Official Review: Altered by Vicki Stiefel

[CommMayo]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Altered" by Vicki Stiefel.]

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4 out of 4 stars

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Kitlyn came to consciousness fighting for her life and remembering the fall she and her sisters took while on their hike up St. Sauveur Mountain--a major accomplishment considering all of them made it to their fifties with Huntington’s Disease, not to mention Kit’s extensive injuries from the accident years ago that left her scarred inside and out. Unbeknownst to her, Kit’s body was rejuvenated and her life recreated to serve a new purpose. Meanwhile, Radulfr was irked that the newest Made One created by the Alchemic Clan had been dropped in the wrong place and it was now his job to find her in a raging blizzard. Ever since the Clans stopped having female children at the same rate as males, these repurposed females from the Earthly realm were carefully doled out and revered by the Clans lucky enough to possess them.

Altered by Vicki Stiefel is the first book in The Made Ones Saga. Readers are swiftly transported to the realm of Eleutia through the eyes of Kit, a modern woman, and Rafe, son of the Alpha of Wolf Clan. What follows is a fantastical love story in a land where technology and nature coexist; however, there are rival factions who want to make Kit their own and one that thinks she is an abomination that should not exist in their world.

Stiefel weaves a fantasy world that is believable and easy to jump into quickly. Even readers who typically don’t gravitate toward science fiction would feel at home in Eleutia. Her well-rounded characters are portrayed so richly and with a sense of humor that had me laughing out loud as well as tearing up. Even minor characters were given a depth that enriched the plot and added to my enjoyment of the novel. Upon picking up this book, I found myself so engaged that I couldn’t leave the couch for five hours!

Staying true to its genre, Altered follows the somewhat predictable path of a strong heroine thrust into an alien world: Rebel, fall in love, and then fight to protect everyone she loves. What sets this book apart is the truly unique concept and the fantastic relationship carefully built between the main characters. An added bonus is the knowledge that this is a springboard for the adventures of her two sisters in the subsequent books. In addition to the romantic plot, there is also an overreaching plot about the power of the Alchemic Clan and the fate of all Eleutians that promises to be continued throughout the series.

Altered contains romance, humor, flying horses, and a playfulness that any lover of fantasy or romance will want to spend their entire weekend devouring. This superbly written and well-edited book necessitates a rating of 4 out of 4 stars. Stiefel does a wonderful job with her heroine and hero, and I can’t wait to while away a few more days reading the rest of the books in this series.

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Altered
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[Brandt]

When reading this I thought, "this would be an excellent read" and then you mentioned flying horses and I was sold! Thanks for such a great review-- I've been looking for a new fantasy series to start. Just out of curiosity, is the romance pretty heavy-handed? Or is it more of a side theme for the book? Thank you!

[Gathoni1991]

A definite must read. The beauty of fantasy novels is that there is no limitation to what you can think and write. I love it.

[Wyland]

I like a little bit of fantasy in my books. So this looks like one up my alley. Thanks for the interesting review.

[Nisha Ward]

While the concept is completely different, it has the same feel as books like Alosha and Terry Brooks' Shannara series. I like that. It's my experience that such books kind of stand out from the typical genre fare as they allow you to play with a lot of things. That's very cool.

[Erin Dydek]

When reading this I thought, "this would be an excellent read" and then you mentioned flying horses and I was sold!

I was sold on the flying horses too! This definitely sounds like a fun fantasy world to get into and an interesting series to read!

[kandscreeley]

Though this one seems to have a stereotypical plot line, it's nice the author takes things in a bit of a different direction. The world building seems fabulous, and that alone would make me read the book. Thanks for introducing us to this lovely tome!

[CommMayo]

When reading this I thought, "this would be an excellent read" and then you mentioned flying horses and I was sold! Thanks for such a great review-- I've been looking for a new fantasy series to start. Just out of curiosity, is the romance pretty heavy-handed? Or is it more of a side theme for the book? Thank you!

I don't think I would call it heavy handed...less than your average new adult genre and much more tastefully done than the classic 80s bodice rippers. For a book where the driving plot was the fact that Kit is being brought to the world to be a breeder of female children, the romance between her and Rafe doesn't really distract from the larger subplots. I think a non-romance reader would still really enjoy the book, but it does have enough to satisfy someone who gravitates to that genre.

[Brandt]

When reading this I thought, "this would be an excellent read" and then you mentioned flying horses and I was sold! Thanks for such a great review-- I've been looking for a new fantasy series to start. Just out of curiosity, is the romance pretty heavy-handed? Or is it more of a side theme for the book? Thank you!

I don't think I would call it heavy handed...less than your average new adult genre and much more tastefully done than the classic 80s bodice rippers. For a book where the driving plot was the fact that Kit is being brought to the world to be a breeder of female children, the romance between her and Rafe doesn't really distract from the larger subplots. I think a non-romance reader would still really enjoy the book, but it does have enough to satisfy someone who gravitates to that genre.

Sounds excellent! Thank you for your response. I think this would be a very satisfying read.

[kdstrack]

Oh, this sounds amazing! I enjoyed your description of the fantasy world populated with the fantasy creatures. Thanks for transporting us to Eleutia! Great review.

[Laura Ungureanu]

What a beautiful fantasy world the author created! I would like to read about the flying horses. Very often fantasy and romance combine amazingly together. Thank you for this great review!

[labibliofile]

I can see from your review, how much you've liked the book. Bonus points to the book for paying equal attention to the minor characters as well! Thank you for the recommendation!

P.S. I can see why the author liked your review so much!

[Erin Painter Baker]

Sounds like the fantasy version of Outlander. Given how popular that series is, let's hope this book finds its audience.

[Kelyn]

Fantasy and romance? Yes, please! One thing I'm curious about though. It sounded like Kitlyn (interesting name) was in her 50's at the beginning of the book. What age is she once she is "repurposed'? It sounds like she must be significantly younger. I loved reading your review btw. Thanks for the recommendation. This one is going on my TBR shelf!

[Alice Heritage]

I love fantasy romance, or at least I do if it includes strong female characters with depth. Thanks for an excellent introduction!