Sunday, May 3, 2015

Realm of the Goddess by Sabina Khan

Title:  Realm of the Goddess
Series:  Realm of the Goddess #1
Author:  Sabina Khan
Published:  December 3/14
Length:  328pgs
Genre:  YA fantasy/paranormal
Shelf:  review
Rating: ★★★

Back Cover Blurb:

"Would you put your trust in strangers to save the ones you loved? Would you allow an ancient prophecy to change your life?" Seventeen year old Callie discovers she is an avatar of the powerful Hindu Goddess Kali and she has to save the world from Mahisha, the King of Demons. Now Callie has to accept her fate and control her powers. Before she can face Mahisha, she must find the Sword of Knowledge that the Immortals had given Kali five thousand years ago. As Callie embarks upon the dangerous quest to find this weapon, she must travel deep into the jungles of India to find a temple only spoken of in legends. The Rakshakari, who are sworn to protect the Goddess, guide her on this treacherous journey, fraught with demons and mortal conspiracies. She is accompanied by the gorgeous, enigmatic Shiv for whom she feels an inexplicable but undeniable attraction. Can she trust Shiv with her life or are there dark forces at work that will divide loyalties and leave Callie at the mercy of Mahisha and his army of demons? "In a timeless tale of good versus evil, travel across the world to a place that time has forgotten. Here lies the answer to an ancient riddle. Here lies the fate of humanity." This young adult paranormal fantasy has all the ingredients for an exciting read: ancient religion, mystery, action, adventure, romance and deities and demons galore.

My Review:

What a uniquely intriguing story. I love how Khan works history and mythology into the tale without losing readers’ attention while at the same time developing a world of her own. The plot had me very intrigued. I found it endlessly enjoyable to see this new take (for the YA genre anyways) on mythology in literature. The story itself was well written with an enjoyable pace that ups the suspense and investment factor for the reader. I found that although Khan gave this story her own unique twist, there were a couple of parts that were rather stereotypical for the genre.

Khan’s writing definitely has a very YA feel to it, yet readers never feel as if she’s talking down to them. It’s really the best of both worlds. She develops her world in a unique manner that leaves it open to the readers’ interpretation. It definitely comes to life all on its own. That said, there’s just something about the way that she words things at times that prevented me from completely immersing myself in the story. The plot was enjoyable, but without this connection, I felt somewhat removed from the tale.

The characters in this novel were very well done. I appreciate how Khan makes her YA characters YA individuals, but with a twist. These characters incorporate youth infatuation/young love with an urban fantasy adventure including mythical beasts without missing a beat.

As a whole, this was an enjoyable YA read. It was unique and well presented. It would definitely be enjoyed by those who love the genre.


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