Initiate (The Unfinished Song, #1)

Dec 19, 2012 Isis rated it 4 of 5 stars

When I finished this book, I was mad and disappointed. I was going to give it three stars and not move on to book two. But after reading the authors note at the end, I have changed my mind. I bumped it up a star and will move onto book two when my anger stops simmering.

The Initiate was a kindle freebie that a grabbed because I needed a book to read and the cover looked cool. I think I was going to an appointment or something and needed a book ASAP. I'm glad I grabbed it, though, because the wri...more

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Mar 17, 2013 Anthony Pacheco rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy

Before we dive headfirst into the fantasy pool of epic goodness that is Tara Mara’s The Unfinished Song: Initiate, we need to take a step back and formally define what epic fantasy is in the novel landscape of 2012. The classic definition of epic or high fantasy is it’s a sub-genre of fantasy set in invented worlds.

I hate that definition.

To me, epic fantasy needs to be, well, epic. Epic. This is fun, but not epic, fantasy:

A mysterious, sexy pale-skinned sword dancer hires an infamous mercenary t...more

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Feb 19, 2013 ♥ Sarah rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: pnr

3.0-3.3 stars

**Free on amazon: http://www.amazon.com/The-Unfinished-...

This is definitely not the kind of book I usually read – even for a PNR, it’s different.I felt like I was watching some kind of mystical TV show or something, because the world building was spot-on. I can’t even begin to express how impressed I was with the details of this Faeworld. So, if I had to purely base my rating on the world-building aspect, I’d rate it a 5/5. It was flawless, and unique.

However, it got a bit confusi...more

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Nov 22, 2012 Toni rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Based on an obscure Polynesian myth, this is a fairy tale, but a fairytale like no other. A little reminiscent of Tolkien, with some of the slightly archaic and elaborate language of a legend’s narration, it also has the primeval quality of Clan of the Cave Bear. The characters are well-fleshed out with so many facets that there appear to be no truly good or bad ones. Everyone has his secret ( including the titular hero and heroine) and his goals and none tell anyone everything.

My only complaint...more

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Oct 18, 2012 Julie Lewis rated it 5 of 5 stars

I've noticed from the other reviews that there are two types of readers...those who can follow several different characters and not get lost and those who prefer there to only be 1-3 main characters so they don't get lost. I ABSOLUTELY LOVED this book and the series that follows. Tara Maya has created a story that is very original, exciting, and imaginative. I had no probelm following all of the characters as they do interact quite frequently with each other in their daily lives so it's not like...more

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Jun 23, 2012 Kelly rated it 3 of 5 stars

All in all I enjoyed reading this book.

The cover grabbed me right away and I immediately pushed it to the front of my to be read list, ahead of other novels.

Once I started reading i was immersed right away, and really got interested in the story. To save spoilers, where it fell apart for me is when the setting change. For a brief time the narration tense changed, and it was distracting and brought me out of the moment of the story. After that I just never got into it as heavily.

I'm not sorry I...more

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Mar 25, 2012 Alicia rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Everyone

The initiation ceremony is the gateway to ultimate power...or death. A DETERMINED GIRL Dindi can't do anything right, maybe because she spends more time dancing with pixies than doing her chores. Her clan hopes to marry her off and settle her down, but she dreams of becoming a Tavaedi, one of the powerful warrior-dancers whose secret magics are revealed only to those who pass a mysterious Test during the Initiation ceremony. The problem? No-one in Dindi's clan has ever passed the Test. Her grand...more

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Feb 13, 2012 Heather rated it 4 of 5 stars

I had no idea what to expect going into reading this novel, except I knew it wasn't finished, I mean I knew there were other stories. Four so far. But the name -The Unfinished Song kind of gives it away for anyone that takes a look at the title. You should be able to deduce that the story will not be ending with this novel. I'm glad! I was incredibly and pleasantly surprised by how sucked into this novel I got. It's got fairies in it, but they're kind of on the periphery for now. I think they'll...more I had no idea what to expect going into reading this novel, except I knew it wasn't finished, I mean I knew there were other stories. Four so far. But the name -The Unfinished Song kind of gives it away for anyone that takes a look at the title. You should be able to deduce that the story will not be ending with this novel. I'm glad! I was incredibly and pleasantly surprised by how sucked into this novel I got. It's got fairies in it, but they're kind of on the periphery for now. I think they'll be a bigger part of the story further down the line. Initiate is made up of seven serials that flow together very nicely. I asked the author why there were individual stories and then this book and she said she didn't want people to have to wait. The serials are like chapters in the book. Right now, The Unfinished Song: Initiate is FREE so you might want to catch that deal while you can. Personally, I have all four books and I'm glad I do because Maya knows how to write!

The story has a lot of different characters, but it isn't hard to keep up. Their stories are separate and you know they are from separate tribes and areas. Dindi is a young girl who can see fairies, a rarity among humans. Her dream is to become a Tavaedi a secret warrior dancer who can heal, or make it rain or change the course of a river depending on the strength of the magic inside the dancer. The Tavaedi dance a history of her people who killed the beautiful fairy race, the Aelfae and were victorious. But I honestly couldn't tell if it was a dance of victory or just history. It didn't seem celebratory. In any case, Dindi is one of only many characters who get chosen to be an initiate this year. With each character we hear the story from their point of view. I don't remember reading a novel from so many different points of view, but in this novel, it works very well.

The time isn't stated, but it's fairly primitive. Spears, flint arrows and pottery bowls are used. Gold is prized and there are tribal feuds and wars. There are also a lot of politics and that's where the "hero" Kavio gets caught. Accused in his own father's court of a crime he didn't commit, something we don't know, he is exiled and forced out of his home. He saves Dindi's life and they are drawn to each other, but it isn't insta love. They go days without seeing each other and he isn't considered worthy of her because he is exiled. He has no clan, no tribe. But, that might change. And she might help Kavio make the biggest decision of his life.

There are some truly heinous villains in this novel, too. Villains posing as friends. And it's sickening to think what they want to do, but I guess such was war back then. I still have high hopes that Kavio can save the day. There is so much action in this book! If you like action, this one is full of it. It's not really character driven. There are too many characters, so I guess I'd say it's plot driven because the whole plot is to become an initiate and make it to the destination where they will decide who they are to become. But a lot more than that happens.

I'm really excited to read the next three books in this series! I have to say this is different than anything I've ever been asked to read before. The time is past the cave man era, but still it's fairly primitive. There are mentions of a lot of different types of fae, some good, some bad. And I'm just really enjoying the magic and the war and the really tough decision Kavio is going to have to make. Oh and Dindi has visions of the Corn Maiden, a woman named Vessia of unmatched beauty who doesn't understand anything in this world, whenever she touches the totem she was given. It's an ugly dried up husk of a doll that all the girls laughed at when they saw it.
Another mystery to figure out!

This is not for the younger YA reader. There are some scenes in it of harsh treatment of women as you can imagine happened in more primitive times during war. And there are some scenes about sex that younger readers shouldn't read. Nothing explicit, but told in a way that you wouldn't want them to read. Sixteen and up crowd.
Well, I'm off to read the next book!! Thanks Tara Maya for finally writing something different and interesting!(less)

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Dec 11, 2011 Ella rated it 3 of 5 stars

Rating clarification: 2.75/5

I really, really, really, wanted to like this book. I got drawn in by one of the other covers, the one that's all rainbowy and pretty and generally amazing. Unfortunately for me, the book didn't live up to the high standards set by that (awesome!) cover.

For the majority of the story, I was confused. In a single chapter, there could be 3 or 4 different characters all narrating different but still somewhat similar stories. If the book had been told from just Kavio and...more

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Jun 03, 2011 Angela rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, challenge-2011

When I was first offered this book to review, I thought it sounded absolutely fascinating – not quite like anything I’d ever read before. I was definitely right.

The book starts out rather slow. There’s a lot of description of the place, the people, the setting. It was a little hard to get into at first, because I was having trouble following the story among all the descriptions.

But it wasn’t too far into it that the story really picked up. When Dindi is taken for her Initiation, and Kavio is kic...more When I was first offered this book to review, I thought it sounded absolutely fascinating – not quite like anything I’d ever read before. I was definitely right.

The book starts out rather slow. There’s a lot of description of the place, the people, the setting. It was a little hard to get into at first, because I was having trouble following the story among all the descriptions.

But it wasn’t too far into it that the story really picked up. When Dindi is taken for her Initiation, and Kavio is kicked out of his tribe, everything starts to get interesting.

I could not put my Kindle down. The story flows beautifully, and naturally, from this point forward, and I was up late into the night finishing it.

Dindi is an great character. She dances in secret, she’s not supposed to before becoming a Tavaedi, with the fae and wants nothing more than to be able to continue to dance. She’s not entirely sure of herself, but she’s sweet and kind.

Kavio is something else entirely. He’s strong – physically, mentally and emotionally. He willingly takes his punishment as exile, when all he was doing was trying to save his tribe. He fights off those that would do more harm, saves young girls from drowning, and doesn’t expect anyone to give him any trust or belief. He sets out to make his own way – refusing to let that way be less than what he was, he strives for better.

I really loved both main characters, as well as being incredibly interested in a few of the secondary characters we got to know (Gwenika comes to mind immediately). The Corn Maiden – I sure hope we're going to learn more about her!!

The real prize here though, is the world. It’s an intricate, beautiful, harsh world. Ancient, ancient times – think Neolithic – with tribes that remind me of the Native American or African tribes of old. Magic and fae still populate the world, and if you have magic you are admitted to an entirely different class of the tribe. The customs and interactions between the tribes were fascinating. I could see the influence of a few different ethnicities and histories, and they were seamlessly woven together into a brand new whole. Honestly, it delighted me.

Tara Maya has given us a beautiful new fantasy world. The Unfinished Song: Initiate will pull you in, immerse you in the people and stark beauty of Faearth, and leave you wanting more when you’re done. I know I definitely can’t wait to start The Unfinished Song: Taboo to see what’s next for Dindi, Kavio and the rest.

Grade: B

P.S. There is a cliffhanger at the end, but the second book The Unfinished Song: Taboo is already out and it looks like the final book in the series should be out next month!
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May 22, 2011 Rachel rated it 4 of 5 stars

Rating: 4.5/5

The start of the book was a little confusing for me. So many unfamiliar terminologies were mentioned at the first few pages. It took me about fifteen minutes of reading before getting a grip on the story. But once I got a better grasp, the reading became more fluid, although there were still a lot more unknown characters and tribes that were mentioned after that.

Anyway, I was really surprised by this book. This is told in third person, but there are some parts that are told in seco...more

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Mar 25, 2011 Avery rated it 3 of 5 stars

In all honesty I am having a somewhat difficult time reviewing this book. While reading the first couple of pages of this book I was so confused as to what was going on because Tara had introduced so many different terms that I was unfamiliar with (ie. krall, aurochsen, etc.) and therefore I would have to reread sentences trying to use the words context in order to determine what they meant and a lot of the time I was unable to do so. Furthermore, in the beginning I was quite confused by the pol...more

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Feb 03, 2011 Lisa (Bookworm Lisa) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: received-to-review, 2011

Dindi is a young girl who sees and dances with fairies. Not everyone sees them, but those touched with magic. She wants to become a dancer after her initiation, pretty much the ceremony determining your path as an adult. Only chosen people can be dancers or Travaedi, if you are not chosen to become a travaedi, you can no longer dance.

Kavio has been exiled from his tribe, for a crime that he didn't commit. He is forced to wear mud and ashes and roam outside of a tribal protection. He comes across...more

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Jan 28, 2011 Jules rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: ebook, reviewed, sent-4-review

When the author gifted me with an e-book copy of this book, I wasn't really sure if I was going to read it right away or not. But I had signed up for an e-book challenge (in anticipation of my Kindle :) so I took the plunge and read it on my laptop. Let me say that I am sooo glad I did.

Tara Maya has created a fascinating original world full of fairies, magic and dancing. I love that she based some of her descriptions and rituals on some Native American and other tribal practices. It lends a lot...more

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Nov 08, 2011 Erica rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, romance

I downloaded this for free off amazon, so I honestly wasn't expecting much.

The first few sections (subchapters?) confused me because of the barrage of new terms, names, activities etc. but I soldiered on, determined that things would be explained in good time, and they were!

This was a very refreshing story, different from other fantasy novels I've read, and while I don't find the main female, Dindi, all that smart, Her single minded focus on her goal is endearing. Likewise, the male lead, Kavio...more

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Oct 30, 2011 Jessica rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011-reads, kindle

This was a pretty decent book I have to admit it got confusing at parts because we would start reading the story from someone elses POV that we have never even met yet so I was thinking who the hell are you and what is your purpose? But it eventually all ties into eachother and turns into a good story. It was also really hard to get into because of the surroundings and Tara Maya would throw terms and you that I had no idea what they meant and it took me awhile to understand how the tribes worked...more This was a pretty decent book I have to admit it got confusing at parts because we would start reading the story from someone elses POV that we have never even met yet so I was thinking who the hell are you and what is your purpose? But it eventually all ties into eachother and turns into a good story. It was also really hard to get into because of the surroundings and Tara Maya would throw terms and you that I had no idea what they meant and it took me awhile to understand how the tribes worked but I did grow to enjoy it once I got further into the story

The Story is mostly about Dindi, a young girl living in the Lost Swan tribe,who is anxious to pass Initiation and become a Taevaedi, a member of a secret society of revered magical dancers. But no one from her tribe has ever become a Taevaedi before and she is very clutzy and always gets distracted with dancing with pixes and fairies to ever do her chorse so the pixes do it for her and it turns out even worse because they are tricksters, so she is even more embarassed around her family (they can't see the pixes or fairies they think it is Dindi screwing up). Any way if Dindi fails initiation she is forbidden to ever dance again and she would hate it because it is what she loves to do.
We then meet Kavio who is exiled from his tribe for somthing he never did so no one can really take him seriously about anyhting he says which we learn on initiation night was a BIG mistake. But before that Kavio was travelling to where the Initiations were being held in Yellow Bear and he had a fair share of people trying to kill him which included the Blue Waters tribe who are at war with the Yellow Bear. They go to kill him he says he has info on Yellow Bear that will help them beat them, he escapes runs into the initiates instantly attracted to Dindi but alas he is exiled can't have her and leaves. Once he reaches Yellow Bear after the initiates he decideds he shouldn't stay there because it just might start a war which he doesn't want so while he is leaving he sees the boats of the Blue Water goes to warn Yellow Bear they don't believe him and go to imprision him he again escapes they chase him down to find the Blue water attacking the initiate supervisors.

If you want to know more I suggest reading the book but it does leave you wanting more in the end so I suggest buying second book The Unfinished Song: Taboo. (less)

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Mar 23, 2013 Emily rated it 3 of 5 stars

I'm very conflicted on this book. It was an interesting story but the multiple points of view was really distracting and at times confusing. I think the author would have done better to limit it to two or three main characters instead of the story being told from the point of view of everyone and their brother.

The magic in the story was neat and something I would have liked to know more about. The backstory is fairly complex and you never do figure out a lot of the 'whys' and 'whos' that are fr...more

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Feb 01, 2011 Kim rated it 4 of 5 stars

The Unfinished Song: Initate is the first installment of a new series by Tara Maya set in the fantasy world Faearth. There are only seven tribes of people in existence, and faeries, pixies, brownies, and the like still roam the earth. It is set in a stone age era, more civilized than cave dwellers. This novel is primarily the story of Dindi, a young girl living in the Lost Swan tribe, anxious to pass Initiation and become a Taevaedi, a member of a secret society of revered magical dancers. It dr...more The Unfinished Song: Initate is the first installment of a new series by Tara Maya set in the fantasy world Faearth. There are only seven tribes of people in existence, and faeries, pixies, brownies, and the like still roam the earth. It is set in a stone age era, more civilized than cave dwellers. This novel is primarily the story of Dindi, a young girl living in the Lost Swan tribe, anxious to pass Initiation and become a Taevaedi, a member of a secret society of revered magical dancers. It drew me in slowly at the beginning, but most fantasy novels do, as the new worlds and societies are built within the framework of the story. The world that the author created in Faearth was extremely creative and unique. Elements from many different cultures, legends, myths, and fairy tales were woven throughout the story. There were Slavic rusalkies and tribal rituals reminiscent of Native American culture, as well as some plot points that reminded me of some of the Hawaiian and Polynesian folk lore I learned when I lived in Hawaii. Even the physical environment had things brought together that would never have been found on our version of Earth. This made the texture of Faearth, its inhabitants and the story very intriguing.

I found the book to be well-written, with lots of descriptive phrasing that made me feel as if I were standing in the midst of the story. The weaving of myths and legends and tales from so many cultures could have left the reading a little muddy, but this wasn't a problem at all. There were twists and turns throughout the book, including intermittent travels back in time. That threw me at first and confused me, but I later realized it was because I had accidentally missed a couple of paragraphs when continuing to read after a short break! The action was fast-paced and kept me wanting more!

Dindi was my favorite character in the story. She was both relatable and lovable with all of her issues. She was underappreciated as a person, and didn't give herself enough credit for her abilities. The way she was treated by the other members of her own tribe, as well as those she met on her path to Initiation, made me hurt for her. And any time I feel strongly for a fictional character is a sign that I am reading a great book. I also liked her friend Gwenika whose self-sabatage and her lack of self-esteem made her as relatable as Dindi. Kavio, the exiled warrior, embodied all the traits of a good fantasy novel hero: strong, honorable, and compassionate.

The cover art was stunning, created by the author herself. That alone would have drawn me to the novel!!

POSSIBLE ITTY BITTY SPOILER: --->The conclusion was definately a cliffhanger, leaving you with questions and wanting more. Without saying too much, I was left wanting to cry for Dindi, cheering for Gwenika, wanting to know what happened to Gwenika's sister, and wanting to know more about Kavio. But it was the perfect lead-in for the next book in the series, so I can't complain about those questions! It ended just as it should have. <--- END OF POSSIBLE ITTY BITTY SPOLER

I gave it a 4.5 stars!(less)

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Mar 10, 2012 Melissa rated it 4 of 5 stars

There's a whole new world out there: Faerth. The author creates a unique milieu for an epic tale of love and magic. The first few chapters show three different settings with key characters in each, including Dindi & Kavio. There is much to absorb and learn in these first few chapters, what with the introduction of the main players and their talents, underlaid with an entirely different social scenes and systems. It's almost confusing but takes substance as you get deeper into the story, link...more

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Apr 13, 2011 Brenda rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: e-book, fantasy

I'm a little surprised at how much I like this one. That's not to say I expected it to be bad, just didn't expect it to be as good as it was. The first portion of the novel was a mix of infodumping and not enough information. I know, that's a contradiction, but I felt like we were given a lot of information right up front, but maybe not the right information. Or maybe a glossary of terms would have been helpful.

But once I got past that, I was swept away in the story. I loved how the fairies were...more

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Mar 06, 2011 Jackie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2011, e-book-edition-for-review

As the beginning of a series set in the fantasy world of Faearth this book is complex and full of the initial world building that comes at the beginning of every new series... There is a major difference in that the tales interwoven together mesh fairly seamlessly and without being awkward or confusing... Dindi is the main character, a young girl of 14 who wishes and hopes and dreams of becoming a Tavaedi Dancer which is a high honor and one very few achieve.... She is thought to be odd and no o...more As the beginning of a series set in the fantasy world of Faearth this book is complex and full of the initial world building that comes at the beginning of every new series... There is a major difference in that the tales interwoven together mesh fairly seamlessly and without being awkward or confusing... Dindi is the main character, a young girl of 14 who wishes and hopes and dreams of becoming a Tavaedi Dancer which is a high honor and one very few achieve.... She is thought to be odd and no one of her acquaintance understands or appreciates, her including her own family! Dindi waits and hopes for a Dancers Initiation ceremony and yet at the same time fears failure and disgrace at the end of it!
Kavio the hero of the piece is an outcast, an exiled warrior who is also not understood and who actually was in danger of being put to death because of political intrigue! Kavio is himself a Tavaedi Dancer , a warrior, also a very honorable and compelling character who rescues Dindi from drowning then becomes fascinated with the young woman who in his mind is exquisite and very talented as he had seen her dance when she was unaware that he was watching!
The Fairy Tale quality of the book is a joy, all the interwoven cultures work to make a very cohesive whole and every fact and description that is used in the story brings it to life in a way that makes it a very easy read and also a very interesting one along the way... All the dance scenes, the mystical flashbacks and even the political agendas of the different factions in the book are just part of the background of the story and allow the reader to focus on Dindi and Kavio as they go through their individual trials...
The story is such a wonderful mix of different cultures, different legends and myths that make it fresh and new and at the same time familiar and comforting to read. Even though the author ends this part of the tale on a cliffhanger the knowledge of more to come is comforting and gives the reader time to process all the emotions and thoughts that this book provokes!
As a long time lover of Fantasy and Fairy Tales sitting down with a copy of The Unfinished Song-Initiate was like sitting down to enjoy a rich piece of chocolate cake, satisfying and filling in an emotional way that went beyond the need for food and drink! The author has created a story that is richly detailed, fantastically characterized and paced perfectly to allow the reader time to enjoy each aspect of what is happening without feeling rushed or overwhelmed... For me this book was more than just a pleasure to read, it was a "feast for the senses" as the world around me ceased to exist and the world inhabited by the Tavaedi and the Zavaedi , who are the central characters in this first part of the story, kept my attention from start to finish...
I hope to get a chance to read the next part of the story which picks up in book two Taboo and see what happens to the Initiates and Dindi and Kavio especially!(less)

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Feb 25, 2011 Gina (My Precious) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Summary:

Dindi is a 14 year old tribe girl who dreams of someday becoming a magical Tavaedi dancer. The odds are stacked against her. No one from her clan has ever achieved this great honor. Her grandmother died trying. In order to be chosen to train as a Tavaedi dancer an initiate must be able to perform a "tama" or special ancient dance, involving both light and magic, correctly.

Kavio is a young Tavaedi dancer who has been exiled from his tribe for a crime he didn't commit. He is a very powerf...more Summary:

Dindi is a 14 year old tribe girl who dreams of someday becoming a magical Tavaedi dancer. The odds are stacked against her. No one from her clan has ever achieved this great honor. Her grandmother died trying. In order to be chosen to train as a Tavaedi dancer an initiate must be able to perform a "tama" or special ancient dance, involving both light and magic, correctly.

Kavio is a young Tavaedi dancer who has been exiled from his tribe for a crime he didn't commit. He is a very powerful dancer with strong enchanting magic. He knows the secrets to becoming a Tavaedi dancer, but he's forbidden to be around other tribes and destined for a life of solitude.

Dindi's chances of being selected to participate in the initiation ceremony are slim. "My life is a colossal joke that's funny to everyone but me." But what she does possess is sheer determination and a love for dance. Plus, she has a family secret. Dindi knows the words to an Unfinished Song, a song which when complete, is rumored to hold the key to dancing the tama correctly. One night, it finally happens, Dindi is kidnapped and her initiation journey begins. Despite the obstacles placed in front of her, Dindi is driven to succeed. Will this and her secret be enough to make her dream materialize or will she still end up needing something more?

Ramblings:

Tara Maya's The Unfinished Song: Initiate is the first book in a new "fairy-tale" saga, a retelling of a little known Polynesian myth which morphed to include a conglomerate of many other fairy tales, too. Its the beginning of a long Epic fantasy "parceled out in delicious snack sized bites.." which Tara plans to release a book every two months until the series is complete. The second book, The Unfinished Song: Taboo is slated for March 2011. Book three is titled The Unfinished Song: Sacrifice. Believe it or not Tara has TWELVE books planned for this Epic Fantasy Series!! How exciting!

These stories are set in primordial times, in a land called Faearth, where Fae still openly roam the earth along side humans, but not all humans can "see" them. "The technology and social structure of Faearth is neolithic or 'new stone age", with doses of powerful magic tossed in to mix things up. The Unfinished Song: Initiate is a short read, only 188 pages. Its detailed, action packed with a fast pace. Written in descriptive, third person, new characters are continuously introduced in individual chapters, switching back and forth between different characters within each chapter too. This strategy sometimes makes it difficult to keep track of everyone and everything happening. In the e-book version, the only warning an "in chapter" character change was about to take place was a series of "###", which was strange.

The character development was in the present, but many characters have a detailed past which effects what is going on with them in the story right now. It is hard to pick just one or two characters to discuss when the story contains so many which are pertinent to the storyline. However, most of the main child characters, Dindi, Gwenika and Kavio have a strong moral foundation behave gallantly, accept others despite their background, social status or upbringing and have big hearts. These character traits are valuable to pass on to young adult readers through heroines and heroes in the story. Unfortunately, the adults are the ones who seem to be more evil and undermining. The Unfinished Song: Initiate was an enjoyable read, where the author is taking time to develop a unique fantasy setting, but still managing to keep a fast pace. The book is truly captivating. The only disappointing part was the lack of any sense of closer at the end, it came to a screeching halt leaving the reader crying for more! Lucky for us the author will be releasing new books every couple of months.

Recommendation:

I recommend this book to fantasy and epic saga lovers. The reading level is 8th grade and above, with some sensitive topics present such as descriptive violence and PG sexual references. This book series has a unique take breaking down the long Epic Fantasy tale into shorter more manageable books. If you aren't a fan of cliffhangers don't read this book until the author has released more books in this series. Overall, I rate this book a 3.5 rings out of 5 mainly deducting rings for the disappointing ending, where nothing really gets wrapped up.(less)

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Jan 27, 2011 Tifferz rated it 4 of 5 stars

I want to say I had the honor of reviewing an arc copy of this ebook from the author! I am so glad I was introduced to a new author! I will be watching for more from Tara Maya! I feel like I have discovered a really great secret!
First off the cover is amazing and I totally love it! I can honestly say I would have bought the book just based on the cover. I also loved the story it was fast paced. This story has twist and turns galore and will keep you on your toes. I love fantasy, magic, faeries,...more

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Dec 22, 2012 Riana Elizabeth rated it 4 of 5 stars

I seem to be one of the only reviewers who isn't a fan of the cover art. However, I am a fan of the story, even though it didn't start out that way.
There were quite a few "main" characters, and it seems (upon reading other reviews) that I wasn't the only reader having problems distinguishing between them. If there are that many similar complaints about a story, it's a problem that needs to be addressed.
The world building was fantastic. You can taste the heat and sweat and dust when people travel...more

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Nov 06, 2011 Alicia rated it 4 of 5 stars

When I finished this book, I was mad and disappointed. I was going to give it three stars and not move on to book two. But after reading the authors note at the end, I have changed my mind. I bumped it up a star and will move onto book two when my anger stops simmering.

The Initiate was a kindle freebie that a grabbed because I needed a book to read and the cover looked cool. I think I was going to an appointment or something and needed a book ASAP. I'm glad I grabbed it, though, because the wri...more

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Apr 16, 2012 Star (The Bibliophilic Book Blog) rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: reviewed

The Unfinished Song series will be a total of twelve (12) books. The first four (Initiate, Taboo, Sacrifice, and Root) are currently available. I am just mentioning this so everyone is aware up front.

Initiate is our introduction into the world of Faearth, a fantastical world with magic, faeries, sprites, brownies, and other otherworldly (to us) creatures. There is a wonderful harmony about this world, intriguing characters, and a great plot! I am a huge fan of fantasy novels and this one is the...more

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Mar 08, 2012 Marcie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Initiate by Tara Maya is the first book in the Unfinished Song series. It's approximately 188 pages long. This book introduces us to several characters but the main two are Dindi and Kavio. Dindi is a bit of a klutz. She often gets things wrong but the one thing she loves to do is dance. She wants so desperately to become a Tavaedi, which is a warrior dancer who is very powerful. Her only option is to get married. Dindi doesn't want that so she practices day and night to become the first dancer...more

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Mar 01, 2012 Natasja rated it 3 of 5 stars

Initiate by Tara Maya is the first novel in the Unfinished Song Series and I have to say I liked it. She created a fantasy world where pixies, faeries and humans live among each other; of course the difference between the species is huge.

Dindi is a girl from the Lost Swan tribe and dreams about becoming a Tavaedi, a member of a secret society of magical dancers. But in order to become one she has to pass the Initiation tests. The first step has come; she and several others are taken from their h...more

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Jan 31, 2012 Opal rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy-sci-fi

I’ll start off by saying that this book simply wasn't for me. It may be a matter of taste. Having said that, I can’t even begin to tell you what the book is about even though I read about 30% of the book before I had to stop.

Don’t let the description deceive you. Maya writes about more then two characters. The author kept switching from character to character and then she’d introduce new characters on top of that. I was confused and muddled in no time at all. The transition between characters wa...more

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Mar 28, 2011 Scott rated it 4 of 5 stars

The Unfinished Song: Initiate is the first in a series of books that seems to mainly follow Dindi and Kavio. Dindi is an oddball from her village who wants nothing more than to become a Tavaedi dancer. Kavio is a Tavaedi dancer who is cast out from his tribe by some shady dealings.

I only had two things that took away from the overall enjoyment of this book. One there is a lot of world building and character and class descriptions which can be a bit confusing at first. Things do become much clea...more

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Initiate (The Unfinished Song #1)

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