The Cadet of Tildor

Feb 11, 2013 Keertana rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: arc-galley-and-first-reads

I suppose, in many ways, I didn't give The Cadet of Tildor much of a chance. I painstakingly read through the first quarter of this book before giving into my desire to skim the pages until I was nearly half-way through the novel and began to realize I was well and truly wasting my time. The Cadet of Tildor is not a bad novel, but it just wasn't one for me. As a high fantasy junkie who has grown up reading Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, Tamora Pierce, Kristin Cashore, and Megan Whalen Turner,...more I suppose, in many ways, I didn't give The Cadet of Tildor much of a chance. I painstakingly read through the first quarter of this book before giving into my desire to skim the pages until I was nearly half-way through the novel and began to realize I was well and truly wasting my time. The Cadet of Tildor is not a bad novel, but it just wasn't one for me. As a high fantasy junkie who has grown up reading Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, Tamora Pierce, Kristin Cashore, and Megan Whalen Turner, Alex Lidell falls seriously short of other fantasy writers of this age.

The Cadet of Tildor starts out strongly enough, introducing us to a fierce and strong-willed protagonist, Renee. While I instantly admired her for standing up to her father and willing to follow her dreams of completing her training as a Cadet, despite the fact that she was up against stronger men, I was unable to feel much of a connection with her as the novel wore on. From the onset, her friends were flat and two-dimensional and the revered trainer seemed to lack personality as well. Or, perhaps, they didn't lack personality and it was just the fact that they were so like every other fantasy character out there that I was unimpressed. The Cadet of Tildor is excruciatingly unoriginal and, upon skipping to the end, I can already inform you that its last line is the exact same last line from Turner's King of Attolia, only without a complex situation and three novels to back it up.

In addition to my lack of feeling for the characters, I simply felt very underwhelmed. Nothing much happens during the beginning and neither are the characters or world set up in a manner I found to be interesting. In fact, I virtually have no grasp of this world or its politics whatsoever. Ultimately, Lidell's debut is a disappointment for me simply because I go into fantasy expecting more from it and this one just didn't live up. Unlike the contemporary genre, which often lets me down and I've come to accept as a hit-or-miss genre for me, fantasy usually never fails to amaze me, but the recent revival of YA Fantasy certainly has.

For newcomers into fantasy or those of you who are unfamiliar with the works of Megan Whalen Turner or Tamora Pierce, The Cadet of Tildor is likely to take your breath away. It is extremely well-written and the words flow smoothly from the page, proving that Lidell can, indeed, write. Yet, when compared to other fantasy works, it falls short of a masterpiece by far. Of course, the novel may drastically improve, but as I already feel nothing for the characters, I sincerely doubt I'll enjoy this one too much more.

You can read this review and more on my blog, Ivy Book Bindings.(less)

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Mar 21, 2013 Alexa Yupangco rated it 5 of 5 stars

Recommended to Alexa by: Tara

Shelves: 2013-debut-author-challenge, 2013-all-stars, books-i-own, nyc-favorites-shelf

(Originally posted on the blog)

This is one of those instances (and they happen to fairly often) where I truly, deeply loved a book so much that I'm afraid that my review will not be able to do it justice. The Cadet of Tildor reminded me of exactly why I love reading fantasy. When an author creates an world and does it well, I love it. When an author brings to life a character in a way that makes it feel as if they've always existed, I love it. When fantastical elements, like magic and swords and...more (Originally posted on the blog)

This is one of those instances (and they happen to fairly often) where I truly, deeply loved a book so much that I'm afraid that my review will not be able to do it justice. The Cadet of Tildor reminded me of exactly why I love reading fantasy. When an author creates an world and does it well, I love it. When an author brings to life a character in a way that makes it feel as if they've always existed, I love it. When fantastical elements, like magic and swords and wars and so on, are brought together into a story rife with intrigue and thoughtful conflict, I love it. In short, this book was written precisely for readers like me!

This book reminds me of the fantasy novels I used to read, back before I started blogging. In particular, it reminded me of the Song of the Lioness series crossed with the Protector of the Small series (both by Tamora Pierce and both fantastic, in case you were wondering) - there's the element of a girl attempting to do something typically done by a boy, and the element of a kingdom or country being torn apart by civil conflicts. There may be similar elements, but the author has certainly managed to create a lore all her own, and one that's incredibly captivating.

The world that was described in this book is fascinating, mostly because there are such divisions between all these groups of people. There's three main groups: the Family (who control the distribution of veesi, which is an illegal drug, and require payment for protection), the Vipers (who are a bit more inclined to violence and brutality and fight to the death as a culture) and the Crown (who is basically King Lysian, who rules over the kingdom and tries to broker peace and justice in the midst of these two groups). With each group acting upon its own particular interests, it's not a surprise that there's conflict - and quite a lot of conflict - within the pages of this book.

Renee, however, belongs to another group of people entirely as a student at the Academy. I love Renee. She's stubborn and spirited, but she's also kind and loyal and trustworthy. I loved that she really wanted to prove that she could accomplish her goal of becoming a Servant of the Crown, even if that pitted her against males who were probably bigger and stronger than she was. It was easy for me to like her because she was not portrayed as someone perfect, or someone magically capable of doing the things that the boys could. She had to work hard towards reaching her goal. I admired the fact that she didn't let naysayers stop her - she just kept on going and going and going.

And don't get me started on how much I adore Korish Savoy! He's the commander referred to in the summary, so it shouldn't surprise you much to hear me say that he's supremely good at what he does, and is an expert at harnessing strength and strategy. I loved that right alongside his gruff personality and unusual methods of teaching, he's also got a soft heart, an unwavering loyalty and a hidden side to him that we only really learn the origins of later on. His parts were always fun for me to read, because he's just so doggedly determined to be brash and sarcastic and show-no-fear to everyone (when really he's a whole lot more than that).

Now that you've met my two favorite characters, I will go out on a limb and say that the author needs to make magic happen between them. Though there were really no obvious romantic overtones in their relationship and the age gap would possibly present a bit of a problem, I seriously kept reading too much into various moments between them. The connection they form, first as teacher-student and then as friends, is so compelling. As a reader, I logically knew that nothing would happen but I kept wanting something to happen. There's some unresolved business there and I really think that it can turn into something more. I'm definitely not the only one who feels like this, as evidenced by April's review.

Clearly, this is a book that I can fawn over, as evidenced by the paragraphs above. I dove into the world of Tildor and finished this book feeling the sweet satisfaction of a good conclusion... while also having the sneaking feeling that there's so much more in store for these characters. This debut is a wonderful reminder of all the things I love about fantasy novels, and I look forward to seeing what happens next. I highly recommend The Cadet of Tildor as one of my favorite fantasy debuts of this year.(less)

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Jan 09, 2013 Lisseth (Read-a-holicZ) rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: blog-tours, i-own, netgalley

**Originally on Read-A-holicZ, HERE!**

WOAH, Where to begin?! This was one of my most anticipated books of 2013, I expected fantasy, action, fierceness and overall greatness. But what i got was MORE than i ever expected!! I completely devoured this book & literally stayed up until my eyes closed in sleep.

I just want to say that the world that Alex Lidell has created is one of the best I've ever read about. From the very first page your immersed in the world & underlings of Tildor. Yes,...more

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Jan 09, 2013 Claire Caterer rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-of-2013, young-adult

How lucky was I to be able to read Alex Lidell's brand-spanking-new novel just before its debut! While weighing in at just over 400 pages, Lidell's tale of a splintering fantasy kingdom with a female cadet striving to prove herself at its hub actually races along. The worldbuilding is swift and sure, not overburdened with needless detail but brimming with verisimilitude. Heroine Renee de Winter, her training academy, and even the gladiator-like battles unfold in cinematic detail and color.

Lidell...more

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Jan 26, 2013 Emily rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2013, january-2013, fantasy-kick-ass-fighting, adventure, fantasy, kick-ass-heroines, review, really-liked, young-adult

The Cadet of Tildor and I have a love/hate relationship. I’ve really been getting into this kind of genre (fantasy, fighting, action), and I was expecting this book to be really awesome. And it was…only it kind of wasn’t. Let me explain: I really loved the setting for this book. Lindell did a fabulous job explaining the fantasy world, and setting the pace for the story. Her writing…let’s just say it was inconsistent. And the story line…well let’s just say it was jumpy. The reason I mention them...more

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Feb 07, 2013 Raina {The LUV'NV} rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: YA Fantasy Lovers

Shelves: fantasy, young-adult

It's so hard writing reviews for books I absolutely love. I feel as if I can't ever give them the justice they deserve, and I don't want to give too much away or build your expectations so high that you walk away disappointed. The Cadet of Tildor is one of those stories. After turning the last page and closing the book, I sighed and pet the backcover a little because I was so satisfied, as well as a bit sad that it was over.

Alex Lidell created a wonderful, exciting world I wanted to live and...more It's so hard writing reviews for books I absolutely love. I feel as if I can't ever give them the justice they deserve, and I don't want to give too much away or build your expectations so high that you walk away disappointed. The Cadet of Tildor is one of those stories. After turning the last page and closing the book, I sighed and pet the backcover a little because I was so satisfied, as well as a bit sad that it was over.

Alex Lidell created a wonderful, exciting world I wanted to live and stay in. Soldiers and mages, highborn and criminals, the content middle-class to the trapped—they were captured all so well, showing how people aim for the same ends but by different means and how their actions affect everyone. Her descriptions were vivid, but not too much that I felt it dragged out, and every single one of her characters were distinctive. I felt as if I knew most of them within a few paragraphs.

Even better, the female protagonist, Renee de Winter, though flawed, was realistic and strong. She didn't have superpowers or do anything extravagant or outrageous. It was her loyalty, determination, and sense of self that made her amazing. I especially appreciated how, with every experience, her views would shift slightly; nothing happened without reason or consequence. And she didn't pine over a boy or let him change her. It was so refreshing.

Though some might not like him, I loved Korish Savoy. His arrogance worked for me. He had a reason to be so confident and kind of a brush-off. Not only is he a legend of all soldiers and cadets, but he knew his priorities. Sure, I would've enjoyed more romance between him and Renee, but it wouldn't have been them, and it's the consistency and gradual growth of these characters that I really appreciated.

There were a lot of events that happened in this book. The action was non-stop, and I couldn't put the book down, but the plot was well paced. I could easily keep up, and I was never impatient or felt that everything was rushed either. The rules and philosophies of the world were complex and believable, too. Alex Lidell's storytelling is fantastic. I couldn't be more thrilled to have stumbled upon her and this book. The Cadet of Tildor is must-read. NOW. Especially if you like strong males, even stronger females, and a vivid world to lose yourself in.

** Review also posted on the The LUV'NV blog.

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Jan 10, 2013 Tanja (Tanychy) St. Delphi rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2013, arc-galleys, blog-tour, fantasy

Review is also posted at Ja čitam, a ti?

I've said it once but I believe that winter is perfect time for reading fantasy. At least it is for me. I love fantasy but I must admit I could enjoy it better when I was younger. Still there are books that surprise me.

Cadet of Tildor is the book I couldn't wait to read. I requested it the same day it was up on the NetGalley and I've read it slowly so I could enjoy it. To tell you more about the book. Tildor has a new king and that's the opportunity for a...more

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Jan 09, 2013 Megan (Book Brats) rated it 4 of 5 stars

I didn’t know much about THE CADET OF TILDOR before hosting a feature on my blog several months ago. But by the time I found myself in the blog tour, I had educated myself instead of educating myself on things that I should have been studying. A girl training to be a Servant of the Crown, medieval fantasy, mages and cage fighting, brooding boys (yes, ladies and gentlemen, I love a brooding boy occasionally).

Beyond what you might find in the synopsis, THE CADET OF TILDOR is the story of a girl fi...more I didn’t know much about THE CADET OF TILDOR before hosting a feature on my blog several months ago. But by the time I found myself in the blog tour, I had educated myself instead of educating myself on things that I should have been studying. A girl training to be a Servant of the Crown, medieval fantasy, mages and cage fighting, brooding boys (yes, ladies and gentlemen, I love a brooding boy occasionally).

Beyond what you might find in the synopsis, THE CADET OF TILDOR is the story of a girl fighting to prove herself in a field where girls rarely shine. I’ll start this review with our heroine Renee, the headstrong, determined 16 year old who has spent her life dedicated to proving to her instructors and her father that she can stand alongside the boys. She might not be as strong as the boys, but she makes up for that with intelligence and mental strength.

The cast of characters around her is just as well drawn out, even if there are lapses in characterization. For example, Alec’s portrayal suddenly shifted with no real explanation besides a revelation that was inevitable. One of the main cons about this story was how he came across, and likewise how the characters around Renee sometimes shifted in their characterization without warning or purpose. But the hero of our story, Koresh Savoy (Renee’s new instructor – and main love interest), has his own issues, even if I did love him (but not really as a love interest). At times he came across as a big fat jerk, too stuck in his own ways and ego to realize the picture at hand. He was stuck up and broody, but as a match for Renee? Is it bad that I was shipping Renee and Alec?

Beyond the characters, the scope of the world is huge and well constructed. We have a kingdom ruled by an ineffective king, crime syndicates and enemy empires, cage fights in lawless cities, vast wildernesses populated with fantastical creatures, and mages. Beyond the fact that mages are forced to register and be subject to the whim of the authorities – they have no say if they become a battle mage on the front lines or a healer stuck in an office – they’re super awesome. I mean, I would want to be one. The schematics of this world are almost immaculate, but a few more definitions and descriptions wouldn’t have hurt.

For a debut author, Ms. Lidell shows strength in her prose, even if at times the story seems to wander without really finding a purpose. The strength of this novel, though, is in its story, filled with revelations, betrayals, truths, lies, and plenty of twists. I loved it from start to end, and I think this is going to be a series maybe? I sure hope so!

If you are into fantasy, this book is for you. It has a very strong dash of what makes Tamora Pierce such an awesome writer, and I see great things in Ms. Lidell’s future.

VERDICT: A fantastical novel that lives up to its strong premise, THE CADET OF TILDOR gave me everything I wanted and then some – especially in the form of one of the strongest female protagonists I’ve read in a long time. Pick this one up.

4.5/5(less)

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Apr 22, 2013 Anna rated it 3 of 5 stars

I want to like this book, I really do. I think it shows a lot of promise with the plot setup and its characters. An idealistic and headstrong girl trying to compete in the world of men, coming to realize that strength isn't the only way to win a battle and a sword isn't the only weapon she has in her arsenal? That's cool. A seasoned warrior struggling with being forced to mentor and protect inexperienced students (one of whom is his own estranged family)? Color me intrigued. A boy that wants to...more I want to like this book, I really do. I think it shows a lot of promise with the plot setup and its characters. An idealistic and headstrong girl trying to compete in the world of men, coming to realize that strength isn't the only way to win a battle and a sword isn't the only weapon she has in her arsenal? That's cool. A seasoned warrior struggling with being forced to mentor and protect inexperienced students (one of whom is his own estranged family)? Color me intrigued. A boy that wants to prove his own loyalties to his country, where the only way he can do that is in direct defiance of their laws? Shut up and take my money.

That said, very little of the promised elements live up to their full potential. It takes a long time for Renee to learn from her mistakes, or even her successes, and the result is irritating rather than an endearing definition of her character. For a story line meant to show a girl learning to be strong in ways men cannot, there is a shocking lack of strong female role models for her. There are no older women that play a major role in the story, heck the only other female supporting character is a friend in the magistrate school that only serves to provide exposition and a sounding board for Renee's naivety. This actually reminds me of the Bechdel test (the idea that a work does not present a feminine point of view unless it features two or more women who talk to one another in a scene about something other than a man), and considering that most of their conversations revolve around either Savoy, Alec or the rivaling gangs, I'd be inclined to say this failed that test. It almost makes one wonder where Renee learned to dance and dress and other lady-like pursuits that while were under utilized do come in handy in one key scene. It also raises questions about the practices of the Cadet school, where she is the only girl her age to still be in the fighter track. Do they expect their female cadets to compete on the same standards as the men? If so, have any succeeded, and why aren't they the ones Renee fangirls over? If not, why even allow girls into the fighter track in the first place? Overall, Renee's struggles can be summed up as "Wah, I'm too small to bash people over the head so I have to resort to less direct means of killing the people I don't agree with!"

Savoy shows even less character growth than her, flip-flopping between expecting the same level of obedience and competency of his students that he would the men under his command, and lamenting his own inability to protect everyone at once forever and ever amen. His relationship with his brother is woefully under established, considering how much it sets in motion the events of the second act. Others have complained about his relationship with Renee, most either complaining about the squick factor that comes with a seven year age difference (To those that squirm at that who are fans of Tamora Pierce, I have to point out the age difference between Daine and Numair was twice that) or that the attraction between them is only lightly touched on and never fully explored. (view spoiler)

As for Alec and the issues of unregistered mages, since the narrative focuses primarily on Renee and Savoy's POV (with one exceptional chapter I want to discuss in a moment) this never gets fully explored. The few times the conflict is even addressed, even the smartest and most sympathetic people to discuss it call him in the wrong for what he's doing. Since the the only time we get a look into his head is while he's on a magic-numbing drug, there is no proper example of how overwhelming Control is to focus and keep reigned in, or how tempting its power is, so arguments both for and against mage registration can only be taken on the speaker's word. Without that sort of insight, it's nearly impossible for the reader to understand why or sympathize with him as he withdraws from his judgmental friends.

A lot of comparisons to Tamora Pierce have been made about this book, with her Song of the Lioness quartet being the most popular comparison. Although I can see similarities between Alanna and Renee in body types and in the fact that they were both authors' first jaunt into the YA fantasy genre, I think the better comparison for what this book is trying to be would be a hybrid of her Beka Cooper books and the Protector of the Small series. Those two have more in common with this in regards to learning to accept moral grey areas while still standing for your own beliefs. That said, I almost find it painful to make comparisons between the two authors, mainly due to to Lidell's current inexperience. Her writing is just plain bad, to put it as bluntly as possible. Dialog comes across as stilted and unnecessarily formal (when people are sorry about something, they make a formal apology, even between close friends and equals). Writing can be unclear so that you have to go back several paragraphs to reread important plot points just to understand what's happened. Most importantly, the plot is shot through with unnecessary plot lines that either serve no more purpose than to pad the story out to what Lidell must believe to be the standard 400 pages for a fantasy novel, or are left dangling for a sequel when they could just as easily have been introduced in the second book. I'm being generous by giving this book three stars, but that's mostly out of sympathy for a first time novelist, and if there were any indication that she should know what she's doing already it would have been much, much lower.(less)

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Mar 29, 2013 Karen Yingling rated it 3 of 5 stars

Renee is returning to the Academy despite the objections of her father and her pending probation. She knows she needs to do well, because there are no other options left for her, and she wants to serve and protect Tildor, which has many problems. Two opposing forces, the Vipers (who kidnap people, are involved in the drug trade and are more violent) and the Family (who are a bit more subtle and blackmail and extort people) are vying for control of the government, which is headed by the young Lys...more Renee is returning to the Academy despite the objections of her father and her pending probation. She knows she needs to do well, because there are no other options left for her, and she wants to serve and protect Tildor, which has many problems. Two opposing forces, the Vipers (who kidnap people, are involved in the drug trade and are more violent) and the Family (who are a bit more subtle and blackmail and extort people) are vying for control of the government, which is headed by the young Lysian, a friend of Renee's. Along with her friends Alec and Sasha, Renee tries hard at her studies, especially when the leader of a famous combat unit, Korish Savoy, becomes a teacher. He is ruthless and drives the students hard, but Renee finds him oddly intriguing, and his young brother Diam a fun distraction from the rigors of Academy life. When the Vipers attack Lysian, things start to happen. Renee finds out that Alec is a mage with healing powers, but has not registered with the government as mages are required to do. She also has a fight with the Family-aligned Tanil, and when Diam and his wolf-dog are kidnapped, she decides to try to save them. Savoy follows as well, but is soon captured by the Vipers, who impel him to fight in gladitorial-type battles. Renee works to free him, but finds out that things are in bad shape at the academy as well. Tildor is in big trouble, but Renee's skills are constantly improving, and will no doubt continue in the (??) next book.

Strengths: Lots of medieval style action and adventure, fighting, running about. Comparisons with Pierce's Alanna have to be made, which is okay, since I've seen a resurgence in the popularity of this series. Definitely can see a next book. Fans of John Flanagan's Ranger's Apprentice series and Nielsen's The False Prince will also adore this.
Weaknesses: A few things need to be explained a bit more-- veesi, the illegal drug the Vipers are dealing with, the role of mages in the society, and how the two factions got started. This would help the world of Tildor make a little more sense. I was a bit dismayed at Renee's fascination with Savoy, especially after he beats her several times. Yes, he's an instructor making sure she has the skills, and he does best her in combat, but when he beats her and then she kinda likes him-- disturbing. Also confused by the Scottish brogue of one of the characters. I can see this being a lengthy series, so want it to be really good!(less)

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Mar 06, 2013 Elizabeth rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya-fantasy

**4.5 stars**

See more awesome reviews on my blog thebiasedbookie.blogspot.com

I love a good fantasy. What's more I love a good fantasy with a coming of age, kick-butt heroine. Check and check. This book had it all for me. Maybe a little more in the romance department Lidell. But if there's a sequel, and I'm betting there will be, please put in a little more smooching. And that smooching better be between Renee and Savoy. That would be perfect...

The Setting
Against her father's wished, Renee is en...more **4.5 stars**

See more awesome reviews on my blog thebiasedbookie.blogspot.com

I love a good fantasy. What's more I love a good fantasy with a coming of age, kick-butt heroine. Check and check. This book had it all for me. Maybe a little more in the romance department Lidell. But if there's a sequel, and I'm betting there will be, please put in a little more smooching. And that smooching better be between Renee and Savoy. That would be perfect...

The Setting
Against her father's wished, Renee is enrolled and training at the Academy of Tildor. It is her dream to become an elite soldier for the new king of Tildor. But this quest for Renee is going to be an uphill battle. On the brink of being sent home by the Academy, Renee must refine some of her skills, most importantly sword fighting, to continue at the school. This will be no easy task as most of her peers are male, and their strength and physique grow stronger with every passing year. Renee and her friend Alec hone their skills with their teacher, Savoy, a decorated and successful general who was forced from the battlefield to mentor the "brat" cadets.
Despite Savoy's wrath, Renee is determined to succeed at the Academy. But when Savoy's younger brother is mysteriously kidnapped, Renee and Alec face some difficult decisions. For Alec is hiding a secret that could doom both him and Renee. What are Renee, Alec and Savoy willing to sacrifice to save each other and Savoy's brother? Will there be a way to return home respectfully?

What I LIKED about this book
As I said before, fantasy done right is hard to put down and this book was no exception. The pressure Renee experiences feel real and endear her to you. You want more than anything for her to succeed. This was not a book where the main character already is powerful and skillful. Renee truly worked hard to earn her standing and she made many mistakes along the way. But after every fall she got back up, brushed herself off and tried again. This coming of age story is so refreshingly honest and realistic. I could easily see Renee as myself.
The story was well thought out and added a touch of mystery and magic where needed. The story pulled me along and the twists kept me turning the pages.

What I DISLIKED about this book
I'm not one to say this often, but I would have liked just a little more romance. The Cadet of Tildor teased you in this aspect. Yes Renee did kiss someone but it was not who you wanted and meant very little to her. You can see a relationship forming between Renee and Savoy, so for my sake I hope there is a sequel to quench my romantic mind.

Parting Thoughts
Overall I'll award The Cadet of Tildor 4.5 out of 5 stars. You have to read this book if you enjoy fantasy. I'd recommend this for fans of Tamora Pierce, Rae Carson and perhaps Kristin Cashore, though compared to this book, Cashore and Carson have considerably more romance in their novels. I really need the sequel to this book. I need to witness Renee's progress and pray that Savoy enters the picture somewhere! (less)

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Mar 04, 2013 mich rated it 4 of 5 stars

A girl in an elite military academy trying to prove herself? Yep, I'm in.

I will always be in for this type of story. I will always love a determined, kickass heroine who works hard to prove that she can stand on equal footing with the boys, and Renee de Winter is definitely that. Add to that some political intrigue, interesting side plots and great evolving relationships between various compelling characters, and you end up with a pretty awesome debut novel.

One thing I need to gush about - there...more A girl in an elite military academy trying to prove herself? Yep, I'm in.

I will always be in for this type of story. I will always love a determined, kickass heroine who works hard to prove that she can stand on equal footing with the boys, and Renee de Winter is definitely that. Add to that some political intrigue, interesting side plots and great evolving relationships between various compelling characters, and you end up with a pretty awesome debut novel.

One thing I need to gush about - there is no romance in this book, no big hookup and I LOVE THAT. There is a faint, underlying chemistry and a hint of possible things to come, and you know what, it’s enough. Even more satisfying to me is the friendship that develops and grows, based upon real mutual respect and a willingness to support each other.

Although I enjoyed this book a lot, there were some issues with it that just wouldn’t let me give it 5 stars. For one thing, the author is a little too heavy handed with the foreshadowing. Either that or I’m super super smart cuz I figured out all the mysteries and twists way before they were revealed. Or maybe the author means for the reader to do this? But then all that does is make Renee seem frustratingly slow on the uptake. The delay time for the light bulb going off for her was a bit too long. Also, the story doesn’t flow well in certain areas (view spoiler) Some coincidences were a bit too far fetched (view spoiler) and some things and situations just plain don't make any sense (view spoiler)

In the end though, I was extremely satisfied with this book. Full of action and adventure and centered around a GREAT heroine, this is everything a YA fantasy novel should be. The potential for a really great series is here, and I can’t wait to see where this author takes us. (view spoiler)(less)

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Feb 23, 2013 Zainab rated it 5 of 5 stars

I can't decide between a 4 and a 5 and 4.5 isn't sufficient on gr, but I think I'm going to have to go with my gut feeling the second I turned to the last (totally cheesy) page, of satisfaction. I haven't been able to read a novel for so long and those that I do pick up don't hold my interest for more than a couple chapters. But no, this was entirely different.

To be honest, the mention of Tamora Pierce had me interested and the blurb had me hooked. As soon as I read it I decided to order and tha...more

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Jan 13, 2013 carole rated it 5 of 5 stars

I love fantasy books. The only thing with the fantasy genre is I've found it hard to find books that I love every aspect of, sometimes it's too much. Alex Lidell has made the perfect fantasy adventure book. She's taken everything I look for and then some. With a similar world building to books like Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder and Graceling by Kristin Cashore; Lidell has proved to me that she can run with the greats!

Renee is training to be soldier for the Crown. She's working her butt off onl...more I love fantasy books. The only thing with the fantasy genre is I've found it hard to find books that I love every aspect of, sometimes it's too much. Alex Lidell has made the perfect fantasy adventure book. She's taken everything I look for and then some. With a similar world building to books like Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder and Graceling by Kristin Cashore; Lidell has proved to me that she can run with the greats!

Renee is training to be soldier for the Crown. She's working her butt off only to be second to every boy. Until a new instructor comes, one everyone has heard of, and he teaches her how to use what she has against an enemy. She starts training with him and his group of fighters and really starts believing in herself. Renee was an exceptional character, filled with spark and life destined to continue on this path that not many girls aspire too. Her personality exuded pure loyalty to her cause and her friends. My favorite attribute of Renee's was the fact that she wasn't perfect, she didn't get it right all the time, she messed up a lot, and did not win every fight. But, she got back up and tried again. That was exceptionally done on the authors part. It gave the reader a character to relate to, look up to, and not feel overshadowed by. We could all be Renees if we set our minds to something and gave it our all. Girls need great fictional role models and Renee is one of them.

The world of Tildor lived beneath my feet while reading. Alex Lidell is a fantastic writer and storyteller, who gets much praise from me. Her conversations and words were fluid, the language of the book fit perfectly, and I enjoyed the change in POVs between Alec, Renee, and Savoy. My only complaint, and a very small one, was when the POVs changed mid-chapter. Normally they would switch off chapter to chapter but when they did so mid-event it caused a second look for me. I was never lost and Lidell did a good job making sure we knew exactly when it changed but I felt like it made more send to do whole chapters in one POV. But, maybe she has a reason for doing it the way she did.

I absolutely loved this book and its high fantasy. There is a bit of romance, but that's not what this story is about. From beginning to end Renee, while still maintaining her witty attitude, changes and grows immensely. By the end of the book she is a true fighter. Such a strong character, strong story, and wonderful premise. Kick butt heroines are my thing, girls rock and are capable of so much! Thank you to the author and AToMR for the opportunity to read and review this book. I can't wait to recommend it to everyone I know!(less)

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Jan 04, 2013 Leeanna rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: for-review, arcs, i-own

I’m going to start this review off in an unusual way: I’m going to list all the things that aren’t in The Cadet of Tildor.

No:
— Love triangles.
— Romance.
— Swooning girls.
— Weak characters.
— “I’m so special, everything is going to go just my way” heroine.

Instead, what do we have?
♥ A kick ass main character named Renee.
♥ Fighting. Lots of fighting.
♥ A politically heavy storyline.
♥ An engaging cast of side characters.

If you’ve read any of my reviews, you know that I was jumping up and down for joy...more

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Sep 02, 2012 Julie rated it 5 of 5 stars

Loved, loved, absolutely loved this book! Fans of GRACELING will want this book in their hands. Teachers will want to read and recommend this book. Librarians, put this book on your shelf and pimp it out. I wish I were still in the classroom to read it out loud to my students, I loved this book that much.

The writing is so smooth and well crafted I was absorbed in this story for one day reading from beginning to end. I completely invested in the characters: the young, courageous heroine Renee, th...more

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May 08, 2013 E.L. rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: new-to-me-for-2013

Excellent writing (although somebody needs to fire that proofreader - so very, very many typos and errors), well developed and thought-out plot, good world-building. The characters, sadly, were all flat. Even the protagonist, Renee, moved through her scenes like a wooden puppet, doing whatever was necessary for the plot to move forward without seeming to have any consistent internal growth or motivation. And all of the characters at one point or another fell into the "too stupid to live" trap.

Th...more

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Feb 03, 2013 Erin Stuhlsatz rated it 4 of 5 stars

The Cadet of Tildor was REALLY similar to the Alanna books: a girl is living as a warrior, trying to make it in a culture that is not SUPER kind of welcoming to girls. Unlike Alanna, Renee de Winter is not pretending to be a boy, just trying to become one through strength training twenty hours a day, or something. Also, instead of falling in love with the prince, she falls in love with her instructor. Granted, she's a seventeen year old girl, so I think she may fall in love 3 or 4 times througho...more

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Jan 10, 2013 TheBookSmugglers rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult, fantasy

Original review published on The Book Smugglers

It is almost impossible to approach The Cadet of Tildor without sky-high expectations as it has been touted as a meeting of heavy-weight Fantasists Tamora Pierce and George R. R. Martin. To be honest, those expectations are not exactly fair considering this is a debut novel and as such appropriate adjustments are necessary – once this is done The Cadet of Tildor becomes a solid, enjoyable-if-flawed YA Fantasy.

Renee de Winter is a cadet at the Academ...more Original review published on The Book Smugglers

It is almost impossible to approach The Cadet of Tildor without sky-high expectations as it has been touted as a meeting of heavy-weight Fantasists Tamora Pierce and George R. R. Martin. To be honest, those expectations are not exactly fair considering this is a debut novel and as such appropriate adjustments are necessary – once this is done The Cadet of Tildor becomes a solid, enjoyable-if-flawed YA Fantasy.

Renee de Winter is a cadet at the Academy of Tildor, the training academy for elite soldiers that serve and protect the kingdom. As the story opens, Renee is given an ultimatum by her father: either she quits the Academy to live a life more appropriate for a girl or be banished from their household. Renee decides to follow her dream to serve her kingdom and to carry on at the Academy, despite all the hardships she faces there: as a woman, Renees finds herself constantly struggling to keep up with her male peers on the more physical aspects of her training. But giving up is not an option and when Commander Korish Savoy – a famous officer and her idol – joins the Academy as a teacher, she hopes he will help her achieve the excellence she needs to remain a cadet.

Savoy is not happy with his new instructions – which come from the top – as he is pulled from active duty to pamper kids in training, especially with Tildor in the midst of political turmoil with a new king on the throne, two criminal families vying for power and a threat from mages looming in the horizon. When Savoy’s little brother is kidnapped, Renee and her best friend Alec quit everything to go after the boy and join Savoy on his search.

And this doesn’t even begin to cover The Cadet of Tildor, a book so eventful that at one point Savoy is kidnapped and enslaved to become a gladiator. Yes, for reals. The truth is that the plot is extremely convoluted with many storylines happening and a variety of threads and secondary characters that unfortunately are as not as fleshed up as they should/could have been. There is enough juice here for an entire trilogy (which could have been awesome) and there is a lot that is packed in on just 400 pages resulting on underdeveloped storylines. Add to that an often stilted fake-medieval dialogue and the fact that Super!Soldier! Savoy (who shares the narrative PoV with Renee) does not sound like a 23 year-old at all [1. It also doesn’t sound like it would be possible for such a young man to be at such high level within the army already even considering how awesome the Academy is supposed to be and I often wondered if Savoy was written as a much older character to begin with and his age was brought down to make it more compatible with YA and with a possible romantic storyline with Renee) and we have serious problems overall.

My misgivings out of the way, there is actually a lot that is pretty awesome about the book.

Renee for example, is an incredibly interesting and complex protagonist and her arc is pretty engaging from start to finish. Her struggles in the Academy as a woman is one that I found very well done, depicting her very real problems with her physical weakness which she worked at continuously and managed to overcome by both increasing her training hours and by addressing it in more creative ways. I loved that she never becomes Super!Strong! but that she learned to train more, to dedicate the hours it takes to become a skilled fighter, to fight with her own physical abilities and to use weapons that suited her. I wish I had seen more female characters going through the same thing at the Academy so that I wouldn’t think that Renee was such an exception but there were extremely capable women in leading roles in the army (meaning that they have been through training and made it). Above all I loved her emotional arc: Renee starts out the book as a rigid, inflexible character that made very serious mistakes in terms of her actions and her behaviour. As a character she is allowed to be fallible and I loved that complexity. As such she suffers the consequences of her actions and eventually learns from them to become a more flexible person that thinks before acting.

This dichotomy of flexible vs inflexible is actually a big theme in the book overall as the chaotic political background turns out to be not as rigidly black and white (or good and evil) as Renee thought. As it turns out, in life and in politics, it is all about adapting.

I also loved Renee’s relationship with Savoy – it was hero-worship and attraction to begin with then developing into friendship and camaraderie. The fact that theirs is a mentor-student relationship and that Renee is 16 to Savoy’s 23, removes any potential romantic storyline from the picture (at least for now) and I am happy that the storyline never took them there (although there is definitely potential for this to change at some point in the future once they become equals).

In spite of my misgivings, there is a lot to recommend here especially if you like Fantasy with well-written, complex female protagonists. I’d definitely go back for seconds – heck, I want a sequel. (less)

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Jan 03, 2013 Gretchen Hohmeyer rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: netgalley, arc, favorites, reviewed, on-amazon

There are moments, when you finish a book, that you just go, “Yes.” You put down your book or ereader and just sit there for a few minutes because YES. Especially lately, for me, when all my blog reading has been rushed and not entirely enjoyable. THIS IS WHY I LOVE BLOGGING, books like this.

I will say right from the get-go that I am a HUGE Tamora Pierce fan. She basically structured my childhood. One of my favorites was her series The Protector of the Small. The main character, Kel, and Renee w...more There are moments, when you finish a book, that you just go, “Yes.” You put down your book or ereader and just sit there for a few minutes because YES. Especially lately, for me, when all my blog reading has been rushed and not entirely enjoyable. THIS IS WHY I LOVE BLOGGING, books like this.

I will say right from the get-go that I am a HUGE Tamora Pierce fan. She basically structured my childhood. One of my favorites was her series The Protector of the Small. The main character, Kel, and Renee would be GREAT AND AWESOME FRIENDS. If you loved The Protector of the Small series, stop reading this review right here and just go pre-order this book. Seriously. I’m not kidding.

Renee de Winter is my kind of girl. When the book opens up, she is given an ultimatum by her father: either be a real girl, or she’s banished from the house. Like she should, Renee chooses to go back to the life of a soldier–even though she is falling behind the rest of her male peers. Renee is shorter and weaker then all her male peers, simply because she doesn’t have the body mass she does. She believes that her salvation will come when the legedary Commander Savoy comes to teach the cadets, thinking that his methods will help her learn how to be better than the boys. But then, of course, there is kidnapping and treason and her simple task of trying to stay in the cadets so she doesn’t get thrown out on the street with nowhere to go gets WORSE.

I am honestly shocked on how well this book handles a wide range of settings and characters. I usually don’t like large character casts, but somehow this manages to keep all the characters in my brain. Sure, plenty of them aren’t fleshed out too much, but unlike some other books this doesn’t bother me. Each character seems to have the perfect amount of focus for their role in the story. (Except for Alec. But I think I just don’t LIKE Alec.) This book also definitely gets around, but I’m always really connected to where I am at the time. I usually jump on books for doing both these things poorly, but…I can’t believe I get to say someone’s done it well.

The plot is also very involved. It’s very political, and each action has a reaction on a very large scale. But, somehow, each action is also very personal, and each step makes sense. I wish I could expand on that, but then they’re would be spoilers and I can’t have that. Let me just say that Renee is affecting politics on a global scale while simply protecting her friends, and it’s amazing how it works out. Everything fits together seemlessly to create a personal story within a complicated political sphere–which, even better, always made sense to me.

As I said, more characters than not weren’t fleshed out, but the main characters–Renee, Savoy, Diam, for example–made me very happy. Obviously I’m predisposed to like Renee, but the character arc for Savoy also made me very happy. Once my intial dislike of a character is cemented, it takes very good reasons for me to like them again. Lidell gave me good reasons. For everything. Even the things I disliked in the beginning. One weird thing was that he had more flaws then it seemed Renee did, but I’ll let that slide. Romance was entirely NOT a factor of this novel, but I actually found myself wishing for it. Yes, me. Pretty sure pigs are about to fly. I’ll leave it at that.

It’s always harder to write a review on books you liked rather than the ones you disliked, but this is my attempt. My one most horrible thing to say is that Goodreads doesn’t have a series tag for this book and I just KNOW there has to be another one because OHMYGOD THERE HAS TO BE ANOTHER ONE. I will most certainly be owning it, and giving them the special place on my top shelf next to my Protector of the Small books.(less)

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Jan 04, 2013 Kazhy (My Library in the Making) rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: blog-tour, arc, netgalley, buy-and-read-again

(This review was originally posted at My Library in the Making.)

I am a huge fan of George R.R. Martin, so to compare another writer's work to his is a huge deal. The people behind The Cadet of Tildor had bravely made this comparison, and I'm more than glad to know it lived up to it.

Renee de Winter was supposed to be a lady, learning to one day take over his lord father's estates, but instead, she chose to enroll into the Academy of Tildor and train to become an elite soldier. She chose this path...more (This review was originally posted at My Library in the Making.)

I am a huge fan of George R.R. Martin, so to compare another writer's work to his is a huge deal. The people behind The Cadet of Tildor had bravely made this comparison, and I'm more than glad to know it lived up to it.

Renee de Winter was supposed to be a lady, learning to one day take over his lord father's estates, but instead, she chose to enroll into the Academy of Tildor and train to become an elite soldier. She chose this path not for honor, but for the vision of ending crime and injustice, the two things that had taken her mother and brother's lives.

I have a huge admiration for Renee. She was kind, brave, and smart, but she was no Mary Sue. In fact, she was a very real sixteen-year-old who felt fear and insecurity, but what added to this sense of genuineness to her was her capabilities. Back when she started at the Academy, she used to be one of the best in her class, but as puberty started to strike, she began to fall behind her male classmates' strength. I know she could've avoided it by training more, but with those guys' military training, they had nowhere to go but stronger.

Then there was Korish Savoy, a twenty-three-year-old commander of an elite military group and Renee's new trainer, who entertained—or, honestly speaking, made me swoon—me with his tough man exterior, and I couldn't be happier when I learned that his part in the plot was bigger than I thought. His underestimation of Renee when he'd just met him made me raise an eyebrow, though, but he sure helped in developing her combat skills.

This book gave me two surprises. First was the romance. I can't say anything about it without being spoiler-y, but that bit certainly didn't go the way I'd guessed. Second was the mages and their power, which gave way for even more surprises. So well done.

For an epic fantasy novel, the world-building was not that grand or anything, but surprisingly, that didn't bother me at all because over-describing could have distracted me from the plot, which was so full of action, twists, and high stakes that I absolutely loved. That, combined with an amazing pace that had me frantic to leaf through the pages, made this an unputdownable read.

Although sometimes the writing confused me enough that I had to read the same paragraph twice or thrice before I understood it, it was still such a pleasure to read The Cadet of Tildor. I loved it much more than I thought I would, and I am crossing my fingers for a sequel.

MY FAVORITE PART was that scene at the end with Renee and her father.(less)

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Apr 16, 2013 Anna rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-i-own, classical-feel-to-it, coming-of-age, could-have-been-better, death, drama, drug-abuse, fantasy, had-potential, good-but-not-for-me, kind-of-stupid, romance, teen, teen-angst, ugh

This one really reeeeeally reminded me of the Song of the Lioness series by Tamora Pierce, and while I was reading it, I could help but reminisce haha.

It's pretty good for a first in series book, which I'm guessing it is? I liked the main character, Renee- always a plus- and when I didn't like her, it was more of an "Oh you!" kind of thing because of a purposely written in character trait. Hm. I didn't really Savoy, which I think didn't make me love the whole romance-parts. Cory, however, I lik...more

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Mar 19, 2013 Warnie B. rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult, plano-public-libraries, fantasy, read-in-2013, action-adventure

I got a little nervous about this when I saw it compared to George R.R. Martin's work (no thank you!!!), but it really didn't seem very similar at all to me, other than also being a fantasy novel (then again, I only managed to make it through about 10% of A Game of Thrones, so I certainly can't claim to be an expert). The comparisons to Tamora Pierce's books seem much more apt, though I feel like Renee had to be rescued much more often than Alanna ever did. But anyway.

Some things I appreciated:...more

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Mar 04, 2013 Celeste rated it 4 of 5 stars

The blurb says "Tamora Pierce meets George R. R. Martin" and that seems fairly accurate — though probably moreso Tamora Pierce. I haven't read any GRRM but from what I know, I think the main similarity here is the grayness of most of the characters. Hardly anyone is purely good or evil, they merely have different sets of beliefs and motives. One of the things I loved most about the book is also one of the things that irritated me most — almost total lack of romance. There's none at all until abo...more The blurb says "Tamora Pierce meets George R. R. Martin" and that seems fairly accurate — though probably moreso Tamora Pierce. I haven't read any GRRM but from what I know, I think the main similarity here is the grayness of most of the characters. Hardly anyone is purely good or evil, they merely have different sets of beliefs and motives. One of the things I loved most about the book is also one of the things that irritated me most — almost total lack of romance. There's none at all until about 1/4 through, and from then on it's sort of awkwardly there for no reason. It's completely unnecessary for the story and feels forced. (view spoiler)

But, other than that, I liked watching Renee grow and struggle to gain respect. I loved that, unlike so many fantasy heroines, she struggles physically. She's decent at fighting, but instead of having some amazing innate ability with a sword, she really, REALLY has to work at it even to keep up with her peers. Her biggest asset is not talent but determination. I love seeing that in a character, strength in the form of perseverance.

There are some kind of weird things with the plot where it seems like Lidell wasn't sure how to get the story where she wanted it and the way she went about getting it there doesn't make a whole lot of sense, but the strength of the characters does a lot to make up for that. The end definitely sets up for more in this world, but more or less this stands alone as a decent YA fantasy.(less)

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Jan 23, 2013 Dina rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2013-debut-author-challenge, dac

Review originally found on All The Stacks

Are you looking for a book that has adventure, political intrigue, and a kick-butt heroine? The Cadet Of Tildor by Alex Lidell is it. It begins with Cadet Renee de Winter, who is also a noblewoman, arguing with her father about her attendance at the elite Academy Of Tildor. Renee dreams of being a fighter and serving the Crown but her father has other plans for her. Risking everything, Renee decides to go to school and eschew the safety of her familial ho...more

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Mar 03, 2013 Daphne rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2013-debut-challenge

It took me a while to finally open this book, because put quite frankly, the cover didn't interest me enough to take the time to research more about it. However, after seeing it in Barnes and Noble next to one of my favorite novels, The False Prince by Jennifer Nielsen, I decided to give it a shot and read the summary on the inside cover. After that, I was completely hooked. It sounded exactly like the type of book I would go for. A girl who never stopped fighting even when the task she faced se...more

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Jan 12, 2013 Starr Griggs rated it 5 of 5 stars

It seems that I am on a roll with books that surprise me! And that is awesome in and of itself. I loved reading The Cadet of Tildor, I loved being in that world. There was depth in the characters, depth in the questions being asked. The plot was engaging and flowed from one point to the next. There really wasn’t a clear set of good guys and bad guys. Who you side with really depends on your own personal belief system, and yes even that is questioned.
How awesome is it that the main character is...more It seems that I am on a roll with books that surprise me! And that is awesome in and of itself. I loved reading The Cadet of Tildor, I loved being in that world. There was depth in the characters, depth in the questions being asked. The plot was engaging and flowed from one point to the next. There really wasn’t a clear set of good guys and bad guys. Who you side with really depends on your own personal belief system, and yes even that is questioned.
How awesome is it that the main character is female? The story just wouldn’t be the same if the MC was male. Honor. Strength. Loyalty. What does it really mean to be a servant to the crown? Cadet Renee de Winter chose this path when she could have chosen something else. It wasn't an easy path, and despite the numerous obstacles. She’s the last girl standing and it seems that everyone is against her. She wants to prove that she’s just as good as the boys. But maybe she’s trying to prove the wrong thing?
Enter Commander Savoy, who realizes that she’s not just as good as the boys but that she’s better than the boys. He seems brutal at worst and cruel at best. Though he is immature at times, he is a strong and respected leader. Events unfold that shows nothing is what it seem, nothing is what we thought they were at first glance. What is right is murky and it doesn’t always line up with the law. There are so many twists in this story that if one is not careful one can completely miss the philosophy that is succulently woven in.
There is something between Savoy and de Winter. I think it may have started out as attraction in the school girl crush kind of way. In the end it’s more as comrades and true respect of skills. I like this approach a lot better.
I leave you with this quote” Savoy nodded his head, ‘That one, Cory, will one day command us all.’ “
5 Stars *****
1st favorite of 2013
What’s Next? I am not sure if this is a standalone or if it will be part of a series. I think I could be happy
either way.
I received a copy of this title, free, in exchange for my honest opinion.
Always Shine,
Starr K(less)

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Jan 10, 2013 Bonnie at A Backwards Story added it

Shelves: 2013, fantasy, blog-tour, fabulous-books

THE CADET OF TILDOR, Alex Lidell's debut novel, was everything I hoped for and more. When I first heard about the publishing deal, I was intrigued. Tamora Pierce meets G.R.R. Martin, really? I'm not sure that it's too similar to Martin, but there are strong threads tying Lidell to Pierce, and I mean that in the best way possible. In high school, two of my all-time favorite series were the Song of the Lioness quartet and the Protector of the Small quartet. In both, Pierce creates strong female he...more THE CADET OF TILDOR, Alex Lidell's debut novel, was everything I hoped for and more. When I first heard about the publishing deal, I was intrigued. Tamora Pierce meets G.R.R. Martin, really? I'm not sure that it's too similar to Martin, but there are strong threads tying Lidell to Pierce, and I mean that in the best way possible. In high school, two of my all-time favorite series were the Song of the Lioness quartet and the Protector of the Small quartet. In both, Pierce creates strong female heroines who stand alone among boys as they go through school to become knights and serve their kingdoms. Pierce's heroines Alanna of Trebond and Keladry of Mindelan would be great friends were they to come across Lidell's Renee de Winter, and rightfully so. If you're a fan of Pierce, and especially of these two series, you will absolutely adore CADET.

Unlike Pierce, who takes readers on adventures from the very first year of training, Lidell drops in on senior year. Renee used to be at the top of her class, but now, she's fallen to the bottom, no longer as strong as the boys. She wants nothing more than to become a Servant and serve the Crown, making sure to train extra hard to build her endurance. Her father tries to keep her home where she "belongs," but Renee defies him, cutting family ties in order to return to school. When she finds out that her new instructor is none other than Commander Savoy, one of her role models, she's excited and idolizes him, but traumatized to realize that he sees her as weaker than her peers. As a plot against the kingdom unfurls, Renee must come to terms with her own limitations while still paving her own way and attempting to achieve her dreams.

There is so much to love about CADET, which reminds me of why I love this sub-genre of fantasy so much. Fantasy doesn't have to be about sappy romance and eye-rolling love triangles, which I seem to have forgotten after all the like-minded YA novels crowding the genre these last few years. There are so many layers to CADET that each layer pulls back like an onion, revealing something deeper and truer at its core. Renee is so blinded by her dreams and her wants that she's unable to see the reality of the way things are. She'll never excel in life if she can't come to terms with her own limitations and learn to work with them, not against them. She grows in so many ways over the course of the novel, and I truly became invested in her plight.

There are so many characters and settings that on the surface, it seems as though it would be easy to become overwhelmed. In reality, however, everything is well-crafted and bonds together to form a fascinating, gritty story at the underbelly of a kingdom in need of saving. Lidell seamlessly blends right and wrong to the point where readers are constantly guessing and wondering which characters can actually be trusted. It's hard to talk much about the intricacies without giving much away, but I truly love the way this book unfurled. Whenever little things came together, whether I saw them coming or not, they managed to slip into place like a well-greased cog. Even character development was superbly brought out.

While I was always rooting for our underdog Renee, there were characters I went from liking to disliking, and others I had an on-again, off-again relationship with. Definitely on-again by the end, however, and I want more books from Lidell! While CADET easily stands alone, it ends in such a way that more adventures are sure to be had, especially after reading the novel's final line (perhaps one of my favorite lines in the novel, and one I can't share for obvious reasons. It is, after all, the final line!) I'm seriously hoping that Lidell brings us more books in this world and returns all of her characters to us. I wonder if one character will be a villain, if another will become something more, if a third is destined for greatness. Etc, etc. I thoroughly enjoyed CADET and now want to go back and re-read other books with female knights at their core to keep this feeling close to my chest. What a great debut!(less)

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Jan 07, 2013 Cara rated it 4 of 5 stars

This novel takes place in a time before guns, bombs, and even ipods. Welcome to the medieval ages fantasy style. Honestly if I truly had to compare this novel to anything, it reminded me a lot of Harry Potter minus the magic wands and Voldemort storming the castle. Although, that would have been cool. The writing styles aren't the same, nor are they on the same level. This is where they are similar. The main character is a girl named Renee de Winter, she is a student at the academy that teaches...more This novel takes place in a time before guns, bombs, and even ipods. Welcome to the medieval ages fantasy style. Honestly if I truly had to compare this novel to anything, it reminded me a lot of Harry Potter minus the magic wands and Voldemort storming the castle. Although, that would have been cool. The writing styles aren't the same, nor are they on the same level. This is where they are similar. The main character is a girl named Renee de Winter, she is a student at the academy that teaches cadets to be Servants of the Crown and to protect Tildor. Harry Potter was a student at Hogwarts, and was learning to be a wizard. They both thoroughly explore the school life. They both have dead family to avenge. They both talk about epic life changing adventures. They both must find the strength to keep going through the battles, even though they face adversaries with greater skill and strength.

Anywho, moving on...Renee is going against her father's wishes by being at the academy. At the academy her friends are her family. This is the only thing she truly wants out of life. There are two big crime organizations in Tildor. One is call The Family and the other is The Vipers. The Family killed her brother and mother, because her father refused to pay them money. So that is the reason Renee wants to become a cadet and protect other people from that. The problem is she is on probation for her combat skills, and so she has to prove herself this year in order to keep moving on. Someone is going to get cut, and she needs to make sure it isn't her.

Commander Savoy is a commander of a squad. He has just been moved from being a commander to being a teacher of combat at the school. He is not happy about this move. He couldn't care less about teaching children. He wants to be out there fighting in the real world, because it is what he does best. Honestly, this guy didn't impress me at all. All he cares about is himself. It makes me frustrated he always acts like such a spoiled brat.

The secondary characters didn't really make me feel much for them. Although, I thought little Diam was the best. He had such a huge heart, and was always getting into trouble. If only he had adequate supervision.

Overall, I liked the novel. Renee was very realistic in the fact that she's a 16 year old girl, who has only ever seen combat in training. She doesn't master real life combat her first, second, or fifth time. She is learning as time goes on to be better. There is good advice, and wisdom the characters share in this book.

This book is for mature audiences. There are scenes with assault, violence, and crude suggestions and jokes. This is a good book for teenagers and adults alike, but only if they have the mental maturity to understand the seriousness of these situations.

FTC: This book was provided to me for an honest review.(less)

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Apr 28, 2012 Ana Mardoll rated it 4 of 5 stars

Cadet of Tildor / B003CV7RNM

Commander Savoy is understandably frustrated. He should be with his men, keeping them sharp and battle-ready, but instead he has been called back to the capital for a year furlough in which he is meant to teach new cadets. And while his presence is a dream come true for young Renee, who hopes to learn from a true master of the arts, he isn't inclined to take it easy on the only woman in the class.

A promising beginning, in some ways this excerpt puts me in mind of a Me...more

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