Review: 3  stars.  A pretty good story.  Above average.
Rating: 3 out of 5
Date: 03 13, 2014
I liked the character Ishtaer.  She did some neat things.  She starts off starved, beaten, nearly dead.  She is rescued from slavery and turns into a powerful force.  I liked the parts where she dealt with a bully and different enemies.  I liked the character Kael and his issues.  There is a little romance mostly at the end.  But romance is not the main focus.  It’s more about Ishtaer’s development, changes, actions, and her friends.A few times my mind wandered during descriptive parts.  But overall I’m glad I read it.  The ending romantic part was rushed.  I would have liked more on that.There is rape and torture of adults and children, but it’s referred to after the fact - if that matters.SETTING:The ideas are not new, but good.  A minority of humans are gifted with mystical and magical powers: healers, psychic seers, warriors, and fleet-of-feet messengers.  Time and place are not defined, but it makes me think of a European setting in the days of Vikings with swords and chain mail.EBOOK FORMATTING PROBLEM:There needs to be a line, symbol, or extra space between scene changes.  You think the next sentence is a continuation of the current conversation until a few sentences later you realize it's another scene in another place.  It’s jarring and takes you out of the story when you realize this.DATA:Narrative mode: 3rd person.  Kindle count length: 5,842 (304 pages).  Swearing language: moderate.  Sexual language: none.  Number of sex scenes: one pleasant sex scene and a brutal gang rape.  Setting: unknown.  Copyright: 2014.  Genre: fantasy romance.