Today we're celebrating the release of Brazen, the third and final book in the Gilded series about a sixteen-year-old girl who must use her martial art skills and wits to save her family, friends, and country from an evil Korean God.
Be sure to pick up the letter for this stop at the end of this post to earn extra points in the Kindle Fire or $50 Amazon gift card giveaway! (Collect all the letters during the blog tour to spell out the secret message to earn more points.)
Book Title: BrazenAuthor: Christina Farley
Series: Gilded #3
Book 1: Gilded Book 2: Silvern
Genres: YA Fantasy
Publication: Skyscape, September 29th 2015
Source: Author
Where to buy: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Indie
Sworn to an ancient god of darkness, Jae Hwa fights to gain her freedom and restore the balance of Korea… but first she must gain back the trust of her loved ones.
Jae Hwa Lee spent her sixteenth year in Seoul, trying to destroy the evil immortals who had been torturing her family for centuries. The last thing she expected was to be forced to become their assassin. Trapped in the darkest part of the Spirit World as a servant to the Korean god Kud, fighting to keep her humanity, and unable to contact her loved ones, Jae Hwa is slowly losing hope. Kud, god of darkness, will do anything to keep her as a pawn in his quest for power over all of Korea, her entire family thinks she’s dead, and Jae’s true love, Marc, believes she is lost to him forever.
When Kud sends Jae to find and steal the powerful Black Turtle orb, Jae sees an opportunity to break free and defeat Kud once and for all…but first she needs to regain Marc’s trust and work with him to vanquish the darkness that threatens to overwhelm Korea. There’s much to lose as Jae struggles to save the land she’s come to call home.
Review: I have just read this series this week and I have yet to post my reviews for the other two preceding books, but without further ado, I must say that Brazen is the best installment among the three in the series.
I can see the improvement of the story line and writing in this book and I'm glad to see it. Yet despite this, the writing is still on a debut level and needs more polishing. There are numerous loopholes in the story and I feel disconnected to the plot. At times, reading it feels very difficult when it seems like it was rushed or something.
But the power of Farley's imagination and the use of Asian mythology make it very pretty and fun to read. Readers might find themselves flipping through the pages just to meet the conclusion of the story.
There are just elements that I didn't find any improvement. I was waiting for a stronger and bolder main character. I was waiting for a more relevant existence from the characters but sadly, they could not meet my expectations. Things could be more awesome if the characters were given proper look-over and enhancements. Afterall, characters are one of the foundations of a book.
Brazen, though, is a good end-mark for the series. We get to see the new culture aside from Korea and this proves the unyielding imaginative prowess of the author. I can not wait to see more of Christina Farley's works and the unending improvements she could do.
I can see the improvement of the story line and writing in this book and I'm glad to see it. Yet despite this, the writing is still on a debut level and needs more polishing. There are numerous loopholes in the story and I feel disconnected to the plot. At times, reading it feels very difficult when it seems like it was rushed or something.
But the power of Farley's imagination and the use of Asian mythology make it very pretty and fun to read. Readers might find themselves flipping through the pages just to meet the conclusion of the story.
There are just elements that I didn't find any improvement. I was waiting for a stronger and bolder main character. I was waiting for a more relevant existence from the characters but sadly, they could not meet my expectations. Things could be more awesome if the characters were given proper look-over and enhancements. Afterall, characters are one of the foundations of a book.
Brazen, though, is a good end-mark for the series. We get to see the new culture aside from Korea and this proves the unyielding imaginative prowess of the author. I can not wait to see more of Christina Farley's works and the unending improvements she could do.
*I received a digital copy of this book from the author in exchange for my honest and unbiased review. All are my own opinion and is not compensated by any individual, organization or company.
REPORT CARD
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FICTION (FSSH)
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CRITERIA
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GRADES
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BOOK COVER
|
5/5
|
CONCEPT
|
4/5
|
WRITING
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4/5
|
CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT
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3/5*
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Main characters
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3/5
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Secondary Characters
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3/5
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PLOT
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4/5
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PACING
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4/5
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WORLD BUILDING
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4/5
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UNPREDICTABILITY
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3/5
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IMPACT
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4/5
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OVERALL RATING
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3.89
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Actual Rating: 3.89 Estimated Rating:4
*Actual Rating is what this blog's original rating.
*Estimated Rating is the rating that will be used on Goodreads, Amazon and other review platform.
Christina Farley is the author of the Gilded series, a YA contemporary fantasy series set in Korea. GILDED was nominated for Korea's 2014 Morning Calm, Ohio's 2015 Buckeye award, and the Tome’s It List. As a child, she loved to explore, which later inspired her to jump on a plane and travel the world. Christina's adventures sparked her to write stories, infusing the real world with fantasy. Currently she writes from home in Clermont, FL with her husband and two sons—that is until the travel itch whisks her off to a new unknown.
*To celebrate the release of Brazen, Christina Farley is giving away Kindle Fire (US only) and a $50 Amazon Gift Card (International). The letter for this stop is T
Collect all the letters from the blog tour to earn more points!
What can you say about this post? Tell me on the comments box below!
I haven't read this series yet but I've seen similar opinions from others who say this book is the best of the series. :) That's a really good thing to hear because sometimes that's just not the case.
ReplyDeleteinteresting sounding characters
ReplyDeletenew to me author...sounds interesting
ReplyDeleteLoving this cover.
ReplyDeleteI love the cover, too! It's so dragoney and pretty!
DeleteThe book sounds very intriguing, thank you for the reveal!
ReplyDeleteThis book sounds great. I like a strong female as the main character. It's especially great for a YA novel.
ReplyDelete