Blog Tour | Avery

Welcome to my tour stop for the Avery blog tour! I have a review for you all today and an excerpt. Hope you all enjoy it!

Title: Avery

AuthorCharlotte McConaghy

Series: The Chronicles of Kaya #1

Age: Adult

Genres: Fantasy Romance

Publication Date: July 1st, 2013

Publisher: Random House Australia

Page Numbers: 388

Format: E-Book

Source: Courtesy of the author

PurchaseAmazon

Synopsis: 
The people of Kaya die in pairs. When one lover dies, the other does too. So it has been for thousands of years – until Ava.

For although her bondmate, Avery, has been murdered and Ava’s soul has been torn in two, she is the only one who has ever been strong enough to cling to life. Vowing revenge upon the barbarian queen of Pirenti, Ava's plan is interrupted when she is instead captured by the deadly prince of her enemies.

Prince Ambrose has been brought up to kill and hate. But when he takes charge of a strangely captivating Kayan prisoner and is forced to survive with her on a dangerous island, he must reconsider all he holds true . . .

In a violent country like Pirenti, where emotion is scorned as a weakness, can he find the strength to fight for the person he loves . . . even when she’s his vengeful enemy?

Avery is a sweeping, romantic fantasy novel about loss and identity, and finding the courage to love against all odds.

My Rating: ★★★★★

Excerpt

"How dare you?" I hissed. "How could you speak to someone like that?
"Avery," he snapped, eyeing me irritably. "Did you want her to tell the guards? I'm sure they'd make it pleasant for us once they knew how easily we can get in and out of our rooms."
 "You're a cruel, arrogant pig, and I'm disgusted by you."
His eues shone furiously. "They were just words! I barely touched her!"
"I know you. They weren't just words -- you wanted to hurt her." 
"Oh for God's sakes," he snarled suddenly. "She's just a girl. Why do you care?"
"Just a girl?" 
I felt suddenly as though I ha found my footing after years of treading water. Hannah's words vibrated through my mind: It seems to me the deepest betrayal of our sex to hide yourself the way you do. 
I looked into his beautiful, pale eyes and I said softly, "Can't you see, Ambrose? Open your eyes and look -- really look at me."
He frowned, staring. He didn't understand -- he was completely blind.
So, with Hannah's words in mind, I reached up and began to undo the pins in my hair. My hands were shaking and I fumbled, but soon my thick blond locks had fallen down and around my face, all the way to the small of my back. 
Ambrose was stunned. He watched, transfixed, confused, still oblivious.
Drawing the deepest breath I could, I undid the buttons of my nightshirt and dropped it to the ground. Then I unwound the cloth from my chest until it too was gone, and I stood completely naked in front of a man from Pirenti.
-Taken from chapter 10: Ava's POV 


My Review

Right off the back, my first impression of this book was awesome. This book reminded me of the movie Hancock (starring Will Smith and Charlize Theron). The idea of lovers who die together was just perfection. Charlotte McConaghy's writing style was flawless for me. Reading this book was easy and I felt pulled into each conversation and interaction between characters. I enjoyed the idea of different POV's -- I normally don't think I can be pulled off with more than 2 characters, but she did so with perfection. Each transition between characters was simply flawless. I loved it!

Ava was such a strong female lead for me. I instantly fell in love with her even before Avery, her bond-mate died. I love how she pretended to be him even years after he died. It seemed a bit depressing, but it made her stronger in every way possible. Her interaction with Ambrose at first killed me. I mean he was brutal, but I love how she revealed her true self to him and continued to be strong. Also finding out about her being a warder was interesting as well.

Ambrose was definitely a jerk, but I can't blame him because his mother, the Queen, is a psychotic wench. She trained him to be as such, but despite the training he still yearns for more in his life. He doesn't necessarily agree with the violence, but it's imbedded in him

The bond between him and Ava was perfection. I love how it brewed from hate to curiosity to love. Even when Ava pretended to be Avery, Ambrose thought he was in love with a guy and didn't really care to much. When he found out Ava was a girl he felt a stronger pull, but when he asked about the gold eyes -- I was stunned. I mean how is it possible to bond twice in a lifetime?

Thorne was a thorn in my side. I mean he was a complete douche bag to his wife. No matter how deep his love ran for Roselyn he wouldn't allow himself that feeling because just like his brother Ambrose, their mother raised them to be barbaric and evil towards Kayans. He desires to do something different, but his mother won't allow it. I feel like he should man up and just tell the Queen to kiss his rear-end. I mean he is a berserker, what could she do to him? 
Between Ambrose and Throne, Ambrose is the one to follow his heart and not care much for him mother's ways. Thorne, however, is the son that hates those ways, but through it all stays loyal to his mother.

Roselyn deserved to be treated much better than Thorne treated her as well as the rest of the people in the castle. I hated the way she acted so feeble. It irked me to see how compared to Ava and the Queen she was weak and soft. However, she had a strong mind. Her way of thinking definitely had me questioning a lot of things myself. I enjoyed Roselyn even though her weakness upset me.

The Queen -- what can I say about this lonely, cold-hearted, evil, disgusting wench. She is the devil herself. I just didn't like her and have nothing left to say.

That ending: was everything! Oh my gosh! I cannot believe the truth of what the Queen was. How Thorne ended up was so sad. I'm glad Roselyn started to stand up for herself towards the end and that she was with child. Ava and Ambrose was just perfection. This ending was life and it wasn't really a cliffhanger, but it felt like such.

Charlotte McConaghy has definitely started off strongly with this series and I'm excited to read Thorne.



About Author

Charlotte started writing her children’s fantasy series ‘The Strangers of Paragor’ as a teenager and has since gone on to publish five novels. After a Masters degree in Screenwriting she wrote ‘Avery’, the first in her adult fantasy series ‘The Chronicles of Kaya’, published by Random House. She now lives in Sydney, Australia, and has just released a new dystopian sci-fi novel called ‘Fury – Book One of The Cure’, published by Momentum.

Website | Facebook | Twitter




Giveaway


This is event is hosted by