Shawna Thomas

4.5 stars. This story is a fantasy based on a completely different world. It doesn't have any elements of "high fantasy." In other words, there are no elves, wizards or magic etc. There are two races on this planet. The humans and the Svistra. They have a long complicated history and are presently at war. The story involves Selia, an tavern keeper who saves the life of a Svistra, Jaden. When soldiers take her gentle brother away to be a soldier, Selia goes after him to rescue him. She is having problems though going through the wilderness. Jaden finds her and helps her make it to her brother. Along the way they develop a friendship and come to care for each other. They feel more than just friendship though, but their "interracial" relationship seems doomed.

The book is fully developed. The two are tangled up in political maneuverings while trying to escape from both humans and Svistras just to survive. Very well written. The romance is an integral part of the story but is not explicit. There are no love scenes. The pace of the story is good and the secondary characters are well drawn. The plot made sense. There was plenty of description so you could see the place and actions. Both of the leads were very well developed. Jaden was an honorable man and Selia a strong competent woman but one who was not too proud to ask for and accept help when she needed it.

I would be more than happy to read more books set on this world.… (mehr)

Read from April 26 to 30, 2013
format ebook (edit)
review My feeling mixed.... the book stated with a very slow pace and the nativity of Sara just add to my frustration. The Pace started to change, only at chapter 4, to my relief when the character of Mealys the healer, I much enjoyed her sharp tang and the no nonsense air of her.
From that point the story really started to pick me, even though there were times which it returned to kind of slow pace, but it made sense because, it was the pace of nature.
I liked the descriptions of the desert, mountains and swamps with there different peoples. I also was intrigued with the culture of taking 6 wives as much I felt kind of discomfort about it. It reminded me of the Bedouin in Israel, but even them don't have than 4 wives.
Zenyl her mentor were little creeptic... I am not sure how much information she succeed to gather from him. too little to my test.

But the story captured my interest and I really looking forward to see how things will developed.… (mehr)

I was really in the mood for a fantasy romance when I picked up ALTERED DESTINY, but it didn't quite satisfy my craving - the romance between Selia and Jaden is intense and prominent in the novel, but they spend an awful lot of time apart. Likewise, the fantasy universe of ALTERED DESTINY contains a few fascinating fantasy elements - I especially loved the White Forest and the radioactive Wastes - but there's more sword than sorcery here by a long shot.

Personally, I would have liked it if Thomas had dialed up the romance and the fantasy elements a little higher. The remainder of the plot ended up being sort of distracting to me for an odd reason: I became increasingly convinced, as I read, that the human/Svistra conflict was a fantasy re-imagining of the Israel/Palestine conflict. For example, check out this little snipped of dialogue from Altered Destiny:

*****

"At one time there were great friendships between Svistra and human."
"How is that possible? The Svistra are no more than animals. Rabid dogs that must be put down to protect the innocent."
"We are what you made us."
"What is that supposed to mean?" Nathan's voice rose.
"Humans took our land, our dignity and our way of life."

*****

There are humans named Oren and Ari, which are common Israeli names. The Svistra are divided into tribes and adopt dishonorable guerrilla tactics. One of the Svistra was named Ledid, which means "delicious" in Arabic (though I think it also has the same meaning in Hebrew). The climax of the novel involves the reparation of territory there's all this discussion about what to do about the settlers and returning to old borders...all I'm saying is, once I had this bee in my bonnet, I couldn't swat it away.

I will stay that this conflict, with it's contemporary resonance, made the star-crossed romance between Selia and Jaden all the more tragic. I really believed that they would be shamed for choosing to love one another no matter where they went, and the deep resentment that the humans feel for the Svistra and the Svistra for the humans is sharply and painfully evoked.
… (mehr)