Author: Kathleen Duey
Series: #1 - A Resurrection of Magic
Format: Hardcover
Release Date: August 4th, 2009
My Rating: 4.0 out of 5.0
Sadima, Franklin, and Somiss, driven out of Limòri by a suspicious fire, are living in a cave hidden within the cliffs that overlook the city. Somiss is convinced the dark passages of the caves were the home of ancient magicians, and his obsession with restoring magic deepens. Sadima dreams of escape -- for her, for Franklin, and for the orphaned street boys Somiss has imprisoned in a crowded cage. Somiss claims he will teach these boys magic, that they will become his first students, but Sadima knows he is lying.
Generations later, Hahp is struggling to survive the wizards' increasingly dangerous classes at the Limòri Academy of Magic. He knows the fragile pact he has forged with his secretive roommate, Gerrard, will not be enough to put an end to the evil. It will take all the students acting together to have any chance of destroying the academy. Building trust, with few chances to speak or plan, will be almost impossible, but there is no choice.
My Review:
Sacred Scars, my first 5.0 rating; and it deserves far more credit than it’s given. As well, again there are two stories of Haph and Sadima, just like in Skin Hunger. However, this far, far surpassed Skin Hunger. The torture and darkness that surrounded Haph and his new lifestyle dig deeper into the shadows and the pain and tragedy. As well, there is something about how he deals with everything, how the constant starving ensues. Haph’s story took off right away, the darkness drove deeper into the core of everything. There was something about how Gerrard and Haph, as well as the other boys, deal with the life and death trials. Each of them being thrown off, like the boys are nothing more than simple toys, and there’s a lot of questions about why these events take place; what are the wizards, Franklin and Somiss, planning? As well, there is something about Franklin; the last time we saw him in Skin Hunger he had this kind, some sort of sincerity and now in Sacred Scars there some sort of weird sort of motive behind everything. I had some questions regarding his person.
Sadima is another issue; she’s back in the cavern with the boys Somiss and Franklin have captured. Teaching them all to write, and beginning to tell them stories, to me they all seem to be more of Franklin and her past. What I enjoyed most about Sadima’s tale is when she puts her plan into action, and there is a given event that passes. She manages to show back up in what would normally be the suburbs of Limori. However, with no memory of whom she is or what she was before; it’s almost like the story folds in on itself and starts over. This makes the story new, and the loop it throws as she lives for years and years, lifetimes and lifetimes.
Sadima’s story slowly closes the gap between her old one and Haph’s tale. This is the part that makes complete sense, the world around Sadima changes and her lifetime stretches far beyond that. There is just so much with this story and how it ends. There is a building, the world shifts constantly around Haph and Sadima.
Sadima is another issue; she’s back in the cavern with the boys Somiss and Franklin have captured. Teaching them all to write, and beginning to tell them stories, to me they all seem to be more of Franklin and her past. What I enjoyed most about Sadima’s tale is when she puts her plan into action, and there is a given event that passes. She manages to show back up in what would normally be the suburbs of Limori. However, with no memory of whom she is or what she was before; it’s almost like the story folds in on itself and starts over. This makes the story new, and the loop it throws as she lives for years and years, lifetimes and lifetimes.
Sadima’s story slowly closes the gap between her old one and Haph’s tale. This is the part that makes complete sense, the world around Sadima changes and her lifetime stretches far beyond that. There is just so much with this story and how it ends. There is a building, the world shifts constantly around Haph and Sadima.
Every part of the fantasy screams perfection. The dark twisted, starving tale of Haph will get your blood boiling and show you a side of Somiss and Franklin not nearly visible before. Then Sadima’s tale keeps the mystery going, there is the world that changes the friends. As well, the world changes around her, as well, her past slowly comes into question; who she is, what she’s done.
The book ends as any other middle book in a trilogy or a series. There are so many questions answered but nothing is so fully resolved that gives any sort of finish or end anything. There is a reason this book gets a 5.0 rating, and if anyone wants to reach for this pinnacle, pick up this book and take notes. The dialogue between the characters, the relationships change and even Sadima makes a decision that forever changes her life. The world building is fantastic; the darkness of Haph is breath-taking and original. The entire series deserves a lot of credit, and will more than always been on my top list of books.
The book ends as any other middle book in a trilogy or a series. There are so many questions answered but nothing is so fully resolved that gives any sort of finish or end anything. There is a reason this book gets a 5.0 rating, and if anyone wants to reach for this pinnacle, pick up this book and take notes. The dialogue between the characters, the relationships change and even Sadima makes a decision that forever changes her life. The world building is fantastic; the darkness of Haph is breath-taking and original. The entire series deserves a lot of credit, and will more than always been on my top list of books.
