4 out of 4 stars
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Herai by Aaron D. Key is an engrossing read that keeps both the emotions and intellect in suspense. Although this is Key’s first published novel, he masterfully weaves a thought-provoking tale of crime, romance, betrayal, war, family ties and a yearning for freedom. I admit that I was not captivated by the story from the start, but I was soon entertained by Key’s intriguing writing.
The premise of the novel may not seem very original. Fortunately, Key integrates a myriad of plot twist and mysteries into the story. A mysterious being is watching two alternative realities. He claims that ‘one of the old ones’ is dead in one of the worlds but still alive in the other world, ‘the better place’. In both of these worlds Herai, the youngest daughter of the leader of the underground city in which most of the story transpires, has just reached adulthood. According to legends, the underground city protects the residents from the savage outsiders. However, in one reality Herai is brutally attacked in the city. In the other reality, Herai is sent to the outside to negotiate with the outsiders to avoid an impending war. In which world is 'the old one' still alive and how does his presence influence the events? Read Herai and find out!
The thing that I loved most about this book was the cast of characters. The author creates realistic characters with flaws, doubts, strengths, and weaknesses. I also loved the different perspectives the author employed. Most of the book was written in the omniscient third person. This seemed necessary to keep a sense of suspense as the story progressed. Key did an amazing job hiding the mastermind behind Herai's attack in the city. No one in the main cast of characters was beyond suspicion. Additionally, there are portions of the story that are told through Herai's perspective. I was able to experience her emotions and think her thoughts. This really made me root for Herai and hope for her well-being.
It would be remiss of me not to mention that in one of the realities a homosexual relationship was established. There are some readers who would want to avoid a story if some of the main characters are homosexuals. Fortunately, the author did not include any explicit sexual scenes. Moreover, although this book has a very conclusive ending, the author is currently writing a sequel to this novel. I am not sure how many books will be in the series but it seems that the sequel will not be the last.
In conclusion, I rate Herai 4 out of 4 stars. There are virtually no grammatical flaws in Key’s work and the only editorial error that is worth mentioning is that my copy had the table of contents at the end of the book. The only thing that might annoy readers is that this book is not one that you are attached to from the first chapter. However, I guarantee that Herai is worth reading.
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Herai
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