Bertrice Small
World of Hetar
Harlequin
978-0739454442
14+ (questionable consent)
459 pages
Fantasy
source: public library
grade: C+
from author's website:
Welcome, dear reader, to the world of Hetar. A land of Forest Lords, of Shadow Princes and Coastal Kings. A place that is both civilized and savage. Where the social classes know their place, but where anyone can, under the right conditions, advance to the highest pinnacle. This is a place where pleasure is not censured but encouraged; where the ends are justified by the means. And yet all is not as perfect as it may seem. The orderly, elegant veneer of refined Hetar cannot prevent the rebellion brewing in the Outlands, a dangerous place of both magic and mystery.
From the City that is the very center of Hetar, Lara, the beautiful half-faerie daughter of John Swiftsword, ventures forth on a journey that will take her into the heart of darkness and the depths of desire, as she learns the true meaning of love that will last an eternity -- a love that will change the destiny of Hetar forever.
My thoughts:
I need to start off by telling you I almost didn't finish this book. If it wasn't for the challenges it qualified for I wouldn't have. One of the problems is that the library has it filed under romance and it is a fantasy novel. The world is Hetar, not the United States as amazon claims. So I really got off of the wrong foot with this one.
The prologue starts with "She was naked." Fine, but the next two words are "the girl" and she's afraid. Now, I don't know about you but a romance novel that starts off like that does nothing for me and if she hadn't been talking to some kind of spirit in her necklace - and being talked back to - I would have closed the book and sent it back to the library.
Chapter 1 doesn't start off much better. "We must sell Lara, husband." Right because the stepmother who is only five years older can't help find another way.
grrrr
I'm not even sure why I continued reading, there must have been some train wreck fascination but learning that Lara was the naked girl and that her mother was a fairy was interesting enough that I kept reading.
There are giants, fairies, stuck-up-know-it-alls, Princes, and not so uncivilized outlaws. The landscape of Hetar is beautiful and the people varied.
We left Lara while she is on a quest. She's making friends and picking up traveling companions. We're learning about her world as she is. I don't know how much to tell you without giving the whole thing away but I have requested the next book in the series from the library.
copyright Book Dragon's Lair 2009-2014
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