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Granted #1
Granted
Sabeara Aigoviel, princess of Aveladon, wants nothing more than for her heart to glow. The Stone-Hearted power that is received at the age of eighteen is her ultimate wish. With a grim curse looming over the realm and a neighboring kingdoms conspiring plans, contentions arise. Moments of danger summon evil forces, sending Sabeara into a whirlwind of adventure, captivity, and even love.
Rescued by a handsome stranger in a brown cloak, they navigate the kingdoms to bring her safely home. When her rescuer arrives betrothed to her beloved older sister weeks later, it is all she can do to erase their memories. Will Sabeara be able to defeat the curse on the Stone-Hearted race? And will she be able to forget the memories of her epic ventures with her cloaked rescuer?
Rescued by a handsome stranger in a brown cloak, they navigate the kingdoms to bring her safely home. When her rescuer arrives betrothed to her beloved older sister weeks later, it is all she can do to erase their memories. Will Sabeara be able to defeat the curse on the Stone-Hearted race? And will she be able to forget the memories of her epic ventures with her cloaked rescuer?
270 pages, Paperback
First published May 5, 2020
39 people are currently reading
1501 people want to read
About the author
Kendra Thomas
4 books179 followers Kendra Thomas is from Mapleton Utah, a small town pressed against the beautiful Rocky Mountains. Kendra has been an aspiring author since she was in sixth grade. She has a passion for fairytales and fiction books. Along with songwriting, horse riding, and playing the guitar.
Kendra Thomas is a Dental Hygienist by day and a writer by night. She earned her bachelors degree at the Utah College of Dental Hygiene at the young age of nineteen years old. She is also happily married to her best friend, Cade Thomas, who is always pushing her to be ambitious and creative.
Her most wanted dream is for others to love her stories and characters as much as she cherishes them. She hopes to inspire other young authors to pursue their dreams, and to write about the worlds inside their heads as she was once inspired to do as a young girl.
She hopes that the Granted Series might be a place of sanctuary for those seeking a whimsical getaway and a thrilling adventure.
Kendra Thomas is a Dental Hygienist by day and a writer by night. She earned her bachelors degree at the Utah College of Dental Hygiene at the young age of nineteen years old. She is also happily married to her best friend, Cade Thomas, who is always pushing her to be ambitious and creative.
Her most wanted dream is for others to love her stories and characters as much as she cherishes them. She hopes to inspire other young authors to pursue their dreams, and to write about the worlds inside their heads as she was once inspired to do as a young girl.
She hopes that the Granted Series might be a place of sanctuary for those seeking a whimsical getaway and a thrilling adventure.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 169 reviews
November 29, 2022
Thank you NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
See, I tried. I really did. But we are dnf'ing this one.
The two primary reasons are the characters and the writing style, two things that if they don't start well, they really just don't get better.
The heroine, ✨Sabeara Aigoviel✨, is one of those protagonists with stupidly overcomplicated names who THINKS they're so plain and ordinary but they're actually GORGEOUS BEAUTIES.
*gasps with her hand to the heart because she just did not see that coming*
Miss Sabeara cannot do ONE HELPFUL THING and is completely lost as to how she should be of use to literally anyone. For example, there's a point at which she's kidnapped, and in this moment our bold heroine takes exactly one look around her prison tent and then GIVES UP. SHE LITERALLY SAYS "I HOPE MY RESCUERS COME SOON."
like girl no.
The other characters are not that much better Our main guy kinda feels like your basic Cardboard Cutout Hero with his eMErAld gReEN eyes. Like tell me why I care.
And then the rest of the characters act like marionettes, completely basing their lives around the main girl's boring life. Which made for a very boring plot.
The writing is stilted and has some of the most AWKWARD word choices I have ever read. Let's take a look at just a sample:
"her long blonde hair was curled to perfection around her nimble shoulders"
what is a nimble shoulder
"I leaned back against a tree trunk, letting the bark dig into my innocent flesh"
literally what does innocent have to do with anything
"I found an empty abyss going up farther than I could see"
abysses are holes. holes go down. revolutionary, i know.
"I tenderly stepped inside"
strike 182 and that's a dnf.
anyways. The premise definitely had potential, but all that and it's gonna have to be a no for me.
Ratings:
Star Rating: ★★☆☆☆
If This Book Was a Movie Rating: PG
Recommendations That Are Better Than This Book:
Any of Melanie Cellier’s books
Any of KM Shea’s books
See, I tried. I really did. But we are dnf'ing this one.
The two primary reasons are the characters and the writing style, two things that if they don't start well, they really just don't get better.
The heroine, ✨Sabeara Aigoviel✨, is one of those protagonists with stupidly overcomplicated names who THINKS they're so plain and ordinary but they're actually GORGEOUS BEAUTIES.
*gasps with her hand to the heart because she just did not see that coming*
Miss Sabeara cannot do ONE HELPFUL THING and is completely lost as to how she should be of use to literally anyone. For example, there's a point at which she's kidnapped, and in this moment our bold heroine takes exactly one look around her prison tent and then GIVES UP. SHE LITERALLY SAYS "I HOPE MY RESCUERS COME SOON."
like girl no.
The other characters are not that much better Our main guy kinda feels like your basic Cardboard Cutout Hero with his eMErAld gReEN eyes. Like tell me why I care.
And then the rest of the characters act like marionettes, completely basing their lives around the main girl's boring life. Which made for a very boring plot.
The writing is stilted and has some of the most AWKWARD word choices I have ever read. Let's take a look at just a sample:
"her long blonde hair was curled to perfection around her nimble shoulders"
what is a nimble shoulder
"I leaned back against a tree trunk, letting the bark dig into my innocent flesh"
literally what does innocent have to do with anything
"I found an empty abyss going up farther than I could see"
abysses are holes. holes go down. revolutionary, i know.
"I tenderly stepped inside"
strike 182 and that's a dnf.
anyways. The premise definitely had potential, but all that and it's gonna have to be a no for me.
Ratings:
Star Rating: ★★☆☆☆
If This Book Was a Movie Rating: PG
Recommendations That Are Better Than This Book:
Any of Melanie Cellier’s books
Any of KM Shea’s books
June 10, 2020
Really really enjoyed this one! First of all, I was sold just from seeing the stunning cover. And the story was so fun! Full of adventure, a swoon-worthy romance, and a courageous heroine, Granted took me on quite the journey! I’m already anxiously anticipating book two because that ending...omg
October 23, 2021
Granted had the right premisses, with an interesting magic system, that, unfortunately, was not well explored, a magical universe, cold, icy, and rustic, and a nice prompt for a love story.
Unfortunately, the story seemed chopped and kind of rushed. And, as I've mentioned, not well explored and explained. So, yes, I wished there were more examples of characters showing their magical powers, or some explanation on what is a stone heart and what was the curse, which is the center of the entire story. Also, the romance was messy, but it especially didn't work due to the characters. Our main lady was immature, though, in the final chapter, there were some traces of small growth. The male interest was just annoying and too pushy which was a turn-off for me to like him. The sister and the guard were interesting though. Finally, the book needs some more editing to help it with a smoother reading experience.
I've received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
Unfortunately, the story seemed chopped and kind of rushed. And, as I've mentioned, not well explored and explained. So, yes, I wished there were more examples of characters showing their magical powers, or some explanation on what is a stone heart and what was the curse, which is the center of the entire story. Also, the romance was messy, but it especially didn't work due to the characters. Our main lady was immature, though, in the final chapter, there were some traces of small growth. The male interest was just annoying and too pushy which was a turn-off for me to like him. The sister and the guard were interesting though. Finally, the book needs some more editing to help it with a smoother reading experience.
I've received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
June 10, 2020
let’s talk about the plot, shall we? i loved it!! the whole thing about the curse and all. the amulet? the ambushes? all great. now all that being said, the romance was so unnecessary. i’m not a fan of Mid. i just don’t like him. i wish he wasn’t the love interest. the insta love didn’t work for me. i just didn’t get it. but if you like insta love, then this is the book for you.
with Mid in mind, let’s talk about him. needless to say, i don’t like him. from the emerald scarlet eyes to the whole sarcasm persona, yeah i’m not a fan of him. however, i do think it’s a me problem. because i really don’t like guys who are betrothed to another person and yet “love” the betrothed’s sister. sorry??
I don’t want to call Sabeara Bear because it sounds weird. so i’ll call her Sab. Sab is ok as a protagonist. she is very generic but still likeable. i kinda wished she was more reckless and more outspoken? i was left wanting for more...
Oli, my guys. HES THE MVP!!! He’s perfect. why create a perfect character if he doesn’t end up with the protagonist?? idk, i was just shipping Sab with Oli. Oli is loyal, he’s handsome, he can fight. yeah, he’s my man lol.
the villain, obsidian?? he’s not very scary. i’ve read scarier characters. i’ve found myself wanting more from him. more villainy, more treachery.
the writing was a bit off for me. it’s too fast paced and too glamorous in a way. and it’s like very show off-ish, in a way? but still very pretty.
overall, i think it’s quite good. it has a lot of potential and i think the future books can be better!!
July 26, 2020
I was immediately drawn by the mesmerizing cover in blue tones containing that glorious long dress. You guys know I am a cover-lover and one of my greatest satisfactions is when a beautiful cover is matched with a beautiful story.
Granted follows the story of Sabeara, a Princess of Aveladon who still longs to obtain a stone-hearted power. With conspiracy lurking inside her fathers kingdom, she is taken captive by enemy forces. A mysterious handsome and sassy stranger, Mid, saves her from their grasp and they voyage together in return home, all the while Sabeara hides her identity in fear. The air is sizzling with chemistry between these two characters who will melt your heart with their passion.
This novel delivered it all: a spectacular world building which you could easily grasp and feel part of, combined with an amazing character development. You can tell that the author really put effort into planning out this intricately complex plot that plays out masterly with every page. The writing is beautiful, I could visualize every landscape and setting perfectly.
I feel like I know all the characters like they are old time friends. The side-characters are amazing and their friendship with Sabeara is tangible, I long for a friendship such as Sabeara's with Oli. The book has some awesome addicting tropes (arranged-marriage, forbidden romance) which combined with the plot development makes the story super intriguing, I couldn't put the book down!
I recommend this novel for those looking for a fast paced fairy-tale like fantasy, with arranged marriage, magical powers, forbidden love.
Granted follows the story of Sabeara, a Princess of Aveladon who still longs to obtain a stone-hearted power. With conspiracy lurking inside her fathers kingdom, she is taken captive by enemy forces. A mysterious handsome and sassy stranger, Mid, saves her from their grasp and they voyage together in return home, all the while Sabeara hides her identity in fear. The air is sizzling with chemistry between these two characters who will melt your heart with their passion.
This novel delivered it all: a spectacular world building which you could easily grasp and feel part of, combined with an amazing character development. You can tell that the author really put effort into planning out this intricately complex plot that plays out masterly with every page. The writing is beautiful, I could visualize every landscape and setting perfectly.
I feel like I know all the characters like they are old time friends. The side-characters are amazing and their friendship with Sabeara is tangible, I long for a friendship such as Sabeara's with Oli. The book has some awesome addicting tropes (arranged-marriage, forbidden romance) which combined with the plot development makes the story super intriguing, I couldn't put the book down!
I recommend this novel for those looking for a fast paced fairy-tale like fantasy, with arranged marriage, magical powers, forbidden love.
November 19, 2021
This was such a wholesome YA! brought me back to the beginning of my teens when I swooned for the handsome prince hoping to be swooped away. I listened to the audio book for this one. I was pleasantly surprised with the build up, the characters and the dynamic between everyone. Lets not forget about how beautiful the cover is!
One of the things I really loved was the uniqueness of the names chosen by the author and the beautiful scenery described as the plot unraveled. This is a perfect book for young adult readers looking for introduction to YA world.
The main character was young, reminded me a bit of my daughter so I will say as a mom there were several times I was like "what are you doing child" LOL but it didnt stop me from wanting to learn more. Which I am happy I kept reading cause her character development was spectacular. This has officially been added to my daughter's and my niece's TBR. Very swoon worthy and filled with action! This book gave me Kiss of Deception vibes by Mary E Pearson, which is pretty great!
One of the things I really loved was the uniqueness of the names chosen by the author and the beautiful scenery described as the plot unraveled. This is a perfect book for young adult readers looking for introduction to YA world.
The main character was young, reminded me a bit of my daughter so I will say as a mom there were several times I was like "what are you doing child" LOL but it didnt stop me from wanting to learn more. Which I am happy I kept reading cause her character development was spectacular. This has officially been added to my daughter's and my niece's TBR. Very swoon worthy and filled with action! This book gave me Kiss of Deception vibes by Mary E Pearson, which is pretty great!
September 24, 2021
I have received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Granted definitely has one gorgeous freaking cover. I'll admit that I kind of requested the book based on the cover alone. Don't get me wrong, the synopsis was interesting as well but the cover is what drew me in.
In it, you will meet Sabeara. She is a princess of a divided kingdom. She wants to restore the peace in her kingdom but in order to do that she wants to become a stone-hearted. Unfortunately, she is kidnapped by some rebels. While being rescued she finds out about a curse on her kingdom, Aveladon.
After getting this news, she is torn between her kingdom and her heart. In the beginning she wanted peace but with this curse now in play she's not sure what to do. I mean she just met the guy she's developing feelings for so one would think the kingdom is way more important - right? Eh. Sure.
Throughout the book, we got some pretty good twists and turns that kept this a page turner (for me). I wasn't completely into the romance in the beginning but towards the end of the book I think they were alright. I'm not sure what's going to happen next between these two due to how it all ended but I'm kind of interested to see it all play out.
Other than that, it was an entertaining book. It did have some slow parts to it where I honestly didn't care what was going to happen or what was currently happening. Luckily, I made it to the very last page and I have some questions. So I might dive into the next book whenever I can.
Granted definitely has one gorgeous freaking cover. I'll admit that I kind of requested the book based on the cover alone. Don't get me wrong, the synopsis was interesting as well but the cover is what drew me in.
In it, you will meet Sabeara. She is a princess of a divided kingdom. She wants to restore the peace in her kingdom but in order to do that she wants to become a stone-hearted. Unfortunately, she is kidnapped by some rebels. While being rescued she finds out about a curse on her kingdom, Aveladon.
After getting this news, she is torn between her kingdom and her heart. In the beginning she wanted peace but with this curse now in play she's not sure what to do. I mean she just met the guy she's developing feelings for so one would think the kingdom is way more important - right? Eh. Sure.
Throughout the book, we got some pretty good twists and turns that kept this a page turner (for me). I wasn't completely into the romance in the beginning but towards the end of the book I think they were alright. I'm not sure what's going to happen next between these two due to how it all ended but I'm kind of interested to see it all play out.
Other than that, it was an entertaining book. It did have some slow parts to it where I honestly didn't care what was going to happen or what was currently happening. Luckily, I made it to the very last page and I have some questions. So I might dive into the next book whenever I can.
June 14, 2020
Amazing Debut
This book slow at first but picked up fast. I love the passion between Mid and Sabeara but it can’t happen to protect the Kingdom. The end really made me want the second book NOW!
I do recommend this book!
This book slow at first but picked up fast. I love the passion between Mid and Sabeara but it can’t happen to protect the Kingdom. The end really made me want the second book NOW!
I do recommend this book!
October 8, 2021
I was lured and ensnared by a pretty cover once again. Will I ever learn? Probably not. Pretty covers are my own personal kryptonite. Seems I'm forever fated to be duped by them.
I had such high hopes for this book. I went in with every intention of loving it, but my expectations were quite thoroughly crushed.
Allow me to regale you with my tale of woe.
First of all Sabeara. I just didn't like her. She came across as very entitled, immature and spoiled. A brat, basically. In the beginning I'd been so convinced that maybe she'd started out that annoying because a huge character growth arc was on the horizon, but to my profound disappointment she didn't grow up at all. She was just stagnant in her poor little rich girl persona.
The other main character, Mid, the love interest, I didn't quite like either. I couldn't get a sense of him aside from being arrogant and self-confident. Both Sabeara and Mid were just forgettable characters. And as for the rest of this book's cast, it was more of the same. I think the one I liked the most was Oli, Sabeara's guardian, but his character was also underdeveloped. None of them stood out to me or had any memorable qualities. They were all very one-dimensional. And very emotional—someone was always tearing up.
I had my issues with the plot, pacing and writing, too.
I think one more editing round would have done the book good. There were commas missing, misspelled words (ice sickles; using too instead of to, for example), and other snags like dialogues from different characters taking place within the same paragraph.
The pacing I felt was inconsistent, especially when it came to the development of the romantic relationship between the lead characters. It was messy and rushed
I wasn't a huge fan of the writing either. It was reminiscent of Sarah J Maas' style, but with the use of adjectives taken to the extreme. There were so many of them—too many for my taste. The end result was that everything was so thoroughly explicated and painstakingly described that at times I just grew weary. Things were either overly explained or not at all. If you've already shown us, there's no need to tell us, too. Trust in your readers. If you've properly set things up, we'll have no problem picking up what's going on, without it needing it to be spelled out for us (bonus points for the addition of unusual words, though. I learned a couple of new ones). I didn't think the dialogues were realistic or believable, either. The character interactions were very awkward and unnatural at times.
The plot was fine, except very little of it was actually developed. We don't know where the Stone-Hearted power comes from (the tree?🤷♀️), or why it was called that. It wasn't clear whether different powers were tied to different colors, or if the colors merely related to the strength of the magic. Are specific colors or powers hereditary? It was hard to appreciate the scope of how detrimental the curse could be when I didn't really understand the magic system. Most of the book was world building and relationship drama and very few strides were made in unraveling this curse, but I was still left with more questions than answers. I also don't know that the betrothal mess meshed well with the mystery/adventure aspect of the story. At times I felt I was reading a historical book instead of a fantasy.
Overall, this book missed the mark for me, and that's why I'm giving it a 2.5 rating. But I'll concede that maybe I simply wasn't in the right mood to enjoy it. I also believe a younger audience may find it much more compelling than I did. You never know whether you'll love or hate a book unless you take the chance and read it.
**I received an e-copy of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to the Publisher**
November 7, 2021
This book made me feel nostalgic.
Granted reads like the classic YA story of my heart. It follows Sabeara, princess of Avelandon, on the day of her older sister’s Granting, a ceremony through which the Stone-Hearted people come into their power. However, an attack from a rivaling kingdom sees Sabeara taken and imprisoned. She’s then saved by Mid, a handsome stranger for whom she starts having feelings. Once she’s returned home safely, Sabeara and Mid find out they’ve both been hiding their true identities from one another: he discovers she’s the princess of Avelandon, and she discovers he’s the prince of a different kingdom, betrothed to her beloved sister. *cue dramatic music*
Let me begin by saying that I really loved the concept of this story. The Stone-Hearted earn their magic through these powerful stones implanted in their chests, and the kingdom of Avelandon is led by a young female ruler, who has to take up her mother’s mantle when she tragically passes away and the king grows ever more distant because of it.
The story is enriched by a nice cast of characters. Sabeara was a great protagonist, who may sometimes come across as a bit young, but who underwent a wonderful character development. I especially loved her dedication to her sister, the young ruler Jasper, though I would have loved to see the sisters interact more because I love sibling interactions. And I really enjoyed the secondary characters—especially Oli and Embrosine, respectively Sabeara’s guard and Mid’s sister, who both have that caring personality that I love in a character. I confess there was a moment where I hoped Oli would be Bear’s love interest because he’s just so sweet! Unfortunately I wasn’t as invested by Mid despite the forbidden love trope, and that could be because I felt like his relationship with Bear moved a little too quickly. I’m all for instant attraction, but I do feel like their feelings were getting too deep too quickly to be only that.
This was a very good start to a series. There’s the subplot about a curse that is definitely going to get bigger as the story progresses, and the ending had an unexpected twist that make me very happy I already have the second book available!
Thank you to the author for gifting me an e-copy. Opinions are my own.
Granted reads like the classic YA story of my heart. It follows Sabeara, princess of Avelandon, on the day of her older sister’s Granting, a ceremony through which the Stone-Hearted people come into their power. However, an attack from a rivaling kingdom sees Sabeara taken and imprisoned. She’s then saved by Mid, a handsome stranger for whom she starts having feelings. Once she’s returned home safely, Sabeara and Mid find out they’ve both been hiding their true identities from one another: he discovers she’s the princess of Avelandon, and she discovers he’s the prince of a different kingdom, betrothed to her beloved sister. *cue dramatic music*
Let me begin by saying that I really loved the concept of this story. The Stone-Hearted earn their magic through these powerful stones implanted in their chests, and the kingdom of Avelandon is led by a young female ruler, who has to take up her mother’s mantle when she tragically passes away and the king grows ever more distant because of it.
The story is enriched by a nice cast of characters. Sabeara was a great protagonist, who may sometimes come across as a bit young, but who underwent a wonderful character development. I especially loved her dedication to her sister, the young ruler Jasper, though I would have loved to see the sisters interact more because I love sibling interactions. And I really enjoyed the secondary characters—especially Oli and Embrosine, respectively Sabeara’s guard and Mid’s sister, who both have that caring personality that I love in a character. I confess there was a moment where I hoped Oli would be Bear’s love interest because he’s just so sweet! Unfortunately I wasn’t as invested by Mid despite the forbidden love trope, and that could be because I felt like his relationship with Bear moved a little too quickly. I’m all for instant attraction, but I do feel like their feelings were getting too deep too quickly to be only that.
This was a very good start to a series. There’s the subplot about a curse that is definitely going to get bigger as the story progresses, and the ending had an unexpected twist that make me very happy I already have the second book available!
Thank you to the author for gifting me an e-copy. Opinions are my own.
August 23, 2025
"𝑴𝒂𝒚𝒃𝒆 𝑰 𝒘𝒂𝒔𝒏'𝒕 𝒔𝒖𝒑𝒑𝒐𝒔𝒆𝒅 𝒕𝒐 𝒃𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒑𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒄𝒆𝒔𝒔 𝒂𝒇𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒂𝒍𝒍. 𝑴𝒂𝒚𝒃𝒆 𝑰 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒔𝒖𝒑𝒑𝒐𝒔𝒆𝒅 𝒕𝒐 𝒃𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒅𝒓𝒂𝒈𝒐𝒏."
OMG y'all, I seriously haven't been so engrossed with a YA fantasy to the point where I devour the book in its entirety in ONE DAY. What an excellent debut novel from Kendra Thomas.
Sabeara is a super endearing and very relatable heroine. I loved that she doesn't hesitate for a second to stand up for her sister Jasper. Although she is young and inexperienced, I never once found her to be a naive or frustrating heroine as so often is seen in this genre!
The moments of romance were extremely sweet, and even somewhat steamy, which was a welcome aspect to this book! Even though I predicted the romance plot twists, I definitely still felt all kinds of butterflies during those sultry scenes between Mid and Sebeara!!
The worldbuilding and magical aspects of this series are clearly going to culminate into something aboslutely awesome, so I am immediately jumping into book 2 as we speak so I can keep this adventure going!
Recommended for fans of swoonworthy, action-packed, high fantasy like the Falling Kingdoms series, as well as those nostalgic young adult romance reads with strong female leads, such as The Selection series!
OMG y'all, I seriously haven't been so engrossed with a YA fantasy to the point where I devour the book in its entirety in ONE DAY. What an excellent debut novel from Kendra Thomas.
Sabeara is a super endearing and very relatable heroine. I loved that she doesn't hesitate for a second to stand up for her sister Jasper. Although she is young and inexperienced, I never once found her to be a naive or frustrating heroine as so often is seen in this genre!
The moments of romance were extremely sweet, and even somewhat steamy, which was a welcome aspect to this book! Even though I predicted the romance plot twists, I definitely still felt all kinds of butterflies during those sultry scenes between Mid and Sebeara!!
The worldbuilding and magical aspects of this series are clearly going to culminate into something aboslutely awesome, so I am immediately jumping into book 2 as we speak so I can keep this adventure going!
Recommended for fans of swoonworthy, action-packed, high fantasy like the Falling Kingdoms series, as well as those nostalgic young adult romance reads with strong female leads, such as The Selection series!
October 11, 2021
I honestly though I was going to really like this book. Spoiler. I didn't. Oh, and this review will have spoilers because I need to rant.
Sabeara is apparently the second heir to the throne of a kingdom that I can't remember the name of and her sister is getting her "granting" which what I have gathered is when they "come into" their magical powers.
The book starts with our main character hiding from the coronation or "granting" of her sister. We see something going on with her family, some drama of some description but don't get any infromation about that because, well I don't know why. While the main character is at the party for her sister, she is kidnapped by the villain, Obsidian. (Obsidian? For a villain? How original).
We get a "hostage" montage - Aka the character being these RANDOM villains prisoner. Sabeara is treated nicely by this one guy (her guard while she's kidnapped) and don't focus on this guy too much, because he doesn't appear again in the book at all.
Before you think he rescued her, he's actually more forgettable than that. Because soon, this cloaked, dark, brooding, (cliche) guy shows up and rescues her. And his name is Mid (cringe).
To this day I have no clue HOW he found her or WHY he rescued her in the first place, but he does and takes her back to his place. And then we have a cringey montage of these two people falling into insta love.
There's this one scene where Sabeara can't sleep and she goes and finds Mid, who of course can't sleep either, and this is the beginning of their late-night, can't-sleep romantic chats. (oh the cringe).
Mid, I felt, was creepy, weird and posessive. HE didn't really have any character development whatsoever and we never truly learnt anything about him besides the fact that (spoiler) he's the prince of another kingdom, and that he can play the guitar and sing. Wow. Memorable.
Talking about both of their characters now, Sabeara was an alright main character. But i never felt like I truly knew her or connected to her. (perhaps because she was falling for a creep but..) Sabeara had no goals at all. The first bit of the book is just her falling in love.
Anyways, after meeting a couple more pointless characters and having a few supposedly "cute" (more cringe, I thought) kiss scenes, Sabeara is returned to her kingdom, her and Mid separated and she returns to her normal life.
And then the second half of the book begins (the first half being, Sabeara falling into unrealistic insta love with Mid). The second half is better, but not by much. We start to learn along with Sabeara that something Mid was talking about to her a while back now, is actually true - that their kingdom is cursed and the curse is about to take place.
I can't actually remember what the curse actually is or what it does, (because frankly that is hardly explored) but basically it's going to destroy their kingdom and they need to stop it. But, her father, the King, doesn't believe in the curse, so...
(SOMETHING THAT REALLY ANNOYED ME - The things (actions, character's doing things, stuff happening) in the plot all felt so pointless and aimless. Things would just happen out of nowhere, affect Sabeara for the first five minutes they happen, but then they are forgotten and us, the readers are wondering, "wait, why did that even happen? What was the point of that?" LIke, for example, while the characters are playing a game of croquet, Mid's little niece appears, thundering around on the back of a riled-up, crazy horse and Sabeara saves her, while everyone watches. But what was the point of that? I can't even tell you. Because after that, it's not brought up again. Stuff like this happens all the time, and I would actually love to ask the author why that particular thing actually happened, and how it contributed to the plot, but anyways.)
Anyway, (Spoilers right here!) while Sabeara is home, she finds out her sister is betrothed to the prince of another kingdom, AKA Mid and when Mid actually comes to meet Sab's sister, Jasper, they meet and realise that oh, they're now in another cliche romance trope: the "betrothed to MC's sister". Mid, Jasper, Mid's friends and Sab have a few scenes where they hang out, posed as "Mid and Jasper getting to know each other" and its in one of these scenes that Sab saves Mid's niece from the devil horse (as I talked about above).
I really wish the curse was a bigger part of this book and that there was more worldbuilding around it, but there really wasn't much about it and it was very secondary to the romance. Eventually, enemies come and (invade, I think!?!? Nothing is clear) that are a part of the curse, and turns out were the men that captured Sabeara in the beginning.
Mid eventually confronts Sabeara about their situation and about how he is so in love with her and that he doesn't want to marry Jasper. Another thing that makes Mid creepy is that he's like, so desperate for her and he can't stop thinking about her, and he keeps staring her down. LIke ew. Sabeara lets him kiss her but then she runs away, like all female main characters do when they kiss the love interest dramatically.
The wedding of Jasper and MId eventually arrives and Sabeara runs away and she bumps into Obsidian. The rest of the plot before the ending is kind of pointless too and sort of a waste of time, and I'm not going to go into it because it's only short. But eventually Sabeara finds herself far from her family (who apparently are being overrun by the enemy because Obsidian was there??) and she is thinking about how she is going to end the curse.
(I forgot to mention that Sabeara finds an amulet that was her mother's that can basically weild someone else's magical ability. And somehow it has something to do with the curse, and somehow it will end the curse, but again, us readers aren't told anything.)
The end is really weird. Sabeara finds a tree that she just KNOWS (don't ask me how she knows) is the thing that will end the curse. Somehow, the tree allows her to talk to her dead mother and then she JUST REALISES (again, I don't know how) that she needs to burn the tree. SO with the amulet, the burns the tree and runs for her life.
ANd that's sort of a wrap on the book. Obviously, the end was supposed to be a cliffhanger, but honestly I was so confused at this point, I was glad to be done and didn't care to know what happens next. I honestly thought this book was REALLY bad and I won't be continuing with the series. However, if you like cringe, if you like a plot that goes absolutely nowhere, and if you like a cliche, copy/paste love interest that apologizes after kissing the main character, then step right up. But personally, I would advise not to waste your time.
Sabeara is apparently the second heir to the throne of a kingdom that I can't remember the name of and her sister is getting her "granting" which what I have gathered is when they "come into" their magical powers.
The book starts with our main character hiding from the coronation or "granting" of her sister. We see something going on with her family, some drama of some description but don't get any infromation about that because, well I don't know why. While the main character is at the party for her sister, she is kidnapped by the villain, Obsidian. (Obsidian? For a villain? How original).
We get a "hostage" montage - Aka the character being these RANDOM villains prisoner. Sabeara is treated nicely by this one guy (her guard while she's kidnapped) and don't focus on this guy too much, because he doesn't appear again in the book at all.
Before you think he rescued her, he's actually more forgettable than that. Because soon, this cloaked, dark, brooding, (cliche) guy shows up and rescues her. And his name is Mid (cringe).
To this day I have no clue HOW he found her or WHY he rescued her in the first place, but he does and takes her back to his place. And then we have a cringey montage of these two people falling into insta love.
There's this one scene where Sabeara can't sleep and she goes and finds Mid, who of course can't sleep either, and this is the beginning of their late-night, can't-sleep romantic chats. (oh the cringe).
Mid, I felt, was creepy, weird and posessive. HE didn't really have any character development whatsoever and we never truly learnt anything about him besides the fact that (spoiler) he's the prince of another kingdom, and that he can play the guitar and sing. Wow. Memorable.
Talking about both of their characters now, Sabeara was an alright main character. But i never felt like I truly knew her or connected to her. (perhaps because she was falling for a creep but..) Sabeara had no goals at all. The first bit of the book is just her falling in love.
Anyways, after meeting a couple more pointless characters and having a few supposedly "cute" (more cringe, I thought) kiss scenes, Sabeara is returned to her kingdom, her and Mid separated and she returns to her normal life.
And then the second half of the book begins (the first half being, Sabeara falling into unrealistic insta love with Mid). The second half is better, but not by much. We start to learn along with Sabeara that something Mid was talking about to her a while back now, is actually true - that their kingdom is cursed and the curse is about to take place.
I can't actually remember what the curse actually is or what it does, (because frankly that is hardly explored) but basically it's going to destroy their kingdom and they need to stop it. But, her father, the King, doesn't believe in the curse, so...
(SOMETHING THAT REALLY ANNOYED ME - The things (actions, character's doing things, stuff happening) in the plot all felt so pointless and aimless. Things would just happen out of nowhere, affect Sabeara for the first five minutes they happen, but then they are forgotten and us, the readers are wondering, "wait, why did that even happen? What was the point of that?" LIke, for example, while the characters are playing a game of croquet, Mid's little niece appears, thundering around on the back of a riled-up, crazy horse and Sabeara saves her, while everyone watches. But what was the point of that? I can't even tell you. Because after that, it's not brought up again. Stuff like this happens all the time, and I would actually love to ask the author why that particular thing actually happened, and how it contributed to the plot, but anyways.)
Anyway, (Spoilers right here!) while Sabeara is home, she finds out her sister is betrothed to the prince of another kingdom, AKA Mid and when Mid actually comes to meet Sab's sister, Jasper, they meet and realise that oh, they're now in another cliche romance trope: the "betrothed to MC's sister". Mid, Jasper, Mid's friends and Sab have a few scenes where they hang out, posed as "Mid and Jasper getting to know each other" and its in one of these scenes that Sab saves Mid's niece from the devil horse (as I talked about above).
I really wish the curse was a bigger part of this book and that there was more worldbuilding around it, but there really wasn't much about it and it was very secondary to the romance. Eventually, enemies come and (invade, I think!?!? Nothing is clear) that are a part of the curse, and turns out were the men that captured Sabeara in the beginning.
Mid eventually confronts Sabeara about their situation and about how he is so in love with her and that he doesn't want to marry Jasper. Another thing that makes Mid creepy is that he's like, so desperate for her and he can't stop thinking about her, and he keeps staring her down. LIke ew. Sabeara lets him kiss her but then she runs away, like all female main characters do when they kiss the love interest dramatically.
The wedding of Jasper and MId eventually arrives and Sabeara runs away and she bumps into Obsidian. The rest of the plot before the ending is kind of pointless too and sort of a waste of time, and I'm not going to go into it because it's only short. But eventually Sabeara finds herself far from her family (who apparently are being overrun by the enemy because Obsidian was there??) and she is thinking about how she is going to end the curse.
(I forgot to mention that Sabeara finds an amulet that was her mother's that can basically weild someone else's magical ability. And somehow it has something to do with the curse, and somehow it will end the curse, but again, us readers aren't told anything.)
The end is really weird. Sabeara finds a tree that she just KNOWS (don't ask me how she knows) is the thing that will end the curse. Somehow, the tree allows her to talk to her dead mother and then she JUST REALISES (again, I don't know how) that she needs to burn the tree. SO with the amulet, the burns the tree and runs for her life.
ANd that's sort of a wrap on the book. Obviously, the end was supposed to be a cliffhanger, but honestly I was so confused at this point, I was glad to be done and didn't care to know what happens next. I honestly thought this book was REALLY bad and I won't be continuing with the series. However, if you like cringe, if you like a plot that goes absolutely nowhere, and if you like a cliche, copy/paste love interest that apologizes after kissing the main character, then step right up. But personally, I would advise not to waste your time.
June 1, 2020
Granted is a blend of fairytales, a look into your past, present, and future that will sweep you off your feet.
When first starting 'Granted' by Kendra Thomas, I didn't know what to expect. I only knew that I was excited. The synopsis had me intrigued, so without thinking, I dove into this story. Only to realize that I kept falling and falling down a rabbit hole until the final page.
This book, this story, had me by the throat from the very first chapter. I found myself unable to get free from its pull which resulted in me reading this story practically in one sitting. Even now, I can't put my finger on what exactly it was about this story that made me unable to put it down. I only know that I couldn't turn the page fast enough to keep reading. And to me, that's one of the most important aspects of reading.
To start off, the plot was very engaging and fast-paced. I never found my thoughts wandering to other things while reading. I loved the idea of an arranged marriage (it's a trope I love to read about in fantasy). Still, I'd never before read it from this point of view, where the love interest is betrothed to the sister. It intrigued me to the point where I could not predict what was going to happen. I loved the idea of a forbidden romance behind it and how deeply the connection between the main character, Sabaera, and the love interest, Mid, went. I loved reading about their stolen moments, knowing they shouldn't but unable to pull away.
The world-building could easily be described in one word: unique. Through beautifully descriptive writing, the world of Aveladon came to life before my eyes. Lush forests and glamorous palaces, shimmering dresses and vibrant cities, this book had it all. I loved the beauty of this world and loved that I could imagine it all so clearly through these descriptive details.
Furthermore, the magic surrounding the Stone-Hearted and their powers were fascinating to me. I've never read anything like it, and it excited me to learn about this whole society of gifted Stone-Hearted, their folklores, and beliefs. I'm excited to see this expand in the sequel.
This brings us to the last aspect I want to discuss; the characters. The character cast was wonderfully developed. There is a wide range of interesting characters where you can clearly tell that they each have many different sides to them, and though we haven't discovered every side yet, I am confident that this will happen in the sequel.
What I loved about the main character, Sabeara, is how real she felt to me. She wasn't a perfect, fearless heroine who had it all together. She was brash, impulsive, witty, and courageous despite her fears. She fought for what she believed was right for her kingdom and wasn't afraid to speak her mind. I admired that about her. She tended to diminish her own strengths, thinking herself weak compared to those around her, unable to see how brightly she really burned. It made her a relatable character.
The love interest, Midennen, was attractive from the very beginning. Handsome, witty, honorable, what's not to love? I loved the mysterious allure he had to him in the first half of the book and found myself drawn to him. I loved getting to know little tidbits about him throughout the story. Both of these characters became very dynamic, especially during the second half of the book when things started to become tense. It thrilled me to watch them grow and become more prominent.
What's worth mentioning is the villain who surprised me the most. At first glance, he seemed like an ordinary villain, hungry for more power. Turns out looks can be deceiving. The further you read, the more you'll come to realize the mystery surrounding him. A mystery that will make you want to continue reading.
It's safe to say that I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It had some great and unique aspects that kept me on the edge of my seat. It was a thrilling read that somehow managed to take me back in time to when I was a little girl who got lost in fairytales every night before bed. A truly magical read.
Get your copy now! http://mybook.to/Grantedkendrathomas
When first starting 'Granted' by Kendra Thomas, I didn't know what to expect. I only knew that I was excited. The synopsis had me intrigued, so without thinking, I dove into this story. Only to realize that I kept falling and falling down a rabbit hole until the final page.
This book, this story, had me by the throat from the very first chapter. I found myself unable to get free from its pull which resulted in me reading this story practically in one sitting. Even now, I can't put my finger on what exactly it was about this story that made me unable to put it down. I only know that I couldn't turn the page fast enough to keep reading. And to me, that's one of the most important aspects of reading.
To start off, the plot was very engaging and fast-paced. I never found my thoughts wandering to other things while reading. I loved the idea of an arranged marriage (it's a trope I love to read about in fantasy). Still, I'd never before read it from this point of view, where the love interest is betrothed to the sister. It intrigued me to the point where I could not predict what was going to happen. I loved the idea of a forbidden romance behind it and how deeply the connection between the main character, Sabaera, and the love interest, Mid, went. I loved reading about their stolen moments, knowing they shouldn't but unable to pull away.
The world-building could easily be described in one word: unique. Through beautifully descriptive writing, the world of Aveladon came to life before my eyes. Lush forests and glamorous palaces, shimmering dresses and vibrant cities, this book had it all. I loved the beauty of this world and loved that I could imagine it all so clearly through these descriptive details.
Furthermore, the magic surrounding the Stone-Hearted and their powers were fascinating to me. I've never read anything like it, and it excited me to learn about this whole society of gifted Stone-Hearted, their folklores, and beliefs. I'm excited to see this expand in the sequel.
This brings us to the last aspect I want to discuss; the characters. The character cast was wonderfully developed. There is a wide range of interesting characters where you can clearly tell that they each have many different sides to them, and though we haven't discovered every side yet, I am confident that this will happen in the sequel.
What I loved about the main character, Sabeara, is how real she felt to me. She wasn't a perfect, fearless heroine who had it all together. She was brash, impulsive, witty, and courageous despite her fears. She fought for what she believed was right for her kingdom and wasn't afraid to speak her mind. I admired that about her. She tended to diminish her own strengths, thinking herself weak compared to those around her, unable to see how brightly she really burned. It made her a relatable character.
The love interest, Midennen, was attractive from the very beginning. Handsome, witty, honorable, what's not to love? I loved the mysterious allure he had to him in the first half of the book and found myself drawn to him. I loved getting to know little tidbits about him throughout the story. Both of these characters became very dynamic, especially during the second half of the book when things started to become tense. It thrilled me to watch them grow and become more prominent.
What's worth mentioning is the villain who surprised me the most. At first glance, he seemed like an ordinary villain, hungry for more power. Turns out looks can be deceiving. The further you read, the more you'll come to realize the mystery surrounding him. A mystery that will make you want to continue reading.
It's safe to say that I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It had some great and unique aspects that kept me on the edge of my seat. It was a thrilling read that somehow managed to take me back in time to when I was a little girl who got lost in fairytales every night before bed. A truly magical read.
Get your copy now! http://mybook.to/Grantedkendrathomas
November 3, 2021
Rating: 3.5/5 stars
GRANTED has all the elements of a classic light, YA fantasy story. We follow Sabeara, princess and second heir to the kingdom of Aveladon, who wants nothing more than to come into her powers. Indeed, the story starts on the day of her sister’s Granting, which is the ceremony through which the Stone-Hearted people come into their power, characterized by colored stones implanted into their chests. However, an attack from a rivaling kingdom interrupts the feast, and Sabeara is imprisoned. She is saved by Mid, a handsome stranger with whom she then spends an intense few days as he, unaware of her real identity, takes her back to her kingdom. Letting go of her burgeoning feelings for Mid is difficult, even more so when, weeks later, he is revealed to be none other than the prince betrothed to Sabeara’s sister. Determined to forget, Sabeara dedicates herself fully to trying to find a way to defeat the curse weakening the Stone-Hearted, but hearts are hard to rule and well…you’ll have to read the book to find out how it ends!
Characters are the strong point of this story. I really enjoyed Sabeara, having a weak spot for rebellious princesses who are loathe to do what they’re told. She does come across as a bit “young” at times, but it’s important to remember she isn’t yet eighteen, so some moments of immaturity are allowed. She goes through a lot of character development in the span of a single book, and I loved that. I also really enjoyed the secondary characters and am especially intrigued by Shar, who seems to be the only one who doesn’t like Bear, which makes my interest pique! Unfortunately I wasn’t as sold on Mid, and thus the romance didn’t particularly woo me. I don’t mind instant attraction, but I do feel like it turned into love a bit too quickly. The forbidden lovers trope had the potential for great angst, but Mid was at times too pushy when Sabeara was only trying to, logically, put distance between them for her sister’s sake, and I didn’t like the way he seemed to refuse to see her reasoning or dismiss it.
While we don’t see too much in terms of world-building and plot in this first installment, I very much enjoyed what we have! The curse is clearly going to be affecting the series throughout, and this book served as a great introduction. The world is very vast, and I feel like the author is setting up her plot so that we’ll get to see more of the other kingdoms as we progress in the story (maybe with a certain runaway?), which I’m very excited about! The concept of the Stone-Hearted magic is interesting (and pretty for a lover of shiny things like yours truly) and I hope that we’ll get to see more of it at work in the future books!
Overall, this is a very solid first book in a series! I’m not on board with the romance yet, but I’m very much curious to see where the story goes after the ending, which had a twist I was not expecting at all!
Thank you to the author for gifting me a copy. All opinions are my own.
GRANTED has all the elements of a classic light, YA fantasy story. We follow Sabeara, princess and second heir to the kingdom of Aveladon, who wants nothing more than to come into her powers. Indeed, the story starts on the day of her sister’s Granting, which is the ceremony through which the Stone-Hearted people come into their power, characterized by colored stones implanted into their chests. However, an attack from a rivaling kingdom interrupts the feast, and Sabeara is imprisoned. She is saved by Mid, a handsome stranger with whom she then spends an intense few days as he, unaware of her real identity, takes her back to her kingdom. Letting go of her burgeoning feelings for Mid is difficult, even more so when, weeks later, he is revealed to be none other than the prince betrothed to Sabeara’s sister. Determined to forget, Sabeara dedicates herself fully to trying to find a way to defeat the curse weakening the Stone-Hearted, but hearts are hard to rule and well…you’ll have to read the book to find out how it ends!
Characters are the strong point of this story. I really enjoyed Sabeara, having a weak spot for rebellious princesses who are loathe to do what they’re told. She does come across as a bit “young” at times, but it’s important to remember she isn’t yet eighteen, so some moments of immaturity are allowed. She goes through a lot of character development in the span of a single book, and I loved that. I also really enjoyed the secondary characters and am especially intrigued by Shar, who seems to be the only one who doesn’t like Bear, which makes my interest pique! Unfortunately I wasn’t as sold on Mid, and thus the romance didn’t particularly woo me. I don’t mind instant attraction, but I do feel like it turned into love a bit too quickly. The forbidden lovers trope had the potential for great angst, but Mid was at times too pushy when Sabeara was only trying to, logically, put distance between them for her sister’s sake, and I didn’t like the way he seemed to refuse to see her reasoning or dismiss it.
While we don’t see too much in terms of world-building and plot in this first installment, I very much enjoyed what we have! The curse is clearly going to be affecting the series throughout, and this book served as a great introduction. The world is very vast, and I feel like the author is setting up her plot so that we’ll get to see more of the other kingdoms as we progress in the story (maybe with a certain runaway?), which I’m very excited about! The concept of the Stone-Hearted magic is interesting (and pretty for a lover of shiny things like yours truly) and I hope that we’ll get to see more of it at work in the future books!
Overall, this is a very solid first book in a series! I’m not on board with the romance yet, but I’m very much curious to see where the story goes after the ending, which had a twist I was not expecting at all!
Thank you to the author for gifting me a copy. All opinions are my own.
October 2, 2021
Actual rating 3.5 stars!
Okay but can we just give a round of applause to this cover? I mean, LOOK AT IT! It’s gorgeous!
The book itself was a fun, YA story that fans of fantasy will definitely want to pick up. Since I’m not really much of a YA reader anymore these days, I decided to listen to the audio and I’m so happy I did!
The audio reader was fantastic and captured Sabeara so well! I respected the fact that Sabeara always was authentically herself and usually lead with both her heart and brain. It’s refreshing to see that in YA.
It ended on such a cliff hanger so I’m excited to get into the next one!
Okay but can we just give a round of applause to this cover? I mean, LOOK AT IT! It’s gorgeous!
The book itself was a fun, YA story that fans of fantasy will definitely want to pick up. Since I’m not really much of a YA reader anymore these days, I decided to listen to the audio and I’m so happy I did!
The audio reader was fantastic and captured Sabeara so well! I respected the fact that Sabeara always was authentically herself and usually lead with both her heart and brain. It’s refreshing to see that in YA.
It ended on such a cliff hanger so I’m excited to get into the next one!
November 9, 2020
I initially bought this book because I saw it floating around Instagram, and I thought the cover was stunning! Once I started reading it, the story was definitely engaging and kept me enthralled throughout. I particularly enjoyed the interactions between the characters, especially getting to hear the inner thoughts of Sabeara. Definitely would recommend to anyone looking for a good fantasy read! Check out my full review here: https://adventrilogy.wordpress.com/20...
June 15, 2020
New to me author Kendra Thomas managed to pleasantly surprise me with this well-crafted fantasy novel. The blurb caught my attention immediately and I couldn't pass the opportunity to read this book.
The arranged marriage trope is one of my favourites and it worked very well for this story. The forbidden romance that develops throughout the book is also well presented and I found myself turning page after page, needing to see how things we're going to turn out. The worldbuilding and magic system are quite unique, I loved how the world of Aveladon was portrayed. The writing is beautiful with vivid descriptions of the palace and different cities in the kingdom. The story is intense, suspenseful and romantic. The characters are well developed and have substance. The heroine of this story, princess Sabaera, is such a fun character. She's high spirited and sometimes reckless, she desires adventure and something more than being stuck in the palace all the time. This story takes the reader on a wonderful adventure, it's action-packed, with mystery, angsty moments and a villain that surprised me. There is a cliffhanger at the end and I'm really excited for the sequel.
*Many thanks to the author for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
The arranged marriage trope is one of my favourites and it worked very well for this story. The forbidden romance that develops throughout the book is also well presented and I found myself turning page after page, needing to see how things we're going to turn out. The worldbuilding and magic system are quite unique, I loved how the world of Aveladon was portrayed. The writing is beautiful with vivid descriptions of the palace and different cities in the kingdom. The story is intense, suspenseful and romantic. The characters are well developed and have substance. The heroine of this story, princess Sabaera, is such a fun character. She's high spirited and sometimes reckless, she desires adventure and something more than being stuck in the palace all the time. This story takes the reader on a wonderful adventure, it's action-packed, with mystery, angsty moments and a villain that surprised me. There is a cliffhanger at the end and I'm really excited for the sequel.
*Many thanks to the author for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
May 27, 2020
Granted is not just a book. Granted is a safe haven that I will continue to retreat to when life becomes all too noisy and complicated. These characters have become my friends. They leap off the page due to Kendra Thomas' excellent writing. If you are a lover of romance, adventure and magic then Granted is certainly the book for you!
Our story is about a princess, Sabeara, who wants nothing more than to be free of her stuffy life stuck in the castle and to have her powers Granted to her just like her sister. Sabeara's life is far from interesting, but in a quick turn of events including kidnappings, a curse, jealousy, and forbidden love, Sabeara is thrown into a life of adventure that she never could have imagined.
This book will leave you needing answers and waiting, not-so-patiently, for the sequel!
Our story is about a princess, Sabeara, who wants nothing more than to be free of her stuffy life stuck in the castle and to have her powers Granted to her just like her sister. Sabeara's life is far from interesting, but in a quick turn of events including kidnappings, a curse, jealousy, and forbidden love, Sabeara is thrown into a life of adventure that she never could have imagined.
This book will leave you needing answers and waiting, not-so-patiently, for the sequel!
June 14, 2020
All Sabeara wants is to be a normal Stone-Hearted girl. Being the youngest daughter of the king of Aveladon and wanting nothing to do with the throne, she allows herself to be reckless, often escaping the castle and hiding in the woods for days. Meanwhile, Jasper, her older sister, is nothing but the perfect future ruler of Aveladon.
During Jasper's “granting”, when she finally receives the Stone-Hearted power, things start to take an unexpected turn. Sabeara is kidnapped by a group of Obscurum, from a neighboring kingdom that wants nothing good, attacking the granting celebration in the castle. Rescued by a handsome stranger in a brown cloak days later, they navigate the lands to bring her safely home. While the shadows of an ancient curse start to close tightly over the five kingdoms, Sabeara will need to find her place in this strange battle.
I truly enjoyed this book! As soon as the story starts we are submerged in this incredible magic-fantasy world. The story is quick-paced, and with many things going on, making us want to keep reading to try to understand what is happening. Even though there is a lot going on (kidnapping, rescuing, a journey through the kingdoms, a war, a curse, romance), it all works! The author knows how to present everything, piece by piece so that we grow curious without being overwhelmed.
.
I’m a sucker for a fantasy novel with magic and kingdoms, so I already knew I would like this book to some extent even before starting to read it, but I was pleasantly surprised by the good magic system and world-building we are presented with. The "Stone-Hearted" magic concept is really unique and made me want to read more about the story behind it and how it all works more deeply. The characters are very well defined, and each one has their own voice so that we can get to know them better and empathize with them.
I’m not the biggest fan of romance, so that’s the only thing I didn’t fully like. I felt the relationship was missing a little more development and it happened a bit too fast for me. But I actually started liking it towards the end, so I’m excited to see how it will continue in the next book!
The scenery of the story is incredibly beautiful. Kendra’s writing style is beautifully descriptive, making the whole world come to life clearly and easily. I could picture every scene so clearly, and it was beautiful!
Granted is a great fantasy novel, filled with adventure, magic, and romance. With a great world-building and great characters, and an ending that will leave you with many questions wanting answers and more of this world and characters!
Thank you so much to the author, Kendra Thomas for kindly sending me an ARC of this book, I truly enjoyed it so much and I cannot wait to see how the story continues!
During Jasper's “granting”, when she finally receives the Stone-Hearted power, things start to take an unexpected turn. Sabeara is kidnapped by a group of Obscurum, from a neighboring kingdom that wants nothing good, attacking the granting celebration in the castle. Rescued by a handsome stranger in a brown cloak days later, they navigate the lands to bring her safely home. While the shadows of an ancient curse start to close tightly over the five kingdoms, Sabeara will need to find her place in this strange battle.
I truly enjoyed this book! As soon as the story starts we are submerged in this incredible magic-fantasy world. The story is quick-paced, and with many things going on, making us want to keep reading to try to understand what is happening. Even though there is a lot going on (kidnapping, rescuing, a journey through the kingdoms, a war, a curse, romance), it all works! The author knows how to present everything, piece by piece so that we grow curious without being overwhelmed.
.
I’m a sucker for a fantasy novel with magic and kingdoms, so I already knew I would like this book to some extent even before starting to read it, but I was pleasantly surprised by the good magic system and world-building we are presented with. The "Stone-Hearted" magic concept is really unique and made me want to read more about the story behind it and how it all works more deeply. The characters are very well defined, and each one has their own voice so that we can get to know them better and empathize with them.
I’m not the biggest fan of romance, so that’s the only thing I didn’t fully like. I felt the relationship was missing a little more development and it happened a bit too fast for me. But I actually started liking it towards the end, so I’m excited to see how it will continue in the next book!
The scenery of the story is incredibly beautiful. Kendra’s writing style is beautifully descriptive, making the whole world come to life clearly and easily. I could picture every scene so clearly, and it was beautiful!
Granted is a great fantasy novel, filled with adventure, magic, and romance. With a great world-building and great characters, and an ending that will leave you with many questions wanting answers and more of this world and characters!
Thank you so much to the author, Kendra Thomas for kindly sending me an ARC of this book, I truly enjoyed it so much and I cannot wait to see how the story continues!
December 24, 2021
At first glanse , the cover was so stunning i can`t even and the blurb made it seem interesting.
But the story was cut/chopped oddly and some of these descriptions was just awkward, i mean leaned to the tree and having the bark digg into the innocent flesh, i mean...what? i can go on. But i won`t. The main lady: immature and annoying. the main guy aka love interest: Annoying!! The romance was just meh.I will not be continuing the series.
But the story was cut/chopped oddly and some of these descriptions was just awkward, i mean leaned to the tree and having the bark digg into the innocent flesh, i mean...what? i can go on. But i won`t. The main lady: immature and annoying. the main guy aka love interest: Annoying!! The romance was just meh.I will not be continuing the series.
June 8, 2020
Absolutely amazing book. The writing is engaging and easy to follow. The characters are well developed and engaging. A beautiful world has been created by an amazing new writer which pulls you in and entrances your mind. I can’t wait to see how things continue in the next book of the Granted series.
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December 7, 2021ARC from NetGalley
DNF @13% and so I don't feel comfortable giving it a star rating.
Don't be duped by the cover.
When I read reviews that are like OH. MY. GOD. BEST BOOK IVE EVER READ SINCE I GREW EYES FOR READING@! I immediately go and check to see if the account is another indie author, which I didn't really notice with this one, surprisingly, but I did notice that all of the glowing reviews are from people with average star ratings of 4 and up. I have no trust. How do you never read anything sucky? Everything is great?
There are many words used just so that we can be absolutely certain that the author knows a lot of words. It's really awkward, and a lot of the time it doesn't actually make any sense in the context. I couldn't get into it, in great part because of this, but also because it reads really young to me, and we are told everything. I don't like reading books where the author can't be bothered to show me how a character is feeling through actions and instead opts, EVERY TIME, to include things like "she looked at him suspiciously; he was clearly very afraid; she yelled with obvious rage" which are not direct quotes, but you get the idea, and so I had to DNF this one.
DNF @13% and so I don't feel comfortable giving it a star rating.
Don't be duped by the cover.
When I read reviews that are like OH. MY. GOD. BEST BOOK IVE EVER READ SINCE I GREW EYES FOR READING@! I immediately go and check to see if the account is another indie author, which I didn't really notice with this one, surprisingly, but I did notice that all of the glowing reviews are from people with average star ratings of 4 and up. I have no trust. How do you never read anything sucky? Everything is great?
There are many words used just so that we can be absolutely certain that the author knows a lot of words. It's really awkward, and a lot of the time it doesn't actually make any sense in the context. I couldn't get into it, in great part because of this, but also because it reads really young to me, and we are told everything. I don't like reading books where the author can't be bothered to show me how a character is feeling through actions and instead opts, EVERY TIME, to include things like "she looked at him suspiciously; he was clearly very afraid; she yelled with obvious rage" which are not direct quotes, but you get the idea, and so I had to DNF this one.
July 10, 2020
“I already knew we couldn’t be together. At least, that’s what I told myself on the way back to my room, repeating it over and over again in my mind to make sure my heart understood. You can’t be with him, you can’t be with him. But I don’t know if my heart was even listening.”
Sabeara is a princess of Aveladon who feels inferior to her older sister Jasper, who is poised and has a seemingly effortless way of speaking to the people of their kingdom. Jasper has also received the first of being Stone Hearted, which is a power that is granted when a person turns 18, and Sabeara wants nothing more than to receive this power as well. But when Sabeara is kidnapped and a curse as well as a neighboring kingdom’s violent plans are revealed, she must fight for everything - and everyone - she loves.
Along the way she is rescued by Mid, a handsome stranger with whom she quickly recognizes that she has feelings for. But when he is revealed to be betrothed to Jasper later on, Sabeara battles not only for her kingdom, but for her heart - and that of her sister’s.
With a swoon worthy cover, and full of adventure, action, and (sometimes) thwarted love, this debut is perfect for fans of young adult fantasy.
Sabeara is a princess of Aveladon who feels inferior to her older sister Jasper, who is poised and has a seemingly effortless way of speaking to the people of their kingdom. Jasper has also received the first of being Stone Hearted, which is a power that is granted when a person turns 18, and Sabeara wants nothing more than to receive this power as well. But when Sabeara is kidnapped and a curse as well as a neighboring kingdom’s violent plans are revealed, she must fight for everything - and everyone - she loves.
Along the way she is rescued by Mid, a handsome stranger with whom she quickly recognizes that she has feelings for. But when he is revealed to be betrothed to Jasper later on, Sabeara battles not only for her kingdom, but for her heart - and that of her sister’s.
With a swoon worthy cover, and full of adventure, action, and (sometimes) thwarted love, this debut is perfect for fans of young adult fantasy.
June 19, 2020
Granted by Kendra Thomas was all the things I love: rebellious royalty, kidnapping and rescue, forbidden love, a new world of magic and a pet polar bear (I didn’t know I need this but oh my goodness I did 😂).
Sabeara is the younger sister of Jasper, who has come into her Stone-Hearted powers. There is a celebration which results in our heroine being kidnapped and rescued by the mysterious and handsome Mid (who rides a polar bear so we have to love him okay?!).
Upon her safe return home Sabeara finds out the kingdom is going to war and a political marriage by Jasper is needed to secure the alliance... guess who the lucky prince is?
The Stone-Hearted magical system is mysterious and the gifted powers vary from mood control to illusions... but what if there was a way to use them all 🤔😉
Granted is the first in a brilliant new series by Kendra Thomas, who kept me glued to the book from the first page to the last.
I rate Granted a solid 4.5 stars and if she gives me book two ASAP I’ll consider upgrading that 😂😂😂
Sabeara is the younger sister of Jasper, who has come into her Stone-Hearted powers. There is a celebration which results in our heroine being kidnapped and rescued by the mysterious and handsome Mid (who rides a polar bear so we have to love him okay?!).
Upon her safe return home Sabeara finds out the kingdom is going to war and a political marriage by Jasper is needed to secure the alliance... guess who the lucky prince is?
The Stone-Hearted magical system is mysterious and the gifted powers vary from mood control to illusions... but what if there was a way to use them all 🤔😉
Granted is the first in a brilliant new series by Kendra Thomas, who kept me glued to the book from the first page to the last.
I rate Granted a solid 4.5 stars and if she gives me book two ASAP I’ll consider upgrading that 😂😂😂
December 12, 2020
IM OBSESSED!! I had got this book through Amazon and so I had to read it on my phone which I was a bit worried about but I’m not kidding when I tell you I BINGED this book and couldn’t put it down to the point I was so immersed in this story that I forgot I was even reading it on my phone! It even got to the point where I would finish my schoolwork as fast as I could just so I could pull out my phone and do some more reading!! I love everything about this book! Sabeara, Mid, Jasper and Oli are all such amazing characters that I loved reading about and the plot was so so so good! There was romance, action and the perfect amount of banter 😉 I also though the magic system was so unique and I’m looking forward to finding out more about it! I’m so excited to read more about this world and it’s characters in the second book!!! I HIGHLY recommend this book!
June 1, 2020
When Kendra asked me if I would have liked to read her book I was thrilled and I said immediately yes!!you know my love of fantasy and Granted reflects perfectly this genre!!!
The story is about a princess, Sabeara who wants nothing more than to be a Stone-hearted normal girl. She is the king's youngest daughter who escapes royal duties to hide in the woods. Her sister Jasper is the perfect pincess ready to rule the kingdom. During Jasper's granting, a group of Obscurum kidnap Sabeara and bring her far from her family. A handsome and mysterious stranger rescues her and together travel through lands to get her home..
Of course the story is more than that thanks to the amazing way Kendra describes everything!!! The world she built is amazing and you can easily find yourself inside of it!!!
The magic around the Stone Hearted people is special and one of a kind.
You know guys that I love romance and Kendra didn't disappoint me!!!!this love story is one of those that keeps you in suspense!!!
Granted is a fantastic fantasy book full of magic, friendship, sacrifice, grief and love!!
I REALLY RECOMMEND IT and I am sure you will love it like I did!!! Thanks Kendra for the book, I really loved it!!!
The story is about a princess, Sabeara who wants nothing more than to be a Stone-hearted normal girl. She is the king's youngest daughter who escapes royal duties to hide in the woods. Her sister Jasper is the perfect pincess ready to rule the kingdom. During Jasper's granting, a group of Obscurum kidnap Sabeara and bring her far from her family. A handsome and mysterious stranger rescues her and together travel through lands to get her home..
Of course the story is more than that thanks to the amazing way Kendra describes everything!!! The world she built is amazing and you can easily find yourself inside of it!!!
The magic around the Stone Hearted people is special and one of a kind.
You know guys that I love romance and Kendra didn't disappoint me!!!!this love story is one of those that keeps you in suspense!!!
Granted is a fantastic fantasy book full of magic, friendship, sacrifice, grief and love!!
I REALLY RECOMMEND IT and I am sure you will love it like I did!!! Thanks Kendra for the book, I really loved it!!!
December 6, 2021
Thank you to Netgalley for an arc of this book to review.
The cover for this one instantly drew me in and was the main reason I requested to read the book.
Granted revolves around Sabeara second in line to the throne of Aveladon after her sister Jasper. Sabeara wants nothing more to be granted her powers and become stone hearted like her sister Jasper. At her sisters granting the castle is attacked and Sabeara is kidnapped by the Obscurum she is then saved by the main love interest Mid and he helps her get home, however neither of them are being truly honest about who they are.
Once back in her kingdom Sabeara finds out marriage has been arranged to the Prince of Ethydon, who is none other than Mid himself.
Determined to move on Sabeara focuses her energy on uncovering the curse that is expected to weaken the stone hearteds powers.
I really enjoyed the world building in this book there were some stunning images that were described of the various different kingdoms. I also really enjoyed the main character the rebellious Sabeara, although I must admit at the start of the story she did come across as quite weak. I put this down to the character leading a very sheltered life within her kingdom. However as the story moved on we saw her come more into her role as the main character.
Mid as a character I wasn't overly sure on the love triangle with her sister Jasper didn't really endear his character. However I did really enjoy the sarcastic humour and how him and Sabeara interacted following her rescue. So I'm willing to see how book two pans out.
Most of the other characters did feel side characters to these two and I'm hoping there is a deeper development of the supporting characters in the further two novels.
Overall as a light read I did really enjoy this story, it gave me nostalgia for 2012 to 2014 YA fiction like the Selection series. However I am hoping for more abit more depth and character development in the following two stories.
The cover for this one instantly drew me in and was the main reason I requested to read the book.
Granted revolves around Sabeara second in line to the throne of Aveladon after her sister Jasper. Sabeara wants nothing more to be granted her powers and become stone hearted like her sister Jasper. At her sisters granting the castle is attacked and Sabeara is kidnapped by the Obscurum she is then saved by the main love interest Mid and he helps her get home, however neither of them are being truly honest about who they are.
Once back in her kingdom Sabeara finds out marriage has been arranged to the Prince of Ethydon, who is none other than Mid himself.
Determined to move on Sabeara focuses her energy on uncovering the curse that is expected to weaken the stone hearteds powers.
I really enjoyed the world building in this book there were some stunning images that were described of the various different kingdoms. I also really enjoyed the main character the rebellious Sabeara, although I must admit at the start of the story she did come across as quite weak. I put this down to the character leading a very sheltered life within her kingdom. However as the story moved on we saw her come more into her role as the main character.
Mid as a character I wasn't overly sure on the love triangle with her sister Jasper didn't really endear his character. However I did really enjoy the sarcastic humour and how him and Sabeara interacted following her rescue. So I'm willing to see how book two pans out.
Most of the other characters did feel side characters to these two and I'm hoping there is a deeper development of the supporting characters in the further two novels.
Overall as a light read I did really enjoy this story, it gave me nostalgia for 2012 to 2014 YA fiction like the Selection series. However I am hoping for more abit more depth and character development in the following two stories.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 2, 2020
Granted by Kendra Thomas completely blew me away! This book is a prime example as to why I skip reading the book blurb 99% of the time before I read the book. I had NO IDEA what the story was about before I read it. I found this book from Instagram posts and between those and this stunning cover I knew I had to read it. I'm so glad I did and I'm 100% addiction to this series now.
OK, so back to my oddball non-blurb reading ways... Having had no idea what this story was about I was completely submerged in Sabeara's story and even cried at one point. Like full on heartbreaking sobs cried. Once I recovered from my shock I was able to finish reading Granted. I loved everything about this story. We have action, grand adventures, a forbidden/taboo romance, mysterious curses, and impending war between kingdoms. I also enjoyed that each person gains a particular power on their 18th birthday and becomes "Stone-Hearted", that was a nice element to the story.
March 16, 2022
I couldn't finish reading this book, and I hate it, because I was so excited to pick it up. Thank you to Netgalley for the copy to read, I wished I loved it as much as I see other people like it.
"I could hear him calling my name. The sun was setting, a glowing premonition that my time had come to an end."
When I read these first two sentences, I made a note, thinking that if a book starts like this, it could only mean good things. But it took reading a third of the book for me to realise that I would not be able to force myself to finish this book. What I hated was that the story idea was so intriguing, that I really wanted to look past the repetitive information, the info dumps and the adjective overuse that grated on my brain.
The world, the story idea - it was so interesting, but not worth the overuse of words that were entirely unnecessary. I can see this author writing amazing books in the future, but this one needs a lot of work, in my opinion.
"I could hear him calling my name. The sun was setting, a glowing premonition that my time had come to an end."
When I read these first two sentences, I made a note, thinking that if a book starts like this, it could only mean good things. But it took reading a third of the book for me to realise that I would not be able to force myself to finish this book. What I hated was that the story idea was so intriguing, that I really wanted to look past the repetitive information, the info dumps and the adjective overuse that grated on my brain.
The world, the story idea - it was so interesting, but not worth the overuse of words that were entirely unnecessary. I can see this author writing amazing books in the future, but this one needs a lot of work, in my opinion.
May 25, 2020
Kendra Thomas kindly sent me an ARC of her book. Her writing is so descriptive and detailed that I was in awe. I thought the love interest and their connection between Sabeara and her cloaked rescuer came a little too fast for me, I like when books have the anticipation of wanting something to happen between characters but once I hit the middle and end, I loved them! She did great with character building and giving each character a voice. There is action, forbidden love, and beautiful scenery in this book. The story’s world building is very unique and the concept of the Stone-Hearted was so magical to me! I wonder what power I would receive? She left it at a cliffhanger too! I was up reading that book till 2 am, I was so hooked. I will definitely be adding a physical copy to my shelves.
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