Calina Cabhair, a sixteen-year-old high school junior is trying to figure out what to do with the rest of her life. For her, deciding a path is no simple task. All that is pushed aside, however, when Calina accidentally falls through a portal that transports her to a land called Kollosnia. Calina is amazed by the new world, but she has little time to savor it, as she finds out she s just landed in the middle of a brewing war, with the monstrous Dark King ruling the land. Calina has no intentions of staying in this dangerous and unpredictable place, and she strikes an unbelievable deal with a warrior named Aiden in the hopes of going home.
Assessment:
Plot: While featuring a highly inventive and original concept, this novel suffers from several clunky transitions. Readers will find it difficult to suspend disbelief and dive into what has the potential to be an excellent story, when inconsistencies in the worldbuilding arise—particularly relating to the upbringing of the two main characters.
Prose: The flow of the book is frequently interrupted by the use of esoteric language that doesn’t quite mesh with the voices of the teenage protagonists. The action scenes, however, are where the writing shines. They’re clearly written with passion and paint a clear and believable picture.
Originality: The entire concept of the novel is wonderfully original and ripe with potential. The idea that two highly dissimilar young women living in one dimension have the abilities and heart needed to save another (and their own) has a fresh feel that will appeal to readers. The execution of that vision needs a little tweaking to make the transitions between viewpoints smoother.
Character Development: Readers will enjoy the way each young woman’s strengths and weaknesses are highlighted. However, both of them came across as curiously flat in affect—perhaps because of their excessive inner monologues. There were also times when believability was stretched to the breaking point—particularly when it came to Anorvia’s upbringing.
Date Submitted: June 07, 2017
Sparks Fly is an incredible, thrilling journey that kept me on the edge of my seat the whole way through! This enchanting novel is a highly charged, captivating fantasy book that will keep you gripped and intrigued until the very last page. It is a novel that is unique and original in its scope and I have to say this is very refreshing to read as so many fantasy novels appear to be un-original, which in my opinion is disappointing. However Sparks Fly is not a disappointing novel but rather an enchanting one!
This is a novel that is best read without knowing much about the plot. The plot is full of shocks, surprises and twists which make you fall in love with the novel. However! All I will say is that this story is about a young heroine who has to save the land of Kollosnia and its people from the reign of the Dark King, this incredible plot combined with great characters makes it a thrilling adventure that I will find hard to forget for a long time.
Very rarely does a novel capture me from the first page. Some novels, even the best ones on the best seller lists do not manage to do this. Granted, novels get better the majority of the time as the novel progresses but I am a little tired of this and a the usual slow build-up; this is why I was so pleased that the first few sentences of this novel captured and bewildered me. The prose in this novel is visually stunning and so its events played out in my mind as a movie (this is always a sign that the authors writing is incredible!) It is a novel that definitely could be described as a page turner because every time you reach the end of a chapter you are left wanting more!
Kadian Thomas is an electrifying writer, I knew that from the very first page. Her writing is a cocktail of suspense, impeccable character development, original creativity and a compelling plot and structure of the novel. Sparks Fly for me was an experience, it is a novel that is felt in its every moment, every sentence is highly charged and imaginative. This is why Sparks Fly is such a wonderful fantasy novel. I have read many fantasy novels but some do disappoint but Sparks Fly does not so I really implore all of you lovely readers to read this novel!
Sparks Fly is a novel that is perfect for fantasy fans but also fledgling fantasy book readers. This novel was truly captivating, the character development impeccable and I truly adored this brilliant fantasy novel so much!
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