The Altercation of Vira Review

Date Published: February 2, 2012

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Number of pages: N/A

Publisher: Self-published

First Thoughts:

The concept and theme of the book was unique and interesting. Though I wouldn’t say this book was intense all the way through it did have its moments. And though I had a few problems with the whole organization of the book it did have some qualities that made it fun and good to read.

Plot:

I think the plot was okay though I had a few issues on how she organized the sequence of events; it would jump from scenes to roughly and sometimes without me even realizing it, therefore causing me confusion. But I did like the whole concept of an average girl being royal by blood and not knowing it and then being kidnapped to said world and having to adjust to all its glory and repercussions…maybe not your average story but it was fun to read none the less. And the world of Vera was actually fun to read about and discover how much difference it is than earth. I wouldn’t say this is by any means an alien themed book but it does take place in another dimension and has two new races of people that we get to learn about.  And as far as the plotline essentials it did have all the elements but I felt the ending was too abrupt and I felt kind of let down…the reader was taken through this tough and horrible journey and in the end it was just disappointing to see how the author left certain things. As far as the pace of the book I felt it wasn’t fast but it wasn’t too slow either and there were a few intense moments so overall a good pace for the book. So I did feel there was a conflict unresolved but the overall concept and idea of the world was unique and creative.

Romance:

There wasn’t much as far as romance in this book, it wasn’t the main focus and therefore took back seat leaving little room for growth. But the romance that was there was soft and quiet and fit just right for this book…it took part in the conflict but kind of stayed out of the big picture. So I felt the romance was a good aspect to the book because a lot of books you read this day are all focused on love and for once this wasn’t the case; it was a nice reprive.

Characters:

The characters were fun to get to know and connect with, some were easier to like than others. The author created characters that each had their own style and personality. The main characters were fun to read along with; I loved being able to discover right alongside them, to see the surprise and reaction to this new and creative world. And I absolutely loved the way she brought in the tribe; it added great texture to the world. The tribe itself was created uniquely and really felt realistic to me. Each tribe member that was introduced really fit within both the story and the tribe itself. As far as the minor characters they were necessary for the story; each one provided a role that was essential for the plot to move forward. Actually some of the best characters were the ones we didn’t get to know as much; the ones that were kept in a semi-dark state. So overall I enjoyed the characters and didn’t really find any issues with them.

Transformation of the Character:

As far as transformations go there were a few but none that I could really call a true transformation. They were more of the character unleashing who they really were; self-discovery. But the few little transformations there were, were well executed and needed within the character itself and provided the reader with a good satisfaction. And as far as the self-discoveries they were both a surprise to the character themselves but to the reader too. The reader was given little hints within the storyline until the reader was shown the true character; it was really cool to experience. So overall transformation wasn’t necessarily the element in this book; self-discovery was and it was well executed.

Description:

As far as description goes I really loved how the author described the new world; especially the sun. Her description was both unique and fun to read, she really described in good detail both the old world and new world giving the reader a great comparison in the differences of the two worlds. Each scene was described very well, the best description in this book was the description of the landscape, the images are still very strong every time I even think about this book, some images better than others. But I think the strongest images were from the village and the ending scenes, they were some very powerful images that really helped with the overall feel of the book. As far as the amount of description there wasn’t really too much, they were some slower moments with loaded description but it wasn’t too much as to cause me to stop reading. So overall I enjoyed the description in this book and found it to be one of the better aspects of the book.

Style:

I liked that we were give two POV’s but the problem I had was when she chose to switch POV’s, it was rough and abrupt. But it was nice to see the two views it did allow for the plot to flow a little better and allow the story to be better told and understood. As far as the writing itself, I liked the way the author described things and created a world essentially from scratch. The author’s writing is unique and created a good to the overall feel of the book.

Quote of the book:

“Before she could sit up or make any other move, the boy stretched out his small right hand and placed it over her open mouth. And for the first time in her life, Ama Brown truly saw. “

Goodreads Summary:

The people of Vira have long awaited the arrival of their lost princess, Elve. Legend has foretold a season of great change in the dawn of her return. For the Maracans, she brings the promise of fortified control over their rival kindred. For the Cefans, a glimmer of hope in an existence filled with oppression.

The only problem is their princess is eighteen year old Ama Brown, an ordinary girl living an ordinary life, who has no idea that she is about to be drawn into a world where an age old battle is brewing and nothing is quite as it seems.

Last Thoughts:

I would recommend this book to YA readers, though this book isn’t for everyone so if you’re not into new dimensions or the idea of newly created races and worlds this book isn’t for you. It takes a reader with an open mind to really enjoy this book. But overall this isn’t one of my favorite books it was a fun book to read and enjoy. This author did a great job on creating a new world that was unique and stood out from the ordinary YA books. It was a good book overall.

My Rating: