I liked a lot of things about this book. The magic is really interesting, and I think the descriptions are gorgeous. But I definitely think that it was a bit slow plot-wise and could have done with more urgency there. I wanted to love this book because it was being compared to Tamora Pierce, but in the end I liked it but not nearly as much as I love Tamora. Maybe that's poor marketing though, becacuse Tamora Pierce is hard to live up to at the best of times. I think if you're looking for a solid fantasy read, The Waking Land is a fun choice - it's definitely a unique world that's easy to enjoy visiting. But if you want something more action-packed this might not be the best one for you.

“The Waking Land” eBook was published in 2017 and was written by Callie Bates (http://calliebates.com). This is Ms. Bates first publication, but a sequel is planned for the spring of 2018.

I categorize this novel as ‘R’ because it contains scenes of Violence and Mature Situations. The story is set in another land. The primary character is twenty year old Elanna Voltari. She had been taken hostage at 5 and raised almost like a daughter to the King.

Now thought the King is dead, and she is the primary suspect in his murder. She flees and is soon embroiled in a rebellion that her father wants to reignite. At first she doesn’t want anything to do with him, but as she learns more, she realizes that rebellion may be the only way.

She had hidden her magic abilities her whole like, but now she finds that she needs to use them. She also finds herself drawn to a young man who is also hiding his magic abilities. While she likes him, she is not sure if she can trust him.

Elanna wants the rebellion to win, but she wants to unite the lands she was born in and grew up in, not divide them in civil war. Will she be able to assist the rebellion, yet maintain the country she loves.

I enjoyed the 12+ hours I spent reading this 402 page Young Adult Fantasy. I liked the characters that were developed as well as the plot. The cover art is OK as her magic is related to the earth and growing things, but I do think it could have been better. I give this novel a 4 out to 5.

Further book reviews I have written can be accessed at https://johnpurvis.wordpress.com/blog/.

While I enjoyed part of this book, it reminded me a lot of other tropes in other books, such as Throne of Glass. Except Elena is not a skilled assassin, but instead a pampered would be princess. All her life she accepted the stories her captors told her about her past. This leads to her blindly hating her heritage and her country for what they tried to do to her king.

One of my biggest complaints was that the world building bit off more than it could chew. The world building starts of huge in the first half of the book. Dozens of new places, people, nicknames and ranks are mentioned in almost every chapter and it is almost necessary to draw a family tree while reading. Even though sequels will most likely draw on these connections, for a first book it feels overwhelming and difficult to keep track of. The magic system was not clear to me either. And the pacing felt short and sudden in many places.

I requested this book because it was suggested for those who loved "Uprooted", which I adored. This book, not so much. I've read that the author intended for the story to be an environmental fantasy, but the magic of the world she created and the whole 'married to the land thing just felt weird and a little disturbing.

Battling for the empire with kidnappings, rival kingdoms, armed soldiers, and sorcerers in The Waking Land by Callie Bates is unfortunately not quite the exciting, adventure-filled story I expect it to be. The most interesting aspect of this book is the world the author creates. Royal palace intrigues usually make for an entertaining story, and this book is no different. It just falls short of the being the grand adventure it could have been.

Read my complete review at http://www.memoriesfrombooks.com/2017/11/the-waking-land.html

Reviewed for NetGalley

I could see fans of Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard enjoying this series. There is a bit of the royal intrigue and mystical powers found in both, as well as a questioning female protagonist.

To be honest, I didn't finish this, but I also did not get further than the first book in Aveyard's series, either. Not being said as a slight to either, but just that I am not the right reader, but I can see where others would enjoy this book very much. For those looking for a fantasy set in a castle-based world with magic - well, this will definitely be right up their alley.

You know when you read a book knowing that the synopsis sounds GREAT, and maybe you're expectations are a bit high because you want it to be so so good (which of course is all books, because you wouldn't often go into a book hoping it will be bad...), and then it is a bit of a let down? Alas, this book was that for me. Don't get me wrong, I didn't dislike it by any means. I liked it, it was fine, and I finished it. But by the end of it, I was still left mildly confused by a few things. Mainly, there were so many characters from so many kingdoms that after a while I basically gave up trying to remember who was who. And that kind of made this book fall into the slightly forgettable pile. Also, maybe it's just me, but I didn't love the style of writing either, it fell a bit flat and never let me feel totally engrossed. Having said all this though, I won't discount reading the sequel... what saddened me most was probably my super high expectations.

I really loved this debut novel by Bates. The fantasy is wonderful and hear ideas genuinelly interesting. I love her writing style and characters and I can't wait to read the second part of the series! Sometimes, it was quite confusing but that may be part of the charm of the teen main character!

<b>WrensReads Review:</b>

<I>ARC in exchange for an honest review</i>

I was skeptical about this book when I read the synopsis. There’s a girl who has it all and then all of a sudden she doesn’t and then she has to lead the rebellion. To me, it kind of seems done, but I also kind of love a broken person rising above it all and becoming the reason the world changes. So I requested, I got, and... I didn’t love it.

Don’t get me wrong, it was unique in some of its concepts and it was written with beautiful lyrical words. But some of it was... I’m not sure; I just wasn’t on board for it. And some I never quite grasped the concept on what in the world was going on.

Half the time I was retracting because there were just a lot of things to remember. There were a ton of kingdoms and characters and I didn’t fall in love with any of them. There’s a line between giving a ton of information to grow the world you want the reader to explore and just information explosion.

And, as I said, I just didn’t fall in love with any of the characters. Actually, the main character kind of annoyed me with her bipolar feelings (and I read that a lot of other people felt the same way so I know I am not just crazy). And her, like “super power” was never really explained and it was kind of weird.

The author has a way with words, but I feel this world could have been explained better. I will read other books by this author as she grows as a writer because I can feel the potential in her words.

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Not as good as I was expecting from the description. The world building was a little confusing and I got lost on some of the big events of the book. The love story was a total waste of time and not intriguing. I was expecting something more original, but it was decent if you aren't expecting a lot.

Abandoned after 60 pages, since the only two questions I had were whether I could like the protagonist any less and how could she possibly simultaneously believe her parents gave up a revolution and power to keep her safe and yet they don't care about her at all. Watching someone in a fictional universe resolve such cognitive dissonance is not my idea of a worthwhile activity.

I do not recommend.

That was a pretty solid fantasy, albeit with some minor fits and starts. The beginning pulled me in quickly, which is a good sign especially when setting up a whole new world, but it was pretty exciting for the most part. I liked that Elanna became somewhat indoctrinated during her captivity in Laon, though her change in the opposite direction did seem to come a little too fast to be believable at times. She did receive information that pretty solidly disillusioned her in regards to her beliefs about King Antoine, but still she kinda came over to the Caeris side a little too quickly and easily. I just needed a smidge more struggle with that angle.
I liked Jahan; he was a fun and interesting character, with some unusual angles to his past (I kinda wanted to know more about his time in Ida and his friendship with Leontius cuz it definitely seemed like there was some more good gossip there but alas). I appreciated that their romance didn't progress too quickly and that when other characters started questioning Jahan's loyalty, Elanna didn't just blindly insist he was A-Okay; she actually listened to what they were saying and tried to examine his past behaviour to see if maybe they could be right, even though she didn't want them to be.
There were some fits and starts, as I said, towards the middle. Just some bits that seemed to drag or seemed like they should be on the cutting room floor, but overall this was a pretty solid book. The magic was unique, especially in the descriptions of how it all felt as Elanna was experiencing things, the characters for the most part were interesting and engaging, and I definitely wouldn't mind learning more about Caeris and Eren.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for allowing me to read this advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

The Waking Land is like a wonderful counterpoint to all those people who think climate change is not that big of a deal. History is full of examples of times when nature overwhelmed and overpowered man's feats. After all, take a look at the damage wrought by hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria for recent examples. Plus, man has long known we are at the mercy of earth, as seen by the amount of literature devoted to natural disasters, climate change, or man versus animal stories like Jurassic Park. There is something about reading about rivers shifting their paths, trees surrounding a city that makes you appreciate the power of nature, or animals switching hunter/hunted roles. While no one in real life is calling upon nature to do these things, pitting earth against man never brings favorable results for man, and Callie Bates is the latest author to remind us of this.

Elanna makes for a decent hero, if a bit hard-headed and inclined to ignore good advice. Quick to jump to conclusions and way too free in espousing her opinions, she is frustrating in her immaturity. Yet, when push comes to shove, she shows she has the mettle to stand for what is right and do what must be done while also finding unique solutions that will mean true change. Her posse, if you will, is an eclectic mix of beautiful people with their own unique powers, and their friendships help to blend some of her harsher, more annoying edges. While she is antagonistic and self-righteous enough to be unlikable, in the end she finds her path and becomes someone for whom you can cheer.

Even though The Waking Land is the first book in a series, there is no cliffhanger or brewing danger that would make people anxious for the next novel. Instead, it ends fairly conclusively. One could even consider it a standalone novel as almost all conflicts obtain resolution by the end. There is one lingering point of conflict by the time Elanna's story closes, but it is so distant as to be negligible. I suspect this will be the main conflict in future stories, but for now, the story ends cleanly enough to assuage fears of anyone worried about starting yet another series.

As mentioned above, however powerful earth is, no one is going to confuse The Waking Land for realism, and that is okay. Books are escapism, and The Waking Land is a wonderful example of that. With its story of politics and family, two countries at war, forbidden magic, and new love, it is a fun fantasy in which good battles evil, those who deserve it get their comeuppance, and happy endings abound.

Did not finish. Only got 43 percent in more then two months and couldn't go on.

I think I was 44% into THE WAKING LAND before I finally called it quits, but it was the best decision for everyone involved. I bloody detested the heroine and ongoing impersonation of an ostrich.

I love it when you see a gorgeous book cover and find out the inside is just as beautiful! I read The Walking Land in two days. Callie Bates knows how to grab her reader and grab them early. You know how it goes... you download or crack open a new book before getting ready for the day. Just the first chapter you say! Then you realize it is 2 in the afternoon and you haven't even showered. Luckily it was a Saturday!

The strength for me is in the characters. That is key. The world building and landscape can be on point but if I don't care about what happens to anyone then I close down pretty quick.

In the prologue of The Walking Land we meet young Elanna who experiences and witnesses quite a trauma. First chapter is many years later when she is a young women and living with the King. She is extremely loyal to this man who has treated her as an adoptive daughter during a time of civil unrest. Then her world is once again rocked and she sets about on a journey that is parallel to what I believe we all go through at some point. While she may be filled with magic (pretty cool magic I might add) but she still stumbles upon life lessons like we all do. The hard way.

I highly recommend this book. Sure there are parts that may have been a little slow to me but I was invested and thoroughly entertained. I also went out and purchased the book despite receiving an advanced electronic copy in exchange for this review. THAT COVER! I had to have it.

I will say that I loved the cover very eye catching and lovely! I liked the plot line of the description however I was hoping that this particular book would turn out to not be like many other books that I have read with the similar plot line I had hoped by half way through the book it would turn in to a much more spectacular book that keep me intrigued however this was not the case I felt like there wasn't anything specific that would catch my attention and keep it I felt left down.

It pains me to admit it, because some authors I love have praised this book, but I just didn’t like it very much.

For me, the story had two main flaws. The first involves the plot, which revolves around one country rising up against the nation that had conquered them, a rebellion that has been in the works for years, if not decades. You would think that would give them time to come up with good plans for how to make it successful. All too often, though, the rebels seem to have no clue what they are doing. For example, the main architect of the rebellion lives in a home that has no natural defenses and is apparently not that far from the border, but he doesn’t bother to make plans for what to do if the enemy shows up there. Why? Because it doesn’t serve the story the author wants to tell of a young woman whose magic makes her the ultimate savior of her nation. But if to get to that point the author often has to have her characters make dumb or irrational decisions, that’s a sign of a flawed plot to me.

The other, deeper, problem is the dithering of the main character, which goes on far too long. Elanna can’t decide if she wants to support the rebellion or not, if she wants to embrace her magic or not, if she can trust the guy she likes or not, etc., etc. She seesaws back and forth in a way that quickly became tiresome to me. The constant focus on her ever-shifting thoughts also slows the pace of the story, to the point that I had trouble finishing the book. The sad thing is that once Elanna commits to a course of action, the book becomes very exciting, and the last few chapters sped by. But it was a long slow slog to get there.

Based on the strength of those last few chapters, I’d be willing to give the author another try in the future. But this book was a miss for me.

A copy of this novel was provided by the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I'm not going to lie, I requested this book because the cover reminded me of Tifiti from Moana. This novel was very much not Moana, but I still enjoyed it anyway. It was interesting and engaging and i would recommend it to a friend.

The idea behind the story is really interesting and I felt there was a lot that could make this develop into a decent series. The most lyrical sections were those that described our heroine's magical connection to the Earth. Of all the elemental magics that exist in mythology and fiction, Earth magic has always been the one that fascinated me. What an incredible gift to make flowers bloom and trees grow tall. When Elanna's connection deepens and she senses the water's flow and the animal's furtive movements, there is a real sense of understanding and beauty to the language.

HOWEVER, I had several issues with the way the story progressed and the character development was sketchy. It read in such a way that the story seemed to drift from plotpoint to plotpoint without enough explanation or development. If this book develops into a series (and the ending appears to set up this possiblity) I would like to see a fuller development of the characters and relationships and a greater respect for the poltical upheaval that is being played out. Bates is clearly capable of writing beautifully (see my previous comments) so I should like to feel that she respects her narrative enough to work on every aspect of it as much as she worked on the magical passages.