Review of Awakening

[Priya shrikumar]

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

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4 out of 4 stars

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Awakening by Tayma Tameem is a beautifully written tale of sisterly love etched in magic and a little bit of madness. A princess is born in the Kingdom of Hale with unique ice-wielding powers. King Frenar and Queen Esther immediately realize that their newborn is blessed with the winter spirit, Brikkir. Growing up, Princess Amara's control over her power is deeply rooted in the presence and approval of her beloved sister, Katja. Amara is somewhat of an unruly child with a short temper and a cutting edge. Her parents fear deeply for the safety of both their children as Amara's sudden bursts of rage often cause harm to herself and the ones she loves.

A few years later, Princess Katja finds herself in a permafrost forest with absolutely no recollection of her past or as to how she ended up there. Slowly she makes way through the mysteries of her missing memories while working at a tavern and then later taking refuge on a barn with an old couple living a solitary existence. We sit through Katja making her way through the Kingdom, slowly regaining her memories and stumbing on to the realization that her little sister Amara had finally turned into the very thing she feared; Lady Snow, the dreadful monarch who has been said to have done horrible things during her reign. Will Katja reconcile with Amara regardless of the painful things she has done? Was Amara truly lost to the darkness? Only one way to find out!

Tayma Tameem has once again swayed me off my feet with her talent in writing wonderfully realistic characters with an amazing plot. I absolutely loved the way she had spun flashbacks into the story line without disrupting the natural flow of the book. Amara and Katja shared a really deep bond of love and it manifests itself in the flashback chapters as childhood mischieves and the little adventures they have together. It was absolutely enchanting to read.

I have to rate this book 4 out of 4 stars as this is an example of a well-crafted fantasy book with unique characters and vivid description. The book is professionally edited as I could not point out any flaws in it. I would recommend this book to any fantasy fanatic who is looking for a story that does not mainly focus on romance. Graphic description of war is the only thing that makes this book unsuitable for readers below the age of 13. Otherwise this is an enchanting book and I can't wait to read the next in the series!

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Awakening
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[NancyDrew12]

This novel seems highly intriguing! A tale of two sisters discovering themselves and the world around them sounds like a great read. Thank you for your detailed review!

[Kira Bonita Reece]

Tayma Tameem is such a creative author. Her stories never disappoints. I like your summary of the book. It captures the excitement of the book very well. A very interesting review