Review: One of the best books in its genre
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 02 25, 2014
Laura Cantu’s book, ‘Xandria Drake: Ancient Rising’ won a Goodreads award, and having just finished it, now I know why. It is a richly written tale that grabs you by the cuffs at the get-go: the author knows how to build up the suspense and give you the small screaming mimies while you’re at it, so much that by the time Xandria is thrust into a hitherto unknown world fuelled by magic, you’re actually digging in your seat for the succeeding hours of pure reading pleasure.At its heart, ‘Xandria Drake’ can be considered some sort of a coming-of-age tale—except here, the things Xandria discovers are far from being normal. The author has an uncanny way with creating atmospheric scenes—it’s evident even at the start, as Xandria and Shaine wrestle with the idea of the abandoned strip mall and the carnival. Moreover, I love how Laura Cantu has woven and integrated a compelling story of romance and seduction into a suspenseful mystery: the maddening game of seduction that Sebastian plays with Xandria is one thing, and Viktor’s love, which turns out to be like opening a can of worms, is another watching these threads of narrative unfold add more power to the book.Let me suffice it to say that I love this book immensely. It is one of those rare top-notch, high-quality, well-written books that have ever come out of Kindle’s woodwork—the writing is so polished that even in those scenes where nothing much is happening, it’s still a joy to read. Laura Cantu has a way with words, a knack for integrating verisimilitude, that even the most unbelievable scenes become as believable as the person sitting next to you. Get a copy of this book today—or send this as a gift to friends and loved ones. Either way, you will enjoy it. Five stars for this one.