Firian Rising

The Tanyuin Academy #1

by Carly Stevens

Few people can create reality from imagination.    Firian Kess is one of those few.    When Firian’s ability earns him a coveted spot in the mysterious Tanyuin Academy, he finally has a chance to prove his worth. Despite obstacles and rivals, he stays intensely focused, determined that nothing will stop him from becoming the world’s best warrior.   Kiria Arioc, the spirited heir to the throne of the war-torn Western Kingdom, has hidden abilities of her own. But even those don’t completely allay her fears that she doesn’t have what it takes to lead the nation she loves.   When Firian comes to the capital to protect her, his mission takes an unexpected turn. He begins to suspect the Academy might be using them both for its own darker purposes. When the two don’t know who to trust, will they be forced to turn on each other?   If you liked Red Queen or the mind-bending action of the Matrix, try this new fantasy full of intrigue, adventure, and enemies that might be closer than you think.

Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult

466 pages, Paperback

Published July 15, 2019

Reviews

[Caitlin · Rating 4 out of 5]

4/5 Stars

Author: Carly Stevens

Publisher: Carly Stevens (Independent Author)

Edition: Paperback ARC, 458 Pages

Publication Date: July 15, 2019

A Spine that Shines? Pretty Well

*This review is based on a paperback ARC edition provided by the author in exchange for an honest review. These are my honest opinions. Thank you.*

‘We are people willing to sacrifice for what is right and in the end we will be victorious.’
Kiria, Firian Rising

Initial Thoughts & Pacing:

Firian Rising released yesterday from Carly Stevens, an independent author. This book is well-written, and I truly think it has a lot of potential. It deals with mental warfare, which is a pretty interesting topic. In some ways, the book reminded me a little of the Insignia series by S. J. Kincaid, which also deals with mental battles.

Firian Rising is about the lives of different people in the Western Kingdom, which is ruled by three monarchs called “Keepers.” There are also Tanyu, who are sort of like defenders of the Kingdom. These Tanyu have special powers that allow them to create reality from imagination. It is truly a fascinating topic. I think their powers are quite interesting and complex – in a good way. I especially liked how there are different layers within the special mindscape called the “Unreal.” If a Tanyu goes too far into the “Unreal,” there is the danger of getting “Lost” and losing his or her grip on reality.

Honestly, the first half of the book was a little slow for me. It mostly focuses on building Firian and Kiria’s backstory. Firian grows up to become a Tanyu, and Kiria is groomed to one day take her mother’s place as a ruler of the Western Kingdom. But the pace in the second half of the book definitely picks up, and I really enjoyed the time that Firian and Kiria spent getting to know each other.

Characters & Romance:

The two main characters are, of course, Kiria and Firian.

Kiria is the heir to one of the three thrones of the Western Kingdom. She finds out that she has an interesting “Ability” of her own, and she struggles with anxiety, uncertain of her ability to lead the Kingdom when the time comes. After an assassination attempt on her life, she is assigned a Tanyu bodygaurd to take her to a safe location.

Guess who that bodyguard is? Yep. Firian. I was excited when Firian and Kiria finally meet (about halfway through the book), because it really made things more interesting and complicated. At first, Firian comes across as confident and arrogant, always seeking the approval of others. But over time, I think he starts to genuinely care for Kiria – at least a little bit.

They’re both so full of spirit and determination. They make a great pair, and there is quite a bit of tension between them after they meet. I think that aspect is handled quite well. I look forward to seeing how their relationship develops in the future.

‘At the end of this struggle we will rise again, strong in the justice of our cause and joyful because we have seen the fulfillment of our hopes.’
Kiria, Firian Rising

Final Thoughts:

So why not a full 5 stars?

There is a bit of geography to juggle in this book, and it took me a while to get a sense of where everything is located. But perhaps there is a map in the finished book that will help.

Another thing that stuck out to me was Firian’s attitude toward women. He seems to either be attracted to their beauty/bodies or to the opportunity for political advancement that he could gain through them. Sometimes, his attitude bothered me, and I didn’t understand some of the things he did – considering his feelings for Kiria. But at the same time, I suppose his lustful behavior is realistic.

I also think the book could have benefited from a bigger “villain” character. Throughout much of the book, there doesn’t seem to be one specific, individual adversary per se. Kiria and Firian are sort of pitted against each other, but it would be interesting to see them fight a villain character together. It is sort of hinted that someone is targeting Kiria’s family line, but we don’t really get the answer to that in book one. Perhaps in the sequel!

I was also surprised at something Firian does at the end of the book to gain a position of power. It didn’t exactly feel like a “heroic” act to me, but perhaps it isn’t supposed to. The characters in this book are forced to make some tough decisions, and I do think it helps to shape their growth.

Overall, I quite enjoyed Firian Rising! Give it a shot if you enjoy YA fantasies about mental warfare! Happy reading :)

*Content Warnings: some violence, one of the characters has a somewhat intimate dream, their version of a curse word: “gore”*

[Szymon Kutchin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Discliamer: This review may contain spoilers.
A few months ago, when I had heard that this book was going to be available for preorder, I had made sure to order it. I am happy to say, this book was quite worth pre-ordering. I had emence joy from this book. I really enjoyed the characters and the setting. It is not everyday that you I read a fantasy book (even though I do play in one quite a lot). I enjoyed the descriptions; especially the one where it was describing Firian in a round-about way. The setting was set up quite well. In fact after work I started reading it. Had anyone been around, I'm sure that they would have seen me startle and almost fall out of the chair that I was sitting in, when I had realized that four and a half hours had past. I was so absorbed in the story that I did not realize. I had fallen in love with both of the characters and I was transported into their world. I had completely forgotten about my own. It was almost as if I went to the Unreal myself while reading this story. Speaking of the unreal, let me explain generally what it is about. Think of all those creatures and adventures that you had as a kid. That is essentially what the unreal is. It is whatever you want it to be. If you can think it, your thoughts become reality. I can't wait for the next book in the series to come out since I love the characters and storylines. I don't want to spoil anything else for you guys (I have a tendency to do so). I want this book to be enjoyed cause even if I did spoil some things, I want you to experience it for yourselves. I did not intentionally spoil anything, but I gave myself the freedom just in case, since this is a longer review and I had so much to say.

[Candice Yamnitz · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed the characters, plot and the unreal (for the most part). This book has heavy character building. The beginning starts when the characters are very young. It goes through the young lives in snippets. I would have preferred more action since I have a short attention span. By midway through the book, I wanted to find out about how the two MCs lives would intertwine. Overall, I found the book enjoyable. The audiobook was well done. I'd recommend this to a patient reader who loves character driven books.

[Alyssa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved Firian Rising! Carly Stevens has come up with an intriguing concept and has pushed it forward with exciting characters. The only reason I gave it 4/5 stars instead of 5 is because I’m waiting for more world development so I can understand it that much better. Watching Firian and Kirin develop through this book has made me excited to keep going with the series. Stevens has done a great job of keeping me guessing and making me feel like I could be a part of the story.

To read my full review, check it out here: https://booksnteacups.weebly.com/blog...

[Bridgette Clowdis · Rating 5 out of 5]

This books is amazing. I love the descriptions in the book and also the way it was written. I cant wait to read the other books in this series and other books written by Mrs. Stevens.

[Hannah Harris · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was amazing!! I loved it!! Could hardly put it down!! Can’t wait to read the sequel!! Very creative and lots of twists and turns that keep you guessing!

[Gracie Hall · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is not a good book. Good concepts, like with the Unreal and the politics and all that, but the story itself was severely lacking. Nearly all the flaws fall on the two protagonists, Firian and Kiria, who are supposedly adults who spent their lives training for their roles, but spend the entire book acting like moody 14 year olds.

And don't get me started on their "romance." She is trying to survive and grieving, and his literal POV narrative the entire time is him trying to figure out how to emotionally manipulate her into sleeping with him. Not to mention he spends all this time thinking that she's ugly, but as soon as he learns that she has beauty magic, he gets SO offended and entitled thinking that he should be allowed to see it. After he learns about her power to be pretty, that's literally all he thinks about, and the rest of his narrative for the book is how badly he wants her. Not her while she's ugly, mind you, but her when she's beautiful. 🚩🚩🚩

In the meantime, Kiria is too attracted to his muscles for some reason to be properly scared of this major creep.

The Unreal itself was an interesting concept, but I'm still struggling to see how it's so powerful except to be used for communication and killing people in their sleep (if you are really really good at it. Frankly, knives seem more effective). People can only be actually harmed in the Unreal if they believe it enough, right? So how is a legendary Tanyuin warrior any more effective than say, a regular guy with a sword if the sword guy doesn't believe? Maybe I just missed the context, but the whole thing felt a little disproportionate to me.

[Amanda Evans · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked the world that Carly Stevens has started to build.

Although we don't know much about all of it we know enough about where it's set that you can feel drawn in.

I think Firian Kess & Kiria Arioc are great characters that reflect each other so well.

Firian is a perfect example of a villain. He comes into power without ever bothering to learn how to respect it and he blunders everywhere and in everything he does other than use his powers. It so perfectly portrays the line 'every villain is the hero of their own story'. Even the fact that he became so obsessed with Kiria when he was trying to get her under his spell only highlights that.

Kiria is the complete opposite. She was born into power and had to learn how weak she was and truly build herself up to take the power and learn the hard way. She is doing things the right way for the right reasons.

There were a few things that I didn't like.
1. Kiria is really straddling the line of Mary Sue.
2. With Firian his circumstances jump too quickly and it doesn't feel like the change in status is explained much at all.
3. We can all see that Firian is set up to fail, it's just how will he fail and that kind of read is not generally to my liking.

I will try to get the next books, but it's not super important. I'll suggest it to others because The Talent is interesting and the way the ruling body works is rather unique in fantasy novels, not unheard of but under used.

[Amanda Casey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I waited to review this because I wanted to read Carly's entire series at once. This is a fantastic debut for a series! The book ended on a solid conflict that hooked me into opening the second book.

Firian Rising holds conflict through the ENTIRE book, which kept me turning pages. I didn't feel like I was tugged along with pointless cliff hangers. Carly has a great way of building (and holding) suspense through her character's actions and internal struggles, which she made incredibly relatable. I loved the concept that your imagination can be both a beautiful thing and a deadly weapon simultaneously.

Both Firian and Kiria are very different voices and I loved how with each of their POVs I could immerse myself in their goals. The plot is riveting from the start and each POV shift between Kiria and Firian adds depth to the overall conflicts inside the book. There are twists thrown in there too, and you don't always get what you expect. The mental warfare had me guessing all the time what new. Using your imagination in mental warfare? How awesome can you get for a YA fantasy novel?

Can't wait to read the second book!

[Belinda · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. After a slow start, it really picks up pace when the two main narrators lives intertwine. I like the twists and the fact the story ark does not follow predictable patterns. Highly entertaining YA fantasy. My tween son begged to hear more when he heard snippets of the audiobook in the car. Perhaps it will make him read more? We can only hope!

I’m off to listen to the other two. I got into these books as Carly has a YouTube channel called ‘English nerd’ which breaks down literary texts such as Shakespeare’s Hamlet and makes them more accessible. She was a high school English teacher for /3 years but now writes full time. I’m looking forward to her latest cottage core book!

[hanni · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.7/5 but i'll round it up to five! for starters, im very new in the fantasy genre as i've read mostly romance books my whole life lol. this is the third? fantasy book i've read and all i can say it lived up to the expectations i first had when i picked up this book. i loved the concept of the unreal, if i was in the academy i probably would've sm fun being in there. the conflict and tension between kiria and firian had me rooting for them to get together and kiss already. the ending jad me satisfied, can't wait to read the next book!

[Leah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m excited to see where the series goes. It’s a big world and it was a very slow start of a read to establish the world building with all the working parts and verbiage. It was confusing to follow but at about 40% in it started to not only pick up but also click in my brain.

It’s the kind of fantasy world where a map and a list of characters with their duties would be extremely helpful to have on hand.

[Lindsay Adams · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this story! As other reads noted, it was a slow start. However I felt that really helped shape the people of the story. You were given a chance to understand who they were and why they were. The concept of the unreal is interested for sure and am really excited to see where the story goes in the other stories. I loved how I was surprised and did not expect what was happening! Also, I personally enjoyed the authors story telling and how the writing/story flowed.

[Melanie Baker · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was brilliantly written. I absolutely LOVED it and can not wait to read more by Carly Stevens. I loved all the characters and the story is amazing!!! I can't wait to see what Firian and Kiria have in store next!!!

[Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. While I found Kiria's story somewhat boring in the initial portion of the book, ultimately I think the background makes the story richer, and the characters more interesting.

[Audrey · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book!

-Exceptional character building
-Unique plot
-Just enough action
-Just enough romance
-Unexpected ending and left me wanting to immediately start the second book

Well done!

[Audrey · Rating 3 out of 5]

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