This week’s book review has been a long time comin’! Jamie is a fellow writer that I got in contact with about a year ago. Our shared love of fantasy YA novels is what drew my interest in the first place, and after getting to know her (via email, since she lives half way across the country!) I knew I’d want to read her books! So, with great anticipation, I finally grabbed the copy of SENTINEL (Book 1 of The Sentinel Trilogy) that I’d purchased, and got to reading!
Synopsis:
When random people across the world abruptly vanish, Darien Aetherswift looks to a secretive Serran Academy for answers… and stumbles upon their ancient collection of supernatural powers.
But the Academy is destroyed in a brutal raid, trapping Darien on the wrong side of a surreal war. As apocalyptic plagues twist reality, what becomes of truth… and who can be trusted?
The Short: 5 out of 5 Stars
The Long: Ok, I know a synopsis is supposed to give a brief summary of the story, but man, this story has a lot going on! There’s no way it could all fit in those two little paragraphs! Luckily, you have me to help you out. (*wink*)
So, Darien and Tera are a brother/sister duo who happen to stumble upon a Serran Academy – a school for gifted ‘Followers’ – just as an apocalyptic event occurs. Although neither are a Follower, they decide to stay at the academy as students. Enter awesome supernatural powers and a unique backstory that explains why the Followers are so hated by society. Here we meet Sentinels, Arbiters, Sages, and other people who possess supernatural abilities that are unlocked through a relationship with Aeo. Beautiful!
The academy is attacked, the students run, and Darien’s main objective becomes finding his sister and getting out of this mess. They head north to regroup with other Followers, but find an even worse situation than they expected. Throw in a twist ending that I seriously didn’t see coming, and I’m champing at the bit to begin the next book. (Thankfully the 3rd is already released so I can move on to that one, too.)
So, what did I think? The 5 stars should tell you, I loved it! The world Jamie has created is detailed but unique and believable. Told through Darien’s eyes, he’s an arrogant teen who finds his mouth has led him into trouble one too many times. He’s given a mentor, Jet, who is anything but cuddly. Although Tera trusts the Followers from the get-go, Darien never fully believes their motives are pure, which causes friction between him and… well, everyone. Jamie’s writing style is fluid and lovely, and there were times I re-read a paragraph just because. *Sigh*
Well done, Jamie!
If you’re looking for a fantasy novel that mixes ancient magic with the real world, this book is for you!
Happy reading, friends!