I am so excited to be part of the Renhala blog tour. I already have read Renhala some time ago and even posted my review on my blog already. But today I am going to share my review with you again and there is a guest post by Amy Joy Lutchen from Ladimer’s POV! And an awesome giveaway! And you can see the complete the tour schedule.
Renhala
by Amy Joy Lutchen
I got an e-copy for review from the author
Blurb from Goodreads (the blurb contains small spoilers, my review doesn’t): Kailey Rooke, timid accountant, dedicated to philanthropic work, finds herself spiraling into a deep depression after she suffers a horrifyingly odd and humiliating assault, to only discover more of these freakish assaults occurring across the globe.
A chance discovery leads Kailey to a meeting with elderly Gunthreon, actual master of persuasion. Gunthreon, who seems to know too much of Kailey’s history for her liking, opens Kailey’s eyes to a coexisting realm she never knew existed: Renhala, while entrusting her with the knowledge of her newfound power as karmelean, serving as a beacon to the Higher Ones. Kailey slowly starts revealing new talents, and Gunthreon is fascinated with what she starts achieving.
She soon discovers that Renhala is in danger, and this danger has been leaking into her own realm. As she uncovers secrets within herself, and attempts to toughen up, she fuses with an unlikely band of fellow travelers (including a dragon, woodsprite, six-hundred-pound greble, her faithful female canine companion, and a “giver”), falls into an unexpected love triangle, deals with her sexy and flirtatious best friend’s “issues,” and finds the courage to master a new deadly weapon.
On her mission to save Renhala, Kailey will find herself running from life-threatening disasters, such as greble Tartarin, who likes to remind Kailey that when he catches her, he plans on eating her brains with ice cream; she’ll run from the deadly meeples: small cute bunnies with talons and an undeniable thirst for imposing self-destruction on others. Kailey will also run into the possibility that a centuries-old Renhalan rumor is true, that advanced technology existing in Kailey’s realm shortens all life spans.
As blood is shed and puzzles near completion, Kailey pulls from deep within herself, conjuring up mystical qualities that enable her to astonish as once predicted at her birth, but despite the newfound strength, Kailey will discover that monsters not only come in ugly packages, but can be easily disguised as those she has come to love and trust.
My Review:
Lately I have been reading many books that are quite short and fast paced, I love those kind of books, because I can start a book finish it and then quickly start another book. I didn’t realize that sometimes I miss reading books that are a bit longer. When I started this book I was wondering whether to start it now or not, as it was quite long (430 e-book pages). I ended up just starting it and quickly I forgot the number of pages and immensed myself in the world of Renhala.
The book starts off slow paced and a bit confusing. I was actually wondering whether to continue it or not, because I was sure something supernatural was mentioned in the blurb and well I didn’t see any hint of that in the first 50 pages. And then suddenly things start making sense, the supernatural is introduced and I was sucked into this story. The story is awesome, it’s a bout Kailey and about friendship and love. About good and evil and grey. And so much more.
The characters are loveable! I couldn’t wait to read more about them and I especially liked Kailey, she is such a strong girl, but also so normal at times. A few other favourites are: Lupa, Bu, Jenna, Kioto, Greer and Ladimer. Kailey meets so many interesting and nice creatures and I couldn’t help but like them all, they all have these characteristics that make them unique. Although I wouldn’t mind spending more time reading about all of them and learning more about them. I think the author did an awesome job creating a whole cast of likeable characters.
The evil characters were not as easy to like and I thought it was difficult to really get why they acted like they did. I would’ve liked a bit more insight in way they did these evil things and who they are.
The world building is also done briliantly. Although after finishing the book I still have so many questions. The author describes the world perfectly, not too much details, but enough to get a good sense of how this world looks. I also loved all the originaly touches, like the life pond and the strange creatures like the Grebles, the Meeples and the Mooncats. I do think that one book is just too less to get to know all of the world and I am would like to learn more about this amazing world.
To conclude: a great story, slower paced and longer than what I usually read, but I loved it! The only minpoints are the fact that the beginning is quite slow and I didn’t get a good idea why the evil characters acted like they did. The story was original and interesting, the characters were likeable and the world building was done really well. The story was longer then what I usually read, but I only wished it was even longer, because I already miss reading about Kailey and Renhala.
You can find it on Goodreads
You can buy Renhala here:
– Amazon
– Smashwords
– B&N
Quest post Ladimer’s POV
She has no idea. She has no DAMN idea.
Throughout my life I’ve fought battles for kings, killed with a mere touch of my fingertip, and have loved hundreds of women, but SHE continues to be my biggest challenge and SHE continues to haunt my thoughts, day after day. I won’t give in. I can’t give in.
She grabs my energy and we travel to beautiful, wondrous lilac-infused Meadow’s Edge. What we find is not happiness amongst the flowers and moss-covered huts, but carnage.
“Gunthreon!” I scream, as I watch Greer, Meadow’s Edge’s great protector, falling from the sky at a rate dangerous enough to destroy the whole damn town. With last ditch efforts, I see him struggling to work his massive dragon wings, and he does briefly, but still hits the ground with enough force to make all those within a mile stumble in place.
I run as fast as I can to him, dodging blows from monsters of nightmarish proportions and upon reaching him, I find he is unconscious. I lay my hands on his scales, and find that whatever he met miles above our heads has drained him of almost all his energy. “Come on Greer. We need you.” My power flows from my fingertips, entering between each of his scales, and traveling through his bloodstream in an attempt to give him a needed boost of energy—enough to jumpstart his body into starting the healing and regenerating process.
Unfortunately, his size hinders the effectiveness of my power, but I continue working my hands, coercing and pushing my own energy to replenish his. Starting to feel as though a drain has suddenly been opened, and all my power has decided to follow the whirlpool to nowhere, my hazy eyes see her running towards us.
“Keep trying Ladimer, please!” she yells as she watches Greer’s eyes roll like marbles backward into his head.
Knowing that what I need to ask is the last chance for helping Greer, but feeling as though this may be similar to an ex-addict’s fall off the wagon, I push the words out. “Kiss me, Kailey.”
As she stands dumbfounded, and I laugh inside my own head, I slowly take a tumble into darkness. As my fall continues, and I am sure I will die this way, I think to myself how stupid I’ve been. Memories of my inflated ego’s actions and all the resulting missed opportunities reel through my brain, and just as I close my eyes, accepting karma’s plan, a warm light suddenly shines far above me, capturing the attention of my eyes. I focus on this light as it seemingly begins moving at an unbelievably fast pace toward me, versus focusing on the freefall of my body and my probable demise.
The light finally hovers near me and as I reach my arm up attempting to grasp it, I awake in her arms, her mouth on mine, and an energy so warm and comforting flowing between us I want to call it “home.”
She has no idea. She has no DAMN idea.
I keep hoping Kailee will end up with Ladimer, he is so awesome! And I am so gratefull Amy wrote a guest post for my stop from his POV!
About the author:
Born in Chicago, Illinois, a few days prior to watching her first movie, at a drive-in theater. Yes, drive-in theater. And yes, her mother believed she was possessed by the devil after said first movie.
Grew up in the Chicagoland area and graduated from the University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana, where she simply became a number, but decided it was a good number.
Loves cooking (mostly candy-cooking), gardening (putting holes in the ground for perennials, DONE!), designing and constructing jewelry (everything from silversmithing to lampworking), and living with her wonderful husband, two children, black Labrador, and frog—and maybe even the chipmunk family that likes to destroy her aforementioned perennials.
Also hopes that you enjoy her writings, and won’t criticize her for her aversion of eating things in multiples of three.
You can find Amy here:
• Website
• Twitter
• Facebook
• Goodreads
And there is a tour wide giveaway! Enter the rafflecopter below for a chance to win!
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