Review: A Refreshingly Original Fantasy!
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 06 17, 2011
Legacy:  Book One of the Balancer ChroniclesBy:  Chris AdonnAISN:  B004W0II3KPublished April 9, 2011Available Format: ebookWhen Katrina Blake is summoned to her family estate after her grandmother's sudden death, she has no idea what is in store for her.  The truth of her family's past, her true nature, and what her future may hold lies within the pages of a mysterious journal locked away in her grandmother's private study.  Kat is surprised to find that her very great-grandfather is actually interacting with her through his journal.  But that is not the most incredible thing she will learn...I was the lucky winner of Legacy in a LibraryThing giveaway.Legacy is a beautifully written, engaging fantasy novel.  Sure, you have your vampires and werewolves, but the lead of the story is the balancers.  Balancers are basically the peacekeepers of the world, keeping all other supernatural beings in line.I became completely enraptured with Jamie and his family and supernatural friends as he tells Kat the history of the balancers and the story of his exceptional life.  I believe some others have said that Kat did not even need to be involved in the story--it could have just been told from Jamie's viewpoint.  I do agree that Jamie's story could stand perfectly on its own, but I do think having his descendent reading about him and how she has become what she is added a delightful little element to the plot.I initially thought I might have some issue with the flow of the novel.  I was certainly interested from the beginning, but it took me just a bit to really grow accustomed to the diary format and absorb all the information Jamie was throwing at Kat.  I wasn't expecting the book to be as long as it was--it's hard to tell sometimes with the Kindle.  I thought I'd be through it in a couple days at the most, and it was more like five!The little twist at the end with Wolf seemed just slightly out of place, but I still enjoyed it.  It really makes me look forward to what will happen in the future now that Kat is moving from the journal to the "audiobook" as Jamie calls it.  What challenges will she face in her role as balancer?  Will she finally get to meet her very great-grandfather face-to-face?  What will happen when she meets Sebastian?  Is there a great love story in store for her?Now, I am really looking forward to reading the prequel novel, The Eyes that See:  A Prelude to the Balancer Chronicles!!  You'll be hearing about it soon!This review can also be found at[...] and [...].