Amazon.com – Enlightenment (The Driel Trilogy Book 1)
Disclaimer: This book was sent to me by the publisher, Fire Quill Publishing, via NetGalley for an honest review.
Genre: Fiction/Young Adult
Similar Writings: The Splintered Series by A.G. Howard, The Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Clare, Frost by E. Latimer
Plot: After losing everything, all seventeen-year-old Thea wanted was to be a normal teenager. Instead, she was attacked by a mysterious creature she thought only existed in fairy tales. Now thrown into the unknown realm of Faey, Thea is forced to determine the difference between reality and fantasy, in a world ruled by a dark elite and a society wracked by intolerance and prejudice.
With the support of her new friends and a mysterious dark haired, blue-eyed guardian watching her every move, Thea will discover that when it comes to Faey, nothing is what it seems. Will her courage and desire to save this new world from darkness be enough? Or will Thea be the next victim to fall to the dark whispers of fate…
Opinion: Alright readers, today I present you with book 1 in The Driel Trilogy, and unfortunately for all of us, book one just came out on April 18, 2016. So now we all must await the second and third books, which will hopefully be out soon?! FINGERS CROSSED! This is another take on the fantastical Faey and elvish creatures that we so love to read about, but keep in mind that this is quite a fast paced book.
Soon after Thea loses her family in a car accident, and is taken in by her best friend Eli’s family, her world changes forever. Not only must she cope with a tragic loss, but she also learns about an entire mystical realm that she was taken away from as a child in order to protect her. Not only is Thea actually an Elf, but she is the princess of a king and queen that mysteriously perished when she was a child. While she once thought that Eli was just a close friend that was very protective over her, she soon learns that he is a royal guard that was sent back to the human world in order to protect her. Now as threats from the Faey realm have come to the human world to try and kill Thea, she has no choice but to return to a place that was once her home called Aroben. But upon arriving in Aroben, Thea comes across another guardian named Isaac who quickly captures her heart. Now Thea must find a way to not only become Queen of Aroben, but to stop the current ruler who may also be the reason for her parent’s deaths.
Okay, so I finished this little gem yesterday and was actually feeling a bit wishy-washy about it. The story-line is great, I like the characters, and I enjoyed where the author took it. BUT, man does this book move FAST. From the beginning, the author just rushes you through a whole bunch of valuable information, and by the second or third chapter the main character is already being told she’s an Elf. I have seen a few books start out like this, literally jumping right into the premise of the story, so I wasn’t too perturbed by it. However, this fast pace continues throughout the ENTIRE read. It just feels like the author is completely rushing through everything to get to the end. I mean it keeps you enthralled, but where is all the “downtime”? As a reader, you will feel like you have a basic understanding of these characters because, let’s be real here, they are pretty much like every other character we have read about in a fantasy trilogy. A young female lead character with a tragic past but a purpose in life, a young man who is always by her side ready to protect her, another young male who is potentially the “badass” or “bad boy”, and an evil character who just tries to kill everyone and everything for power and just because he is a weirdo. See? Pretty much every character you already know. Here is what is bugging me; the author had a chance to really make these characters different and unique, but instead just rushed over their character development. I will say though, I am QUITE fond of how this love triangle thing turned out. Although, this is only book one. Don’t disappoint me Liz Keel!
Apart from all of that rambling above, today I have found my full appreciation for this story. It doesn’t have werewolves and vampires, or any demons. It purely focuses on one fantasy aspect, and that is Elves, and maybe the occasional dragon and goblin or two. Though I would have preferred if the author slowed down a bit during the writing, I can honestly express that it kept me very interested and I refused to put it down. I am very excited to see what book 2 will bring, and what will happen with the character of Thea. Hopefully the author puts a bit more detail into the characters and writing, but we shall see.
This book and trilogy would be suitable for young adult readers and adults alike. If you are buying this for a younger teen, please keep in mind that there is a bit of swearing and lusty moments that are strictly PG…maybe PG-13 depending on your level of modesty.
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