The author did a wonderful job with this novel. I was drawn into the story rather quickly and it became immediately apparent that the plot was thought-out carefully. In fact, there were times that the complexities of the plot became so complicated that it was somewhat dizzying. This is the kind of book you definitely have to go back through a second time to fully understand and appreciate. The Vivatera is an amazing creation, especially as a debut novel. I'll be watching for book 2.

This was a really fun and interesting book, although I am not sure it appealed to me as much as other readers. The worldbuilding was beautiful, but many of the events moved along quite fast. The characters of Zander and Naomi were well-done, but Naomi’s romance with Reynolds seemed to move a bit too fast for me to keep up. Overall, I can see why this is a well-loved series. Many of the events and details stood out enough for me to remember well and I may pick up the second book in the future. Readers of young adult fantasy, especially of Graceling, may find interest in these pages.

This was a great book despite my average star rating. The story was well-plotted and the pace was great, but I can't help but feel that it was aimed at a younger audience. The characters were alright, but I would've preferred a little more world-building. Nonetheless, I'm glad I read it!

Recommended!!

Overall this book was good.
I would have like a little bit more information & description as I read. It was a lot of surface reading & it didn't dig deep & capture my attention like I would have liked it to. I think that if there was more "meat" to the story that this would have been a really good, can't put down until the end kind of YA novel that I enjoy.
I think that a younger reader would enjoy reading this book & would recommend for students/kids who enjoy this.

I gave this one a try, but I know already after 20% of the book that it's not my kind of read. I leve fantasy YA, but this book is made for Younger readers for sure. The writing style and the characters are just simply described in a way that does not suit me. I am sure youger reader will enjoy it.

This book just dives straight in - I love that, rather than slowly building up the info needed. However, it then feels like it fails to ever make the information fully complete - there isn’t a whole lot of explanation that goes on, but I suppose that could be seen as reflective of the main character's, Naomi, lack of knowledge of both her past and the magic she possesses.

The writing is atmospheric, and I love how the dream sequences are written. But the characters themselves don’t seem to be very fleshed out - for example the love interest just is that, the love interest. There's no build up to it - Naomi sees him and decides yep, that’s it, we cannot be parted now, he is my one. The others are also just kind of there, we get glimpses of their dynamic but it's mainly all about Naomi and how they love her. There's nothing much of their history or their personalities without Naomi - who can do no wrong, is very trusting, and feels like her head is just in the clouds all the time.

The premise and actual story line is interesting, and the world sounds like it is full of lots of magical and mysterious things. But as I say, I just feel like I needed more - to delve deeper and get further fleshing out of it.

I'm interested to read more of the series, with the hope of finding some answers and to see where Naomi and her friends go.

Thank you to NetGalley and Shadesilk Press for providing me a free ARC in exchange for an open and honest review.

I received this eARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest book review.
The world and character building were too slow for me for this book. I am tossed up between liking and not liking this book maybe because some parts of the book weren’t explained thoroughly leading me to confusion. I feel like the book wanted to start off fast but ended but becoming slow. Overall, I like the story because it kept me wondering what is really going on, there’s that mystery to it. This could probably what the author is trying to aim for, who knows. In the end, this is worth reading.

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my review in any way and the thoughts expressed are my own.

A new fantasy world set to take a unique look at magic. Naomi, a young girl with beautiful blonde hair, has always been different and not just because of her hair colour. Everyone is captivated by her and long to be close to her but her only friend is Zander. When Naomi sees another girl with the same star scar on her neck, she launches into a royal parade in hopes of talking to her. When the guards stop her and capture Zander, a mysterious boy appears and whisks her away.

Reynolds, the stranger, seems familiar to Naomi and reveals that he has been watching over her and knew her late guardian Malindra. Desperate to save Zander, and curious about the new man, Naomi agrees to go with Reynold in exchange for him rescuing her friend. Now the pair must travel to a safe haven without being captured by those that hunt them.

Meanwhile, Zander wakes to the horrors of the palace dungeon. He is imprisoned there for days until Prince Bryant offers him a job. Zander must serve the Prince and help him care for his love who he has hidden away within the palace. Sworn to keep the secret from everyone, even the King, Zander meets a charming woman with the same scar as Naomi.

I loved the characters in this book, especially Naomi and Zander. Watching Zander trying to overcome his stutter whilst struggling with world-altering dangers and trying to protect those he cares for. He is a kind-hearted and trusting boy even after everything he’s been through and really shows the goodness of everyday people, not just the epic heroes.

Many female protagonists, especially those in love triangles, enthral men with only a look. While Naomi does do this, her ‘charm’ is greatly attributed to the magic within her. It calls to others, makes them happy and makes people strive to be the best versions of themselves. I loved how the author took the concept of love at first sight and turned it into a complex form of magic. Throughout the entire book, I longed to know more about Naomi, who she was, why she had magic and what her magic was exactly. When it was finally revealed, I’m glad to say I wasn’t disappointed.

The love bubbling between Naomi and Reynolds was clear from the start and grew as their adventure continued. At first, I was uncomfortable with it since I thought Naomi was around thirteen (the same age as Zander) since she was described as being a small, young girl while Reynolds was referred to as a young man. However, it’s clarified when it states that she was invited to live with Zander’s father so that she could care for his young son plus it was revealed that there’s a nine-year age gap between Reynolds and Naomi (while large for teens, it’s better when you think of Naomi as being seventeen making Reynolds twenty-six). The author was great at displaying how you can have such deep and indescribable feelings for someone with little logic or reason.

In many fantasy novels, magic has always been a natural part of the world but not in this story. Instead of being a part of you like your soul, this magic feeds on people like a parasite within a host. This world didn’t originally have magic, but something years ago brought it forth for it to infect numerous people. From the prologue, it’s obvious Reynolds was the cause of infecting at least one person, Taren who still hates him for it. Taren has a unique perspective on others’ magic since he was able to look inside them and understand the very core of their magic. This was a great technique at really showing the reader what each type of magic, each person, was about.

This was a surprisingly great book with a unique magic system and interesting characters. The climax was exciting with plenty of twists, turns and reveals to keep everyone happy. I give it 5/5, it has become one of my favourites and am eagerly awaiting the next instalment in the series.

I received an ARC from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review

Vivatera started off on a shaky-note with the lack of world-building and slow-paced beginning. I found that as the book progressed, I did not receive the character development I was hoping for. I will say that I was a fan of our heroine, Naomi, She was quick on her feet and very likable, even though she falls directly into the "Chosen One" trope featured in many YA fantasy novels. Her journey of self-discovery intrigued me, and I loved watching her navigate her magic. My favourite part of this novel were the dreams. Thomas' writing in these scenes was perfection and drew me into the dream itself.
I am normally not bothered by "insta-love" but in this story I was. The insta-love led me to drop the rating by a whole star because I felt nothing for their relationship. Naomi fell head-over-heels in such a short time-span and I felt that she was a strong enough character on her own to not require a love interest.

Overall, I will not be continuing this series but will consider picking up other novels by this author.

While an okay novel, the insta love watered down the book greatly. The pace was slow and the novel as a whole felt bland. I would consider continuing the series for the ending. The characters were a joy to read, so this alone makes me inclined to give it 3 stars.

Thank you to publisher for the releases of this book through NetGalley for review.

First, lets look at the cover. I loved it. That I why I clicked on the book to read the synopsis. It sounded very interesting so I had to give it a shot. But however, there was just something missing for me. The concept was good but I was just bored with the story. It just fell flat for me. I ended up laying the book down about half way though. I tried to keep pushing myself but I just wasn't connecting to the story or to the plot.

I do thank the publisher and NetGalley for the release of this but I did want to post my honest review.

This book follows the main character Naomi who unbeknownst to herself has magical abilities. Ripped apart from an adoptive mother, Malindra, she lives on a pig farm and is close to the abusive farmer's son, Zander, who is plagued by a stutter. Early on, Naomi is whisked away by a secretive Reynold while she is watching a royal procession where the prince and a woman with the same matching scar are paraded through the streets of the city. Guards take Zander and Naomi is "saved" by Reynold. Reynold and Naomi make their way to a camp where on their trek they face various dangers and a female who is following Reynold who is only identified as "brown eyes." I have a feeling that this book will be about Naomi developing her magical abilities, the Prince wanting something to do with her powers, Reynold falling in love with her + a possible additional love interest, and Zander being either brainwashed by the Prince or will be held as leverage.

I cannot tell you the rest because I did not finish the book @ 31% for the following reasons, but FIRST, the pros:

PROS:
1. The book has an interesting-enough plot with a world that is expansive enough to keep the reader entertained. I desperately wanted to become immersed in the book.

CONS:
1. To get to the bottom of it all? The book lacks heart. There are plenty of adventure-filled situations where characters are in dire straights but I do not get any emotion out of them. I get an understanding that they are scared or nervous, but it is superficial. I cannot FEEL what they feel, if that makes any sense. This point leads to the next one-
2. The dialogue feels flat and when the teens in the book interact with each other, the way they communicate is rather childish and more suitable for JFIC books.
3. Sloppy writing- For one, I caught a lot of grammatical errors. Two, the way in which some of the characters responded to situations was not believable. For example, Naomi has spent 31% of the book without ADAMANTLY getting to the bottom of who her saviors are or where she is being taken. Furthermore, she has been trusting the word of her captors that they will go back and save Zander. She gives him about 1-2 thoughts then forgets all about him.

Interesting plot line and world, but I just didn't feel like I could connect to the characters like I have been able to in other books...

DNF @30%
After chapter five, I decided to dnf this book for many reasons. The story was losing my interest and I had to keep rereading the pages to keep track of what was happening. And I don't care for the characters. Naomi wasn't anything special to me and I didn't care for the mystery of her life. It felt that the story was using her magic as an excuse for an insta love romance. Then Reyn just seemed kind of dumb.

What a delightful read! I was captivating from the first chapter in. Vivatera is an amazing book. Naomi dealt with an unimaginable journey. Well-written and lovely storyline. I loved it!

An amazing fantasy story! The magic system is captivating and made for a highly enjoyable read. Although I did find it a little hard to get into in the beginning, it was worth persevering. Highly recommend this book for any YA fantasy reader.

Over all I liked this book, hopefully they fixed the grammar part of Audra description, where it’s her waist being cinched and not her waste cinched!

Vivatera by Candace J. Thomas intrigues me with its magic and fast pace. Naomi and Reynolds kind of have an instalove connection except Naomi does not realize it until Reyn leaves and the thing I loved the most about this book is that the love interest is separate from each other for most of the book.
I did not see half the twists coming which is impressive. However, I feel like Zander and the group he was with became forgotten in the end. I am anxiously awaiting the second book to see what happens.
For my full review check out my blog https://bookgirlreviewsbooks.blogspot.com

4.5 stars.

Both fantasy and magical elements combine to make this story a very fun YA read! Through beautiful writing and wonderful description, I found myself very involved in this compelling world as it unfolded page by page. I felt the full gambit of emotions and was spellbound (!) by the plot as I learned more about each character. The mystery that ensues has me wanting more and highly anticipating the second installment, which is sure to be a hit as well! Well done!

Vivatera is the first in a Young Adult fantasy series that focuses on Naomi, who discovers secret powers in herself and a bunch of other people. Add to this an interesting magic system, a corrupted king and something like a magic school and I was sure to take the bait.

This was a fun, quick read. The story starts quickly and I was drawn into the story from the beginning. There is just enough mystery and guessing to make you want to continue, and while I first read it as part of all the books I'm currently reading, I decided to give it some priority and after that finished it almost in one sitting.

While I liked the story and the magic seems complex, in the sense that it is eating the people from the inside out since humans are not supposed to mingle with magic, Naomi I liked less. She was the typical sort of perfect, much more special than anyone else kind of girl which is kind of cringe-worthy. It was why I liked the secondary plot arc, following Zander, more, even though Naomi was the one who was kind of in magic school.

I will probably read the second book also.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

The cover and description are what got me reading this book. Vivatera had a lot of potential but the way it was executed left much to be desired and in the end, this book fell flat.

I didn't like that we are thrown into an adventure without having much backstory or worldbuilding- yes, it adds suspense because it makes me want to read to find out more but if I don't get to know the characters and understand them then what cause should I have to root for them?

Additionally, I wanted more worldbuilding. Although it's more developed at the end, I wish it was woven in rather than info-dumped in the last 30 or so pages.

Naomi wasn't a terrible protagonist- I liked that she was brave and (mostly) intelligent but I feel like she relied on Reynolds too much that it took away from her character. It feels like the romance between them is very forced and it's the typical cliche- naive girl with special powers meets a mysterious boy who can help her find the answers to her mysterious upbringing. There's very little to this that makes it stand out among other YA couples and if it were better developed I think I would've appreciated it more.

I did like Zander though. I enjoyed his narrative and how his subplot with Silexa connected to the main plot and added to the intrigue.

Moreover, I don't find it believable that a young woman who has gone out of her way to protect her identity goes running off with a total stranger because he *might* have some answers to her mysterious scar. Granted, Naomi is very trusting and comes off as very naive but still.

I almost DNFed because I wasn't very engaged in the plot. The only reason I kept reading was to figure out what the marking meant. The ending was the high point of the novel when things kind of picked up and I was actually interested for the last 50 pages or so.

This book had a lot of potential to be a great book but it didn't have that effect on me. I might wind up reading the sequel on a whim but for now I'm putting the series aside.

*Thank you to NetGalley and Shadesilk Press for providing a free ARC*