Source: Free review copy from author
Dindi wants nothing more than to be chosen by the Tavaedies, the society of dancers, but she can't even manage to stop dancing with faeries long enough to complete her chores. Still, she hasn't had her Initiation yet, and she won't give up hope. In another part of the world, Kavio has been exiled for performing a taboo dance and must now find his own way in the world. Both are outcasts in some way.
Now, this book is a perfect example of why you shouldn't judge a book by its cover. The cover I see on the Kindle app seems really, well, Disney princess. My initial glance through the first chapter seemed like this would be a cheery fairy story, but I was curious. Although there are certainly some nice moments, there is a much darker undertone, because the world in which Dindi and Kavio live is fraught with civil wars, clan disputes, and other evils that plague society. Even the Initiation, to which Dindi looks forward to, has a darker element to it, since not everyone lives through it. It seemed to me that the book started out quite innocent in tone, but became darker and darker until the climax-I thought this was a great backdrop for a coming-of-age story. As Dindi and Kavio leave the world they knew, they really see that the world is a much less friendly place.
There were actually some really, really dark elements, which I was not expecting (seriously, not matching the cover at all). When Kavio first runs into some other exiles, they have captured an old man, and proceed to cut of hunks of his flesh, roast, and eat it. Goodness. Then there were the Deathsworn, who collect the sick and condemned to kill them for society. Even all the faeries aren't good-the Blue faeries in the water wait to drag humans to their deaths. All these elements grounded the world and made it seem much more real. I wasn't expecting to enter a world where clans were at war, clans willing to capture children to make into slaves. Definitely not a happy-go-lucky world. But this means that characters are going to be facing real conflict, and conflict is what drives the story.
Speaking of plot, I felt that the pace of the story was pretty well-paced. It's a tad confusing until about halfway through, because the novel is divided into sections within chapters that focus on specific characters, and it's somewhat tricky seeing how they'll all come together, but it came together smoothly. I felt like this element worked, especially because the story is still told in third person, so a unique voice wasn't necessary for each person. Basically, the narrator was able to keep the same way of talking, but each character felt unique in personality/actions, i.e. the uniqueness of each character felt natural, not forced, and switching between characters' first person narratives would have been very exhausting to follow. It was well-balanced.
I will say, though, that I have mixed feelings about the ending. I won't say what it is, just that it can be seen as a cliffhanger (I think it is). Technically, the plot of the novel is resolved, but in such a way that it's clear that not everything has been taken care of. Yes, it's a series, so of course there has to be more story to move on to in the next book, but I really like it when a book feels complete by itself, without leaving issues for the next book. I think I want to see how the story continues before I make a final opinion about the ending, because it might work nicely in context of the next book. Having said that, if you're the kind of person who can't stand unresolved issues and what to know everything that happens, you might want to wait until you have the next book before reading this one, or you might feel frustrated. I did, because I felt that the scene stopped halfway through, and that was the end; it was too quick for my taste.
As for the characters, I liked Dindi and Kavio. What's pretty cool is that romance wasn't a huge element in this book (not that it's bad, but every YA novel doesn't need overly passionate romance). I assumed, once Kavio was introduced, that they'd end up together. Of course, romance in later books would work, but this book actually stayed focused on Dindi's experiences leading up to her Initiation, and Kavio dealing with exile and helping avert a massacre. These are Very Big Events, and forcing a full-fledged romance into all that action wouldn't have worked. Both characters are figuring out where they belong, and I liked that that was the focus throughout. I really liked Dindi, because she had trouble fitting in but wasn't self-pitying or whiny, and she was unique. I keep seeing the same female leads over and over: pretty and stupid, ass-kicking and unappealing to men, awkward yet pretty. Dindi's independent, a very skilled dancer, but socially awkward and aware of her flaws. She accepts them, and doesn't whine about them. Kavio had plenty to complain about, but he was very much about moving on, and I liked that he had a strong moral compass that both led him to help others, but also got him into trouble. The characters were much more complex and interesting than I was expecting, which was really great.
Finally, the writing in this book was excellent. Another, rather unfortunate, trend in YA fiction is an overabundance of lackluster, even completely sloppy, writing. I feel like part of the writing process is chewing over words and phrases, then editing over and over to make sure that all the elements are working. I don't appreciate reading a novel where it seems like the author couldn't be bothered to do this, and I am always delighted to read a sentence that creates a vivid description or emotion. Take this:
"Their voices hummed hypnotically, enticing her forward step by step. The lullaby lure of the faery ring shimmered all around her, a mixture of light and song. The fae clasped hands together, closing the circle about her. A chain of pixies undulated in the air, the sprites linked up, and then, in the last gap in the circle, a heron-winged kinnara soared toward the dancers to close the circle. 'Come dance with us, Dindi. Come dance with us forever…'".
That's a lovely paragraph, and the writing stayed consistent throughout the entire. That, plus characters with depth and a plot driven by very tangible conflict, created a wonderful story.
Grade: 4/5-very enjoyable, but I'm still a little bummed by the ending
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