Review by zainherb -- Awakening by Tayma Tameem

[zainherb]

[Following is a volunteer review of "Awakening" by Tayma Tameem.]

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3 out of 4 stars

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AWAKENING BY TAYMA TAMEEM

She wakes up in the forest with no knowledge of who she is or how she got there. She keeps remembering only one name-Katya. Then she gets assisted by a tavern owner. She works in his tavern until some customers mention Katya is a princess with a sister Amara, who is a wicked Queen of another city and is searching for her. She ends up living with an elderly couple who inform her they once had a daughter who had been killed by Amara in the past.

Some thugs attack her in the produce market one day, she escapes. They then go to the house, kill the couple and try to take her. She fights back and is informed that she is in fact, Amara. She now gets flashbacks and snatches of memories from the past. She realizes how wrong she has been and regrets the atrocities she committed in the past. She gets her powers returned due to her remorse. She now plans to go back to the palace to see the situation and how to correct her wrongs.

Awakening by Tayma Tameem is a book about love between sisters who are very different but have a very strong bond between them. It is also about magic and special powers and the struggles of one who possesses such powers. The book also depicts deceit by a close confidant, betrayal by one who is seen as an ally, and how that can destroy lives. The book also shows the pain of loss and forgiveness easily given to the cause of the pain.

What I enjoyed the most about this book is the way the chapters alternate between the past and present. It should have been confusing, but somehow it was not confusing at all. It is quite a nice, creative writing style. It increased the suspense throughout the book, revealed the progress of the story in a measured way and it only made the book more interesting.

One thing I disliked about the book is the inconsistent use of language. The book is set in ancient times and the language generally depicts that time and place. However, some phrases were used that would be considered quite modern and not at all per the period in which the book is set. Examples of those include phrases like; “you’re crazy about him” or “my existential crises”. This lack of consistency could have been handled by proper proofreading. The book ended on a cliff-hanger and lots of questions weren’t answered so, one anticipates reading the sequel of the book.

Furthermore, I like how the characters were well-developed and brought to life. We could appreciate the emotions of the characters and even the budding attraction between Katya and the tavern owner. The book was generally well-edited as I found only very few grammatical errors. Anyone who enjoys fantasy will certainly enjoy the book. I rate the book three stars out of four. I do not give two stars because the plot was great and the overall editing was well-done. I do not give four stars because of the occasional use of language that was not following the time in which the book was set and the way it caused disorientation for me while reading. Overall, however, it was a very interesting read and I look forward to reading the sequel.

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Awakening
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[Uzo_Reviews]

I love that she resolved to right her wrongs. And that's a great life lesson to learn. Insightful review this is!

[zainherb]

I love that she resolved to right her wrongs. And that's a great life lesson to learn. Insightful review this is!

Yes, it is great that this book has life lessons for readers to learn.
Thank you for stopping by and leaving a comment.

[Ashley-Osuna]

I like the fact that the plot is related to two sisters; that, to me, makes the emotional aspect of the book quite promising. I have read a book from this same author before and I enjoyed it, so I may give this one a try! Thank you so much for the recommendation, it was a great review.