Review: A world I want to visit...
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 01 4, 2013
I read 'Caller' at the request of the author. It sounded intriguing, and I'm always for helping out a fellow writer, so I agreed. She sent me a free copy in exchange for an honest review but, I have to admit, if I'd run across this book on my own, I probably wouldn't have picked it up. At first glance, it's not something I usually read. Oh, I love a good romance, but the synopsis simply does not do this book justice. It's so much more!The world TJ creates is so visual that you can actually picture it in your mind. Not by the overuse of descriptive words, either, just by the sheer genius of how she uses those words. Her characters' thoughts and actions present their world in a way that you feel you can get online and buy a ticket. You see the colors and smell the air. Sometimes, you swear you could look up at the sky and see the critons.What are critons, you ask? They're flying, dragon-like creatures that are ridden like horses and bond with their riders. A caller, the object of the book's title, is a person who senses a bonding when it's not achieved naturally and can call the critons. The last known caller disappeared over a decade before and everyone is anticipating the revealing of a new one. It seems that a caller can only be a pure, royal person so, even though the heroine of the story, Carina, has a way with critons, she is simply the daughter of a king and an insignificant. Her sister, on the other hand, is a pure royal and, feeling Carina is beneath her, goes to extreme lengths to make her miserable and ruin her chances for happiness.A king from another kingdom, Marek Duncan, arrives to apply for the royal sister's hand in marriage. When he sees Carina, he immediately feels a connection with her and wants her, instead, further turning her sister against her. Ordered to accompany him to his kingdom as his mistress since non-royals cannot marry kings, she gladly goes along to escape her family. Along the way, several events suggest that Carina is not who she thinks she is but doesn't dwell on it as her attraction to Marek increases.Carina is a strong character who only needs to realize her strength. She allows others to push her around and believes that she's not worthy of anyone's love. Despite this, she seems to have no fear and attempts dangerous tasks with not much thought to personal safety. King Marek has suffered from affairs of the heart before and doesn't feel that love has a place in his life. He rules his kingdom with confidence and honesty, being fair to all. The hardships both characters have suffered have made them the perfect couple, if only they can discover it for themselves.This book has everything a fantasy/romance reader enjoys plus, there's mystery, intrigue and quite a bit of excitement. I would really love to read the continuation of this story, sometime soon, I hope, as I'm sure it will only get better. How could it not with an author who has to create such a world?