Title: The Violet FoxAuthor: Clare C. Marshall
Publication Date: October 13, 2012
Publisher: Faery Ink Press
Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult
Blurb:
There are two kinds of people in the land of Marlenia.
The Marlenians, who live on the surface,
and the Freetors, who are forced to live underground.
The war between them ended two hundred years ago, but the Freetors still fight for the right to live under the sun. Fifteen-year-old Kiera Driscoll embodies the Freetors' hopes as the Violet Fox. In a violet cape and mask, she sneaks around Marlenia City stealing food and freeing her people from slavery.
Then the Elders task her with a secret mission: retrieve a stolen tome that contains the secrets of Freetor magic, something the Marlenians both fear and covet. Kiera must disguise herself as a noblewoman and infiltrate the Marlenian castle before the Freetor-hating Advisor finds out her real identity, before her brother is imprisoned because of the secrets he hides, and before she falls any more in love with the prince she's supposed to hate.
More is happening in the castle than she realizes, and Kiera is faced with a difficult choice. Will she be loyal to her people and their fight for freedom, or will she be loyal to her heart?
Kayla's Thoughts:
I have been having withdrawal symptoms from fantasy novels lately. I absolutely love the worlds that authors can create in this genre and am slightly obsessed with the fighting and warrior-ness and magic that goes on in a fantasy novel. So it was with great surprise that I started reading this book and found that it was indeed a fantasy novel. I really have no idea what I originally thought this was going to be about, but I was completely stoked that this would sate my imagination.
Because I am picky about fantasy novels, it takes certain qualities to make one amazing in my eyes. I mean, I will always like them, but for a book to be phenomenal in this genre, I have to immediately feel a part of the world and characters that have been created. I always talk about a feeling of regalness when I read fantasy novels. My back becomes straighter, thoughts of honour enter my mind, and I instantly become a warrior. When that happens, I know I have hit the jackpot book-wise. And here, I definitely hit the jackpot.
What to say... This book immediately sucked me in. I felt so close to the main character, Kiera. She reminded me of myself. And while her recklessness as the Violet Fox is quite dangerous and stupid at times, I...just...I loved her enthusiasm. I loved that she gets this indescribable rush when being chased by guards. Living underground in a world of uncertainty whether or not you will be alive to see the next day, her heart is what keeps her sane. I have no words right now for how amazing I think this character is.
And her brother... He keeps her in line, whether or not she likes it. He would give his life to protect her, and she his. They are just the perfect team. And while things may become disagreeable between the two, no matter what, each has the other's back. And I, for one, having a brother myself, would not want it any other way in a story.
And Kiera's friend, Laoise. I cannot wait to see what is in store for this girl. She is so sweet, but I can see a fire burning inside her that has yet to be revealed. I just have this inkling that we have not heard the last of her. She is a fighter, just like Kiera, albeit maybe not so obviously, and I just know in my heart that she will do something amazing in the story or stories to come.
I think that I am slightly obsessed with the North's accent now. You see, I have been saying dialogue in books out loud since the Harry Potter books at the age of 11. I love how it transforms me into the characters, and I especially love to do accents. So it made my day when Kiera first talks to the woman she must portray for her mission for the Elders. When the noblewoman started to speak I was like "YES! FINALLY!", because usually, unless an author writes how a character speaks his or her words, such as in this case, I have to make up my own way of speech. I loved it!! I hope more of that is portrayed in the coming novels, because it was fun to say.
Because I am picky about fantasy novels, it takes certain qualities to make one amazing in my eyes. I mean, I will always like them, but for a book to be phenomenal in this genre, I have to immediately feel a part of the world and characters that have been created. I always talk about a feeling of regalness when I read fantasy novels. My back becomes straighter, thoughts of honour enter my mind, and I instantly become a warrior. When that happens, I know I have hit the jackpot book-wise. And here, I definitely hit the jackpot.
What to say... This book immediately sucked me in. I felt so close to the main character, Kiera. She reminded me of myself. And while her recklessness as the Violet Fox is quite dangerous and stupid at times, I...just...I loved her enthusiasm. I loved that she gets this indescribable rush when being chased by guards. Living underground in a world of uncertainty whether or not you will be alive to see the next day, her heart is what keeps her sane. I have no words right now for how amazing I think this character is.
And her brother... He keeps her in line, whether or not she likes it. He would give his life to protect her, and she his. They are just the perfect team. And while things may become disagreeable between the two, no matter what, each has the other's back. And I, for one, having a brother myself, would not want it any other way in a story.
And Kiera's friend, Laoise. I cannot wait to see what is in store for this girl. She is so sweet, but I can see a fire burning inside her that has yet to be revealed. I just have this inkling that we have not heard the last of her. She is a fighter, just like Kiera, albeit maybe not so obviously, and I just know in my heart that she will do something amazing in the story or stories to come.
I think that I am slightly obsessed with the North's accent now. You see, I have been saying dialogue in books out loud since the Harry Potter books at the age of 11. I love how it transforms me into the characters, and I especially love to do accents. So it made my day when Kiera first talks to the woman she must portray for her mission for the Elders. When the noblewoman started to speak I was like "YES! FINALLY!", because usually, unless an author writes how a character speaks his or her words, such as in this case, I have to make up my own way of speech. I loved it!! I hope more of that is portrayed in the coming novels, because it was fun to say.
Verdict:
This world of Freetors and Marlenians, of free men and servants, of deceit and love, is just so infinitely worth every page, sentence, paragraph, and word. It was...it took my breath away, and I have already donated to the Indiegogo campaign to help fund the second book, The Silver Spear. I believe in this project so wholeheartedly and still cannot believe how much I enjoyed this first book. There is definitely more to come, and I cannot wait until I can indulge in more of this outstanding tale.
Author's Bio:
Clare C. Marshall grew up in rural Nova Scotia with very little television and dial-up internet, and yet she turned out okay. She has a combined Honours degree in journalism and psychology from the University of King's College, and is a graduate from Humber College's Creative Book Publishing Program. She is a full-time freelance editor, book designer, and web manager. She enjoys publishing books through her publishing imprint, Faery Ink Press. When she's not writing, she enjoys playing the fiddle and making silly noises at cats.
Hi Kayla! Thanks so much for your contribution to the campaign and for your review! I'm so glad that you loved the first book and I hope I don't disappoint with the second. You WILL see more of the Northern accent...and a new accent from the South! (It's less intense and pronounced but still hopefully entertaining!)
ReplyDelete~Clare