Tags
author, book, book reviews, books, characters, fantasy, fiction, magic, novel, read, reader, review, The Empyrean Key By JL Tomlinson, writer, YA, young adult
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Magic
Pages: 285
Point of View: Third Distant (Jahna, Lilac, Silko, Friziel, Selizardra, Mydra)
Released: August 27, 2014
Series: Ardentia 1
Predictability: 4 out of 5 (Where 1 is George RR Martin (If the characters make a plan or think about the future I know it isn’t going to go that way.) And 5 is Cinder (where I guessed what was going to happen long before it did, but it was still a great book.)
Source: The author contacted me and asked if I would review this book.
My Rating: 6/10 Stars
I guess it’s no surprise that a book that took me TEN DAYS to read would be hard to review. The Empyrean Key had such potential, but I actually almost gave up. (Which I hate doing) I liked the magic and the intrigue in the castle. (and a certain thief 😉 ) But those things weren’t used enough.
My Summary:
Jahna is a Narcean, a race which has the ability to see the future and read people’s minds, but because she’s never lived among her people and her mother won’t teach her, Jahna’s powers are minimal and she has to touch someone to see something.
Due to the king’s failing heath the country is in a crisis. The Narcean Seer to the king believes the queen to be behind the king’s mysterious illness, so he sets things in motion to protect the kingdom, which will change Jahna’s everyday live forever.
My Review:
Most of the book is told by Jahna with occasional paragraphs told by her two friends (It takes a little getting used to, but in the end I liked it) the bookworm Silko and the giant girl who wishes she could be a fighter, Lilac. The other main narrator is Mydra the king’s daughter, but lots of other characters have their own chapter too. (Which surprisingly wasn’t confusing)
Narceans aren’t the only race with special powers, and there are also the Vessels, people chosen by the gods should they wish to return again who can control the elements. (Not sure what they have to do with anything yet though)
The Good:
I liked how the story alternated between Jahna and those in the castle. I actually preferred the intrigue in the castle to Jahna’s quest. (I love political intrigue in books!)
Jahna, Lilac and Silko had a great friendship, which felt very real. (Yes I have weird friends) I loved how they joked with each other.
The world building and powers of this book were the best and most unique aspect of the book. (and why I kept reading) All of the little touches really added to the story, from the implanted stone which helped harness Narcean powers, to the whale like creatures the villagers rode on to go fishing. (And I can’t even mention the best part!)
There is a love interest! (Or at least a flirt) He doesn’t come in until the end of the book and I really wish he was in it more because he’s such an interesting and fun character!
The Bad:
Most of this book is Jahna, Silko, & Lilac’s quest to save the kingdom, but it took too long for things to get started. After a great first chapter the pace slows WAY down and for a good chunk of the beginning of the book nothing really happens. Jahna’s everyday life was rather boring. (Sorry!)
Jahna also came off rather selfish at times. We spent so much time in her normal life, but all she seems to do is sleep in, lay on the beach, and play with her friends. She’s eighteen in a medieval world. Shouldn’t she have a job or at least help her mother out around the house? (Guess not)
Towards the end it started to get good, but then it was over. Where’s the rest?
Will I read the next one? Yes.
I’m afraid that this quest is going to last too long and be too predictable, but I care enough about the characters and want to know how it’s resolved. Also I’m hoping there will be more magic in the next books and maybe even a battle. (Since this is classified as high fantasy.)
Do you often not finish books or is it rare that you give up? (Like a certain stubborn someone)
Woven Magic Books 
I used to be so stubborn too, but lately I’ve gotten better at putting a book I’m not enjoying down. My reading time is so valuable and short these days, and I want to spend it on something I’m enjoying.
This sounds kind of interesting. Glad you enjoyed it enough to continue with the next one:)
I really need to learn to give up, but like with this book it got better at the end and I would’ve missed that if I quit. Thanks! 🙂
If I’ve gotten more than halfway through, I’ll probably finish the book, even if I’m not enjoying it. That’s where the negative reviews come in. If I’m at 1/4 or 1/3 of the way through and I think I’m probably not going to like the rest, I’ll put the book away and call it a DNF. I hate doing that, but sometimes I have to for my own sanity!
That’s a good system. I should try to do that. I think I’m actually more likely to give up on a book if it starts off great and then get terrible than if it starts out okay, but I have hope.
This definitely sounds interesting! Thanks for the honest review. 🙂
Thank you! It was interesting.I’m hopeful for this series. I get to read the arc of the sequel in a couple of months. 🙂
I always finish books, even when it takes a real push to get through them. I’m too stubborn to give in. 🙂
I’m glad I’m not the only one! I just can’t call it quits, because the further I read the more time I’ve put in and after that I feel the need to find out what happens.
Hmmmm, I think I’ll wait to see how you like the next one before making a decision. I hate it when a book finally starts to get good at the end since it is so hard to advise people on whether or not to read it haha!
Good idea, I’ll let you know how it is. 🙂 I know, right? If it had all been like the end I’d definitely recommend it, but with such a slow beginning I just don’t know.
I am very, very stubborn. I rarely DNF. I have DNFed two books in recent memory, and they were just… not good. I have plowed through some books that I had no business continuing to read, just out of sheer stubbornness.
As for this book, I don’t know if I am just tired, but it sounds really confusing! Though, I am quite picky about fantasy for that reason, I suppose 😉
I’m glad I’m not alone. 🙂 If a book starts really good and takes a turn I’m more likely to give up, but that’s really really rare. Me too! Sometimes I should just give up, but if it’s a series I usually keep going. This book actually wasn’t confusing. I hope my review wasn’t confusing. We’ll blame it on sleepiness. *nods* I’m more picky about science fiction, most fantasy I’ll read. (Unless it is compared to dungeons and dragons)
No no, it wasn’t your review, it was the book characteristics. I even looked it up on Goodreads, and the whole synopsis made me feel like I was reading another language! Like it starts off ” In Ardentia, a land carved by the Celestials and their magic, a great King lies dying. Narcean soothsayer, Friziel Sunrender…” I mean, I only know *maybe* half of those words as English. And I was way too tired to worry about what they meant 😉 Your review was not confusing at all, no worries!
Thank you! I’m so glad it wasn’t confusing. You so understand how my worried little mind works. Yeah, I hate it when I feel like I have to learn a different language to understand the book.
Hmm, I’m not sure about this one. I do like how the “love interest” is introduced much later into the story, goes to prove that not all romances are needed for plot devices!
Lovely review, Molly <33
That’s probably because I wasn’t sure about it, but if the sequel is anything like the end of the book this could be a good series. Usually I don’t care if there’s a love interest at all, but this one was such a cool character I wanted more of him. Thank you! 🙂
I hope it won’t be too predictable… I didn’t know about this one but the cover is a little weird… I don’t really know about it for me but it’s nice to see that even if you had many POVs, it wasn’t confusing because it’s something I’m always anxious about.
Yeah, I might not have picked it based on the cover either, but by the end it was getting good, so I have hope for the sequel. I don’t mind if certain parts of a book are predictable, but when the characters set out a complex plan and then it all goes according to that plan it bores me. (That didn’t happen here, they just set out a long plan so I was afraid of it) I’m always hesitant about multiple POVs too, but this one was 85% one point of view with occasional others and they were kept short.
Since I’ve started blogging I tend to DNF a lot more than before. I just don’t have the time anymore to read books I’m not enjoying.
Great review.
Thanks! Yeah I really need to start hording my reading time more, especially since I want to be able to at least post one review a week.
10 days? Omg, I would so have given up
Yeah… I’ve been in a bit of a reading slump, so that’s only like twice as slow as I’m reading at the moment.
I don’t always finish books. If I stop it is usually around the half way point. I try to give a book a good chance, but then I move on to something I like better.
I enjoyed your honest review of this book. It says a lot that you are planning to read the second one. I will be curious about your thoughts on it!
I almost always finish a book if I get past the first couple of chapters. By the half way point I almost never give up. (Usually I convince myself I’m just setting it aside and I’ll come back to it.)
Thank you! Yeah, the end of the book was getting quite good so I have hope for the sequel. I’m glad. 🙂
Unfortunately, I am one of those who will give up on a book if it drags on for way too long. A quarter of the way through is enough for me to figure out if the story is worth it and if the writing is up to par. Sadly, I seem to have gotten too many free Kindle books that just don’t cut it even though it sounded oh so promising. On another note, I love quest stories, but they get tedious if they go too long. Seriously, what normal, sane person would want to spend years locked in the same quest? Or maybe my attention span is just too short…
I know what you mean about freebies. Usually I only read a chapter or two to know if I’m going to keep going. After I hit five chapters I can’t give up, I have to know what happens.
I think it greatly depends on the author with quest stories. They can be really good and interesting (and unpredictable) or just boring and torture. I like to be warned ahead of time that they will be doing a lot of traveling. I don’t usually mind it as long as I see it going somewhere.
Good on you for seeing this book through to the end, although I can’t say that your efforts paid off exactly. Six stars is still a pretty solid rating, but it’s hard justifying spending ten whole days on one single title. I always give a series a two installment chance, so I’m happy to see that you’re doing the same. You just never know!
Carmel @ Rabid Reads.
Thanks. I think they did, because it was getting good towards the end, so I have hope for the sequel. Yes, for me six stars is a I’m glad I read it, but I wouldn’t read it again. I’m in a bit of a slump right now, so all of my reading is taking longer than it should. I’m glad to hear I’m not the only one who gives sequels a shot if the first book was okay. Sometimes the sequel is so much better, especially when the first one was the author’s first book.
This is proof that characters are VERY important to long-term readership. We’ll forgive a lot of things, but if we like the characters, we want to see what happens next on their journeys!
Exactly. If I like the characters, I care what happens to them and I’ll keep reading. If you look at all of the best long running series the one thing they have in common is good characters.
Really not looking for a slow paced book, you know what I mean?
I completely understand. Usually when I hear slow paced and I write it off too.
Slow book with a late reveal of the love interest? Ehhhhh maybe not for me right now. But I do love to support indie authors though and I’m glad you stuck with this one. It takes a handful of people to pry me away from a book, regardless of whether or not I like it. I hate declaring DNF. But lately I’ve been so lax about it, just because I’m so busy. I’m justifying it to myself because now that my time is so in demand, there’s no time for dud books. Ha. But I’m not happy that I’m giving up. I will whisper this though *I recently gave up on HoF for the time being* :OOOOOO
Indie authors are great! I’ve read so many good ones who should really be famous. haha I’m glad I’m not the only one who just can’t give up. I understand, I feel awful wasting so much time on one book! Whenever I stop a book I convince myself I’ll come back to it. HoF? Sorry I couldn’t figure it out.
Heir of Fire!
Oh duh. Thanks.
I have this one on my TBR, because the summary really spoke to me. I will definitely read it one day, even if you found it hard to finish.
Recently, I have stopped reading a little more often than I did before. Even if I had trouble with the book, I felt the need to continue reading until the very end – now, though, I have realized that sometimes, it’s better both for me and the book to just put it down and leave it at that.
Have a terrific Thursday, Molly.
I’m glad you’re still willing to give it a shot. I found it hard to start, but easy to finish. The end was the best part!
Yeah, I haven’t been reading as much recently either (Not for lack of trying) So I should probably be a little more stingy about my reading time.
Have a fantastic day yourself Lexxie! 🙂