Broken Forest (Daath Chronicles #1)

I enjoyed this story, but at times it seemed a bit disjointed and some of the characterization was rushed.

This was a good book. Avikar is a simple farm boy who loves to fight. Or he did before his little brother drowned while he was watching him. Since he didn't save his brother, he is determined to find and save his sister, Jeslyn, when she is kidnapped. His best friend/sister's boyfriend is with him in the search, along with an interesting mix of men. Daath was thought to be a myth but when it turns out that it's ruler, Lucino is who has taken Jeslyn, he knows he must follow. As he learns more about the land and it's ruler, Avikar becomes more and more afraid for his sister and that he might not reach her in time.

I really liked the author's writing style. Each chapter is written from a different person's point of view. That way you know what they are thinking and the story still flows smoothly. I got annoyed at Avikar for his reactions sometimes, he seemed to be self-centered but almost like martyr at the same time. The secondary characters were great and helped the story progress. I wasn't sure about Jeslyn toward the end, but didn't like Lucino at all throughout. Each time I would think he was having a 'good' moment, he did something else and I wound up disliking him again.

I rate this a 4/5. Good start to a series.

Thank you to the publisher for the review copy of this book (via netgalley). I received this book in exchange for an honest review and the opinions stated above are 100% mine.

Even tough i still wonder about the title because there isn't much forest in the plot - The book itself is  fast paced action adventure. There are hidden meanings that are poignant and worth looking into deeper. I also enjoyed the changing of the narration between the characters to get a better overall perspective of the story. The dialogue seemed natural and conveyed emotion. Suspenseful foreshadowing and ending.

I think that the most interesting character for me is - Lucino -  which is very well constructed. at 1st we know is that he isn't not human (has human "doll house" out of curiosity) and than small other details like the ability to shape-shift, the need to ascend (the kind and the reason isn't clear), the arrival to this planet being as key to survival because his world is dying, the scales, and reptilian origin. The ability to use magic and as the on the same time that usage of magic is forbidden on this planet (beside a mysterious organization) He displays a complete lack of compassion or love, and a calculated indifference to the intended murder of his "beloved Jeslyn.", but something is happening as long their acquaintance keep going.

I felt discomfort most of the time for the women characters which seams evil or stupid (Jeslyn) most of the time. Jeslyn figure started good and somewhere we lost her. Lucy is evil but too dependent on Luciano and when she try to rebel he quickly put her in place. Soo... Raven is somehow saving the day.

But I like Daath and the idea of Daath as a 13rd country that is hidden and lost from the memory of the other 12 countries and remembered only as a myth. Lucian people control it and don't let any intervention with the outside world. Daath is more prosperous, lush, green and magical and its people seam very content in comparison to the other countries. But in this paradise there are undercurrents that will lead to rebellion.

Eliza Tilton ignye my interest and I am waiting for the next book to see how the plot will carry on.

Beautiful young girls are being kidnapped, one of whom is 17 year old Avikar's sister, Jeslyn. After already losing one sibling, he and his best friend, who is also courting Jeslyn, take off on a quest to rescue her. Along the way,
they find a hidden world only talked about in fables and a ruler, Lucino, of that world...who wants theirs as well.

From the first few chapters, action is non-stop in BROKEN FOREST. While I love a fast-paced novel, this one may be too fast-paced in the introduction. By page 30, Jeslyn is already kidnapped and Avikar and his best friend are already on the quest to rescue her. It didn't leave enough room to get to know the characters, especially with the POV switching from three people. It took a while to sort through who was who and what was actually going on between all the action. Without getting a decent feel on the personality of the characters sooner, it left confusion about some of their decisions later on.

After getting to know the characters, Jeslyn is a girl who won't/can't rescue herself. I got frustrated with her several times, though I see how her character helps soften Lucino, her kidnapper. I'm glad the author, Eliza Tilton,
created Raven, a kick-butt love interest for Avikar to balance the female power level out. Avikar himself is on the immature side, but he has decent depth.

Behind the heavy plot, the world in BROKEN FOREST is original and nice. There are non-humans and mystical forests, both of which I highly approve of. I would have liked to see more world building of it, but the world building that it has is good.

This is a new series, and while I liked it, I'm not sure if I would read the sequel. I think I would if there is more character development and world-building and a little less action.

                I really liked this book. I loved the way family was represented, and I loved how it took place in daath. I liked the deceitful characters, they made the book very interesting. I didn't like the epilogue. The book left me with at least 3 cliffhangers. I am giving this book a 3/5. I was given a copy to review,
however all opinions are my own. - See more at:
http://dealsharingaunt.blogspot.com/2013/07/broken-forest-by-eliza-tilton-giveaway.html#sthash.Kf0ntSM6.dpuf

I was lucky to be one of the first people to read this book, and I had the opportunity to work with the author during the first revisions. I loved BROKEN FOREST immediately, and couldn't wait to see it in print.