Zelia

Zelia #1

by Zora Marie

A dark heritage buried deep.
Powers beyond her control.
A fate beyond imagining. Raised by elves, the true secret of her heritage is hidden from her until the day she discovers she is nothing more than a weapon to be wielded by the will of the elder mages. Fighting against her fate, fearful of how her powers unleash themselves to harm friend and foe alike, Zelia seeks only to be free to live without bringing danger to those she loves.

Genres: Fantasy

292 pages, Hardcover

First published March 11, 2018

About the author

A young author with one foot in the forest, Zora Marie is constantly pushing to write epic stories full of magic, love, and loss. Often times her stories are inspired by bits and pieces of her own past that are then cast into the worlds of fae and magical beings, so there is darkness but there is light too.

As a member of the LGBTQ+ community herself, many of her characters fall on the spectrum too. She feels the fantasy genre often lacks representation, and while she may not be perfect, she’s always pushing to be more inclusive.

Find out more about Zora Marie at http://zoramarie.com

Read all the novels by Zora Marie!
The Phoenix of Hope Series:
1. Cast in Fire
2. Tempered in Ice
3. Etched in Runes
4. Burnished in Light

A Court of Moonlight Series (Coming soon):
1. A Touch of Moonlight
2. A Cage of Starlight
3. A Queen of Light

Reviews

[Warren Dean · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a high fantasy story in one volume - the whole story from beginning to end - something refreshing in this age of series and trilogies. I also like the fact that the story is well paced, one of the hallmarks of a good writer. There is no info dump in the first chapter, instead the world Zelia inhabits is revealed, carefully and consistently, through her eyes as we follow her on her adventures.
Also well done is the skillful introduction of the myriad characters Zelia encounters on her travels. There are elves, fairies, dragons, wizards, villains and good guys, even humans, everything one would want in a fantasy. Despite the fact that there are numerous characters, the writer gives us time to get to know them; there is no sense of being bombarded by too many at once.
There are also plenty of plot twists; just as one thinks the story is one thing, it becomes another, each introducing a new facet of the richly imagined landscape and each giving us new insight into the central mystery; who or what is Zelia?
Personally, I would have liked to know more about the enigmatic Darkans; something of their history and what motivates them to hate the other races as they do.
But on the whole, this is a well crafted novel and I highly recommend it to any lover of fantasy.

[Beth · Rating 2 out of 5]

Oh man, I feel bad giving this 2 stars but I can’t forgive the problems with this story. I bought this on kindle and I don’t know if the printed version is different but there were so many spelling and structural errors it was ridiculous. We’re talking three issues a page at times and not just small errors: “many torcher instruments and blood”, “being drug across the floor” ??
The story regularly jumped in place and time from one sentence to another, without any preamble. I also thought the portrayal of Zelia was fairly unfeeling at times. I didn’t feel the heart of her character. I also thought it was a bit OTT with how much everyone loved her and laid their admiration on thick. Enough already.

Positives: I liked the additional characters and the introduction of so many interesting creatures. The story events were action packed and Zelia had some great skills.

This is, at its heart, possibly a 4 star story for me but unfortunately it’s so badly edited/polished that it doesn’t make it over the line :-(

[DM Pennington · Rating 5 out of 5]

SCORE:
Stars: 5 (out of 5) for overall story

BOOK TIDBITS:

Genre: Sci-Fi, Fantasy
Recommended Readers: Pre-teen+

Chapters: 42
Ending: HFN (Happily For Now)
Main Character:
Zelia


REVIEW: I love this novel! Zelia is descriptive, action packed, adventurous, creative, and she is one bada**. Zelia was created by some wizards to be used as a weapon to do their dirty work, but Zelia’s free will is strong. She looks like a young teen, human girl but ages like an elf (she’s almost 500 years old). She learns throughout the story she is created with the blood from different creatures. She doesn’t have the easiest life to live. One wizard in particular abuses her physically and mentally when she doesn’t do as he tells her too. But her life exposes her to many lessons, especially with her own powers. She learns early in her life different languages that permit her to communicate with EVERYONE (including the trees and wolves).

I love who she learns these lessons from and how she learns them. She stands up for what is right and protects those she cares about, friends, and her kin. She sacrifices herself repetitively, enduring the endless physical pain to do everything she can to help. But she always learns something new as she endures these trials.

During the process males tend to gravitate towards her (not in a sexual manner…brotherly). They risk everything to protect and help her. She suffers a lot of loss, but in the end is stronger, wiser and loved by so many. She is the prophesy child.

To sum up how I connect with this novel, it would be Gulliver’s Travels mixed with Nikita! ABSOLUTELY LOVE IT!! You will not be disappointed!!

ARC read in exchange for honest review.

[Delta · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm actually impressed by this story. So often I pick up a high fantasy book and it takes almost 20% to build up enough of the world for us to start the story. But not with Zelia. The story jumps in immediately. So quickly, in fact, that I thought I was listening to the second in the series. It has a fast pace and is full of action. The characters are well developed and feel like they have a history in the world.

CB Droege does an excellent job narrating. The characters were distinct and the pacing was excellent.

**I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.**

[Nicole Dunton · Rating 3 out of 5]

Title: Zelia
Author: Zora Marie
Release Date: February 10th, 2018
Page Count: 290
Format: Audiobook
Start Date: April 17th, 2018
Finish Date: April 18th, 2018

Rating: 3 Stars

Review:

I'm going to start this off by saying that I wasn't super in love with this book. I didn't hate it either. I will admit that I feel like it was for a target audience way younger than me. I had to restart it a few times to fully understand it. All this being said, I am willing to give the book another listen to. Things may change the second time around. We will see. I'm not sure if this is supposed to be a series. I know there's a story that's related to this world out there. Despite me not caring for it, I recommend anybody who is interested in it give it a chance. All books are worth the try. Also, the cover is really pretty.

[C.L. Cannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Zelia is the first book in what is sure to be an enjoyable series by new author Zora Marie. There are many original takes on mythological figures and plenty of action and intrigue! The MC is very likable; loyal, and selfless! Looking forward to reading more from this author.

[J.B. Richards · Rating 4 out of 5]

Zelia doesn’t know who—or what—she is when the life she has always known is suddenly stripped away. She goes from cherished child under elven care to being turned over as a slave to the dark wizard, Asenten, whose sole purpose seems to be to weaponize Zelia and make her life a living hell. Her escape from the cave, where she has been isolated and tortured for an indeterminate amount of time, finds Zelia exposed to various cultures and creatures, with each new experience aiding her in her quest to find within herself higher powers and insights into her true identity.

Bold characters and a strong, page-turning plot line clearly define this tale as the author spins an absorbing and fascinating fantasy adventure filled with astonishing venues, fantastic creatures, and magic. Marie’s writing consistently builds excitement as her character, Zelia, moves from place to place, amassing knowledge, insight, and survival skills as she faces tremendous danger—and a high likelihood of death—at every turn.

Overall, Zelia’s plight certainly held my interest from beginning to end, however, there was a bit too much repetition with the author stressing her heroine’s physical challenges—The poor girl spends a great deal of her time passing out from her pain and unconscious. It’s easy to understand the author’s intent to show Zelia as a strong-willed, larger-than-life yet vulnerable hero, but her episodes of fragility could have been curbed back with virtually little effect on the overall storyline.

Although there are a number of grammatical errors in “Zelia”, they do not affect the overall enjoyment of the story. Following the characters’ dialogue is somewhat more challenging, however, since the author seldom presents a clear identification of who it is that is speaking in multiple character conversations. Incorrect punctuation, wrong tenses, and misspelled words are just some of the minor issues that could have been avoided with the help of a good editor.

The life-lessons imparted in this work focus on empathy, loyalty, conservation, respect for others, and self-acceptance, even as the story touches on many other topics of concern to teens and adolescents seeking guidance in our own modern, undefined world. Zelia is a model heroine, and her attributes are admirable.

From the very beginning of her tale, Author Marie injects a good deal of violence and suffering into “Zelia”. For example, the situation with the wizard holding Zelia prisoner and brainwashing her demonstrates a high level of prejudice and child-abuse. Not only is Zelia forced to undergo extreme physical and psychological torture (which she endures throughout the read), she must also become the abuser—the murderer—when Asenten tests her powers and orders her to execute several other victims, including innocent children and small animals. Although the violence and abuse presented in this story seems justified and has its place in the story, it is for this specific reason that I can only recommend “Zelia” to readers age 17 and up.

[Courtney Odor · Rating 4 out of 5]

As always, I have to state that this book was given to me for free in exchange for a review.
I always like to state that this does not impact my review or my opinion of the book. My reviews are honest and my own opinion of the story, performance, and overall thoughts on the book.

Bold characters and a strong, page-turning plot line clearly define this tale as the author spins an absorbing and fascinating fantasy adventure filled with astonishing venues, fantastic creatures, and magic. Marie’s writing consistently builds excitement as her character, Zelia, moves from place to place, amassing knowledge, insight, and survival skills as she faces tremendous danger—and a high likelihood of death—at every turn.

Overall, Zelia’s plight certainly held my interest from beginning to end, however, there was a bit too much repetition with the author stressing her heroine’s physical challenges—The poor girl spends a great deal of her time passing out from her pain and unconscious. It’s easy to understand the author’s intent to show Zelia as a strong-willed, larger-than-life yet vulnerable hero, but her episodes of fragility could have been curbed back with virtually little effect on the overall storyline.

The life-lessons imparted in this work focus on empathy, loyalty, conservation, respect for others, and self-acceptance, even as the story touches on many other topics of concern to teens and adolescents seeking guidance in our own modern, undefined world. Zelia is a model heroine, and her attributes are admirable.

From the very beginning of her tale, Author Marie injects a good deal of violence and suffering into “Zelia”. For example, the situation with the wizard holding Zelia prisoner and brainwashing her demonstrates a high level of prejudice and child abuse. Not only is Zelia forced to undergo extreme physical and psychological torture (which she endures throughout the read), she must also become the abuser—the murderer—when Asenten tests her powers and orders her to execute several other victims, including innocent children and small animals.

This story should probably come with a trigger warning of some kind.

Although there are a number of grammatical errors in “Zelia”, they do not affect the overall enjoyment of the story. Following the characters’ dialogue is somewhat more challenging, however, since the author seldom presents a clear identification of who it is that is speaking in multiple character conversations. Incorrect punctuation, wrong tenses, and misspelled words are just some of the minor issues that could have been avoided with the help of a good editor.

[Andrew Gates · Rating 5 out of 5]

Zelia is a fun and compelling fantasy story from a new author I hadn't yet read. It has everything you can ask for from a classic high fantasy story: magic, a rich and imaginative world, races like elves, action and adventure... the list goes on. All your typical tropes make an appearance and are used in the way any fantasy fan would want to see.

Zora Marie is new to me but I was captivated by this writer's style. The writing is easy enough to follow and isn't overly complicated or overly descriptive like something from J. R. R. Tolkien. In this book, the writing is simple, yet not dumbed-down. In many ways it reminds me of Christopher Paolini's style and I mean that as a positive. I also find the world is not overly rich with too many superfluous characters like something from George R. R. Martin's writing (or also J. R. R. Tolkien too).

While some elements are clearly derivative of other fantasy works (for example, there is literally a character named Eragon, spelled just like the Christopher Paolini book of the same name), I don't think that detracts from my overall enjoyment of the story. However, I could see the derivative-ness maybe turning some readers off.

Overall if you're a fan of high fantasy. If you've enjoyed books like The Inheritance Cycle, The Wheel of Time, or even one of my lesser-known favorites, The Mermaid of Konin, you'll love Zelia. I give it 5 stars.

[Daryl Ball · Rating 3 out of 5]

A heroine haunted by traumatic experiences that now colour her outlook and her ability to be close to anyone, and how she views and treats herself? Bearing physical, mental, and emotional scars deep enough that she should be dead? Unsure of her past, seemingly made as an instrument of revenge rather than being a living being? The answers all apply to Zelia. She cares deeply for people, she's incredibly trained and much older than she looks but went through so much torment for so many years that she can't shake the effects. You ache for her, You hope she finds peace, that she realizes how loved she is..and that's the journey of this story...from meeting the people who first taught her and are like her family, to the person who spends years tormenting her, to thinking she may have found a place, to new people, and finally to coming home because even though she feels she can't go home again..she does still care about the people there - and they need her.

The journey allows us to see how she comes to grips with the various obstacles in her path, how she is unable to realize just how special she is in the eyes of all who meet her, and how she comes to slowly decide she has a say in how she lives her life and what she chooses to do with it.

It's full of fantasy, and a journey of discovery, but mostly it's about someone who is struggling to overcome an incredibly traumatizing past and figuring out how to not let it be what defines them.

[Lora Shouse · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an interesting story, but I didn’t like how the main character, Zelia, was so abused for much of her life and how she had such a hard time overcoming her guilt over what others forced her to do. Zelia is basically a nice person – whatever kind of being she is supposed to be – and amazingly, she manages to remain a nice person despite the abuse and the guilt.

Zelia is a – well, she doesn’t know what she is. For the duration of this book, she appears to be a little girl, although she is five hundred years old by the end. She lives with the elves, to begin with, but she is not an elf. However, she loves the elves she lives with, and they appear to love her in return.

Then one day they take her to a group of wizards who send her into a mysterious valley for a ‘test’ of some sort. She is attacked by creatures called ‘darkans.’ She is advised to use her powers. She has been given two pebbles. She holds one in each hand and squeezes tightly. Fire and ice come raging out, and the darkens are dead. So is Zelia. But gradually, over a period of years, she knits back together, a very painful process. This begins a period of some of the most painful abuse anyone I have ever heard of, real or imaginary, has had to undergo.

Eventually, she is rescued, but even then, her troubles are not over…

[Marjorie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dark epic fantasy about a 500 year old child seeking redemption. Heavily influenced in parts by masters of the genre, this was its own story. The writing style felt like it was aimed at a younger audience, especially the beginning with her idyllic youth with the elves. But then it gets really dark, and there is a lot of suffering and torture. The physical descriptions do not get too gory, but some of the psychological depictions are quite grim.

This darkness is further explored though the book as she grows and learns that there is always a choice, if one is willing to pay the price. She does not have to be the tool she was created to be.

The book takes place in several distinct sections and tends to jump rather abruptly from one to the next which can be disorientating. Zelia quickly gains friends and protectors - both human and animal - wherever she goes, although it often turns out she is the protector. I think my favorite were the dragon riders.

There were a few bits that got repetitive and could have been better edited, but overall it was an engaging listen. The narrator did a good job and was easy to understand. I could have done without the singing, but thankfully it is only a bit at the end.

[TinaMarie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Listened to audio narrated by CB Droege.

Zelia was created to a weapon for the wizards but she doesn't turn out how they wish. She isn't any one thing and the powers she's manifesting are disappointing to her creators.

This story jumps around a lot and can be hard to follow as it starts when Zelia is younger being raised by elves. She is forced to undergo a trial which 'kills' her. Then she's whisked away to a cave where wizards torture train her for hundreds of years. She's forced to torture and murder innocents.

Each jump reveals another layer of Zelia, her abilities and new connections she makes which will aid her in the final battle at the end. There's a lot that isn't explained and jumps that seemed to easy, but It's a likeable story with almost every fantasy element you could want. Be warned there are some tough, heartbreaking moments as Zelia's life isn't an easy one.

If you like my reviews I hope you will follow my blog. https://wyldheartreads.wordpress.com/

[Georgia Tumbleweed McNabb · Rating 5 out of 5]

The main character is a girl who is raised by Elves and well loved by them in the village she grew up in. Then the Wizards come to take her and her life becomes a Living Hell. Even with all of that her is a gental tenderhearted being that only defends when absolutely necessary. Her abilities are ones I would love to have but that is a pipe dream. Narrator did a lovely job though I do not recommend the singing.

[Patricia Terry · Rating 5 out of 5]

This has an excellent plot and wonderful characters. It is one of my new favorites. I will be watching this author with great anticipation. I received a free review copy of the audio version of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Incog Nito · Rating 3 out of 5]

a fun exciting read, quite slow initially but once i got into the flow I was hooked, well written and continues to build on itself from beginning to end

[Mimia The Reader · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read an entire book, a lot of things (I’d even say too many) happened and I have no idea what happened at all.

This book felt like it had too much back story we were supposed to understand along the way that wasn’t well explained and a lot of character that meshed all in one or two different personalities and a lot of things happening that weren’t explained.

Or maybe I’m becoming completely dumb and that’s why this book made no sense for me...

[Staci Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a really good book I recommend that everyone reads the book. It's very easy to read and makes you not want to stop reading. When I finished reading I wanted to keep reading I can't wait until the next book comes out. Great work, keep the books coming, I'm excited to read the next book!!