Book Review of Kiera's Quest: Awakenings (Kiera's Quest Book 1) by Kristy Brown

Synopsis:

Meet Kiera, a pretty, intelligent, and talented girl, brought up by her uncle, and abandoned by her parents. Life is as normal as she believes it to be, apart from the deep ache inside her, telling her she’s different. For years, Kiera had dreams where she ventures into a different reality. She’s not alone; a presence is always there, keeping her safe, yet she feels vulnerable, and hunted.

Zakk, Prince of Zantar, is under the Witch Queen’s spell as she tries to take over his world. He crosses paths with Kiera, and their fates are entwined.

As their journey unravels, she learns that she is not the only one affected by this prince. Who is on her side? Will she find out why she has been chosen? How can someone so young, defeat such evil? Will she find the strength to save the ones closest to her? Will this be Kiera’s only Quest?

Review:


Kiera's Quest: Awakenings by Kristy Brown
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author in return for an honest review.

This is the first book in a YA series for children aged 9 to 16. I really enjoyed it!

Kiera Matthews is a wonderful character. She is a typical young teen with hopes and dreams. I liked her very much. She is kind, caring and sensible. However, her life is about to get very complicated, when she "meets" Zakk.

Zakk is the Prince of Zantar. He is an interesting character. I liked him very much. He is a thoughtful young boy, trapped under a spell by the Witch Queen, and needs Kiera's help to break the spell before his sixteenth birthday.

I started to read this book, and I was struck by the uniqueness of it. I was quickly pulled into the story, which was a roller coaster ride from beginning to end. I am not sure the reader is supposed to like the Witch Queen, but I was quite taken with her evilness and her snide remarks; She made the book quite interesting. The Witch Queen is what I would call deliciously evil, and is one of those characters you love to hate. Kiera's friends are all interesting. They are Maddy, Joe and Daz. Their characters are not as well developed as I would have liked, but I liked them all. There are several twists and turns to keep the reader enthralled, with plenty of danger, mystery and adventure, not to mention a shocking betrayal that I did not see coming. I loved the scene where Kiera and Zakk first communicate. It had me grinning, as I could imagine it quite clearly. In fact, most of the scenes were well described and I could picture them with ease. The story ends on a slight cliffhanger and, although I am not in the intended age range for this series, I am looking forward to reading the next book as soon as possible.

Kristy Brown has written a fast paced YA story that was entertaining and exciting. I loved her writing style, and the flow was wonderful.

I highly recommend this book to middle grade children who love action, adventure and fantasy. I also recommend this book to adults who love to read younger YA fantasy novels. - Lynn Worton

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