Review: A nice easy read.
Rating: 3 out of 5
Date: 03 18, 2013
Publication Date : May 8, 2011Khensa, a girl from the slums, is one of the last of a dying breed. Farro blood courses through her veins and for it she has suffered countless atrocities. Orphaned, kidnapped, imprisoned, and tortured, she endures without knowing if it shall ever end. For eleven months she endures...Enter Bomani, her unintentional savior. Sent by his father to assassinate the high priest, he finds her, bloody, starved, and naked upon the floor. She is feral and half-crazed and yet still he takes her away. He introduces her to a whole new world - his own.Together they navigate their way around a fragile society of kings, vendettas, and magic. Their story crosses deserts and mountains. It begins with fire and ends with water.I had no expectation for this book once I started reading it since I do not read blurbs, the opening scene is depicted as vile and inhuman and therefore Khensa's survival is all the more miraculous and impressive.As the story progresses, it becomes clear that Khensa has little or no idea who or what she is, her powers grows stronger by the hour and with it her ability to charm and enchant, but the love she evokes, the devotion, the friendships are they real or are they result of her enchantment...It is a little boy that loves her unequivocally that grabbed my attention, her attention and devotion to this child was, for me the highlight of the story.The author has a knack for implementing accents within her story to give it more flesh and to add depth; one such an example is the way in which people communicate in the part of town where Khensa grew up.  The whistling is a nice touch and lends some more credibility to a fantastical story.I do feel that the story was at times dragged out too much and the tension between the main protagonists played up a wee bit too much but overall it was a nice read and one I am sure most lovers of the YA paranormal genre will love.WaAr