Tuesday, December 6, 2011

Book Review and Giveaway Info: The Mirror of N'de


About the book
In the mythical city of N’de lives thirteen-year-old Hadlay and her people, the Ramash. Scorned and abused by the unloving and absent Emperor, the Ramash are poor people, placed second to the ruling class of the Oresed. Young but bold, Hadlay rages against the injustice in her city. When she is chosen for the honor of serving the Prince in the Tower, she hopes to find a way to right the wrong... but soon discovers that things are worse than she believed.

While Hadlay works to better her people’s condition, she struggles to abide with the abusive Oresed and understand the meaning of her dreams in which a fantastical white horse appears to her and speaks in riddles. When Hadlay stumbles into one of the Tower’s secret rooms, she discovers a hidden mirror that doesn’t just show her reflection, but reveals much more: the horse’s name is Sirach and he has a plan to save the children of N’de, if only Hadlay can bring them to the mirror. Hiding her knowledge of Sirach from the Prince, Hadlay sets out to do Sirach’s bidding. But when Sirach’s presence is revealed, Hadley’s life is in danger and the only way to save her is for Sirach to give up his own.

Crafting powerful narrative and creative characters, author L. K. Malone spins a compelling tale that combines exciting entertainment and the Christian story. In The Mirror of N’de, readers will empathize with the desires of an oppressed people, will anger at the affliction of a cruel adversary, and ultimately rejoice with the revelation of a Savior.
You can also watch a trailer for The Mirror of N'de on YouTube.
 
My thoughts 
This book is targeted at tweens and  teens, so I decided to read it along with my tween girls, ages 9 and 10.  They really enjoyed the storyline, but found much of the vocabulary to be rather advanced for them.  I would put the vocabulary level of the book at 10th grade or so, but if an adult were to read it along with them, the storyline would be great for 6th grade or so (and up).  There are many aspects of  The Mirror of N'de that anyone who knows the stories, even just the basic ones, like Adam and Eve,  of the Old Testament would recognize.  I think that is what intrigued my girls the most.  Also, be aware that many of the names are not names we are used to.  However, there is a pronunciation guide in the front of the book that was very helpful.  
I recommend this book for families with older kids to read together and for high school students and adults to read alone.  

About the author
L. K. Malone is an insatiable reader who devours nearly a book a day when she isn’t writing. Favorite genres include political thrillers, historical fiction, romance, and fantasy. Some of her favorite reads include the Hunger Games series and the Harry Potter books, which inspired her to try her hand at fantasy with a Judeo-Christian twist. Malone is a Colorado native with a large extended family, which includes two lovely young women who graciously let her mentor them through the Denver Kids program, and a handsome menagerie of pets. 
About the giveaway
The publisher is sponsoring a $50 Amazon.com giveaway.
To enter all you have to do is send a tweet (using @litfuse) about The Mirror of N'de  or share about it on Facebook!
If you tweet we'll capture your entry when you use @litfuse. If you share it on Facebook or your blog, just email us and let us know (ckrumm@litfusegroup.com). Easy.
Not sure what to tweet/post? Here's an idea:
TWEET THIS: New YA fantasy - The Mirror of N'de - compelling narrative and creative characters! @litfuse RT for $50 to @amazon http://ow.ly/7AWGT 
FACEBOOK THIS: Don’t miss this debut YA fantasy story: Crafting powerful narrative and creative characters, author L. K. Malone spins a compelling tale that combines exciting entertainment and the Christian story. In The Mirror of N’de, readers will empathize with the desires of an oppressed people, will anger at the affliction of a cruel adversary, and ultimately rejoice with the revelation of a Savior. Share this for a chance at $50 to Amazon.com http://litfusegroup.com/blogtours/text/13440685


Disclaimer
Thank you to Litfuse Publicity Group and the author for providing me with a copy of this book for review purposes. My opinion is my own and was not influenced by anyone else.
  
 

1 comment:

  1. Hi, Danielle,

    I wanted to thank you and your girls for reading my book. I'm so glad you enjoyed it. And yes, some of the names are tongue-twisters!


    The answer is in the mirror!

    ReplyDelete