Overall: 🐢🐢🐢🐢
Storyline: ★★★.5
Writing Style: ★★★★
Character Development: ★★★
Enjoyment: ★★★★
“Girl, take it from an old queen: be who you are and the hell with the rest.”
The Awakening by Nora Roberts
The Story:
In the realm of Talamh, a teenage warrior named Keegan emerges from a lake holding a sword—representing both power and the terrifying responsibility to protect the Fey. In another realm known as Philadelphia, a young woman has just discovered she possesses a treasure of her own…
When Breen Kelly was a girl, her father would tell her stories of magical places. Now she’s an anxious twentysomething mired in student debt and working a job she hates. But one day she stumbles upon a shocking discovery: her mother has been hiding an investment account in her name. It has been funded by her long-lost father—and it’s worth nearly four million dollars.
This newfound fortune would be life-changing for anyone. But little does Breen know that when she uses some of the money to journey to Ireland, it will unlock mysteries she couldn’t have imagined. Here, she will begin to understand why she kept seeing that silver-haired, elusive man, why she imagined his voice in her head saying Come home, Breen Siobhan. It’s time you came home. Why she dreamed of dragons. And where her true destiny lies—through a portal in Galway that takes her to a land of faeries and mermaids, to a man named Keegan, and to the courage in her own heart that will guide her through a powerful, dangerous destiny…
Key Elements:
Fantasy, Fae “Fey”, Contemporary Romance, Chosen Family, Dragons, Magic, Philadelphia, Ireland
More in The Series:
- Book 2: The Becoming
- Book 3: The Choice
Why This Rating?
Well, here was a book that I didn’t know I needed to read! And if you listen to the audio version of this one your knees will go weak! The Irish accents all over certainly helped the head over heels trip I was taking! Oh my goodness, here is one that I recommend to any fae loving, magic wanter, sword fighter in-my-books reader out there. You get to check off so many things a fantasy reader loves to find. I would hesitate to say that it was a little cliche to think that there were too many tropes in this book. But can a single fantasy story really have to many wonderful fantasy elements? It would take the fun out of the reading if the author withheld some of them from us. Speaking of writing, I feel the Roberts did a beautiful job with the writing in this story. From keeping me hooked to each of her pages to the descriptions of no only Philly but Ireland and the magical lands too, each step was so pretty!
I’ve always wanted to go to Ireland and from the pictures/videos I’ve seen and the world that Roberts described made the ache even more real. It sounds like such a magical place (especially in this book!) I know I wont be able to find the Welcoming Tree that can zip me off to… well you’ll see once you’re in the pages 😉. So, a warning when you read. You’ll have a desire and want to travel up and down Ireland once you start reading this book. And I’m willing to bet most definitely after reading it. The writing stirs your traveling wants all up inside with the beautiful descriptions! There were a lot of descriptors in this read, which for me as more of an epic fantasy reader, is right up my alley. Could there have been a shortened version of this without some of the “fluff”? Yeah, probably. But I still enjoyed the read!
As for the rest of the writing, the story keeps you focused Breen and her journey to discover herself and her family’s history. Her very world is shaken after a secret is discovered early on in the book – well, multiple secrets in fact – and it leads her onto a path that that both reveals more questions and resolves some of those secrets. I’m not going to spoil any of those secrets, sorry you guys that this was on the vague side! They are for you to find out as you read it! I will say, Breen’s journey is a hard one, but one that you can see growth happening and new connections that make you bubble with happiness! Watching Breen grow more in the next book is going to be so satisfying! And the magic! How freaking cool! It is actually a system that seems to function quite nice. I didn’t run into many if any of the moments where I was double thinking the balance checks a magic system had. Always a plus when the magic flows a naturally as the conversations should!
The romance was cute in this book! It certainly isn’t a smut read, although the lads are delicious to look at in here! I’d say both Breen and Marco would agree whole heartedly. I’m going to be honest, I’m kind of fond of Keegan. He might be coming across as a hard ass right now, but I can see the stone being chipped aways some. He’s one I’m going to be keeping an eye on! I hope the couples I’m shipping already end up sticking together! Then on the other side of relationships, the family love that is shown makes me feel so good. Breen and Marco have a Chosen Family that are so freaking supportive in everything these friends do. This family love is one that I wish more people were able to experience in life. Regardless of the lost family side Breen might find, she has this strong bond to support her.
I’m glad that this series is only going to be a trilogy. After reading the first one, I can see myself getting invested pretty hard into these characters. Don’t I always though, ha! I’ll want them to finally get the peace and a chance to live life without looking over their shoulders constantly in the future. But considering who and what the “Big Bad” is supposed to be from the first book, I would be quite worried for this tension to be carried for a long time. Or if multiple things kept popping up as the series went. It feels like it would be a forced story progression if it pushed into more books. I’ll be interested to see how the rest of the story pans out! If we get a nice wrapped up story at the end of this adventure, I can see it being perfect. Or at worst, a comfy conclusion.
Time to get lost in the next story!
