Grandelyn: Review

Grandelyn
Author: Dionne Lee Nelson
Publisher: CreateSpace
Pages: 404

Summary:

Set in a fantasy world that is both harsh and beautiful, Grandelyn follows the journey to freedom of an enslaved group of people. Oppressed by an evil dictator, the slaves appear doomed to a lifetime of torture and servitude. But an unlikely leader rises among them and offers a chance for freedom. Ariyah, the beautiful young daughter of a rebellious slave, grows to become a fierce warrior and a reluctant leader in the eyes of the people. Ariyah attempts to lead the slaves out of bondage and into a new life - in a beautiful yet mysterious land called Grandelyn. After years of pain and suffering, Ariyah and her people find that Grandelyn offers the potential for peace and happiness. But Grandelyn has dark secrets that are about to be revealed. Those secrets, and a dictator who is unwilling to relinquish his grip, threaten everything that Ariyah and the others have fought so hard to attain. In effect, Grandelyn is the story of two journeys, and two transformations. One is the journey of an enslaved people struggling to transform themselves to a free people. The other is the journey of a young girl struggling to quickly transform from a child slave to a leader. Both journeys have unexpected and dangerous consequences. All journeys must end. Will both of these journeys end in the peace and prosperity of Grandelyn, or in a dark new world? (Goodreads)

My Thoughts:

Kalos is an evil dictator who rules Ferocities. He has enslaved people and tortures them if they don't do exactly as he says. There is one slave who stands up to him and does not fear him the way the others do. She trains her daughter Ariyah and her fellow slaves to fight. When the time comes, the slaves band together and attempt to escape to a magical place called Grandelyn. Ariyah transforms from an enslaved child to a strong and wonderful leader. Will they be free to live in peace in Grandelyn or will they be forced to return to Ferocities and its dark ruler?

I am going to start off by saying that I really liked this book. It's a wonderful and extremely interesting story. You can easily imagine what everything would look, feel, smell and taste like. The author does a wonderful job of describing this world and everything in it. Ariyah's story is empowering and inspiring. It takes a very strong woman (or even man) to accomplish what she has, especially considering the life she has had. That being said, there were quite a few mistakes in the book and at times the writing seemed amateurish. It wasn't BAD writing, it just seemed like someone without a ton of experience wrote it. I don't know how else to describe it but if it wasn't for this it would be perfect! This however, does not change my mind about wanting to read a sequel. I would absolutely love to find out what happens next in the world of Grandelyn.

*I was sent a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. 

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