The Rise of Irina

"It’s hard to say what is most appealing about this book: the true-to-life characters that seem to jump off the page, the carefully crafted Kingdom that you can imagine being part of, or the tension that keeps the reader wondering (and worrying) what will happen next. The story moves swiftly among several different characters and situations and ramps up the suspense by leaving the reader hanging with each change in point of view—frustrating, but very effective! Every main character is likable, even lovable, drawing the reader quickly into his or her life. I liked that each character had his or her own type of magic and appreciated the touches that made them seem so real, just living in a different time and place: the princess wrestles with sexism, orphan brothers struggle to fit in, young love … just happens. All in all, a treat for anyone who loves fantasy, with a cliffhanger ending that leaves me hoping Book 2 will come soon."