Review by JRWebb -- Awakening by Tayma Tameem
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JRWebb
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Review by JRWebb -- Awakening by Tayma Tameem
[Following is a volunteer review of "Awakening" by Tayma Tameem.]
Awakening by Tayma Tameem is a fantasy coming-of-age story about sisterly love and self-growth. The story centers on the Princesses of Hale; Amara, who battles to control her powers, and older sister Katja, who is Amara’s pillar of strength and unconditional support. It’s told in alternating chapters -jumping from the past as the girls grow up and Amara struggles to rein in her powers; and the present, when Katja awakes alone in the woods with amnesia. Katja must try to piece together who she is and what happened to her and her family.
The author weaves a compelling narrative by using different timelines to show the once strong relationship between the two sisters versus the present-day deterioration of their relationship and kingdom. Katja’s lack of memories makes this story all the more interesting as the mystery of her past unfolds. Another positive, and refreshing aspect of the story, was the focus on sisterly love and self-growth over romantic relationships. The author created a story about strong, independent women discovering their own self-worth and defeating their inner demons without relying on a romantic relationship to help them along that path. I eagerly kept reading to find out what happened to Katja and Amara’s once rock-solid relationship and Katja’s memories. Additionally, the author skillfully created a magical world that is both believable and understandable. All the while, the characters’ story arcs held more importance than the magical elements, which helped me stay emotionally invested in the sisters’ journeys.
In regards to the negative aspects of the book, there were a few areas that could use improvement. Some of the dialogue, especially towards the end, sounded unnatural and stiff. And while I wish there had been a bit more development of secondary characters, like Marius and Aevar, I understand that they are meant to take a backseat to Amara and Katja’s storyline. I also felt that the story, although well done, wasn’t professionally edited. There were several instances of awkward phrasing and a few typos that needed refining. While they don’t take away from the clarity of the author’s writing, they were enough to stick out.
Overall, Awakening gets three out of four stars for its compelling story arc, alternating timelines, and twist ending. I think the book needs a few minor tweaks in regards to character development, dialogue, and editing in order to earn a fourth star.
Awakening is a satisfying read for lovers of fantasy, adult fans of Frozen, and anyone who prefers stories about tough, independent female characters. The story is a page-turner with a great twist and cliff-hanger ending.
******
Awakening
View: on Bookshelves
Awakening by Tayma Tameem is a fantasy coming-of-age story about sisterly love and self-growth. The story centers on the Princesses of Hale; Amara, who battles to control her powers, and older sister Katja, who is Amara’s pillar of strength and unconditional support. It’s told in alternating chapters -jumping from the past as the girls grow up and Amara struggles to rein in her powers; and the present, when Katja awakes alone in the woods with amnesia. Katja must try to piece together who she is and what happened to her and her family.
The author weaves a compelling narrative by using different timelines to show the once strong relationship between the two sisters versus the present-day deterioration of their relationship and kingdom. Katja’s lack of memories makes this story all the more interesting as the mystery of her past unfolds. Another positive, and refreshing aspect of the story, was the focus on sisterly love and self-growth over romantic relationships. The author created a story about strong, independent women discovering their own self-worth and defeating their inner demons without relying on a romantic relationship to help them along that path. I eagerly kept reading to find out what happened to Katja and Amara’s once rock-solid relationship and Katja’s memories. Additionally, the author skillfully created a magical world that is both believable and understandable. All the while, the characters’ story arcs held more importance than the magical elements, which helped me stay emotionally invested in the sisters’ journeys.
In regards to the negative aspects of the book, there were a few areas that could use improvement. Some of the dialogue, especially towards the end, sounded unnatural and stiff. And while I wish there had been a bit more development of secondary characters, like Marius and Aevar, I understand that they are meant to take a backseat to Amara and Katja’s storyline. I also felt that the story, although well done, wasn’t professionally edited. There were several instances of awkward phrasing and a few typos that needed refining. While they don’t take away from the clarity of the author’s writing, they were enough to stick out.
Overall, Awakening gets three out of four stars for its compelling story arc, alternating timelines, and twist ending. I think the book needs a few minor tweaks in regards to character development, dialogue, and editing in order to earn a fourth star.
Awakening is a satisfying read for lovers of fantasy, adult fans of Frozen, and anyone who prefers stories about tough, independent female characters. The story is a page-turner with a great twist and cliff-hanger ending.
******
Awakening
View: on Bookshelves
Latest Review: We are Voulhire: The Fires of Virko by Matthew Tysz
