refreshing as the writer did not attempt to pattern her main character after the hero fantasy mold so often seen.
What I really liked about the novel were the different kingdoms and lifeforms that expanded the world and enhanced the characters through movement. These quests instilled a solid foundation upon which the novel rests through a creative eye. An ambitious amalgamation of human derivatives in the form of blue haired pygmies, walking wolves and hump backed desert residents.
There is much gore and sex to be had so enter at your own risk. As the novel unfolds the characters do gain in depth through the tribulations endured. A definite read.
You can read all of my book reviews, here.
March 18, 2018
This is a great book. It’s nice to see different types of characters and themes rather than the cookie cutter fantasy out there. Is it perfect? No. I’ve never read a book that was. Is it entertaining and well written? It certainly is. Hats off to this author for reaching beyond the accepted norms to create something unique and epic.
December 10, 2017
This books starts with action from the outset and does not let up. Melokai Ramya is told that "A wolf will claim the throne", her throne no less. The story that follows introduces several other races of people and their interactions with each other. Some of the races have trade agreements and tentative alliances that seem on the face of it, to work. There is however an underlying discord, one that will threaten the fragile peace of all the races.
This is a great read. Rosalyn has created a world that has vivid descriptions of not only the people but also the landscape. Each race has its own distinctive physical characteristic, this compliments the land they live in, each land is also unique to each race. Within the races there are factions that are unhappy and strange alliances are formed, they want change to those in power and also to the restraints that are placed on them.
I am always a little hesitant when I read fantasy books like this. I spent a lot of time a few years ago, reading many books of this genre, some were great but I also found quite a few were lacking. I am happy to say that Melokai falls into the first, it really was a great read. It has a lot of attention to detail, not only has Rosalyn described the details of each race and their corresponding landscape, she has done it so I can visualise them. For me this is an important feature especially in a fantasy book. The character list is very large, and this is why I suggest buying the paperback rather than the eBook version as there is a great list of people and places, as well as a map.
The story has been written in such a way that you are gradually introduced to the various races, it has been done that it makes sense and gives a great flow to the story. This is all wrapped around a plot that is in essence a power struggle, but it has a real sense of depth. There are many elements in this book that make for really interesting, intriguing and addictive reading. This is the first book in a series, with the second due next year (2018), I for one am really going to be keeping my eye out for this.
This is a book is one I would highly recommend to readers of Epic Fantasy, with lots of different other elements. It is a well paced book, very well written and a fantastic read.
This is a great read. Rosalyn has created a world that has vivid descriptions of not only the people but also the landscape. Each race has its own distinctive physical characteristic, this compliments the land they live in, each land is also unique to each race. Within the races there are factions that are unhappy and strange alliances are formed, they want change to those in power and also to the restraints that are placed on them.
I am always a little hesitant when I read fantasy books like this. I spent a lot of time a few years ago, reading many books of this genre, some were great but I also found quite a few were lacking. I am happy to say that Melokai falls into the first, it really was a great read. It has a lot of attention to detail, not only has Rosalyn described the details of each race and their corresponding landscape, she has done it so I can visualise them. For me this is an important feature especially in a fantasy book. The character list is very large, and this is why I suggest buying the paperback rather than the eBook version as there is a great list of people and places, as well as a map.
The story has been written in such a way that you are gradually introduced to the various races, it has been done that it makes sense and gives a great flow to the story. This is all wrapped around a plot that is in essence a power struggle, but it has a real sense of depth. There are many elements in this book that make for really interesting, intriguing and addictive reading. This is the first book in a series, with the second due next year (2018), I for one am really going to be keeping my eye out for this.
This is a book is one I would highly recommend to readers of Epic Fantasy, with lots of different other elements. It is a well paced book, very well written and a fantastic read.
July 12, 2018
Melokai introduces us to a brutal world of tribal nations with unique races and strange customs. The Melokai is the ruler of the Peqkya society. Their tendencies are very bestial, although their appearance is human. It's a misandrous society, where men are second-class citizens and vulnerable to extreme punishments for slight mistakes. Cats are a big part of their lives, including cats that can speak. The Peqkya culture is very detailed, complex, and violent. It's an excellent display of a culture that combines human instincts, rash consequences, and animalistic survival traits.
This is a violent world, even in sexual arenas. To me it felt like an indication of the state of the societies, or the shortness of tempers, rather than being gratuitous.
The different races in this world are humanoid-animal blends, some leaning more toward humans and others leaning more toward the animal. The wolf tribes operate much like wolves, living in small packs with an alpha male and female. They are territorial and very protective of their land and their pack members. Beyond that, we don't see much detail about their customs and traditions, which lent to an off-balanced feeling.
And that's really my only criticism of this work, it lacks a consistency of richness. The Peqkya culture comes alive, while some of the other cultures feel a bit flat or seem to be based mostly on stereotypes. So, there's a kind of unevenness in the immersion.
There's a desert society based around camels, which has it's own religion and conniving royal politics. There's a distant tribe of pygmies. And one society is a kingdom of humans, complete with king & queen, knights and princesses.
There are a lot of POV characters and a few plotlines left open. Only one climax really comes to fruition in this book, which leaves the author several threads to develop further in the series, and left this reader really wishing to see more of where things are going.
I absolutely loved Melokai Ramya. I can understand there's some debate about whether she brings on herself the plots that scheme against her, but I thought she was a very relatable character who wants the best for her people.
I very much enjoyed Rosalyn Kelly's writing style and look forward to the sequel!
This is a violent world, even in sexual arenas. To me it felt like an indication of the state of the societies, or the shortness of tempers, rather than being gratuitous.
The different races in this world are humanoid-animal blends, some leaning more toward humans and others leaning more toward the animal. The wolf tribes operate much like wolves, living in small packs with an alpha male and female. They are territorial and very protective of their land and their pack members. Beyond that, we don't see much detail about their customs and traditions, which lent to an off-balanced feeling.
And that's really my only criticism of this work, it lacks a consistency of richness. The Peqkya culture comes alive, while some of the other cultures feel a bit flat or seem to be based mostly on stereotypes. So, there's a kind of unevenness in the immersion.
There's a desert society based around camels, which has it's own religion and conniving royal politics. There's a distant tribe of pygmies. And one society is a kingdom of humans, complete with king & queen, knights and princesses.
There are a lot of POV characters and a few plotlines left open. Only one climax really comes to fruition in this book, which leaves the author several threads to develop further in the series, and left this reader really wishing to see more of where things are going.
I absolutely loved Melokai Ramya. I can understand there's some debate about whether she brings on herself the plots that scheme against her, but I thought she was a very relatable character who wants the best for her people.
I very much enjoyed Rosalyn Kelly's writing style and look forward to the sequel!
March 15, 2018
Melokai: In the Heart of the Mountains by Rosalyn Kelly is an engrossing, dark and diverse fantasy that propels you into the world immediately. The cover alone promises an epic read, and author Kelly didn’t disappoint.
In the opening, Melokai Rayma is accompanied by her counselor and Head Scholar, Chaz, to entreat the Stone Prophetess Sybilya. Each Melokai ruling the matriarchal society of Peqky serves for a decade, and then a new Melokai is elected. After which, the departing ruler’s tongue is removed and they’re banished from Peqky. This isn’t a prospect that Rayma or her counselors relish, since their fates would be the same, save the banishment.
Rayma visited the stone goddess each week for her ruling, but instead of proclaiming Rayma’s rule at an end, the goddess remained silent. As a result, Rayma had ruled two years longer than any other Melokai. Howbeit, this visit would be different. The stone goddess spoke a prophecy that will inexorably alter the Peqkyians future.
Although bemused by the prophecy, Rayma continues to lead her people and make great strides to improve the lives of her denizens as well as lessen the severe treatment of the pleasure peons (PGs). Regardless of some opposition, she is loved by her people and surrounded by loyal counselors and warriors. Or is she?
The Peqkyian society is also intriguing. Most inhabitants display catlike features and also communicate with their feline companions. In the times of Xayy, a thousand years past, men had a place of ruler as the Melokaz. However, after the then stone prophetesses cursed them, that changed, and now the males (peons) are considered lesser citizens, and nothing more than a means to procreate and provide physical pleasures. Unfortunately, if males can’t demonstrate their ability to provide the latter, they are disposed of in a most horrific way. The PGs (male pleasure givers) existence is better than most other males. Notwithstanding the threat of castration and an excruciating death if they can’t satisfy their female summoners, they live and are treated modestly well.
Another interesting (and relevant) element is the Peqkian children. Women can choose a soulmatch if they feel connected to a certain male. Evenso, once they birth children, they’re taken to a communal pen. Naturally, with the use of PGs, women are pregnant often, and Peqkian law mandates that no child can know their parents and vice versa. “Mothers” have positions in each pen facility to rear and teach these children until they reach the appropriate age (fifteen). If the young boys can’t pass a ‘usefulness test,’ they are disposed of immediately.
With the dire implications of the prophecy, distrustful allies, warring wolves, and a banished, foreign Trogr (Gwrlain) arriving in the city, fealties are wavering, and the brittle filament tethering the Peqkian together could shatter at any moment.
That’s quite a bit to absorb, but it’s merely the tip of the iceberg. Author Rosalyn Kelly has created a vividly intriguing world pervaded with new species, deities, talking animals, concepts, great battles, and milieus that immerse you in this epic world whilst tickling every fantastical desire to satiate even the finickiest of readers. With numerous sub-plots, betrayals, manipulations, and intricately scrupulous treacheries, you’ll barely have time to catch your breath.
Melokai by Rosalyn Kelly effectually whisks you through multiple lands and societies (not all human), and a huge cast of interconnected characters. With the sexual content and brutalities, it’s intended for mature readers and not those unfamiliar with dark or grimdark fantasy. I don’t have an issue with such content when it’s used for characterization and along with the plot…not in place of one. Melokai is the former, and I was captivated from page one, and can’t wait to see what’s next revealed...especially with Sarrya, V, Artaz, and Gwrlain. What appears to be an end will certainly be a new beginning.
Easily 4.5 stars.
In the opening, Melokai Rayma is accompanied by her counselor and Head Scholar, Chaz, to entreat the Stone Prophetess Sybilya. Each Melokai ruling the matriarchal society of Peqky serves for a decade, and then a new Melokai is elected. After which, the departing ruler’s tongue is removed and they’re banished from Peqky. This isn’t a prospect that Rayma or her counselors relish, since their fates would be the same, save the banishment.
Rayma visited the stone goddess each week for her ruling, but instead of proclaiming Rayma’s rule at an end, the goddess remained silent. As a result, Rayma had ruled two years longer than any other Melokai. Howbeit, this visit would be different. The stone goddess spoke a prophecy that will inexorably alter the Peqkyians future.
Although bemused by the prophecy, Rayma continues to lead her people and make great strides to improve the lives of her denizens as well as lessen the severe treatment of the pleasure peons (PGs). Regardless of some opposition, she is loved by her people and surrounded by loyal counselors and warriors. Or is she?
The Peqkyian society is also intriguing. Most inhabitants display catlike features and also communicate with their feline companions. In the times of Xayy, a thousand years past, men had a place of ruler as the Melokaz. However, after the then stone prophetesses cursed them, that changed, and now the males (peons) are considered lesser citizens, and nothing more than a means to procreate and provide physical pleasures. Unfortunately, if males can’t demonstrate their ability to provide the latter, they are disposed of in a most horrific way. The PGs (male pleasure givers) existence is better than most other males. Notwithstanding the threat of castration and an excruciating death if they can’t satisfy their female summoners, they live and are treated modestly well.
Another interesting (and relevant) element is the Peqkian children. Women can choose a soulmatch if they feel connected to a certain male. Evenso, once they birth children, they’re taken to a communal pen. Naturally, with the use of PGs, women are pregnant often, and Peqkian law mandates that no child can know their parents and vice versa. “Mothers” have positions in each pen facility to rear and teach these children until they reach the appropriate age (fifteen). If the young boys can’t pass a ‘usefulness test,’ they are disposed of immediately.
With the dire implications of the prophecy, distrustful allies, warring wolves, and a banished, foreign Trogr (Gwrlain) arriving in the city, fealties are wavering, and the brittle filament tethering the Peqkian together could shatter at any moment.
That’s quite a bit to absorb, but it’s merely the tip of the iceberg. Author Rosalyn Kelly has created a vividly intriguing world pervaded with new species, deities, talking animals, concepts, great battles, and milieus that immerse you in this epic world whilst tickling every fantastical desire to satiate even the finickiest of readers. With numerous sub-plots, betrayals, manipulations, and intricately scrupulous treacheries, you’ll barely have time to catch your breath.
Melokai by Rosalyn Kelly effectually whisks you through multiple lands and societies (not all human), and a huge cast of interconnected characters. With the sexual content and brutalities, it’s intended for mature readers and not those unfamiliar with dark or grimdark fantasy. I don’t have an issue with such content when it’s used for characterization and along with the plot…not in place of one. Melokai is the former, and I was captivated from page one, and can’t wait to see what’s next revealed...especially with Sarrya, V, Artaz, and Gwrlain. What appears to be an end will certainly be a new beginning.
Easily 4.5 stars.
September 23, 2017
I was fortunate enough to receive an advanced copy to voluntarily review. I have to say, it was one of the best choices I had made. This book pulls you in from the beginning, and leaves you gasping once you finish.
I pretty much immediately re-read this book. I could talk all day about how much I liked the setting, plot, and cultures this book has displayed. However my absolute favourite part of this book was the characters. They felt so real, I could easily sympathize with their feelings. The character development followed a logical course that made me feel as if I could predict what they would want to do (even though I was generally incorrect!). This is a fantastic book, and as the first of a series I honestly cannot wait for the next one!
I pretty much immediately re-read this book. I could talk all day about how much I liked the setting, plot, and cultures this book has displayed. However my absolute favourite part of this book was the characters. They felt so real, I could easily sympathize with their feelings. The character development followed a logical course that made me feel as if I could predict what they would want to do (even though I was generally incorrect!). This is a fantastic book, and as the first of a series I honestly cannot wait for the next one!
October 13, 2017
What an absolute rip-roaring cracker of a fantasy novel! Not my normal genre, I must admit, and I was a bit tentative over the first few pages. But I needn't have worried at all as the story gathered pace from the off and had me turning the pages long after I should have put it down. Characters are amazing and incredible, likeable and dislikable in equal measure and it was brilliant to see the plot build from multiple perspectives. As for the world Rosalyn Kelly has created, it's stunning and magical and feels like anything could be possible. This is a really strong debut novel with an ending that left me desperately wanting more. I really can't wait for the next in the series...
February 12, 2019
This review was originally posted on my blog!
I've got a copy from the author through TBRIndr in exchange of an honest review.
This is going to be a mini review as I decided to pull a DNF at 42%. Since I have no knowledge about how the book finishes, I’ll only focus on that part I actually read.
Melokai starts out pretty well. We get to know Ramya, the leader of a kingdom surrounded by mountains. Every ten years, a new Melokai is being announced by the prophetess, Sybilia – can we stop naming every prophetess some version of Cassandra and/or Sibylla, please? Ramya has been a leader for twelve years now and dreads every week when she goes to receive her dismissal. But that never comes. Instead, a new prophecy is being told, and suddenly the peaceful, prosperous life seems at an end. But was it really that perfect as it looked?
Now, I think most of you know by now that I generally don’t like female characters much, although it’s not rare that they grow in me despite my refusal. Here we get a whole society ruled by women, where men are degraded and are only used as slaves – whether they do manual jobs or pleasuring or anything else. They are not even called men just peen. The way they are treated are mostly shown trough on of the pleasure givers, the Melokai’s favorite. He will play a prominent role in later events I reckon, as he is turned down by his loved Ramya when a mysterious creature appears in the court. Not going to say more because spoilers.
My main problem with Melokai was the usually pointless use of sex scenes, meant to add to the “shock value” but not really succeeding. After I came across one of the more exposed scenes, I knew I probably not going to finish. The final nail in this coffin was the friendly banter between two female warrior/friend where they used “cockface” and “seed sacks” as insult. While I have nothing against swearing or crude language – I’m a Hungarian, no one swears like we do. Hell, I even applaud creative swearing, I kind of found this offending. Yes, I get that in this world men are inferior and are treated like trash, but this is nothing less insulting than if it would be a men’s world and women would be treated the same. I also found offending the way the same characters made comments about Ramya’s lover. Just nope.
Language and pointless sex scenes aside, the other problem I found with this book is the writing. While the world building is interesting and has quite a potential – different cultures associated with different animals were one of them -, it kind of falls apart with the constant change of POVs, getting introduced new and new ones, sometimes not making much sense. We are not being eased into these plotlines, they just happen out of nothing and honestly, I couldn’t find in myself to care about any of them. Even Ramya. She goes through such a change in a short time, that would take normally a whole book. Again, I get the intent and what the author wanted to convey, but found the transition unbelievable as well as some of the characters reactions to it.
I really wished I could like Melokai given some of my friends did, but I just couldn’t. I gave it a fair chance, but at the end of the day, I just had to give up forcing myself to go on.
I've got a copy from the author through TBRIndr in exchange of an honest review.
This is going to be a mini review as I decided to pull a DNF at 42%. Since I have no knowledge about how the book finishes, I’ll only focus on that part I actually read.
Melokai starts out pretty well. We get to know Ramya, the leader of a kingdom surrounded by mountains. Every ten years, a new Melokai is being announced by the prophetess, Sybilia – can we stop naming every prophetess some version of Cassandra and/or Sibylla, please? Ramya has been a leader for twelve years now and dreads every week when she goes to receive her dismissal. But that never comes. Instead, a new prophecy is being told, and suddenly the peaceful, prosperous life seems at an end. But was it really that perfect as it looked?
Now, I think most of you know by now that I generally don’t like female characters much, although it’s not rare that they grow in me despite my refusal. Here we get a whole society ruled by women, where men are degraded and are only used as slaves – whether they do manual jobs or pleasuring or anything else. They are not even called men just peen. The way they are treated are mostly shown trough on of the pleasure givers, the Melokai’s favorite. He will play a prominent role in later events I reckon, as he is turned down by his loved Ramya when a mysterious creature appears in the court. Not going to say more because spoilers.
My main problem with Melokai was the usually pointless use of sex scenes, meant to add to the “shock value” but not really succeeding. After I came across one of the more exposed scenes, I knew I probably not going to finish. The final nail in this coffin was the friendly banter between two female warrior/friend where they used “cockface” and “seed sacks” as insult. While I have nothing against swearing or crude language – I’m a Hungarian, no one swears like we do. Hell, I even applaud creative swearing, I kind of found this offending. Yes, I get that in this world men are inferior and are treated like trash, but this is nothing less insulting than if it would be a men’s world and women would be treated the same. I also found offending the way the same characters made comments about Ramya’s lover. Just nope.
Language and pointless sex scenes aside, the other problem I found with this book is the writing. While the world building is interesting and has quite a potential – different cultures associated with different animals were one of them -, it kind of falls apart with the constant change of POVs, getting introduced new and new ones, sometimes not making much sense. We are not being eased into these plotlines, they just happen out of nothing and honestly, I couldn’t find in myself to care about any of them. Even Ramya. She goes through such a change in a short time, that would take normally a whole book. Again, I get the intent and what the author wanted to convey, but found the transition unbelievable as well as some of the characters reactions to it.
I really wished I could like Melokai given some of my friends did, but I just couldn’t. I gave it a fair chance, but at the end of the day, I just had to give up forcing myself to go on.
July 9, 2018
I received Melokai for free as part of r/fantasy’s TBRindr initiative, meant to popularize and highlight the works of independently published authors.
Melokai’s opening held a great deal of promise, which could’ve propelled the story forward. Unfortunately, this novel didn’t ultimately deliver on the promises made, both by its opening and its cover. Before I get down to the Good, Bad and Meh, I would like to state that this review represents only my opinion of Melokai. Although my opinion leans to the negative, many have enjoyed this world and the last thing I want to do is belittle the author’s labour in putting together this novel. It is my hope to provide what amounts to constructive criticism below.
With that in mind, let’s jump into the specifics!
THE BAD
Melokai Ramya: A novel lives or dies by its lead and the eponymous Melokai is not a character whose headspace I enjoyed sharing. She is often cruel–and casually so, for no other purpose than cruelty’s sake, best displayed when she orders an ambassador castrated and his tongue cut for being too presumptuous.
Cruelty alone makes for an unlikable character but it’s okay for the main character to be unlikable, especially at the start of a novel. Gully Foyle was unlikable for a good portion of “Tiger!Tiger!”, and Senlin of more recent “Books of Babbel” fame also started off as unlikable, only to grow to be one of my favourite protagonists in recent years. No, what makes Ramya a bad character is the fact that I didn’t buy into her believability.
Very early on, the novel as much as tells us this is a woman among women, a skilled and wise leader who’s led her nation of female mountain warriors for twelve years. The moment she falls for a savage, all that goes out of the window, in a time of crisis when her country needs her most. I suspect it was the author’s intent to write someone conflicted between love and duty; execution falls well short of that. Ramya comes off as the main architect of her own destruction (and of everything she holds dear), with virtually all problems that befall her a result of her inaction. I can see the potential of this idea–I love seeing characters come undone under the weight of their mistakes(take for example Roland of Gilead, the protagonist of Stephen King’s Dark Tower series)–but the decisions Ramya made didn’t engage me in any meaningful way. The fact that very little happens with this supposed legendary warrior until the last few chapters doesn’t help.
The Dialogue: Too many characters read similar, came off as bland, and the choice of words didn’t fit the world of the novel.
Most PoV characters suffer from the same issues the Melokai does — they’re self-absorbed, never change or grow in a real, convincing way.
Gratuitous sexual content: I appreciate sexual content in novels when it has a purpose. A well-placed scene of the sexual act can be used to the benefit of a story — Joe Abercrombie’s “Best Served Cold” has an excellent scene which furthers both the inter-character conflict and the entire plot of the novel. Melokai’s sex scenes are often brutal and shocking while offering the plot very little of significance. Explicit sex content may be a mainstay in grimdark fantasy but it should figure in a story as more than a gimmick used for shock value.
The Writing Style: Simple and too lean by far for my tastes.
The Ending *:*The ending, in which the Melokai, while fighting to save her beloved and her newborn baby’s life, decides to toy with a particularly grating princeling instead of cutting him down with the ease she’s able to. This scene had me fuming since it was the first time since the beginning of the book during which I was actively engaged with what was happening; until, of course, what little of Ramya’s personality I bought into was overwritten by something I can’t ever buy in the mother of a newborn — the decision to play with an opponent when she could’ve cut him down.
THE MEH
V: The only human character I was interested in, V did not share all the problems I had with other PoV characters.
The Swear Words: Despite years of Pavlovian-like training under Brandon Sanderson and Brian McClellan’s made-up swear words, I still don’t find them particularly endearing. “Zhaq” did nothing for me, nor did the other terms.
The Wolves: Interesting but difficult to visualize at times.
THE GOOD
A great many good ideas: Though the execution is sloppy as I’ve discussed above, I appreciate what Rosalyn Kelly was going for.
The Worldbuilding: A nation ruled by women, wolves walking on two legs, cats speaking, these elements make for only a small part of what Melokai has to offer. I was interested in these different cultures and enjoyed learning more about them. The matriarchal society, in particular, was quite interesting to learn about, what with placing men in the position of slaves and worse.
The Cover: It’s the kind of cover that draws you in and awakens your curiosity. Whether the book delivered on the image’s promise or not, I can’t deny its a strong image, this one.
Adaptive People: People adapt according to their habitat. I don’t recall any explanation on how that worked, but it’s a very interesting idea.
The Verdict
I had a hard time finishing this book. Despite my initial enthusiasm, this was not the sort of grimdark novel I enjoy. Too much felt pointless to me. I enjoy grimdark not for the cruel and vile actions that this subgenre often employs, but for the way characters are shaped by and overcome all manner of hardships (if only to fail miserably at the end). Melokai didn’t offer any characters I found compelling; I appreciate the work author Rosalyn Kelly has put into it but I got very little enjoyment in my time with this particular novel.
Many others did, though! I encourage you to read through several of the four- and five-star reviews on Melokai’s Goodreads page to receive perspectives different from my own. Perhaps what they enjoyed will resonate with you more than my own views. And of course, the best way to make up your own mind is to read it yourself!
Melokai’s opening held a great deal of promise, which could’ve propelled the story forward. Unfortunately, this novel didn’t ultimately deliver on the promises made, both by its opening and its cover. Before I get down to the Good, Bad and Meh, I would like to state that this review represents only my opinion of Melokai. Although my opinion leans to the negative, many have enjoyed this world and the last thing I want to do is belittle the author’s labour in putting together this novel. It is my hope to provide what amounts to constructive criticism below.
With that in mind, let’s jump into the specifics!
THE BAD
Melokai Ramya: A novel lives or dies by its lead and the eponymous Melokai is not a character whose headspace I enjoyed sharing. She is often cruel–and casually so, for no other purpose than cruelty’s sake, best displayed when she orders an ambassador castrated and his tongue cut for being too presumptuous.
Cruelty alone makes for an unlikable character but it’s okay for the main character to be unlikable, especially at the start of a novel. Gully Foyle was unlikable for a good portion of “Tiger!Tiger!”, and Senlin of more recent “Books of Babbel” fame also started off as unlikable, only to grow to be one of my favourite protagonists in recent years. No, what makes Ramya a bad character is the fact that I didn’t buy into her believability.
Very early on, the novel as much as tells us this is a woman among women, a skilled and wise leader who’s led her nation of female mountain warriors for twelve years. The moment she falls for a savage, all that goes out of the window, in a time of crisis when her country needs her most. I suspect it was the author’s intent to write someone conflicted between love and duty; execution falls well short of that. Ramya comes off as the main architect of her own destruction (and of everything she holds dear), with virtually all problems that befall her a result of her inaction. I can see the potential of this idea–I love seeing characters come undone under the weight of their mistakes(take for example Roland of Gilead, the protagonist of Stephen King’s Dark Tower series)–but the decisions Ramya made didn’t engage me in any meaningful way. The fact that very little happens with this supposed legendary warrior until the last few chapters doesn’t help.
The Dialogue: Too many characters read similar, came off as bland, and the choice of words didn’t fit the world of the novel.
Most PoV characters suffer from the same issues the Melokai does — they’re self-absorbed, never change or grow in a real, convincing way.
Gratuitous sexual content: I appreciate sexual content in novels when it has a purpose. A well-placed scene of the sexual act can be used to the benefit of a story — Joe Abercrombie’s “Best Served Cold” has an excellent scene which furthers both the inter-character conflict and the entire plot of the novel. Melokai’s sex scenes are often brutal and shocking while offering the plot very little of significance. Explicit sex content may be a mainstay in grimdark fantasy but it should figure in a story as more than a gimmick used for shock value.
The Writing Style: Simple and too lean by far for my tastes.
The Ending *:*The ending, in which the Melokai, while fighting to save her beloved and her newborn baby’s life, decides to toy with a particularly grating princeling instead of cutting him down with the ease she’s able to. This scene had me fuming since it was the first time since the beginning of the book during which I was actively engaged with what was happening; until, of course, what little of Ramya’s personality I bought into was overwritten by something I can’t ever buy in the mother of a newborn — the decision to play with an opponent when she could’ve cut him down.
THE MEH
V: The only human character I was interested in, V did not share all the problems I had with other PoV characters.
The Swear Words: Despite years of Pavlovian-like training under Brandon Sanderson and Brian McClellan’s made-up swear words, I still don’t find them particularly endearing. “Zhaq” did nothing for me, nor did the other terms.
The Wolves: Interesting but difficult to visualize at times.
THE GOOD
A great many good ideas: Though the execution is sloppy as I’ve discussed above, I appreciate what Rosalyn Kelly was going for.
The Worldbuilding: A nation ruled by women, wolves walking on two legs, cats speaking, these elements make for only a small part of what Melokai has to offer. I was interested in these different cultures and enjoyed learning more about them. The matriarchal society, in particular, was quite interesting to learn about, what with placing men in the position of slaves and worse.
The Cover: It’s the kind of cover that draws you in and awakens your curiosity. Whether the book delivered on the image’s promise or not, I can’t deny its a strong image, this one.
Adaptive People: People adapt according to their habitat. I don’t recall any explanation on how that worked, but it’s a very interesting idea.
The Verdict
I had a hard time finishing this book. Despite my initial enthusiasm, this was not the sort of grimdark novel I enjoy. Too much felt pointless to me. I enjoy grimdark not for the cruel and vile actions that this subgenre often employs, but for the way characters are shaped by and overcome all manner of hardships (if only to fail miserably at the end). Melokai didn’t offer any characters I found compelling; I appreciate the work author Rosalyn Kelly has put into it but I got very little enjoyment in my time with this particular novel.
Many others did, though! I encourage you to read through several of the four- and five-star reviews on Melokai’s Goodreads page to receive perspectives different from my own. Perhaps what they enjoyed will resonate with you more than my own views. And of course, the best way to make up your own mind is to read it yourself!
August 12, 2018
Rating: 6/10
INITIAL THOUGHTS
Melokai is an ambitious debut novel, and the strong opening few chapters promise a lot, though I don’t feel that the book ultimately fulfilled that potential. Nonetheless, those facets of the story I did like do outweigh those that didn’t work for me. The book’s most notable strength is in its inventive world building, which is a welcome departure from the typical fantasy setting. There are no elves, dwarves, dragons or any other staples of the genre that have been done to death. Instead, the backdrop and the beings populating it are very original and, for the most part, well conceived―though certain creative choices conjure strange (sometimes funny) images in the mind.
As a reader who very much favours character driven narratives, I found that it was the lack of depth in terms of characterisation that really diminished my enjoyment. I never felt invested in any of the characters as they were neither developed enough to help me understand their motivations and the logic behind their actions, nor distinct enough to stand out from other characters. The one character who genuinely intrigued me was a Lady MacBeth like presence who is sadly just a bit-part player. Hopefully, Jakira will feature more prominently in the sequel.
The book’s most significant weakness, in my view, stems from the fact that it is such an ambitious story. With multiple plots unfolding from multiple points-of-view (some that feel superfluous) the end result is a narrative that isn’t as focussed as it could have been. There is definitely a case for saying that Melokai tries to do too much, and that less would have been more. With that said, I can’t fault the author for being both ambitious and original rather than playing it safe, even though it does inadvertently undermine the story at times.
Although Melokai isn’t without issues, I liked it well enough to want to read the second book of the trilogy.
FULL REVIEW PENDING!!!
INITIAL THOUGHTS
Melokai is an ambitious debut novel, and the strong opening few chapters promise a lot, though I don’t feel that the book ultimately fulfilled that potential. Nonetheless, those facets of the story I did like do outweigh those that didn’t work for me. The book’s most notable strength is in its inventive world building, which is a welcome departure from the typical fantasy setting. There are no elves, dwarves, dragons or any other staples of the genre that have been done to death. Instead, the backdrop and the beings populating it are very original and, for the most part, well conceived―though certain creative choices conjure strange (sometimes funny) images in the mind.
As a reader who very much favours character driven narratives, I found that it was the lack of depth in terms of characterisation that really diminished my enjoyment. I never felt invested in any of the characters as they were neither developed enough to help me understand their motivations and the logic behind their actions, nor distinct enough to stand out from other characters. The one character who genuinely intrigued me was a Lady MacBeth like presence who is sadly just a bit-part player. Hopefully, Jakira will feature more prominently in the sequel.
The book’s most significant weakness, in my view, stems from the fact that it is such an ambitious story. With multiple plots unfolding from multiple points-of-view (some that feel superfluous) the end result is a narrative that isn’t as focussed as it could have been. There is definitely a case for saying that Melokai tries to do too much, and that less would have been more. With that said, I can’t fault the author for being both ambitious and original rather than playing it safe, even though it does inadvertently undermine the story at times.
Although Melokai isn’t without issues, I liked it well enough to want to read the second book of the trilogy.
FULL REVIEW PENDING!!!
November 12, 2017
Impressive undertaking, expansive, imaginative. Characters to cheer for and characters to hate. A lot of setup but then a good exciting ending. For a mature audience. Look forward to the next book in the series.
December 21, 2017
Melokai is the first book in a new fantasy trilogy titled 'In the Heart of the Mountains' (ITHOTM), which looks set to be a huge success based on the quality of this opening instalment.
Author Rosalyn Kelly tells the story of Ramya, the successful but arrogant ruler of Peqkya, a mountain-dwelling nation of warrior women, where men are kept as servants and pleasure-givers. Ramya's alliances and feuds between neighbouring civilisations fluctuate throughout the novel, and she develops a controversial romance with a cave creature...
The front cover gave me the impression that Melokai was young adult fantasy, but this is actually grimdark fantasy on a par with Game of Thrones and Godblind. There is violence, rape, torture, and an infant's head gets crushed underfoot, all peppered with superb moments of dark humour. This is perfect for readers with a bloodthirty appetite.
Melokai is deliriously entertaining and wholly immersive. Kelly has an impressive flair for world-building and crafts multiple kingdoms in great detail, each with its own culture and quirks. Her author biography shows that Kelly has travelled the world, which is apparent in the vivid description and variety of the places described. These include the aforementioned, Peqkya; the desert kingdom of Drome; pompous medieval country Fertilian; the rainforest world of Jute, populated by pygmies; and the Zwullfr mountains where the wolves live.
The scale of Kelly's world is supremely vast, with an enormous cast of characters populating each region. A lesser author might have saved something for a later book, or a separate franchise, but Kelly has generously given us a smorgasbord of fantastic cultures to devour all in one novel. The justified glossary of people and places at the back of the book is testament to the size of the ITHOTM universe.
The characters are a hateful bunch, in a good way, with no obvious categories of good guys and bad guys, although the spoilt Prince of Drome, Ammad, has a nasty case of the Joffreys. You will be dying for someone to give him a slap. Meanwhile, Violya is one of the more likeable heroes - a warrior woman with magical abilities - who happily looks set to have a bigger part in the sequel out next year, which is titled V.
I eagerly await Part Two and discovering more of the ITHOTM world, much of which is teased in this series opener, including the rebellious Thorne Twins, the cave nation of Troglr, and the literal rise of the wolves.
AFAIC, the ITHOTM franchise could be, IMHO, the next GoT. IKR?
Author Rosalyn Kelly tells the story of Ramya, the successful but arrogant ruler of Peqkya, a mountain-dwelling nation of warrior women, where men are kept as servants and pleasure-givers. Ramya's alliances and feuds between neighbouring civilisations fluctuate throughout the novel, and she develops a controversial romance with a cave creature...
The front cover gave me the impression that Melokai was young adult fantasy, but this is actually grimdark fantasy on a par with Game of Thrones and Godblind. There is violence, rape, torture, and an infant's head gets crushed underfoot, all peppered with superb moments of dark humour. This is perfect for readers with a bloodthirty appetite.
Melokai is deliriously entertaining and wholly immersive. Kelly has an impressive flair for world-building and crafts multiple kingdoms in great detail, each with its own culture and quirks. Her author biography shows that Kelly has travelled the world, which is apparent in the vivid description and variety of the places described. These include the aforementioned, Peqkya; the desert kingdom of Drome; pompous medieval country Fertilian; the rainforest world of Jute, populated by pygmies; and the Zwullfr mountains where the wolves live.
The scale of Kelly's world is supremely vast, with an enormous cast of characters populating each region. A lesser author might have saved something for a later book, or a separate franchise, but Kelly has generously given us a smorgasbord of fantastic cultures to devour all in one novel. The justified glossary of people and places at the back of the book is testament to the size of the ITHOTM universe.
The characters are a hateful bunch, in a good way, with no obvious categories of good guys and bad guys, although the spoilt Prince of Drome, Ammad, has a nasty case of the Joffreys. You will be dying for someone to give him a slap. Meanwhile, Violya is one of the more likeable heroes - a warrior woman with magical abilities - who happily looks set to have a bigger part in the sequel out next year, which is titled V.
I eagerly await Part Two and discovering more of the ITHOTM world, much of which is teased in this series opener, including the rebellious Thorne Twins, the cave nation of Troglr, and the literal rise of the wolves.
AFAIC, the ITHOTM franchise could be, IMHO, the next GoT. IKR?
November 11, 2019
Roslyn Kelly has gifted the reader with a richly envisioned world comprised of basically five nations and peopled them with vastly different races, unlike our own! The Melokai rules over a nation whose people have lithe catlike qualities to their bodies and clevercat companions. The current Melokai has lead longer than most in this society where female warriors rule and has made many innovations. But times are changing and danger approaches, perhaps from all sides! Come along on this journey and meet peoples from each of the five nations. Learn about their politics, beliefs and attitudes toward life. You won't regret one step of your travels!
March 30, 2018
‘So much death, so many good women gone.’
British author Rosalyn Kelly was born in the south of England but has lived in the Middle East and travelled the globe extensively. She studied English Literature and Language at Oxford Brookes University before embarking on a PR and marketing career, telling the stories of international brands and businesses. In 2016 she decided to devote her career to writing, debuting with MELOKAI inspired by the mountains of Nepal's stunning Annapurna Sanctuary. MELOKAI is Book 1 in her The Heart of the Mountains trilogy
Rosalyn respects her readers and to assure the trilogy will find an eager audience she takes the time to offer maps and appendices of characters and places and peoples to clarify the new information she presents in this new fantasy world.
The flavor of Roslyn’s writing is evident form the first few paragraphs: ‘Ramya liked her tongue. She wasn’t ready to give it up, not yet. The Melokai rolled it around her teeth, touched it to the roof of her mouth and brought it down with a satisfying cluck. She glanced at Chaz. The scholar’s mottled black and white hands cupped his face, his body rocking with the movement of his horse, eyes glazed. They continued through the circular streets of the city in silence, both soon to lose the ability of speech, but neither with anything to say. Most Melokais ruled for a decade, Ramya had ruled now for two years longer than most. Your time is up! She was certain this was the cats’ message. They had been frantic all morning. Their mewing, trilling, yowling sounded different. Urgent, worried. They had scuttled about under her feet as she limbered through her daylight dances, slapped paws at the goat’s milk in her washtub rather than lapping at it, and as she had dressed, they clawed at her fur cloak, looking up at her with knowing marble eyes. When she had left her chambers to head to the busy dining hall, a swarm of squalling, hissing fur had trailed behind. Ramya had made the oath, she knew what happened to old Melokais. Her tongue would be taken and she would be banished by the Stone Prophetess Sybilya, cast out to wander the mountains alone. Sybilya cautioned that those who had tasted power were reluctant to relinquish it, and forever strived to wrench it back, causing unrest, violence and war. Without speech, old rulers cannot poison the minds of others and bend them to their will, and out in the wilderness there was no one to corrupt. The Stone Prophetess knows best, she lived through the Xayy atrocities after all.’
A brief summary of this complete novel follows: ‘Legendary warrior Ramya has successfully ruled as Melokai for longer than most. Prosperous, peaceful, and happy, her people love her. Or so she thinks. Ramya’s time is up. Bracing herself for the gruesome sentence imposed on all Melokais who have served their purpose, she hears instead a shocking prophecy. Is the abrupt appearance of a mysterious, eastern cave creature the prophesied danger? Or is it something darker, more evil? And what of the wolves? Will the ferocious war with their kind oust her from power? Suddenly Ramya must fight threats from all sides to save her mountain realm. But while her back is turned, a conspiracy within her inner circle is festering. Ramya and her female warriors must crush an epic rebellion before it can destroy her and devastate her beloved nation. She thinks it’s the end, but it’s just the beginning.’
Sound, skilled writing with fine character development make this an impressive debut novel for the young Rosalyn Kelly. The story will continue, as this is a trilogy
British author Rosalyn Kelly was born in the south of England but has lived in the Middle East and travelled the globe extensively. She studied English Literature and Language at Oxford Brookes University before embarking on a PR and marketing career, telling the stories of international brands and businesses. In 2016 she decided to devote her career to writing, debuting with MELOKAI inspired by the mountains of Nepal's stunning Annapurna Sanctuary. MELOKAI is Book 1 in her The Heart of the Mountains trilogy
Rosalyn respects her readers and to assure the trilogy will find an eager audience she takes the time to offer maps and appendices of characters and places and peoples to clarify the new information she presents in this new fantasy world.
The flavor of Roslyn’s writing is evident form the first few paragraphs: ‘Ramya liked her tongue. She wasn’t ready to give it up, not yet. The Melokai rolled it around her teeth, touched it to the roof of her mouth and brought it down with a satisfying cluck. She glanced at Chaz. The scholar’s mottled black and white hands cupped his face, his body rocking with the movement of his horse, eyes glazed. They continued through the circular streets of the city in silence, both soon to lose the ability of speech, but neither with anything to say. Most Melokais ruled for a decade, Ramya had ruled now for two years longer than most. Your time is up! She was certain this was the cats’ message. They had been frantic all morning. Their mewing, trilling, yowling sounded different. Urgent, worried. They had scuttled about under her feet as she limbered through her daylight dances, slapped paws at the goat’s milk in her washtub rather than lapping at it, and as she had dressed, they clawed at her fur cloak, looking up at her with knowing marble eyes. When she had left her chambers to head to the busy dining hall, a swarm of squalling, hissing fur had trailed behind. Ramya had made the oath, she knew what happened to old Melokais. Her tongue would be taken and she would be banished by the Stone Prophetess Sybilya, cast out to wander the mountains alone. Sybilya cautioned that those who had tasted power were reluctant to relinquish it, and forever strived to wrench it back, causing unrest, violence and war. Without speech, old rulers cannot poison the minds of others and bend them to their will, and out in the wilderness there was no one to corrupt. The Stone Prophetess knows best, she lived through the Xayy atrocities after all.’
A brief summary of this complete novel follows: ‘Legendary warrior Ramya has successfully ruled as Melokai for longer than most. Prosperous, peaceful, and happy, her people love her. Or so she thinks. Ramya’s time is up. Bracing herself for the gruesome sentence imposed on all Melokais who have served their purpose, she hears instead a shocking prophecy. Is the abrupt appearance of a mysterious, eastern cave creature the prophesied danger? Or is it something darker, more evil? And what of the wolves? Will the ferocious war with their kind oust her from power? Suddenly Ramya must fight threats from all sides to save her mountain realm. But while her back is turned, a conspiracy within her inner circle is festering. Ramya and her female warriors must crush an epic rebellion before it can destroy her and devastate her beloved nation. She thinks it’s the end, but it’s just the beginning.’
Sound, skilled writing with fine character development make this an impressive debut novel for the young Rosalyn Kelly. The story will continue, as this is a trilogy
September 14, 2017
I got an advanced copy of this book and found it to be a compelling story and easy read... I got sucked into the characters and storyline pretty quickly and all in all enjoyed it. Only reason for not going all the way to "5" stars - I found the dialogue a little strange - kind of too modern and it was a little distracting from the kind of universe the author was seeking to create... I also thought the sex stuff was a little overdone... But beyond that - clearly a strong effort and a lot of thought and imagination went into creating the "world" in which the story was set... I look forward to the next installment!
September 30, 2017
Full review found on Youtube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K4qRw...
~I was given a copy of Melokai in exchange for an honest review by the author, Rosalyn Kelly. This in no way influences my review~
I really enjoyed reading this book. The world building is done so well! I did have some issues with the multiple POVs and the character building, however it did not take away from the book at all! That being said, I really did like getting to read all sides of the story from the different characters. Overall, this book was a solid 4.5 stars for me, and I highly suggest checking it out!
~I was given a copy of Melokai in exchange for an honest review by the author, Rosalyn Kelly. This in no way influences my review~
I really enjoyed reading this book. The world building is done so well! I did have some issues with the multiple POVs and the character building, however it did not take away from the book at all! That being said, I really did like getting to read all sides of the story from the different characters. Overall, this book was a solid 4.5 stars for me, and I highly suggest checking it out!
April 8, 2018
Fantastic story! Although it was more gory and disturbing than I thought it would be, I enjoyed the writing and the story line. I was a bit put off by the different perspectives throughout the book, as it made it hard to connect with each character, but as I neared the end I felt like I really knew and understood so many various aspects of this world and its characters. The author did a phenomenal job of keeping it all straight and helping me fall in love with the story. Can't wait for the next book!
October 7, 2017
I received an advance copy of this book that I voluntarily chose to review.
This is a book that grabs your attention and imagination from the very first chapter. It's a fantasy book that you can get lost in. The places and characters are described so well that you have a very clear picture in your mind about this fantasy world. I really enjoyed the way the book was written and was told by various viewpoints. I didn't want it to end.
This is a book that grabs your attention and imagination from the very first chapter. It's a fantasy book that you can get lost in. The places and characters are described so well that you have a very clear picture in your mind about this fantasy world. I really enjoyed the way the book was written and was told by various viewpoints. I didn't want it to end.
September 6, 2018
*3.75
Find this review at Forever Lost in Literature!
This is a tricky review to write because my opinions are somewhat all over the place. On the whole, this is a really fascinating novel with complex, innovative ideas explored and an expansive fantasy world that is brilliantly created. Despite this, I didn't love other aspects of this book quite as much as I expected to.
Peqka, the main location of this book, is a strong matriarchal society in which men are basically kept as a form of sex slave for the women and are thus treated as such, with pretty much no rights or worth outside of those duties. This was one of my interesting aspects of this novel and I loved exploring this experiment to see how Kelly had everything play out. Peqka is really a harsh, cruel land that is (obviously) not fair to all of its residents, but I think this provided a really interesting look at alternative worlds and the potential for different societies. I was initially surprised by just how violent the Peqkan culture was, but it just added more intensity and elements to consider when learning about this culture.
There are a lot of characters, and of those characters... it's hard to pick a favorite. In fact, it's hard to say whether I really liked any of them at all. I've seen in some other reviews that this lack of likability of characters was a big issue for them, but I have to say it didn't really remove all that much from my experience. Do I like having characters to root for? Of course. Is it necessary that I root for and respect all of the characters in a book? Nope! I know this will be different for many people, but following questionable people can be just as interesting as lovable people. The thing that makes these good unlikable characters is that they have motivations, goals, hopes, passions--they are multidimensional, which is most important.
Melokai Ramya, for instance, is an extremely ambitious, strong-willed woman who pretty much does whatever she wants, whether it defies those she works with and the people she rules over or not. In ways, her passionate demeanor is admirable, but she also makes some extremely questionable decisions throughout the book that left me wondering what exactly her purpose was and why she seemed like a such a flaky, overly trusting leader.
There are other prominent POVs that we follow, such as Ferraz, Jessima, Darrio, Ammad, and many more, all of which have many negative aspects to their character. However, Ferraz also has some reasonable justifications for some of his actions and there are a few times when I did sympathize with his situation, despite any other attitudes he may also have. I think one of the biggest issues in regards to the characters for me was their lack of consistency. There were times when I felt the dialogue was a bit similar in style and the characters seemed exceptionally flighty or not consistent with their established personality. To add to the dialogue issue, I also found some of the dialogue between characters to be a bit stiff or forced at times, which left a rather unnatural feeling.
Just as there are a lot of characters, there is also a lot going on in this book. We visit multiple lands and are introduced to a wide variety of conflicts and goals among each one, making it important to keep track of each one. I enjoyed the variety and getting to know more about everyone that inhabits this world, but it just felt like it was a bit much at times. Perhaps if the book were longer or if certain smaller parts were removed it might not have felt quite as overwhelming. Despite this, I did really enjoy learning about all the different lands, how they were run, and the cultures associated with each. I loved having the 'wolf' pack POV for the originality it added, and I was also fascinated by the Trog community and their way of life. In the end, I really just wanted to learn more about some of the cultures that were described, as I felt some weren't elaborated upon quite as much as others.
The best thing about Melokai was that no matter how much my feelings wavered throughout, I constantly wanted to know what was going to happen and I never felt the desire to not finish this book. To me, that shows unmistakable skill at storytelling and being able to maintain the attention of an audience. Despite any of the complaints I had about this book, I do still find myself interested to know what is going to happen to these lands and how the fallout at the end of Melokai is going to be dealt with, so I'm definitely going to keep my eye out for the next book.
Overall, I've given Melokai 3.75 stars! If you love a unique, complex society to explore that likes to experiment (such as the matriarchal society), then I definitely recommend Melokai. If you like or don't mind unlikable characters, then this one is for you.
Find this review at Forever Lost in Literature!
This is a tricky review to write because my opinions are somewhat all over the place. On the whole, this is a really fascinating novel with complex, innovative ideas explored and an expansive fantasy world that is brilliantly created. Despite this, I didn't love other aspects of this book quite as much as I expected to.
Peqka, the main location of this book, is a strong matriarchal society in which men are basically kept as a form of sex slave for the women and are thus treated as such, with pretty much no rights or worth outside of those duties. This was one of my interesting aspects of this novel and I loved exploring this experiment to see how Kelly had everything play out. Peqka is really a harsh, cruel land that is (obviously) not fair to all of its residents, but I think this provided a really interesting look at alternative worlds and the potential for different societies. I was initially surprised by just how violent the Peqkan culture was, but it just added more intensity and elements to consider when learning about this culture.
There are a lot of characters, and of those characters... it's hard to pick a favorite. In fact, it's hard to say whether I really liked any of them at all. I've seen in some other reviews that this lack of likability of characters was a big issue for them, but I have to say it didn't really remove all that much from my experience. Do I like having characters to root for? Of course. Is it necessary that I root for and respect all of the characters in a book? Nope! I know this will be different for many people, but following questionable people can be just as interesting as lovable people. The thing that makes these good unlikable characters is that they have motivations, goals, hopes, passions--they are multidimensional, which is most important.
Melokai Ramya, for instance, is an extremely ambitious, strong-willed woman who pretty much does whatever she wants, whether it defies those she works with and the people she rules over or not. In ways, her passionate demeanor is admirable, but she also makes some extremely questionable decisions throughout the book that left me wondering what exactly her purpose was and why she seemed like a such a flaky, overly trusting leader.
There are other prominent POVs that we follow, such as Ferraz, Jessima, Darrio, Ammad, and many more, all of which have many negative aspects to their character. However, Ferraz also has some reasonable justifications for some of his actions and there are a few times when I did sympathize with his situation, despite any other attitudes he may also have. I think one of the biggest issues in regards to the characters for me was their lack of consistency. There were times when I felt the dialogue was a bit similar in style and the characters seemed exceptionally flighty or not consistent with their established personality. To add to the dialogue issue, I also found some of the dialogue between characters to be a bit stiff or forced at times, which left a rather unnatural feeling.
Just as there are a lot of characters, there is also a lot going on in this book. We visit multiple lands and are introduced to a wide variety of conflicts and goals among each one, making it important to keep track of each one. I enjoyed the variety and getting to know more about everyone that inhabits this world, but it just felt like it was a bit much at times. Perhaps if the book were longer or if certain smaller parts were removed it might not have felt quite as overwhelming. Despite this, I did really enjoy learning about all the different lands, how they were run, and the cultures associated with each. I loved having the 'wolf' pack POV for the originality it added, and I was also fascinated by the Trog community and their way of life. In the end, I really just wanted to learn more about some of the cultures that were described, as I felt some weren't elaborated upon quite as much as others.
The best thing about Melokai was that no matter how much my feelings wavered throughout, I constantly wanted to know what was going to happen and I never felt the desire to not finish this book. To me, that shows unmistakable skill at storytelling and being able to maintain the attention of an audience. Despite any of the complaints I had about this book, I do still find myself interested to know what is going to happen to these lands and how the fallout at the end of Melokai is going to be dealt with, so I'm definitely going to keep my eye out for the next book.
Overall, I've given Melokai 3.75 stars! If you love a unique, complex society to explore that likes to experiment (such as the matriarchal society), then I definitely recommend Melokai. If you like or don't mind unlikable characters, then this one is for you.
May 4, 2018
First in a series of fantasy novels. Centred around the matriarchal society of Pekqya. This novel follows the main story of Ramaya, the ruler of Pekqya. In this society men are treated as slaves and killed if they displease women, not many men are allowed to survive past childhood. We follow the story, and build the world, following multiple characters, told from their perspective at different times. It’s interesting only because it’s so rare to have a fantasy set in a matriarchal society like this, where the women have overthrown and now subjugate men. The story is of Ramya having to defend her rule against people who would betray her. The motivation of the women willing to betray and destroy their society seemed a little weak. I’m not sure whether the motivation was strong enough to put yourself back in a second class position following the betrayal.
October 13, 2017
Ramya has led the Pekya people successfully for years, but new threats are rising from all directions. Now, she must choose between what she wants, and her duty as Melokai.
I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review.
Ramya is the head of a tribe of cat-like people, where women are in control. All males are treated as servants and slaves, as they have proven themselves incapable of having any responsibilities.
The Pekians are full of traditions, and are a very proud people. Their women are fierce warriors, trained from a young age. They have a community that is built on sharing and helping each other, and everything seems to be working smoothly.
There are various other races in the world that Kelly has created, and they are so original and creative. With the blind cave-dwellers with translucent skin; the desert-dwellers that are part-camel, with their humps; the wild wolves that have evolved to stand upright; the midgets in a distant land; and of course, good old humans.
There's a wonderful, well-rounded feel to this imaginative world. Not only with its races, but the histories and territories.
There is a lot of sex in this book. I have to say this, because there is, more than I was expecting! It is very sex-positive for the most parts, and the Pekian females are confident and at ease with their sexuality.
There are a couple of instances of rape (just to warn anyone who is easily offended by that sort of storyline), one where the male cammers attack a female Pekian; and several instances where the female Pekians demand sex from their males (males aren't allowed to refuse, and if they fail to give pleasure, they are killed in a slow and torturous fashion).
It was... interesting to how Pekya viewed sex abuse, depending on the gender of the victim.
The not-so-good
This is a strong debut, but you can tell it's a debut.
Kelly hurries to share as much of her world as possible, and I struggled to keep up.
Throughout the narration, there were a lot of characters that took turns to carry the story, and I found it hard to connect or root for any particular one. Not many of the characters stood out, and their voices weren't unique enough, to pull my attention back in when the story returned to their particular adventure.
The ones that stood out most were Prince Ammad, and Ferraz. They are both very selfish males, in very different roles. Both allow their pride to make them malleable, and I really disliked them. (A good thing, dear reader, they are bad guys).
I was quite keen on the Melokai, Ramya; but found her reaction to the Fert Queen to be a little hard to believe. This strong, independent warrior of a woman, who had spent her whole life serving Pekya; suddenly became giggly. When the Fert Queen leaves, we also see Ramya become moody and act in selfish and blind ways. I missed my tough Ramya!
Anyways, moving on. The ending. OMG the ending. Kelly really kicked it up a gear! I was hooked during the final battle; and shocked; and impressed. No spoilers, you have to read to find that out!
Overall, I think it was a 3.5 out of 5 for me.
This was a strong debut, and I look forward to more of this author's work.
I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review.
Ramya is the head of a tribe of cat-like people, where women are in control. All males are treated as servants and slaves, as they have proven themselves incapable of having any responsibilities.
The Pekians are full of traditions, and are a very proud people. Their women are fierce warriors, trained from a young age. They have a community that is built on sharing and helping each other, and everything seems to be working smoothly.
There are various other races in the world that Kelly has created, and they are so original and creative. With the blind cave-dwellers with translucent skin; the desert-dwellers that are part-camel, with their humps; the wild wolves that have evolved to stand upright; the midgets in a distant land; and of course, good old humans.
There's a wonderful, well-rounded feel to this imaginative world. Not only with its races, but the histories and territories.
There is a lot of sex in this book. I have to say this, because there is, more than I was expecting! It is very sex-positive for the most parts, and the Pekian females are confident and at ease with their sexuality.
There are a couple of instances of rape (just to warn anyone who is easily offended by that sort of storyline), one where the male cammers attack a female Pekian; and several instances where the female Pekians demand sex from their males (males aren't allowed to refuse, and if they fail to give pleasure, they are killed in a slow and torturous fashion).
It was... interesting to how Pekya viewed sex abuse, depending on the gender of the victim.
The not-so-good
This is a strong debut, but you can tell it's a debut.
Kelly hurries to share as much of her world as possible, and I struggled to keep up.
Throughout the narration, there were a lot of characters that took turns to carry the story, and I found it hard to connect or root for any particular one. Not many of the characters stood out, and their voices weren't unique enough, to pull my attention back in when the story returned to their particular adventure.
The ones that stood out most were Prince Ammad, and Ferraz. They are both very selfish males, in very different roles. Both allow their pride to make them malleable, and I really disliked them. (A good thing, dear reader, they are bad guys).
I was quite keen on the Melokai, Ramya; but found her reaction to the Fert Queen to be a little hard to believe. This strong, independent warrior of a woman, who had spent her whole life serving Pekya; suddenly became giggly. When the Fert Queen leaves, we also see Ramya become moody and act in selfish and blind ways. I missed my tough Ramya!
Anyways, moving on. The ending. OMG the ending. Kelly really kicked it up a gear! I was hooked during the final battle; and shocked; and impressed. No spoilers, you have to read to find that out!
Overall, I think it was a 3.5 out of 5 for me.
This was a strong debut, and I look forward to more of this author's work.
October 18, 2017
From the very beginning of this story, I was thrown into the action and customs of this new world and the people of Peqkya, where women reign supreme and men are seen as nothing more than useful slaves or pleasure-givers. Ramya is their Melokai or leader, but she knows that her rule is almost at an end and she will be banished and alone soon. But when a prophecy is declared, Ramya understands that there is a threat against her people and she will fight like the warrior that she is, but when a mysterious cave creature enters her demesne, he will stir her heart in a way that nobody ever has, and she will do whatever she must to keep him by her side. But other parts of this fantasy world are preparing for their own individual battles - the wolves want to reunite to take back what is theirs and the royalty of Drome are seeking to expand their rule. And even within her own people, Ramya is not as beloved as she may think, and rebellion is breeding ...
MELOKAI by Rosalyn Kelly is a fascinating and descriptive new fantasy world that I enjoyed getting to know and I will definitely read the next book in this series to see what happens next. Now I have to warn readers that there is a lot of sexual activity mentioned throughout which may not be for some people. Sex seems to take on many roles in this story from pleasure, to power, to control, to love, to duty.
There are lots of characters in this fantasy world but I still got to know each and every one and had my favourites and those that I really disliked from the beginning. The different nations are wonderfully depicted as we get to know their individual strengths, weaknesses, customs, and natural beauty, as well as the darker side that exists of those in power.
All in all, I enjoyed MELOKAI by Rosalyn Kelly and I highly recommend this novel to all fantasy fans who enjoy a rich story that leaves you wanting you more.
*I voluntarily reviewed this book from the author
MELOKAI by Rosalyn Kelly is a fascinating and descriptive new fantasy world that I enjoyed getting to know and I will definitely read the next book in this series to see what happens next. Now I have to warn readers that there is a lot of sexual activity mentioned throughout which may not be for some people. Sex seems to take on many roles in this story from pleasure, to power, to control, to love, to duty.
There are lots of characters in this fantasy world but I still got to know each and every one and had my favourites and those that I really disliked from the beginning. The different nations are wonderfully depicted as we get to know their individual strengths, weaknesses, customs, and natural beauty, as well as the darker side that exists of those in power.
All in all, I enjoyed MELOKAI by Rosalyn Kelly and I highly recommend this novel to all fantasy fans who enjoy a rich story that leaves you wanting you more.
*I voluntarily reviewed this book from the author
January 18, 2018
(Disclaimer: I requested a copy from Author for review. This does not affect my review in anyway)
Review: I went about halfway through the book thinking was the whole point to make your hate the Melokai, was the whole point that you were happy to see her fall? Then that feeling changed, you started to feel for her. Saw that she was just a person, a flawed person who just wanted some happiness. I did not like how she went from years and years of tradition/training to then bang going against all that and sleeping with a Trogr. Seemed a bit too fast. Most of her side of the story I just got a little annoyed with. It was very sex driven and cruel. Which is just their culture.
Lucky enough the book didn’t really feel like it had a ‘main’ character. Every character was important, every new character introduced brought a whole new part to the world. There was a lot of different viewpoints, adding lots of different layers. You think the story is heading in one direction, then it kept changing until the endgame was clear. All their little battles and wars are just pointless. The big bad is coming and you are so fucked. I really liked that about this story that it focused on more than one character, allowing you to get attached to who you liked, also showing who you didn’t like. Normally the switching would have annoyed me a little.
The world building was so on point, bringing life to a wide range of different humanoid species. Plus unique animals. So where the second book?
(LGBTQIA – Many mentions of same sex relationships.)
Review: I went about halfway through the book thinking was the whole point to make your hate the Melokai, was the whole point that you were happy to see her fall? Then that feeling changed, you started to feel for her. Saw that she was just a person, a flawed person who just wanted some happiness. I did not like how she went from years and years of tradition/training to then bang going against all that and sleeping with a Trogr. Seemed a bit too fast. Most of her side of the story I just got a little annoyed with. It was very sex driven and cruel. Which is just their culture.
Lucky enough the book didn’t really feel like it had a ‘main’ character. Every character was important, every new character introduced brought a whole new part to the world. There was a lot of different viewpoints, adding lots of different layers. You think the story is heading in one direction, then it kept changing until the endgame was clear. All their little battles and wars are just pointless. The big bad is coming and you are so fucked. I really liked that about this story that it focused on more than one character, allowing you to get attached to who you liked, also showing who you didn’t like. Normally the switching would have annoyed me a little.
The world building was so on point, bringing life to a wide range of different humanoid species. Plus unique animals. So where the second book?
(LGBTQIA – Many mentions of same sex relationships.)
October 10, 2017
I received an advance copy of this book that I voluntarily chose to review.
I read this book in about three days flat, it gripped me and I couldn't wait to see what would happen to the various characters and their stories.
I don't read fantasy books a lot, but I loved this book and would recommend it not to just fans of the genre, but for those who just love a good read (pun intended). It'll keep you hooked and have you wondering about the plot during your daily commute, as it did for me.
Melokai had me gripped from the start - so many interest storylines, I couldn't help but guess how the characters would all eventually meet. Luckily it isn't one of those books where there is TOO much going on - just the right amount. My alliance continually shifted between the different groups as I understood more about the characters and their history, as their layers were carefully peeled away.
There was plenty of adventure, history, love, a bit of gore and lots of deviousness. A very good combination!
I cannot wait for the next book and will be re-reading Melokai very soon.
I read this book in about three days flat, it gripped me and I couldn't wait to see what would happen to the various characters and their stories.
I don't read fantasy books a lot, but I loved this book and would recommend it not to just fans of the genre, but for those who just love a good read (pun intended). It'll keep you hooked and have you wondering about the plot during your daily commute, as it did for me.
Melokai had me gripped from the start - so many interest storylines, I couldn't help but guess how the characters would all eventually meet. Luckily it isn't one of those books where there is TOO much going on - just the right amount. My alliance continually shifted between the different groups as I understood more about the characters and their history, as their layers were carefully peeled away.
There was plenty of adventure, history, love, a bit of gore and lots of deviousness. A very good combination!
I cannot wait for the next book and will be re-reading Melokai very soon.
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