Day 321 - Legacy [ARC Review]

Legacy

Cayla Kluver

Series or Stand Alone: The Legacy Series, Book One

Release Date: August 2009

Publisher: AmazonEncore

Pages: 464

Author Site: http://www.caylakluver.com/

My Rating: 4/5

Synopsis [from caylakluver.com]:

As a dark rivalry between two kingdoms threatens to erupt into war, a willful princess must decide between duty and desire.

Obligated to wed her father's choice in successor to the throne, seventeen-year-old Princess Alera of Hytanica believes that she is being forced into the worst of all possible fates - a marriage to the arrogant and hot-tempered Steldor. When the attractive and mysterious Narian arrives from enemy lands bearing secrets and different ideas about women's roles in the world, Alera's private desires threaten to destroy the kingdom. The discovery of Narian's shocking past plunges Alera into a shadowy world of palace intrigue and ancient blood feuds, leaving her unsure of what to believe in, or whom to trust.

Legacy introduces novelist Cayla Kluver. Marked by sharp dialogue and dramatic complexity that belie the writer's age, this memorable page-turner brings a fresh, new sensibility to age-old questions of duty and inheritance, and a young heroine's quest to find her own voice.

Review:

I was really hesitant about starting this book. It's a pretty hefty one and I was nervous that I wouldn't like it and I'd have to make myself finish it. And then I start the book and I'm like "Hmm, this isn't too bad" all the while waiting for the book to go downhill... It never did! Kluver's writing and the story itself grabbed me and wouldn't let me go until I finished the book.

So the author was 14 when she wrote LEGACY and while that's extremely interesting I don't feel her age really deterred her from writing a good book. I myself enjoyed the descriptive passages and the character development. Cayla Kluver created a brand new world that isn't necessarily filled with magic but is written with poise and thoughtful detail. I'm quite impressed with what Cayla has come up with and I'm excited to see the later installments in the series.

LEGACY is a novel about many different things. First off we have two enemy Kingdoms: Hytanica and Cokyri. Many years ago during the war, Cokyri started kidnapping the first-born boys from the people of Hytanica. Within a week, all but one of the tiny bodies were found at the gates of Hytanica. Cokyri then mysteriously withdraws from the war leaving Hytanica to mourn the deaths of the babies and wonder what Cokryi had in store for them.

Fast forward to seventeen-year-old Princess Alera. She is the Hytanican King's daughter and is scheduled to be married by her eighteenth birthday so her father can step down from the throne. Alera is approached by a few suitors but no one can compare to her father's number one choice for future King of Hytanica: Lord Steldor. Steldor is egotistical but devishily handsome and Alera has strongly disliked him for as long as she can remember. Everyone in Hytanica seems to agree that he should be the next King. But Alera can't imgaine being his Queen for the rest of her life... She'd much rather marry for love. But who could she possibly choose that her father would approve of?

This is where things start to get interesting when a Cokryian boy a year or two younger than Alera shows up in Hytanica. Narian seems to be the last of the first-born boys taking during the war. His appearance causes a whirlwind of chaos as the Elite Guard, the King, and even Alera try to figure out why he is in Hytanica. Has he returned to his rightful home? Or is Narian part of some plot to hurt the King? To make matters worse, Narian and Alera become quite close and Alera's heart becomes torn between duty and love...

So there's much more to the story than what I've included and overall it's completely enjoyable and satisfying. I think one of my favorite parts about reading LEGACY was something that had nothing to do with words at all... At the beginning of each chapter, there is a small illustration that has something to do with what the reader will encounter in the upcoming pages. The illustrations are simple yet beautifully detailed and I found it unique and just a lovely addition to the story.

ALLEGIANCE, the second book in the series, doesn't yet have a release date but I will definitely be getting a copy when it finally does come out. If you like what you hear about LEGACY be sure to check back soon for a giveaway of my ARC copy. I really hate to part with it but I'd rather have the finished product on my shelf.