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Formats
Hardcover Book Details
  • 07/2020
  • 9781735051802
  • 346 pages
  • $28.95
Paperback Book Details
  • 07/2020
  • 9781735051833
  • 400 pages
  • $17.95
Ebook Details
  • 07/2020
  • 978-1-7350518-2-6 B08CL2WT5L
  • 400 pages
  • $8.95
C.K. Donnelly
Author
Trine Rising: The Kinderra Saga: Book 1

Adult; Sci-Fi/Fantasy/Horror; (Market)

Mirana Pinal, just sixteen summers old, knows she’s different. In her homeland of Kinderra, only a small minority of people are born with one of three magical powers—Seeing, Defending, or Healing. Mirana, however, was born with all three, making her a rare Trine, one whose powers can bring peace to the war-ravaged land—or destroy it. Only two other known Trines exist in the current age—Tetric Garis, a hero to Mirana’s people; and the Dark Trine, the ruthless leader of the enemy Ken’nar regime, who is determined to conquer Kinderra and subjugate its people. Trines must train to use their powers, but Mirana’s not interested in being a warrior-hero. For her, destroying her homeland with her Aspects is more than just a possibility. She has terrifying visions that if she wields her powers, she will be the one to bring ruin to Kinderra. Desperate to keep her dark fate from unfolding, she tells no one about her destructive destiny but her beloved, Teague Beltran, a brilliant young herbsman’s apprentice who yearns for powers of his own. She keeps her powers a secret, but fate has other plans. When Mirana receives alarming premonitions of a Ken’nar attack on Kinderra, she is forced to reveal to her people that she is a Trine to warn them of the impending assault. What she doesn’t tell them is that in the same visions, she watches herself unleash unspeakable powers of devastation, crystallized in the image of a watchtower exploding with light. Tetric Garis takes her under his wing and begins instructing her on how to use her powers, but Mirana fears she will cause more peril than forestall it. As the battle draws near, Mirana must search within to discover the true nature of her powers and summon the courage to determine her fate.

Quarter Finalist

Plot/Idea: 10 out of 10
Originality: 8 out of 10
Prose: 10 out of 10
Character/Execution: 10 out of 10
Overall: 9.50 out of 10

Assessment:

Plot: Donnelly's YA novel is set in a strikingly well-conceived fantasy world. Gifted--or cursed--with a trifecta of powers, Mirana Pinal is one of a select few tasked with an enormous moral responsibility. Readers will become fully immersed in Mirana's narrative as she struggles to come to terms with her potential for restoration or destruction.

Prose: Donnelly excels at crafting a seamless narrative that conveys the unique parameters of the universe at-hand through dialogue, character introspection, and balanced exposition. Descriptions are lyrical, vivid, and nicely polished.

Originality: Stories of exceptional teens are frequent, but Donnelly's convincing worldbuilding elevates the somewhat conventional underpinnings of the premise.

Character/Execution: Mirana's behavior, thought processes, and motivations are clear and authentic. Villainous characters and allies are portrayed with nuance and dimension, while the world of Kinderra emerges as an engrossing character in its own right.

Date Submitted: August 18, 2020

Reviews
The first installment of Donnelly’s coming-of-age fantasy series blends introspective self-discovery with high-stakes adventure. In the land of Kinderra, people are born either Aspected—having the power of clairvoyance, healing, or defending—or Unaspected. Young Mirana Pinal is born with all three powers, making her a Trine. After seeing a disturbing vision wherein she destroys Kinderra, Mirana confides her secret only to her boyfriend, the Unaspected Teague Beltran. She soon learns that she is part of a prophecy foretelling the destruction of her homeland at the hands of a new Trine. The other Trines are the peaceable sage Tetric Garis and the Ain Magne, a warmonger bent on subjugating the citizens of Kinderra. When the threat of an attack from the Dark Trine forces Mirana to reveal her visions, Tetric Garis takes her under his wing to train her. Can Mirana thwart her own destiny and save the kingdom from herself?

Donnelly has set her story in a classic medieval Europe-flavored fantasy world, complete with armies on horses, ancient prophecies, and an extensive dramatis personae. Although the author makes some moves to differentiate her work from other stories in the genre—for instance, by substituting common English terms with Kinderrian ones—some readers may find the net result is more distracting than illustrative.

But Mirana is a sympathetic heroine, her struggle to find her place in the world will be relatable to young readers, and her romance with Teague captures the tensions and thrills of teenage love. Polished prose, strong characterization, and the author’s keen eye for atmospheric detail keep this coming-of-age story engrossing.

Takeaway: Young adult readers will be swept up in a gripping fantasy adventure with a main character they can root for.

Great for fans of: Victoria Aveyard’s Red Queen series and Tomi Adeyemi’s Children of Blood and Bone.

Production grades
Cover: A
Design and typography: A
Illustrations:
Editing: A
Marketing copy: C

Formats
Hardcover Book Details
  • 07/2020
  • 9781735051802
  • 346 pages
  • $28.95
Paperback Book Details
  • 07/2020
  • 9781735051833
  • 400 pages
  • $17.95
Ebook Details
  • 07/2020
  • 978-1-7350518-2-6 B08CL2WT5L
  • 400 pages
  • $8.95
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