Review: Hang on to your seat, it's one heck of a ride!
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 12 24, 2013
I was very impressed with 'NUWORLD: Claiming Tara' by Laurie Fitzgerald. And while I usually try not to give away spoilers in a review, I don't think that will be strictly possible with this book.Nuworld is what remains of Earth and humanity more than a millennium after an apocalyptic event. The peoples are self-segregated and these groups have defined their own unique laws, traditions and prejudices - some of them rather harsh (at least considering the freedoms enjoyed in our current day and age) - and outsiders are looked upon with mistrust and suspicion at the least.Two of these groups are the main focus in this first book - the Runners (similar to Gypsies, except all Runners are trained as warriors, both male and female) and the Gothman (the men are the protectors and the women have no rights whatsoever). The heroine, Tara (headstrong, fearless, opinionated and an excellent warrior) is a Runner. Per Runner tradition, she is on her Age of Searching, which is like a personal quest for knowledge and understanding of the world. She has decided to learn about the Gothman, even though Runners are not welcomed in Gothman lands. Darius (arrogant, egotistical, domineering, strong and cold-bloodedly ruthless) is the Lord of Gothman. When these two characters meet, the sparks begin to fly.This story was non-stop action from the get go and it sucked me in and pulled me along for the ride. It's not too often that I read a book that has me yelling at the characters and their actions - literally questioning their intelligence (among other things) regarding some of the decisions they make - but 'NUWORLD: Claiming Tara' did just that.Ms, Fitzgerald has created a thought-provoking glimpse of a possible (probable?) future and I can't wait to read the next installment of the saga.