Review by Karina Nowak -- The Sparrow by Denna M. Davis

Karina Nowak · Post by **Karina Nowak** » 23 Jun 2019, 06:38

[Following is a volunteer review of "The Sparrow" by Denna M. Davis.]

4 out of 4 stars

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The Sparrow by Denna M. Davis is book one in the Emaji Nation series. It follows sixteen year-old Amanda as she ventures into the world of Emaji. At first she's simply curious about what lies beyond the portal hidden in her grandparent’s house. However as soon as she gets to Emaji she is told she might be the Sparrow, who is prophesized to save their world on the brink of falling into the hands of a murderous madman called Zorn. Despite her amazement with their colourful world and mutual attraction with the handsome Solomon, she quickly becomes overwhelmed with the expectations placed on her and the constant threats on her life.

I was surprised at how much I liked this book! It made me leave my cynical adult self behind and took me back to when I was a teen, combing the library for the hidden gems that were just pure adventure and fantasy. I would have loved this book back then as it really hits all the right notes for a new world, fantasy fiction.

There’s a spunky female lead with a destiny to fulfil and courage enough to do it, despite her reservations. A dazzling, hunky male lead who thinks she's the greatest even with her messy hair. There’s a wise and powerful leader ready to guide our young heroes through their trials. Even the villain is a notch above your garden-variety evil fantasy warlords. I admit he doesn’t have much depth past being power hungry and wanting the whole world to bow before him. But there is something very sinister about him and his minions that will make you feel relatively uncomfortable about the fate of our heroes.

Supporting characters were also equally interesting and humorous. Shout out to Grandma ‘Always Interruptin Sumtin’ Rose! There’s excitement and heartbreak and humour, what more can you want? I loved it. I didn’t realise books like this still existed for young adults. I thought everything was dystopian dramas and steamy love stories with supernatural monsters. Maybe I need to explore today’s YA selections more but let me not word vomit anymore and finish this.

In the world of Emaji, the author paints a picture of a place rich with colour where people's skin is green or silver or with stripes or dots, any colour combination imaginable. And their hair is just as varied making each person very unique. Now we are all unique and there is no one who looks exactly like you, but this really puts it into perspective because in Emaji even where siblings are concerned the differences are still glaringly obvious.

I am always amazed at the depth of world building in these fantasy books. It was well thought out, from the origin stories to descriptions of physical things like corridors and buildings with intricate art work. I couldn’t quite absorb all of the names and descriptions for everything but it’s probably more because I’m old. But fifteen year-old me would definitely have committed it to memory and catalogued and colour coded all of it in the back of my school notebook!

I would definitely recommend this book to any young adult or any adult who loves fantasy fiction and is looking for something fun to read. Maybe you’ll have a wave of nostalgia too! You can safely buy this as a gift for a teen without reading it first. It is very age appropriate, and I give it a well deserved 4 out of 4 stars as it also had very few errors.

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The Sparrow
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Nisha Ward · Post by **Nisha Ward** » 23 Jun 2019, 23:23

Twilight and the Hunger Games trilogy really did do a number on YA for years after they came out, didn't they? I was also surprised by this book for much the same reasons but I enjoyed it a lot. I think the world-building, especially, was great because it opened up a whole new world to the reader.

Anyway, I loved your review and your enthusiasm for this book. I hope you find more like it!

Karina Nowak · Post by **Karina Nowak** » 01 Jul 2019, 17:04

Nisha Ward wrote: ↑23 Jun 2019, 23:23 Twilight and the Hunger Games trilogy really did do a number on YA for years after they came out, didn't they? I was also surprised by this book for much the same reasons but I enjoyed it a lot. I think the world-building, especially, was great because it opened up a whole new world to the reader.

Anyway, I loved your review and your enthusiasm for this book. I hope you find more like it!

I really hope I find more series like this too! And thanks for the comment!

beccabecky · Post by **beccabecky** » 01 Jul 2019, 22:51

This sounds like a fascinating book and your review is insightful and easy to read. I really believe I'd greatly enjoy this novel.

If you wouldn't mind checking my latest review, I'd greatly appreciate it!

Thank you in advance.

Karina Nowak · Post by **Karina Nowak** » 07 Jul 2019, 11:58

beccabecky wrote: ↑01 Jul 2019, 22:51 This sounds like a fascinating book and your review is insightful and easy to read. I really believe I'd greatly enjoy this novel.

If you wouldn't mind checking my latest review, I'd greatly appreciate it! Thank you in advance.

Thank you! I also checked your latest review. It was great and the book sounds interesting.

danielleamy · Post by **danielleamy** » 08 Jul 2019, 10:02

I read and reviewed this also. I agree with your positive comments about the world-building! It was so easy to imagine all the colourful characters and creatures. You've written a great review!

Karina Nowak · Post by **Karina Nowak** » 21 Jul 2019, 10:16

danielleamy wrote: ↑08 Jul 2019, 10:02 I read and reviewed this also. I agree with your positive comments about the world-building! It was so easy to imagine all the colourful characters and creatures. You've written a great review!

Thank you! And I just finished The Dark Web Murders too. I'll check your review out!

Nerea · Post by **Nerea** » 21 Jul 2019, 10:22

Sounds like an intriguing story, but I just don't like the concept behind the story. I'll skip the book. You did great in your review.

Karina Nowak · Post by **Karina Nowak** » 10 Aug 2019, 10:10

Nerea wrote: ↑21 Jul 2019, 10:22 Sounds like an intriguing story, but I just don't like the concept behind the story. I'll skip the book. You did great in your review.

Thanks! I'll check your last review too! The book sounds interesting.

Ekta Swarnkar · Post by **Ekta Swarnkar** » 10 Aug 2019, 11:51

Well written review!
I love fictional stories, they always amazed me and this one, I am looking forward to reading. Thanks for the review!

Karina Nowak · Post by **Karina Nowak** » 17 Sep 2019, 05:52

Ekta Swarnkar wrote: ↑10 Aug 2019, 11:51 Well written review!
I love fictional stories, they always amazed me and this one, I am looking forward to reading. Thanks for the review!

And thanks for the comment! I finished The Reel Sisters a while ago. I'll check out your review!