∎ Read Sunbolt The Sunbolt Chronicles Volume 1 Intisar Khanani 9780985665838 Books

Sunbolt The Sunbolt Chronicles Volume 1 Intisar Khanani 9780985665838 Books

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Sunbolt The Sunbolt Chronicles Volume 1 Intisar Khanani 9780985665838 Books

I requested this book because it sounded like a solid fantasy read, and the ratings on Goodreads were already quite good. I definitely don’t regret requesting this as I really enjoyed it but I’m going to give you a warning here: THIS BOOK IS VERY SHORT.

Plot

Let me just tell you, this book is a wild ride. There are no boring moments, not a single one. Of course, because this book is so short -less than 200 pages- the action is continuous. We follow Hitomi as she tries to help the Shadow League, an secret movement opposing Blackflame -the Arch Mage who controls the sultan. From the first scene, we are thrown into the action. Hitomi is chased by soldiers of Blackflame because of her skin color and ethnicity and she has to run. I really enjoyed all the action although to be honest, I had to re-read a sentence every once in a while because I got lost for a second.

I was really into the story, completely sucked in, so when the ending came I was completely unprepared. I absolutely loved the story line of this book. It covers chases through different cities, captivity in several countries and wild escapes.

World

This aspect is the reason I gave this book 4 stars, not more. I really felt that for a fantasy novel, there was almost no world building. I know that she lived in Karolene, which I think is an island. And I was introduced to another country as the story progressed but I can’t really imagine anything else.I understand that there was not really an opportunity for this, as the novel was so short, but still. I adore fantasy and have read quite a lot, so I was expecting more world building.

Characters

On to the characters! I really enjoyed reading from Hitomi’s point of view. She was definitely brave and strong, else she would not have survived all she did. I found her to be very resourceful and loyal as well. She was quite the thief, which comes in handy when you’re captured, but not everything she did turned out to work. I know this sounds strange, but I actually enjoy that. Because let’s be honest, whose ideas are great and turn out perfect every time? One thing I found strange is that she both trusts easily, and doesn’t trust anyone. Yes, I know that sounds confusing. At first, she doesn’t really trust many people -only about 2- which is normal for an orphan I think. But during the story, she puts a lot of faith in a certain person, who I definitely wouldn’t trust with my life.

There were many other characters I liked as well, although I can’t really talk about them as it would ruin the story. Overall, I would have liked to see more of them. Because this novel was short, I felt like I didn’t get enough time with the characters. Like I didn’t get a chance to truly get to know or understand them.

Conclusion

I’d definitely recommend this story! It’s a fun and action-packed fantasy book, definitely suitable for young adults and teenagers. My only “complaint” would be that it was a bit lacking in history and world building, due to it being quite short. But I enjoyed the story line and the characters very much!


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Sunbolt The Sunbolt Chronicles Volume 1 Intisar Khanani 9780985665838 Books Reviews

Let me begin by telling you a story of my own. Once upon a time, on a spring break not too long ago, my boyfriend contracted appendicitis. We didn't know it was appendicitis, though, rather thinking it was a case of food poisoning brought on by a sketchy breakfast at a Best Western. (I still have not entirely ruled out the possibility that the breakfast was, somehow, involved.) As we thought he would get better in a day or two, we didn't go to the hospital and instead flew six hours home, where he was advised by the CVS Minute Clinic to stay in bed. Ten days later, we were in the ER because he still wasn't better. By this point, all they could really do was put him on heavy antibiotics because his whole abdomen was so inflamed that they couldn't operate. I spent about a week and a half lying on a hospital bed next to him, and during that time I read Intisar Khanani's book Thorn, and it took my breath away.

The boyfriend lived (and, about three months after his appendix ruptured, he finally had it removed) and I fell in love with Khanani's writing. When Sunbolt came out, it was obvious that I had to read it. And I have to say, Khanani has done it again. While significantly shorter than Thorn, Sunbolt is also a thing of beauty, and if you look at its reviews on Goodreads, you can see that pretty much everyone agrees with that. It's very fast-paced, jumping from one event to the next, but it never actually seems "jumpy" or choppy. Everything flows very well. The heroine, Hitomi, is an orphan who possesses magical powers that she has to hide to avoid becoming a slave. She works to help free the island of Karolene from the clutches of a dark mage along with the rest of the League of Shadows, led by the mysterious figure known only as "the Ghost." During an operation to save the lives of a powerful family, Hitomi is captured and begins looking for a way to escape.

Let me tell you, Hitomi has the worst luck when it comes to escape attempts. Every single time she escapes, she gets captured again. Eventually, she is given to one monster and imprisoned with another, and they have to work together to get free. The world is rife with werewolves, vampires, and other non-human creatures, though they are referred to by alternate names. I wasn't sure how this would work out, not being a fan of the werewolf/vampire craze that's swept young adult fiction lately, but this isn't really focused on those aspects. And towards the end, with Val (a creature whose like I haven't encountered before) I was really, really rooting for them. I am dying to see more of Hitomi and Val. I hope he shows up in future books. I wasn't sure that Sunbolt was going to hold up to Thorn, but it definitely did--however, I attribute that more to the second half of the book. The first half, while enjoyable, was not as good as the second. Hitomi's strength and spunk really come through in the second half, and she also has to face the consequences of her actions, which were masterfully handled.

Anyway, Khanani is a fabulous writer, and I can't wait to see more of her work.

5 stars out of 5.
I requested this book because it sounded like a solid fantasy read, and the ratings on Goodreads were already quite good. I definitely don’t regret requesting this as I really enjoyed it but I’m going to give you a warning here THIS BOOK IS VERY SHORT.

Plot

Let me just tell you, this book is a wild ride. There are no boring moments, not a single one. Of course, because this book is so short -less than 200 pages- the action is continuous. We follow Hitomi as she tries to help the Shadow League, an secret movement opposing Blackflame -the Arch Mage who controls the sultan. From the first scene, we are thrown into the action. Hitomi is chased by soldiers of Blackflame because of her skin color and ethnicity and she has to run. I really enjoyed all the action although to be honest, I had to re-read a sentence every once in a while because I got lost for a second.

I was really into the story, completely sucked in, so when the ending came I was completely unprepared. I absolutely loved the story line of this book. It covers chases through different cities, captivity in several countries and wild escapes.

World

This aspect is the reason I gave this book 4 stars, not more. I really felt that for a fantasy novel, there was almost no world building. I know that she lived in Karolene, which I think is an island. And I was introduced to another country as the story progressed but I can’t really imagine anything else.I understand that there was not really an opportunity for this, as the novel was so short, but still. I adore fantasy and have read quite a lot, so I was expecting more world building.

Characters

On to the characters! I really enjoyed reading from Hitomi’s point of view. She was definitely brave and strong, else she would not have survived all she did. I found her to be very resourceful and loyal as well. She was quite the thief, which comes in handy when you’re captured, but not everything she did turned out to work. I know this sounds strange, but I actually enjoy that. Because let’s be honest, whose ideas are great and turn out perfect every time? One thing I found strange is that she both trusts easily, and doesn’t trust anyone. Yes, I know that sounds confusing. At first, she doesn’t really trust many people -only about 2- which is normal for an orphan I think. But during the story, she puts a lot of faith in a certain person, who I definitely wouldn’t trust with my life.

There were many other characters I liked as well, although I can’t really talk about them as it would ruin the story. Overall, I would have liked to see more of them. Because this novel was short, I felt like I didn’t get enough time with the characters. Like I didn’t get a chance to truly get to know or understand them.

Conclusion

I’d definitely recommend this story! It’s a fun and action-packed fantasy book, definitely suitable for young adults and teenagers. My only “complaint” would be that it was a bit lacking in history and world building, due to it being quite short. But I enjoyed the story line and the characters very much!