Author: Kelly Braffet
Age: Young Adult
Genres: Fantasy
Publication Date: February 11, 2020
Publisher: MIRA
Source: ARC & Hardcover
Purchase: Hardcover | Paperback | Kindle | Audible | B&N | Book Depository
Synopsis:
A penetrating tale of magic, faith and pride...
The Unwilling is the story of Judah, a foundling born with a special gift and raised inside Highfall castle along with Gavin, the son and heir to Lord Elban's vast empire. Judah and Gavin share an unnatural bond that is both the key to her survival... and possibly her undoing.
As Gavin is groomed for his future role, Judah comes to realize that she has no real position within the kingdom, in fact, no hope at all of ever traveling beyond its castle walls. Elban - a lord as mighty as he is cruel - has his own plans for her, for all of them. She is a mere pawn to him, and he will stop at nothing to get what he wants.
But outside the walls, in the starving, desperate city, a magus, a healer with his own secret power unlike anything Highfall has seen in years, is newly arrived from the provinces. He, too, has plans for the empire, and at the heart of those plans lies Judah... The girl who started life with no name and no history will soon uncover more to her story than she ever imagined.
An epic tale of greed and ambition, cruelty and love, this deeply immersive novel is about bowing to traditions and burning them down.
My Rating:
My Thoughts:
Where do I begin? This was such an interesting read for me. I am giving this a 3.5 star rating. This book is not for the timid nor for those who get offended easily. This was a bit a "grim dark" fantasy that entails abuse. I was mind blown by the writing as I did enjoy the writing a lot. The characters were a bit annoying and upsetting, but that didn't bother me. I can't give it a full 4 stars because I feel like this could have been shorter than 500+ pages.
Judah is an interesting character that kind of irritated and pissed me off all at once. She was like a punching bag, constantly being pulled by others to be used for their own greed and desires. She seemed to be a diamond hidden under a bunch of mess and needed a good shine. She had her moments where she did shine, but she just dealt with too many issues with those around her.
This book was sadistic in every way. It seemed as if everyone got off on abusing someone, especially in using Judah. None of the characters were really good -- they were all power hungry, ignorant men.
Gavin and Judah are almost like foster siblings, but they have a bond that's seen as unnatural. They are literally connected to one another -- if one dies so does the other. I'm still not sure how I feel about their relationship. I liked them together at first, but then there were times when Gavin would get on my nerve and I would change my mind.
Nathan, a healer, was sent by his people to infiltrate the palace and get close to Judah for her powers. Nathan kind of bored at me first, but as the story unfolded I began to think he wasn't too bad of a character.
I wasn't completely captured by the characters or the plot. I do plan to re-read this around the fall to see if this grows on me after a second read. I do think it's a pretty good debut and has potential if the world is ever revisited down the line.
About the Author
Giveaway
- Giveaway is open to International
- Must be 13+ to Enter
- 4 Winners will receive a Copy of THE UNWILLING by Kelly Braffet
Ends March 2, 2020
Thanks to JeanBookNerd for having me on board!!