Review: Review from The-Not-So-Literary Heiresses
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 08 7, 2013
I didn't know what I was going to get with this book but it was certainly a pleasant surprise. Great premise, excellent characters and for once a dystopian standalone!Expect possible spoilers:Intermix Nation is set against the dystopian world of Renatus, the fallen nation of North America. In this world, people of mixed races are second class citizens, often abused and mistreated. The book starts a few months after eighteen-year-old Nazirah Nation's parents got murdered (for daring to stand up for intermix rights) by Adamek Morganen, brutal assassin and son of the powerful Chancellor of their country. Now she is among the midst of the Rebel army fighting against the rights of the intermix led by her big brother. Things take a turn for the worst when her brother made an Amnesty pact, an agreement that pardons certain Renatus citizens in exchange for important information that will be beneficial to the rebellion, with their parents murderer.We meet Nazirah at a low point in her life. She is depressed and misunderstood, seen as ungrateful by people around her because of her lack of interest to fight for the cause. I can understand her struggle though, her grief and guilt is causing her to punish herself...hating herself for not being there to defend her parents when they were murdered.I couldn't believe that her brother can actually welcome his parents murderer in the fold...I don't think I can ever do something like that, no matter how beneficial it is for the rebellion. Adamek was indeed chilling when Nazirah first met him, I was so sure that he was going to be the main antagonist of the story. I was sure that he's an evil spy sent to destroy the rebellion from inside.The relationship between Adamek and Nazirah is indeed turbulent but we soon realize that there's an underlying attraction between these two, one that they violently ignore. I love how subtle their romance develop because I don't think it can be done any other way. Thinking of them as a couple was just so impossible at the beginning...who the hell would fall for their parents murderer?? As I read further though and got to know both characters, I crossed that line of black and white and empathize with their struggles and demons. The chemistry was so strong that by the time it was obvious that there's something going on between the two, I was actually rooting for them to get together.This is more than a dystopian romance though and the struggles of the intermix and their supporters is felt throughout the book. In the midst of a revolution, we meet different characters from the intermix and other races who both either support or want to destroy the rebel cause. The book is also evenly paced in a way that important scenes are emotional and exciting.My favorite character has got to me Adamek and I wish we were given the chance to get inside his head and see certain events from his eyes. I love how his character evolved from someone who is chilling and sinister to the core of man seeking forgiveness for what he has done. It seem impossible at first but he totally won me over when I got to know his true character.This is a beautiful and passionate book that deals with a lot of social issues. The book is character driven and they are not always likable but they are believable in their emotions. The romance is definitely unusual but I found the subtlety and the slow development of the romance beautiful. A great standalone!A copy was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review