Review: Fantasy at its best!
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 10 14, 2011
Selia's life is about to change in a big way. Rumors of Svistra attacks are bringing soldiers to the remote village on the edge of the wastes where her tavern is located. She comes across a man being badly beaten by thieves, rescues him, and then discovers he's one of the enemy, a Svistra! But as she and her gentle giant brother Oren nurse Jaden back to health, all of her assumptions and prejudices regarding the Svistra are demolished. Then, when soldiers ride into the village and take by force all of the males able to hold a weapon, including Oren, she starts to see things differently. She sets out to rescue her brother from the brutality facing him as a soldier. Jaden follows, determined to keep her safe. Their friendship deepens, and attraction grows between them.His bastard brother wants Jaden dead. A greedy king has formed an alliance with the Svistra and is willing to betray his own kind out of greed, and a decent commander finds himself in the middle of an impossible situation. Lots of action, twists and turns, and a touching romance that seems doomed from the start.What I loved most about Altered Destiny was that Thomas managed to make both races sympathetic for the reader. I couldn't help but feel bad for the life the Svistra had been reduced to due to the dishonor of the humans, and I couldn't help but feel bad for the humans brutalized by the Svistra. Loved the book, and I couldn't put it down.