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Technopaladin: Clarity's Edge
Clarity’s paladin order forbids her from entering the Azure District, the one location in her high tech city that refuses paladin rule and technology. When she receives an illicit invitation to violate the prohibition, spurred on by rumors of suffering in the district, she passes through the crumbling brick entryway into no-man’s land. Within, she finds the residents lack not only the ocular implants and three dimensional computers she takes for granted, but also medicine to fight a disease infecting the children. Clarity knows her order isn’t perfect—after all, they stole her from her parents when she was a small child to raise her with their values—but she cannot believe they know what’s going on in the Azure District. When she confronts the head of the order, he refuses to aid people who have rejected his help in the past, even the children. Unwilling to take no for an answer, Clarity enlists the help of the leader’s son Cass and takes matters into her own hands. Desperate both to cure the children and keep her place in the order that is her only home, Clarity engages in increasingly questionable behavior—deleting official records, lying to her friends, and manipulating people who can help her. As the nefarious nature of her actions tarnishes the purity of her cause, she must determine what it truly means to be a paladin, in both name and action.
193 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 17, 2021
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
May 31, 2021
Disclaimer: I received this e-arc from the author. Thanks! All opinions are my own.
Book: Technopaladin: Clarity’s Edge
Author: Elizabeth Corrigan
Book Series: Standalone for now
Rating: 3/5
Recommended For…: sci-fi fans, ya readers
Publication Date: May 17, 2021
Genre: YA Sci-Fi
Recommended Age: 17+ (violence, gore, death, grief, kidnapping)
Publisher: Indie Published
Pages: 193
Synopsis: Clarity’s paladin order forbids her from entering the Azure District, the one location in her high tech city that refuses paladin rule and technology. When she receives an illicit invitation to violate the prohibition, spurred on by rumors of suffering in the district, she passes through the crumbling brick entryway into no-man’s land. Within, she finds the residents lack not only the ocular implants and three dimensional computers she takes for granted, but also medicine to fight a disease infecting the children.
Clarity knows her order isn’t perfect—after all, they stole her from her parents when she was a small child to raise her with their values—but she cannot believe they know what’s going on in the Azure District. When she confronts the head of the order, he refuses to aid people who have rejected his help in the past, even the children. Unwilling to take no for an answer, Clarity enlists the help of the leader’s son Cass and takes matters into her own hands.
Desperate both to cure the children and keep her place in the order that is her only home, Clarity engages in increasingly questionable behavior—deleting official records, lying to her friends, and manipulating people who can help her. As the nefarious nature of her actions tarnishes the purity of her cause, she must determine what it truly means to be a paladin, in both name and action.
Review: For the most part I thought this was a well done book. The book had a strong overall plot and the pacing was fairly well done. I really liked the world the author thought up as well and it was developed well.
The only issue I had with the book is that the character development was not as strong as I would have liked it. It just felt like they were flat for the most part.
Verdict: It’s good, just needs a little work on the characters.
Book: Technopaladin: Clarity’s Edge
Author: Elizabeth Corrigan
Book Series: Standalone for now
Rating: 3/5
Recommended For…: sci-fi fans, ya readers
Publication Date: May 17, 2021
Genre: YA Sci-Fi
Recommended Age: 17+ (violence, gore, death, grief, kidnapping)
Publisher: Indie Published
Pages: 193
Synopsis: Clarity’s paladin order forbids her from entering the Azure District, the one location in her high tech city that refuses paladin rule and technology. When she receives an illicit invitation to violate the prohibition, spurred on by rumors of suffering in the district, she passes through the crumbling brick entryway into no-man’s land. Within, she finds the residents lack not only the ocular implants and three dimensional computers she takes for granted, but also medicine to fight a disease infecting the children.
Clarity knows her order isn’t perfect—after all, they stole her from her parents when she was a small child to raise her with their values—but she cannot believe they know what’s going on in the Azure District. When she confronts the head of the order, he refuses to aid people who have rejected his help in the past, even the children. Unwilling to take no for an answer, Clarity enlists the help of the leader’s son Cass and takes matters into her own hands.
Desperate both to cure the children and keep her place in the order that is her only home, Clarity engages in increasingly questionable behavior—deleting official records, lying to her friends, and manipulating people who can help her. As the nefarious nature of her actions tarnishes the purity of her cause, she must determine what it truly means to be a paladin, in both name and action.
Review: For the most part I thought this was a well done book. The book had a strong overall plot and the pacing was fairly well done. I really liked the world the author thought up as well and it was developed well.
The only issue I had with the book is that the character development was not as strong as I would have liked it. It just felt like they were flat for the most part.
Verdict: It’s good, just needs a little work on the characters.
September 2, 2022
Technopaladin isn't the worst book I tried to read in 2022, but it is the worst book I finished this year. Thankfully it was short and not a difficult read.
The world laid out in Technopaladin is very interesting. Our heroes are members of a semi-religious military order whose members are chosen/adopted/named by a mysterious future seer known as The Visionary. Their names are idea-nouns (like Clarity, Hope, and Steadfastness) and if you're wondering if that's awkward to read, then worry not: it is! There is some hope, however, because many of the noun names go by nickname (such as Cass for Perspicacity or Ted for Steadfastness, or even Chrissy for Charisma), but no person in all of these 200 pages considers or tries to call Clarity Clair. It's absolutely astounding to me.
But those are nitpicks.
Largely I don't know what this book is doing or wants. It reads like a first draft, but also like 2/3rds of a story. A lot of plots don't feel resolved by the end, and the ones that do compete get wrapped up so quickly that it doesn't feel triumphant or exciting. Throughout the book every conflict feels completely toothless. Whenever an obstacle falls into Clarity's path she immediately resolves it with no further consequences. There is a death at the 75% mark, but it feels so weird and pointless that I'm not sure why it happened and also it feels so strangely glossed over in the frantic ending of the book.
There is little to no character development in this book. Clarity is the same on page 1 as she is on 198. Cass shifts from hating all combat paladins, to (maybe) liking one. But that happens halfway through so it doesn't feel like an arc. No other paladins even flirt with change or development, and only 1 Azurite does, but really she just refuses help, then begs for help so it feels bad both ways. It's tough.
I could keep going, almost every decision in this novel bothers me on some level, but no one needs 10k words on a book that amount to "its got a lot of problems, but I enjoyed enough of it to keep reading"
Also, I know no book is free of errors, but there were at least half a dozen grammer/typos, some of which were very confusing (particularly when it said trap instead of tray)
I have another book by this author on my shelf and I know I'll read it someday, but probably not soon.
The world laid out in Technopaladin is very interesting. Our heroes are members of a semi-religious military order whose members are chosen/adopted/named by a mysterious future seer known as The Visionary. Their names are idea-nouns (like Clarity, Hope, and Steadfastness) and if you're wondering if that's awkward to read, then worry not: it is! There is some hope, however, because many of the noun names go by nickname (such as Cass for Perspicacity or Ted for Steadfastness, or even Chrissy for Charisma), but no person in all of these 200 pages considers or tries to call Clarity Clair. It's absolutely astounding to me.
But those are nitpicks.
Largely I don't know what this book is doing or wants. It reads like a first draft, but also like 2/3rds of a story. A lot of plots don't feel resolved by the end, and the ones that do compete get wrapped up so quickly that it doesn't feel triumphant or exciting. Throughout the book every conflict feels completely toothless. Whenever an obstacle falls into Clarity's path she immediately resolves it with no further consequences. There is a death at the 75% mark, but it feels so weird and pointless that I'm not sure why it happened and also it feels so strangely glossed over in the frantic ending of the book.
There is little to no character development in this book. Clarity is the same on page 1 as she is on 198. Cass shifts from hating all combat paladins, to (maybe) liking one. But that happens halfway through so it doesn't feel like an arc. No other paladins even flirt with change or development, and only 1 Azurite does, but really she just refuses help, then begs for help so it feels bad both ways. It's tough.
I could keep going, almost every decision in this novel bothers me on some level, but no one needs 10k words on a book that amount to "its got a lot of problems, but I enjoyed enough of it to keep reading"
Also, I know no book is free of errors, but there were at least half a dozen grammer/typos, some of which were very confusing (particularly when it said trap instead of tray)
I have another book by this author on my shelf and I know I'll read it someday, but probably not soon.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 13, 2022
Unfortunately this one was snatched away before I could fully finish it (I went on a Mercy Thompson kick for a bit), but here's the review for what I did get through!
I received a copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
Clarity is part of a paladin order in control of a highly technologically advanced city. There is only one district that refuses paladin rule, Azure. Paladin’s are not allowed to enter. But Clarity gets inside, spurred by rumors of suffering within the district. Once in she quickly realizes the people there have very little technology, no implants, no 3D computers, and worst of all, no medicine for the mysterious disease that is affecting their children.
Clarity is left with a hard choice, because her order’s leader refuses to offered once refused aid again. So what does she do? Well, she enlists the leader’s son, Cass, to help her and decides she has to do something about the state of affairs in Azure district. She desperately tries to do a balancing act, help the people and keep her place in the order and she uses some extreme means to do it.
Now, I never did get to see how things end. But what I can tell you is that I quite enjoyed the 3/4s that I did manage to read before it was gone. For such a short book I thoroughly enjoyed the world building that was there and the pacing was well done. My only grievance was that I, personally, felt like the characters were pretty flat. Maybe it’s because there was a lot of time for character development? I don’t know. I wish the characters were a bit more flesh out.
All in all, pretty good for a novella!
I received a copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
Clarity is part of a paladin order in control of a highly technologically advanced city. There is only one district that refuses paladin rule, Azure. Paladin’s are not allowed to enter. But Clarity gets inside, spurred by rumors of suffering within the district. Once in she quickly realizes the people there have very little technology, no implants, no 3D computers, and worst of all, no medicine for the mysterious disease that is affecting their children.
Clarity is left with a hard choice, because her order’s leader refuses to offered once refused aid again. So what does she do? Well, she enlists the leader’s son, Cass, to help her and decides she has to do something about the state of affairs in Azure district. She desperately tries to do a balancing act, help the people and keep her place in the order and she uses some extreme means to do it.
Now, I never did get to see how things end. But what I can tell you is that I quite enjoyed the 3/4s that I did manage to read before it was gone. For such a short book I thoroughly enjoyed the world building that was there and the pacing was well done. My only grievance was that I, personally, felt like the characters were pretty flat. Maybe it’s because there was a lot of time for character development? I don’t know. I wish the characters were a bit more flesh out.
All in all, pretty good for a novella!
November 29, 2021
This review is of Technopaladin: Clarity's Edge by Elizabeth Corrigan.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Paladins keep the peace and run just about everything else in Clarity's home city except for the Azure District. People in the Azure District have rejected the paladins and their technology. Clarity is the perfect warrior paladin: she works out constantly, follows the rules exactly, and believes everything she has been told about the paladins. I could picture her in my mind looking almost like a robot in her armor. And I could see the wheels turning in her head like a computer as she decided to go after the runner when she should have been looking for a dress. She is so focused, I felt sorry for her. When everything is in absolutes, deviations can be devastating. That goes for Cass too because he is almost as focused in the other direction. He is almost the perfect foil to all of the others who are so single minded in adoration of the paladins. Yet he needs to grow just as much as everyone else. I liked that the powers that be couldn't really punish Clarity or Cass.
The story was good and I look forward to reading the next book in the series!
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Paladins keep the peace and run just about everything else in Clarity's home city except for the Azure District. People in the Azure District have rejected the paladins and their technology. Clarity is the perfect warrior paladin: she works out constantly, follows the rules exactly, and believes everything she has been told about the paladins. I could picture her in my mind looking almost like a robot in her armor. And I could see the wheels turning in her head like a computer as she decided to go after the runner when she should have been looking for a dress. She is so focused, I felt sorry for her. When everything is in absolutes, deviations can be devastating. That goes for Cass too because he is almost as focused in the other direction. He is almost the perfect foil to all of the others who are so single minded in adoration of the paladins. Yet he needs to grow just as much as everyone else. I liked that the powers that be couldn't really punish Clarity or Cass.
The story was good and I look forward to reading the next book in the series!
November 28, 2021
Received as a review copy from Booksirens, this is an honest review. This was a really intriguing story; I found the author naming the characters after various attributes such a Clarity made these individuals a lot more interesting to get to know. The author took time to craft a very credible city that the paladin order resides in with all the beauty and flaws you'd expect to find. The heart of the story surrounds the Azure District and the people are struggling to survive as those around them have what they need. Through Clarity's determination to help the people of the District, you got make judgments about the paladins and their treatments of other people... a very exciting read, highly recommended.
May 20, 2021
I really enjoyed reading this. Clarity and Cass are wonderful, complex characters. Usually when I think of paladins, I think of religious warriors, but medieval level tech. The order in this case isn't a typical order of religious zealots, and they have very advanced technology. It was a brilliant twist on something one normally sees in historical fantasy books. Clarity's determination to do what's right even when it goes against the order's wishes and direct orders really endears her to me. Cass is a bit surly but you can't help but love him. A great book that sci-fi and fantasy lovers will enjoy.
October 29, 2021
An interesting book and I would like to see more about the story, the main two characters are quite well done and show a good bond with each other. The tech side could maybe do with a bit more detail for my taste and despite seeing the ending very quickly the drama kept me turning pages.
Despite all these things , maybe fixed as a longer book? I enjoyed this from the start and I would recommend to others who like a light tech book.
I requested this book and I decided to leave my thoughts for everyone to see
Despite all these things , maybe fixed as a longer book? I enjoyed this from the start and I would recommend to others who like a light tech book.
I requested this book and I decided to leave my thoughts for everyone to see
July 3, 2024
This novel created an interesting premise, where elite soldiers maintain the peace of their city thanks to advanced technology.
There was quite a bit of angst and drama between the factions of characters which pulled me through to the story's conclusion. Although this is only the first novel in the series, I was expecting certain characters and themes hinted at throughout the novel to play a bigger role. I was a little disappointed that the threats seemed to have more depth only to discover at the end that the hidden mysteries were the easiest answers.
There was quite a bit of angst and drama between the factions of characters which pulled me through to the story's conclusion. Although this is only the first novel in the series, I was expecting certain characters and themes hinted at throughout the novel to play a bigger role. I was a little disappointed that the threats seemed to have more depth only to discover at the end that the hidden mysteries were the easiest answers.
May 23, 2021
This book was fairly entertaining and was a good read for casual enjoyment, but I didn't get the chance to become invested just because I found that the characters were a bit two-dimensional and there was a lack of buildup. I would have liked to see more in-depth character development. I liked the world-building aspect and learning about their history and way of life, it was very reminiscent of Divergent.
September 3, 2022
Needed another few drafts. This felt incredibly half baked. Something is here, but nothing is fleshed out or interesting enough to make it worth a read.
A lot of plot elements didn't add to the narrative. Clarity breaks a leg but it feels like the writer did this just so they didn't have to write action scenes. Clarity never had an edge. If that's Clarity on the cover she never gets a cool sword.
A lot of plot elements didn't add to the narrative. Clarity breaks a leg but it feels like the writer did this just so they didn't have to write action scenes. Clarity never had an edge. If that's Clarity on the cover she never gets a cool sword.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 23, 2021
i greatly enjoyed this book and the world elizabeth created.! paladins that are in the techno age,what a concept! the mains were great to follow and what a set of complex characters,just really got into to them. am hoping for more back story of the world and it"s history. i will be waiting for more books about this world that she created. was a really original take on the paladin.
February 2, 2023
A good pick if sci-fi YA is your comfort reading. I feel like there was a missed chance to explore the world a bit more, or do more with the AI and the laws mentioned around them - some exploration beyond the more immediate plot would bring it to the next level. That said, if you're craving some meat and potatoes YA, it'll sate your appetite.
November 18, 2021
This was a fun quick read and a nice introduction to the world. I enjoyed the interplay of human and AI powered animals. The characters had more than one dimension to their personality and the story moved along nicely. I finished the book ready to learn what happens next.
Thanks to BookSirens for providing an early release copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Thanks to BookSirens for providing an early release copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews