It's not very original, or unputdownable. Just ok.
It had no developed characters, very simple plot. The plot and writing is suitable for 12-15 year olds, I wanted it to be more developed and complex.
I picked this book because I wanted to read about a kick-ass heroine, and this wasn't one of those books.
Dissapointed... ( )

A somewhat typical fantasy on some levels, it shines more than most because of the racial prejudice angle & how it is handled. Our heroine is a half breed; half elf, half human. Her lot is very tough growing up since elves are purported to be soulless creatures by the reigning religion. The book isn't a deep one, but an easy, enjoyable read. It's got a good, exciting plot & demands that we read the next book to continue the story, but didn't leave me hanging terribly. It came to a natural end at one phase, but we know there is more.

The only weak spot (a pet peeve of mine) is the women guards who are the equal of men. Sorry ladies, but the sexes are NOT equal in this instance, except by a very, very few females. Most men have a lot more upper body strength, bigger arms & stronger wrists. They have the muscles to carry armor & have it fit properly. A pregnant guard is ludicrous. In Moore's defense, I will say that there were a lot more male guards than female, but that part didn't sit well with me at all, obviously.

The other issue I had was with Ashinji's older brother. He's obviously a bad guy, but is just too bad for the family. The parents seem to know everything that is going on, yet have a huge blind spot where this guy is concerned. Not too unrealistic. I've known many parents like that, but in one case it is obvious that they do know, yet condone his behavior by doing nothing. The rest of the family is practically perfect, like this one got all their bad points. A little too much for me. ( )

For some reason, this has been labelled "paranormal". It's not - it's fantasy. Set in a medieval style kingdom, where elves and humans share a border and neither thinks too fondly of the other. Jelena is the product of an unlikely allegiance between elf and human - neither one nor the other, she is reviled by the humans and her lowly position eventually forces her to run away and seek her elven heritage.

The elves were not entirely convincing as a species - they felt more like another race of humans, rather than a distinctly different people - their language was relatively coarse and their customs not significantly different from their human neighbours. I feel the author could have accentuated the differences more - even without having her elven folk live in trees or what-not.

However, as far as self-published works go, this one was very well done. The characters were well developed, the plot moved at a steady pace - although there were a few sidetrack plots to tie up loose ends (such as what happened to cousin Magnes). Editting errors and spelling mistakes were minimal and did not detract from the storyline.

It was interesting, and engrossing and definitely deserves the recognition it has received. However, like almost all self-published tales - it ends on a startling revelation to tempt the reader into purchasing the next instalment. As I have read the reviews of the latter instalments, I am not sure that I shall be tempted, but we will see... ( )

This was an excellent first novel for Leslie. While it was a bit more romance than I usually read, the book never got lost in that aspect. The fantasy of the story was always right there. It is good to have a little romance in any story and I didn't feel that it got too out of hand here. It certainly never degenerated down to what I would call "trashy romance."

The world building here is very impressive. I enjoy getting a little bit at a time throughout the story rather than have to choke down a lot of history and geography all at the start. Leslie does that here very well by giving us a little here and there. She starts with an intriguing prologue that gives us some essential backstory and sets up the tale of Jelena, Griffin's Daughter. Through Jelena's eyes, as well as those of her cousin Magnes and the elf lord Ashinji, we get a small taste of the larger world in which they travel. There is an evil force in the north that is waking up and is pissed. The elven and human kingdoms are feeling tensions grow and war is likely coming soon.

While this novel is about a young woman coming into her own and learning who she is, it is also a great buildup to the rest of the series. Something epic in proportions is coming, and I for one look forward to seeing how it resolves... ( )

A somewhat typical fantasy on some levels, it shines more than most because of the racial prejudice angle & how it is handled. Our heroine is a half breed; half elf, half human. Her lot is very tough growing up since elves are purported to be soulless creatures by the reigning religion. The book isn't a deep one, but an easy, enjoyable read. It's got a good, exciting plot & demands that we read the next book to continue the story, but didn't leave me hanging terribly. It came to a natural end at one phase, but we know there is more.The only weak spot (a pet peeve of mine) is the women guards who are the equal of men. Sorry ladies, but the sexes are NOT equal in this instance, except by a very, very few females. Most men have a lot more upper body strength, bigger arms & stronger wrists. They have the muscles to carry armor & have it fit properly. A pregnant guard is ludicrous. In Moore's defense, I will say that there were a lot more male guards than female, but that part didn't sit well with me at all, obviously.The other issue I had was with Ashinji's older brother. He's obviously a bad guy, but is just too bad for the family. The parents seem to know everything that is going on, yet have a huge blind spot where this guy is concerned. Not too unrealistic. I've known many parents like that, but in one case it is obvious that they do know, yet condone his behavior by doing nothing. The rest of the family is practically perfect, like this one got all their bad points. A little too much for me. ( )