[A quick note: I have been sitting on this book for over a year. As usual, I always wonder why it takes me so long to get to the good ones! This one came highly recommended from a friend, one who always has the best book recs. I should have picked it up sooner, especially knowing it was a stand alone. Iโve read another book by this author: The Shadows Between Us and really enjoyed that one too. There are a few other books by this author and now Iโm more eager than ever to read them!]
โ๐ ๐จ๐ซ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ก๐ฎ๐ง๐๐ซ๐๐๐ญ๐ก ๐ญ๐ข๐ฆ๐, ๐ ๐ฐ๐จ๐ง๐๐๐ซ ๐ฐ๐ก๐ฒ ๐ ๐๐๐ง'๐ญ ๐๐ ๐ ๐ฐ๐๐ซ๐ซ๐ข๐จ๐ซ ๐๐ง๐ ๐ ๐ฐ๐จ๐ฆ๐๐ง.โ โTricia Levenseller
When Rasmiraโs coming-of-age trial is sabotaged, she is banished to the wild where she must kill an oppressive god before returning home. The monster-filled wild isnโt suited for survival, but Rasmira is determined to live. What she never expected, was to find more than just her courage.
I loved this book! LOVED IT! Iโm getting pickier and pickier about YA, so Iโm always thrilled when a YA book hits its mark. I already recommended this to my Mom. Actually, I texted her right after setting it down because I was excited to share it.
Ahhhhhhh, I have such an appreciation for masterfully executed standalones. WotW is no exception! Everything about the character journey, plot, and world building was deftly handled, perfectly balanced. I powered through it in a couple of sittings. Itโs one of those books youโre excited to pick up each time you sit down to read. Even better, itโs one youโll come away from thoroughly satisfied. Plus!! It was just plain FUN!
Rasmiraโs character is believable. Sheโs not pretty, not delicate, not your typical swoon-worthy MC. Sheโs a warrior. Sheโs hardened. Sheโs pretty much a monster-slaying badass. Sheโs not someone that the villagers find themselves attracted to. And because of her fatherโs special treatment, sheโs not a favorite, either. If anything, everyone resents her. Yes, she has flaws, which sets her up perfectly to traverse a solid arc. I am ALL ABOUT a good character arc. Huge fan of character-driven stories right here **raises hand**
โ๐๐ฎ๐ญ ๐ข๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ซ๐ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐๐ง๐ฒ๐ญ๐ก๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ ๐ฅ๐๐๐ซ๐ง๐๐ ๐จ๐ฎ๐ญ ๐ข๐ง ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ฐ๐ข๐ฅ๐, ๐ข๐ญ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ญ ๐ ๐ฆ๐๐ญ๐ญ๐ฎ๐ ๐ซ ๐ฉ๐ซ๐จ๐ฏ๐๐ฌ ๐ง๐จ๐ญ๐ก๐ข๐ง๐ . ๐๐ญ ๐๐จ๐๐ฌ ๐ง๐จ๐ญ ๐ญ๐ฎ๐ซ๐ง ๐จ๐ง๐ ๐ฉ๐๐ซ๐ฌ๐จ๐ง ๐๐ซ๐จ๐ฆ ๐ ๐๐ก๐ข๐ฅ๐ ๐ญ๐จ ๐๐ง ๐๐๐ฎ๐ฅ๐ญ. ๐๐ญ ๐๐จ๐๐ฌ ๐ง๐จ๐ญ ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐๐๐๐ง๐ฅ๐ฒ ๐ญ๐ฎ๐ซ๐ง ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ ๐ข๐ง๐ญ๐จ ๐ ๐ ๐ซ๐๐๐ญ ๐ฐ๐๐ซ๐ซ๐ข๐จ๐ซ ๐จ๐ซ ๐๐ข๐ฅ๐ฅ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ ๐ก๐๐๐ ๐ฐ๐ข๐ญ๐ก ๐ฐ๐ข๐ฌ๐๐จ๐ฆ. ๐๐ญ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ ๐ฉ๐จ๐ข๐ง๐ญ๐ฅ๐๐ฌ๐ฌ ๐ญ๐๐ฌ๐ค ๐ฆ๐๐๐ง๐ญ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ซ๐๐ฌ๐ญ๐จ๐ซ๐ ๐ก๐จ๐ง๐จ๐ซ. ๐๐ฎ๐ญ ๐ก๐จ๐ง๐จ๐ซ ๐๐๐ง๐ง๐จ๐ญ ๐๐๐ ๐ข๐ฏ๐๐ง. ๐๐ญ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ฌ๐จ๐ฆ๐๐ญ๐ก๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ญ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ ๐๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ฐ๐ข๐ญ๐ก๐ข๐ง ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ๐ฌ๐๐ฅ๐.โ โTricia Levenseller
Rasmira grows significantly through her hardships. As the daughter of a village leader, she is expected to one day lead her people, and yet, she knows very little about being a good leader (flaw). She spends her time resenting the way others treat her because of her position, when instead, she should be stepping in to help them rather than watch them flounder. Donโt worry, she figures this out.
Long story short: Rasmira begins her journey wounded, clinical, and unprepared for the life ahead of her. She ends it in a much better place. That was satisfying!
โ๐ ๐ฆ๐๐ง ๐ฐ๐ก๐จ ๐๐ข๐ง๐๐ฌ ๐ก๐ข๐ฌ ๐ฆ๐๐ฌ๐๐ฎ๐ฅ๐ข๐ง๐ข๐ญ๐ฒ ๐ญ๐ก๐ซ๐๐๐ญ๐๐ง๐๐ ๐๐ฒ ๐ ๐ฉ๐จ๐ฐ๐๐ซ๐๐ฎ๐ฅ ๐ฐ๐จ๐ฆ๐๐ง ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ง๐จ ๐ฆ๐๐ง ๐๐ญ ๐๐ฅ๐ฅ," ๐ก๐ ๐ฌ๐๐ฒ๐ฌ. "๐๐จ๐ฎ ๐ฐ๐๐ง๐ญ ๐ฌ๐จ๐ฆ๐๐จ๐ง๐ ๐ฐ๐ก๐จ ๐ฅ๐ข๐๐ญ๐ฌ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ ๐ฎ๐ฉ, ๐ง๐จ๐ญ ๐ญ๐ซ๐ข๐๐ฌ ๐ญ๐จ ๐๐ซ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ ๐๐จ๐ฐ๐ง.โ โTricia Levenseller
The romance between Rasmira and Soren was SUPER SWEET! For a YA, it was pretty cute. I liked Sorenโs character a lot. And itโs clear that his trial/challenge and time in the wild also changed him as a person. We donโt see his arc very much, nor Iricโs, since theyโve been in the wild a whole year before Ras finds them. But they still travers a satisfying arc nonetheless.
The overall concept: facing your fear and growing stronger because of it, was the backbone of the plot. Rasmira gets the hardest challenge ever allotted. Sheโs to kill a god. Itโs seemingly impossible. And she has to question why her father would abandon her to such a fate. I love that she not only grew, but came to realize that her relationship with her father wasnโt all that healthy. I appreciated that.
This read was short, sweet, fun, and a great balance of character development and exciting plot. I enjoyed the characters, the world building, the warrior feel. Itโs definitely one Iโll be recommending more often. So far, Iโve enjoyed every read from this author. ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐: ๐/๐โญ๏ธ