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Drinna
The rage can be a powerful ally, or a treacherous enemy. Drinna, a young kunjel, awakes alone and poorly prepared for survival in the vast Sea of Grass. This wasteland is a dangerous place even for those ready to face it—filled with vicious creatures and deadly plants and little water—but all Drinna has is her wits and learning to navigate through. And someone, or something, is stalking her, to kill or capture her.
In addition to all of these troubles, Drinna is getting ready to undergo Trakia, a ritual in which kunjels learn to control their ability to rage; without this sacred training, will Drinna be able to control herself and find her way home? Or will the dreaded rage overwhelm her and lead her to her peril?
In addition to all of these troubles, Drinna is getting ready to undergo Trakia, a ritual in which kunjels learn to control their ability to rage; without this sacred training, will Drinna be able to control herself and find her way home? Or will the dreaded rage overwhelm her and lead her to her peril?
260 pages, Paperback
First published October 1, 2010
1 person is currently reading
22 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
April 7, 2018
I am guessing that book is being re-released? The cover on Netgalley is was more intriguing that the boring one on Goodreads that I would probably never bothered to stop and the read blurb at seeing it. The cover is pretty much the reason I stopped scrolling the archives on NetGalley. I was excited to read this one but it was more like a “meh” by the end.
Drinna is a Kunjel girl that finds herself all alone in the world of the Sea Grass with various other races. She quickly learns that friend or foe could look equally similar and could be just as deadly. All Drina wants is find her way out and make it home to the family that she loves.
The author did a great job of world-building and the storyline was easy to follow along with. There was just a lack of attachment to the characters and I just had not desire to continuously read. It took me quite a while to finish because it was a pretty run of the mill fantasy book. There was an air of over writing and going down the too descriptive rabbit hole that causes a snooze fest. Most of the time it felt like there was so much description that it was only there for word count and not to further the plot.
This book would probably more enjoyable for those who like YA and will probably be edited for better enjoyment under that genre by the time it is released.
Thank you Netgalley and eTreasures Publishing, LLC for allowing to read this title.
Drinna is a Kunjel girl that finds herself all alone in the world of the Sea Grass with various other races. She quickly learns that friend or foe could look equally similar and could be just as deadly. All Drina wants is find her way out and make it home to the family that she loves.
The author did a great job of world-building and the storyline was easy to follow along with. There was just a lack of attachment to the characters and I just had not desire to continuously read. It took me quite a while to finish because it was a pretty run of the mill fantasy book. There was an air of over writing and going down the too descriptive rabbit hole that causes a snooze fest. Most of the time it felt like there was so much description that it was only there for word count and not to further the plot.
This book would probably more enjoyable for those who like YA and will probably be edited for better enjoyment under that genre by the time it is released.
Thank you Netgalley and eTreasures Publishing, LLC for allowing to read this title.
June 22, 2025
The word-smithing in this book is phenomenal. The description of the characters, places, and events pulls you in, and you feel like you're there with Drinna. The world-building is fabulous.
Drinna's journey is complex. Kidnapping, murder, evil people, friends made with unusual beings, and evolving into the person she was meant to be by staying alive in a place wrought with obstruction, death, and evil, with the help of 2 beings who speak different languages.
This book would be awesome as a movie from the description of the characters, places, and events.
Drinna's journey is complex. Kidnapping, murder, evil people, friends made with unusual beings, and evolving into the person she was meant to be by staying alive in a place wrought with obstruction, death, and evil, with the help of 2 beings who speak different languages.
This book would be awesome as a movie from the description of the characters, places, and events.
February 18, 2019
Overall, I enjoyed this book, though there were several places that were a bit of a slow read. The world that Gullage created, the indepth character that grew as you read, and the interesting creatures made the book overall enjoyable. As the main character is 14, I had a little bit of a hard time relating to her yet watching her grow, change, and overcome her fears still made it fun to read.
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November 18, 2020Jared Gullage I could not put it down. I stayed up all night reading it! It was SOO good! I absolutely fell in love with Drinna, Gra & Pikra! I got lost in an amazing world you created and I couldn't stop reading until Drinna's Journey was done! Those Giant ants 🐜 with the creepy tongues gave me nightmares! Thanks for that. 😉 BTW I talk to myself out loud ALL the time.
August 24, 2011
Drinna by Jared Gullage is the story of a young kunjel woman who is lost in the great Sea of Grass while undergoing a very traumatic stage of development. Drinna is the daughter of a successful merchant family who are taking her to safe place for Traika, a rite of passage to learn to control her rage. You see all kunjels have the ability to go into a rage and become much stronger and faster than they normally are. It seems to manifest about the same time puberty would in a human. When the rage first begins there is no controlling it. You must be isolated and restrained while being taught how to bring on the rages and control yourself while in them. While on the trip to begin Traika she wakes up one day in the middle of the Sea of Grass. This is a terribly dangerous thing as without the highway she has no idea where to go as well as having no food or water. As if those concerns weren't enough there are also many predators that would love a kunjel snack as well as the Hial, a primitive tribal society that would kill her as well.
The book unfolds with Drinna struggling to survive by herself for the first time in a very harsh enviroment. The story begins to unravel how Drinna came to be alone in the middle of the Sea of Grass. She encounters many different kinds of wildlife and eventually makes a friend, but she is constantly in danger. As the story progresses you are treated to an in depth understanding of Drinna's mind and the struggles that she is going through figuring out her rage by herself. There is also the cultural fear that she will be outcast for doing something dishonorable while in the grips of her rage.
I felt the story started out a bit slow, but by the end I was fairly enmeshed in the world that Jared has created. In the beginning one of the things I struggled with is all of the new creatures and terms that are used. He does explain everything pretty well when it is introduced, but there is a lot of information and I got mixed up a few times early in the book. I'll even admit that I was hesitant in the beginning as the struggle for survival by one person against the environment is not really a typical choice for me to read, but once the mysteries started to become unraveled the story really started to draw me in. I think that as Jared writes more books set in his universe it will really start to become a vibrant creation and I look forward to seeing some other works.
Review copy provided by author.
The book unfolds with Drinna struggling to survive by herself for the first time in a very harsh enviroment. The story begins to unravel how Drinna came to be alone in the middle of the Sea of Grass. She encounters many different kinds of wildlife and eventually makes a friend, but she is constantly in danger. As the story progresses you are treated to an in depth understanding of Drinna's mind and the struggles that she is going through figuring out her rage by herself. There is also the cultural fear that she will be outcast for doing something dishonorable while in the grips of her rage.
I felt the story started out a bit slow, but by the end I was fairly enmeshed in the world that Jared has created. In the beginning one of the things I struggled with is all of the new creatures and terms that are used. He does explain everything pretty well when it is introduced, but there is a lot of information and I got mixed up a few times early in the book. I'll even admit that I was hesitant in the beginning as the struggle for survival by one person against the environment is not really a typical choice for me to read, but once the mysteries started to become unraveled the story really started to draw me in. I think that as Jared writes more books set in his universe it will really start to become a vibrant creation and I look forward to seeing some other works.
Review copy provided by author.
October 15, 2011
Drinna is a story about a young kunjel girl named, aptly enough, Drinna. She has been separated from her family and must survive in the Sea of Grass, a locale that is fraught with danger. Along the way she meets Gra and Pikra, two other younger females of two other species, and several humans. The trick is to determine who can be called friend and who is actually a foe, and then surviving those who are foes. Her end goal is to make it back to her family and her kind.
This story is a very enjoyable read. It was not quite to the point of being unable to put it down–but when it was put back on the shelf, so to speak, it was calling my name after only a short time. There were no noticeably jarring typos or punctuation errors, which is always good. The characters were well-developed and rather distinct from one another. It is easy for the reader to become emotionally invested in the outcome of Drinna’s life, as well as Gra’s and Pikra’s. That being said, there is also a lack of finesse to the writing, shown most noticeably in a tendency to over describe–especially in the beginning of the book. It’s certainly not bad writing, it just slows the pace and leaves the reader wanting to move on with the actual story. On the positive side, there are several descriptions that are fresh, original, and colorful, painting a wonderful image in the reader’s head. It’s a book that is definitely written by a writer early in his career, but it’s a very enjoyable book.
This is a book that would be enjoyed by both a younger audience (Drinna is only 14, after all) as well as adults. Anyone who likes fantasy, and especially role-playing style games like Dungeons and Dragons, World of Warcraft, or Neverwinter Nights, will find this book enjoyable and more original than the average fantasy.
http://hampton-networks.com/book-revi...
This story is a very enjoyable read. It was not quite to the point of being unable to put it down–but when it was put back on the shelf, so to speak, it was calling my name after only a short time. There were no noticeably jarring typos or punctuation errors, which is always good. The characters were well-developed and rather distinct from one another. It is easy for the reader to become emotionally invested in the outcome of Drinna’s life, as well as Gra’s and Pikra’s. That being said, there is also a lack of finesse to the writing, shown most noticeably in a tendency to over describe–especially in the beginning of the book. It’s certainly not bad writing, it just slows the pace and leaves the reader wanting to move on with the actual story. On the positive side, there are several descriptions that are fresh, original, and colorful, painting a wonderful image in the reader’s head. It’s a book that is definitely written by a writer early in his career, but it’s a very enjoyable book.
This is a book that would be enjoyed by both a younger audience (Drinna is only 14, after all) as well as adults. Anyone who likes fantasy, and especially role-playing style games like Dungeons and Dragons, World of Warcraft, or Neverwinter Nights, will find this book enjoyable and more original than the average fantasy.
http://hampton-networks.com/book-revi...
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December 30, 2020Well, I wrote it.
Most of the word-of-mouth reviews I've heard have been positive so far. I just wish I could see some here. Check out a sample on Amazon first, and let me know what you think.
The latest edition of this book is available on Champagne Book Group:
http://champagnebooks.com/store/ebook...
J. Gullage
Most of the word-of-mouth reviews I've heard have been positive so far. I just wish I could see some here. Check out a sample on Amazon first, and let me know what you think.
The latest edition of this book is available on Champagne Book Group:
http://champagnebooks.com/store/ebook...
J. Gullage
June 27, 2011
Well, it was a very good book. I thought that it was very well written. There are elements of suspense and action. There are also parts that touched me. I felt as though I really knew the character, Drinna. I was drawn into her world and into her beliefs. I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys fantasy:)
November 13, 2011
This one was a bit of a mixed bag for me. I liked the writing and the author's imagination, but I was a bit turned off by the way the protagonist talked to herself (sounding a bit too much like Alice in Wonderland, perhaps?); the proliferation of weird names for people, animals, and things; and I suppose that I'm not really the target audience (YA).
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews