Monday, August 5, 2013

{Review} Renhala by Amy Joy Lutchen

ASIN #: B009I3SO9E
File Size: 753 KB
Page Count: 405
Copyright: September 26, 2012
Publisher: Amy Joy Lutchen


Book Summary:
(Taken from Amazon)

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.


Mandy's Review:

I know there are a lot of fantasy novels out there that introduce an alternative, and coexisting, realm full of strange creatures. Renhala is one of those. In this story, the evil creatures of Renhala are planning to overtake this realm, known as Abscondia. It is the stopping of this infiltration that Kailey and her motley band of misfits are trying to stop.

Kailey is an emotional and psychological wreck resulting from her attack. Her mother does what she can to comfort her, but it's when she meets Gunthreon that Kailey starts feeling better about herself. Gunthreon introduces her to Renhala, the disturbances in that realm, and awakens the awareness of her abilities that Kailey never knew she had.

As Kailey grows in her powers, she becomes part of a group that is dependent upon each other. When Gunthreon, their natural leader, brings to everyone's attention that there is likely an informant in the group, the trust among them begins to crumble. Only Kailey, a karmelean, can truly tell what everyone's intentions are. Despite the fact that she doesn't feel any betrayal among their group, she still has her doubts.

While the group works on their trust issues, they continue on with their quest of finding Neda and trying to stop the evil from overtaking Abscondia. It's at Kailey's best friend's wedding when the proverbial poo hits the fan.

There is quite a lot that happens in this novel. Some might say it's too much, but I think it's just right. Upon finishing, I was left with some questions though: Who was it that attacked Kailey in the beginning? If Ladimer was to be watching over Kailey her entire life, what became more important than watching her the night of her attack?

Overall, I believe this to be a novel that fantasy lovers would enjoy. It was an easy, yet entertaining, read that transported you into its world. A wonderful beginning to a new series.


*An ecopy of this novel was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.

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