Astarti’s master controls her through a Leash, a bond of energy anchored deep within her. Despite being one of the few remaining Drifters, able to manipulate the energy world, she cannot break free. She knows her fate: she will serve until she dies, at which point her master will harvest her energy to augment his own.
Oh, yes, she’s done some bad things in her master’s name. She’s not asking for forgiveness. She expects you to hate her.
What she doesn’t expect is Logan, a man meant to be her sworn enemy. A man with secrets as dark as her own. – Goodreads
The Review
I’ll be honest—I didn’t have high hopes for this book. I was pretty unbiased and “eh, I’ll give it a go”. I will say—I was pleasantly surprised!
The best part of the book (hands down) is the construction of the characters. I am a sucker for a strong female protagonist, and Astarti fit the bill. I also love her name. She’s been abused (after all, she is leashed to a master) but she’s one tough cookie. She has no reason to be a decent human being, but she is anyway, despite how others have treated her.
The point of view switches between Astarti and Logan, who I also liked. He’s spunky and mysterious, both key characteristics that I appreciate in a love interest.
The magic was fascinating, though overwhelming (see below). There are Drifters and Earthmakers. Drifters pull from the Drift, Earthmakers wield elements.
I did have some issues with The Griever’s Mark, though. For one, the information and worldbuilding dumping was outrageous. The first few chapters were the absolute worst, and I found myself taking breaks after each chapter to take a breath. Had this not been for a book tour, I may not have continued because it was a lot of work to remember. I’m glad that I soldiered on, but this may turn some folks off.
I also found the Drift extremely confusing. It’s used for traveling and pulling weapons out of, that’s about all I gathered before my eyes glazed over whenever the Drift was mentioned.
I rated The Griever’s Mark 3.5/5 on Goodreads. It was definitely a pleasant read once you get into it and past the info dump bit. The characters make it worthwhile. You can buy The Griever’s Mark here.
About the Author
I’m Katherine Hurley, author of The Griever’s Mark series. Book 1 will be out in November 2014 and Book 2 in spring of 2015.
My love of myth and legend led me inexorably into fantasy, and I have no intention of leaving. Ever. I grew up riding horses and finally, finally, finally have one of my very own. (I’m hoping Astarti will get some quality horse time at some point, but Drifters don’t really need horses. Hmm.) I’m also an avid (but amateur!) mountain biker and whitewater kayaker.
I was born in New Mexico, grew up in Kansas, got my MFA in Michigan, and now live in West Virginia. The most beautiful place I’ve ever been is New Zealand.
Author Links: Website│Goodreads│Twitter│Facebook
A huge thank you to YA Bound Book Tours for organizing this! I received a free copy of The Griever’s Mark in exchange for an honest review.
lifebetweenreads.com 