Book Summary: In an alternate 1906, the United States and Japan have forged a powerful confederation—the Unified Pacific—in an attempt to dominate the world. Their first target is a vulnerable China. In San Francisco, headstrong Ingrid Carmichael is assisting a group of powerful geomancer Wardens who have no idea of the depth of her power—or that she is the only woman to possess such skills.
When assassins kill the Wardens, Ingrid and her mentor are protected by her incredible magic. But the pair is far from safe. Without its full force of guardian geomancers, the city is on the brink of a cataclysmic earthquake that will expose Earth’s powers to masterminds determined to control the energy for their own dark ends. The danger escalates when Chinese refugees, preparing to fight the encroaching American and Japanese, fracture the uneasy alliance between the Pacific allies, transforming the city into a veritable powder keg. And the slightest tremor will set it off. . . .
Forced on the run, Ingrid makes some shocking discoveries about herself. Her powerful magic has grown even more fearsome . . . and she may be the fulcrum on which the balance of world power rests.
My Rating/Review: 4/5 stars. A fun read. I particularly liked the fact that our heroine is a mix of different cultures, while still managing to kick-butt in a girl power sort of way. I also appreciated this was not the typical Steampunk Victorian England setting, but rather San Francisco on the eve of what would be the Great Earthquake. A good cast of characters - I enjoyed finding out about Ingrid's powers/skills as she discovered them for herself, and loved the mythology tie-ins. The book is obviously meant to be a set-up to the rest of the series, which I will probably read. It reached a semi-satisfactory conclusion where some of the loose ends were tied up. I'll be interested to see how the author develops the rest of the plot since there's obviously a lot that we, the readers, and Ingrid don't yet know about the forces behind the forces.
I also started and finished The Bone Witch by Rin Chupeco this week, for the week 9 prompt: A book with a body part in the title.
Book Summary: Tea is different from the other witches in her family. Her gift for necromancy makes her a bone witch, who are feared and ostracized in the kingdom. For theirs is a powerful, elemental magic that can reach beyond the boundaries of the living—and of the human.
Great power comes at a price, forcing Tea to leave her homeland to train under the guidance of an older, wiser bone witch. There, Tea puts all of her energy into becoming an asha, learning to control her elemental magic and those beasts who will submit by no other force. And Tea must be strong—stronger than she even believes possible. Because war is brewing in the eight kingdoms, war that will threaten the sovereignty of her homeland…and threaten the very survival of those she loves.
Great power comes at a price, forcing Tea to leave her homeland to train under the guidance of an older, wiser bone witch. There, Tea puts all of her energy into becoming an asha, learning to control her elemental magic and those beasts who will submit by no other force. And Tea must be strong—stronger than she even believes possible. Because war is brewing in the eight kingdoms, war that will threaten the sovereignty of her homeland…and threaten the very survival of those she loves.
My Rating/Review: 4/5 stars. A very well-written, almost lyrical book. My main complaint is that it really doesn't finish the story here - I know... I complain about this a lot... but I think books should be able to stand alone with a completed story and not leave one hanging waiting for the next in the series. (And there is a second one in the works, due out this year - 2018 - at some point). That said, this was a great young adult-type read. The main character, Tea, is strong and intelligent, and while she has a lot of growing up to do in the book, she's still a great role model-type character. I liked the way the author bracketed each chapter of the history of her development as a dark Asha and her exploration of her magical powers with a contemporary storyline (which I am hoping is further developed and expanded on in the sequel). I was also impressed with the level of descriptive details included in the story - they always make or break a book for me and there were lots of them here. I bookmarked many of the descriptions of the kimono-type garments the Ashas wear as design inspiration for "someday". A wonderful adventure story, a great heroine and good supporting cast = lots to enjoy in this one. A recommended read.
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