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First of Her Kind

(Darkness & Light #1)

K.L. Schwengel (Goodreads Author)

really liked it 4.00 · Rating details · 38 ratings · 17 reviews

Everyone, it seems, wants to dictate what Ciara does with her life: Serve the Goddess, destroy the Goddess, do as you promised your aunt. All Ciara wants is to keep the two magics she possesses from ripping her apart.

And that won’t be easy.

Not only are they in complete opposition to each other, blood ties pull her in divergent directions as well. And then there’s Bolin ...more

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Paperback, 270 pages

Published January 28th 2013 by Createspace Independent Publishing Platform (first published January 22nd 2013)

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Apr 27, 2013 Olga Godim rated it liked it

Shelves: fantasy-scifi

I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. I must admit that although I like fantasy, I prefer a lighter approach. This book firmly belongs to the dark fantasy subgenre, and the story’s grim intensity and sheer hopelessness made me drop a star from the rating. Someone else might rate it higher.
The protagonist Ciara is a young woman mage with two kinds of magic warring inside her mind. After her loving aunt dies, Ciara’s small and sheltered world shatters. Confused and I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. I must admit that although I like fantasy, I prefer a lighter approach. This book firmly belongs to the dark fantasy subgenre, and the story’s grim intensity and sheer hopelessness made me drop a star from the rating. Someone else might rate it higher.
The protagonist Ciara is a young woman mage with two kinds of magic warring inside her mind. After her loving aunt dies, Ciara’s small and sheltered world shatters. Confused and grieving, lacking the training to control her conflicting powers, she tries to make sense of her life, to master both sides of her magic, while everyone around her tries to turn her into a meek puppet.
You recognize the trope, don’t you? An ignorant orphan, catapulted out of her safe existence into the dangerous waters of ambition and intrigue, to swim or sink as she might – that is the standard premise of many a fantasy novel. I deplore such a clichéd premise, but despite my objection to the setup, Ciara commanded my respect and affection from the beginning.
Brave and compassionate, she makes the best of the scary turmoil her life is rapidly becoming. Of course, she makes mistake, and costly ones too, but I wonder how anyone else would’ve fared with as little information as she gets. Any time she asks a question, her allies and foes alike ignore them or tell her: “You don’t need to know.” It makes her mad, understandably. It would’ve made me mad too.
The other characters of the novel are less well-defined, kind of blurry at the edges, and not nearly as sympathetic as Ciara. Bolin, a mysterious, self-righteous warrior, is supposed to be a good guy, Ciara’s protector, but his only concerns seem to be his honor and duty, not Ciara’s interests. On one hand, he cares for her, on the other, he never explains anything to her, just demands obedience.
When she inevitably rebels, her inept defiance leads to her and Bolin’s captivity with Donovan, the villain of the story. Like Bolin, Donovan has an agenda of his own involving Ciara. Like Bolin, he wants her compliant with his wishes, and like Bolin, he never explains himself. Donovan is a master dissembler, and his goals are never clear: neither to Ciara, nor to Bolin, nor to the reader. Donovan seems just a generic bad guy, blathering about world domination.
The male arrogance of both those men is staggering. They play their cat-and-mouse power game with each other, and Ciara is caught in the middle, tossed about like a leaf on the wind. She is desperately clinging to her free will, but her choices dwindle to nothing by the end of the book, which irritated me considerably.
The author writes in a clear, expressive language. Her editing is thorough, and her descriptions vivid. Perhaps too vivid, especially in her account of Bolin’s tortures. To tell the truth, I didn’t read those pages, just skimmed through them to get to the end of blood and gore, so I could start reading again. I didn’t relish this aspect of the book. It added tons of gloom to the story.
Neither did I enjoy the ceaseless obstacles in Ciara’s path: one after another, with no respite. The author is very inventive in her plot twists. She ruthlessly throws countless misfortunes at her protagonist, but after a while, the reader becomes inured to the heroine’s suffering. There should be lulls in the pain, breathers between explosions. As there were none, my emotional engagement kind-of stopped, replaced by idle curiosity: so how would she get out of this one?
The denouement of the book was disappointing: an obvious cliff hanger. Nothing was resolved, Ciara was not rewarded for her misery, and I felt cheated. I think such book endings have more to do with marketing strategy than with storytelling, to the detriment of all readers.
But despite all the flaws of this novel, I liked Ciara. I cared for her deeply, as if she was a living girl in the real world. I wanted her to thwart both those domineering men’s plans for her, to rub their noses and show them that she could find her way without their incessant machinations. I wanted her to be happy. Because of Ciara, I couldn’t give this novel less than 3 stars.
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Nov 07, 2019 Sidney rated it it was amazing

This book did a great job of giving an AI a human like personality. You could feel for the AI as it developed.

The narrator did a very good job of presentation.

"I received a free review copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review." ...more

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Feb 06, 2013 Kate Johnston rated it it was amazing

Spectacular debut from K.L. Schwengel. I do not usually read fantasy, so this book was out of my comfort zone. That said, I had no trouble engaging with the characters or the storyline because, simply, this was a well-written book with a tight plot.

Ciara possesses earth magic and “the wilding,” a dark magic she has been forbidden to heed. Upon the death of her beloved aunt, Ciara is entrusted to Bolin, a family friend, to go to Dryw Hrine, the Goddess’s sisterhood, where she can be taught how to Spectacular debut from K.L. Schwengel. I do not usually read fantasy, so this book was out of my comfort zone. That said, I had no trouble engaging with the characters or the storyline because, simply, this was a well-written book with a tight plot.

Ciara possesses earth magic and “the wilding,” a dark magic she has been forbidden to heed. Upon the death of her beloved aunt, Ciara is entrusted to Bolin, a family friend, to go to Dryw Hrine, the Goddess’s sisterhood, where she can be taught how to control her magic. Ciara, who harbors anger toward the Goddess for taking so much from her, does everything she can to avoid the trip, including running away from Bolin. But her actions only serve to get her into deep, deep trouble. And she must rely on the one person she’s trying to escape from to help her.

Schwengel does a great job illustrating flawed characters. We get the points of view of most of the characters, and we see the internal conflicts as they press on toward their individual goals. Even the villain is sympathetic as backgrounds and motivations unravel. (I am vague here to avoid any spoilers.)

The beginning seemed a bit weak to me. While it is dramatic and interesting, it is a scene that takes place several years before the actual story and real action begin. I would have liked chapter 1 either to have been made into a definitive prologue or for the book to have simply started at chapter 2. The pertinent information in chapter 1 could have been used as a flashback later in the book.

This book is definitely on the dark side, with gritty torture scenes. To balance the violence is the relationship that develops between Ciara and Bolin. They are both stubborn and self-protective, but the attraction the two share for each other keeps pushing them together. Their unwillingness to fully trust each other not only threatens to tear them apart, but threatens their lives as well.

I loved every scene with, well, the horses! Sandeen became an instant hero to me, and that is because of how vividly the author describes him as well as how she describes Sandeen's relationship with Bolin, his owner.

I highly recommend this book, even if you’re not a reader of fantasy. Great imagery, torn characters, high tension, and fine attention to detail, this is a book not to be missed.
...more

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Feb 13, 2013 Mara Valderran rated it it was amazing

Shelves: reviewed

First word that comes to mind when reading the last page?

No. Because there is no way that can be the last page. It's not a cliffhanger, but there is just so much more waiting to be told. Which is what sequels are for, and I am now impatiently awaiting book two of the Darkness & Light series.

K.L. Schwengel knows how to weave a solid story around engaging and flawed characters, and she knows how to tell it beautifully as well. Ciara and Bolin suffer from an inability to really speak to one anothe First word that comes to mind when reading the last page?

No. Because there is no way that can be the last page. It's not a cliffhanger, but there is just so much more waiting to be told. Which is what sequels are for, and I am now impatiently awaiting book two of the Darkness & Light series.

K.L. Schwengel knows how to weave a solid story around engaging and flawed characters, and she knows how to tell it beautifully as well. Ciara and Bolin suffer from an inability to really speak to one another and just be honest, and it gets them into heaps of trouble. Trouble would have found them eventually, but they certainly help things along by being incredibly stubborn. The chemistry these two characters have together is palpable on the page and just really starting to be explored as the story continues. Their connection is one they don't seem to fully understand, but by the end I think they are starting to see how much they mean to one another and how they are both puzzle pieces that fit together. They still need some shaping to smooth out their rough edges, but their bond is unquestionable.

This is not a light and fluffy fantasy novel by any stretch of the imagination. There are dark sides to this world, and K.L. Schwengel isn't afraid to explore those parts, which only adds to the complexity and intrigue of this story and these characters. Seeing everything Bolin and Ciara are put through, all the pain they feel, helps to connect with them even more. And I have to say that K.L. Schwengel really knows how to balance the violence as well. It never feels over the top or showy, but always gritty and rough.

The author's use of language is enough to make me want to put my metaphoric pen down. The prose has a poetic nature to it, a cadence, without seeming pretentious at all. The voice is clear and the descriptions are not only solid, but vivid and detailed without weighing down the story.

Summary: The author's use of language and imagery mixed with the engaging characters, enticing plots, believable villains and heroes alike, and tension throughout is the perfect recipe for an amazing book. ...more

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Feb 16, 2013 Keri Lake rated it it was amazing

First of Her Kind is a rare gem. KL Schwengel spins words as magically as the powers she weaves through the pages, and I was captivated with both the storyline and the characters.
Tragedy kicks this book into motion and our female MC, Ciara, wins an ever-vigilant protector in a man she helped save a few years prior.

Sigh.
Bolin.
Throughout this entire story, I couldn’t help but think of Gerard Butler playing the role of this brooding hero.

See, Ciara has a dark and wicked secret—one that would pi First of Her Kind is a rare gem. KL Schwengel spins words as magically as the powers she weaves through the pages, and I was captivated with both the storyline and the characters.
Tragedy kicks this book into motion and our female MC, Ciara, wins an ever-vigilant protector in a man she helped save a few years prior.

Sigh.
Bolin.
Throughout this entire story, I couldn’t help but think of Gerard Butler playing the role of this brooding hero.

See, Ciara has a dark and wicked secret—one that would pique the interest of just about any baddie within typhoon range; one that could mean very horrible things for a whole lotta innocent people if placed in the wrong hands. A villain could scratch a lot of evil to-dos off his list by taking her captive and exploiting that little secret. And that’s exactly what happens.

Enter Donovan.

I won’t spoil the story by going too much into who Donovan is or what he means for Ciara, except to say that I loved his character. Call me crazy, but nothing keeps me engrossed in a book quite like an awesome bad guy. Donovan is dark and comes equipped with witty lines that had me chuckling a few times while reading. I adored this guy, in spite of wanting to see Bolin kick his butt all over the page.

The firmly-rooted romantic in me wanted him take Ciara and hold her captive as well—if only to explore the very obvious desire he gives his best effort to deny. Ciara has a stubborn, feisty rebelliousness—a clear contrast to Bolin’s very serious and brooding character—that adds a lot of entertainment to their interactions. The tension between the two leaps off the page and I smiled at some of Bolin’s reactions to Ciara’s sassy quips. There is a caring warmth and innocence about Ciara that I found refreshing.

First of Her Kind is my first foray into sorcery and the fantasy genre. It gripped me from the beginning and kept me turning the pages until the end. If you enjoy a nicely paced, well-written fantasy with wonderful world-building and well-fleshed plot and characters, this book will not disappoint. I loved getting lost in KL’s world and cannot wait for book two! ...more

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Jul 11, 2013 Kourtney rated it it was amazing

Shelves: fantasy-paranormal, midwest-authors

K.L. Schwengel crafts a beautiful page turner with her debut novel, A First of Her Kind.
As the title states Ciara is different than other girls. She has earth magic and something called the wilding inside her. Two very different forms of magic in one teenage girl.

And she dislikes the Goddess, which is pretty unique among practitioners of earth magic. Normally they are devoted to the Goddess.

The author immediately immerses you in her characters and her story world. She gives the reader exactly ...more

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May 08, 2013 Susan rated it really liked it

I won this novel in an "Evil Villain" competition, so isn't probably the kind of novel I would usually pick up. That said, I thoroughly enjoyed "First of Her Kind" and can definitely see myself following Ciara's adventures. Lately I have been getting tired of 'kick-ass' heroines, in "First of Her Kind" the reader definitely gets someone who isn't willing to let others beat her down, yet at the same time there is a refreshing vulnerability to Ciara which grabs the reader early on.
In some ways the ...more

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Feb 04, 2013 Kelesea rated it liked it

Shelves: first-reads

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Feb 18, 2013 Josh Langston rated it it was amazing

In a word: Wow! Understand, I'm not a fan of "high" fantasy, but if there were more books like this one available, I'd be changing my tune. (And I'm greatly encouraged by the words "Book One" on the cover.)

The author presents an intriguing set of characters, especially the heroine, Ciara, and puts them through one cliff-hanging crisis after another. The difference is that most of them aren't telegraphed in advance, and that's the technique which makes great books great. I thoroughly enjoyed the ...more

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Mar 21, 2013 Devin O'Branagan rated it it was amazing

For over twenty years I have written novels about The Goddess, and it never occurred to me to create a protagonist who was mad at Her. That fresh concept sucked me right in and kept me reading. This well-written fantasy adventure had me guessing every step of the way. I was intrigued by the heroine's internal struggle between the forces of good and evil. However, my favorite character was actually the son of The Goddess (won't give up names here so as not to reveal spoilers). This was another fr ...more

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Feb 27, 2013 Viv Ross rated it it was amazing

first off, I won my copy of this book via a giveaway hosted by Goodreads.

This is one of those infuriatingly addicting novels that sweeps you up into it's ever-changing current and leaves you begging for the rest when it comes to its temporary end. Now, if you're wanting something super deep then maybe this wouldn't be a first choice read for you. But, if you only want a quick escape into a different world that doesn't REQUIRE a whole lotta thought to follow a storyline (which can end up giving y ...more

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Apr 21, 2013 Emily Wrayburn rated it it was amazing

Shelves: fiction, mission101-2012-2015, ebook, indie-authors

Once I got properly into this book, I couldn't put it down! I struggle with fantasy novels where there is dense world-building and page after page of description, but Schwengel gives just enough information for the reader to know what's going on, and then leaves the rest to our imaginations. The main character, Ciara, is not a butt-kicking babe, but has her own quiet strength as she tries to deal with the events of the story as best she can, which is honestly what I prefer in a heroine. Bolin is ...more

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Mar 14, 2014 Alison rated it really liked it

Right from the beginning this magical tale sucked me in. There were times where Ciara, the headstrong young woman who wields a power greater than she can even begin to imagine, was so stubborn and naïve that I wanted to yell at her. But her strength was balanced by another caught up in protecting her and coveted by even darker forces. It is an interesting story, one that I devoured quickly and I can't wait to see what happens in the next book. ...more

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Feb 04, 2014 Fallon Brown rated it it was amazing

Where to start? I loved this book. It sucked me right into the world. And I really loved Bolin. I found myself crying a few times, "what are you doing to him now?" and "stop hurting Bolin." I usually highlight quotes, but I was too involved in the story to even do that. It had me on the edge of my seat, my stomach and heart twisted into knots by the end. It may have been a little extreme to highlight the whole thing. I can't wait to read the next book. ...more

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Dec 25, 2015 Patricia rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Outstanding

This book was well written and thought out. I fell in love with the two main characters immediately. The twist and turns of the storyline had me flipping pages all day. I can't wait to read the next. I am still not quite sure what type of mythical creature Bolin or Donavan are it is VERY apparent that where Ciara is concerned she's BOTH. GOOD verses Evil. ...more

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Feb 07, 2016 Hafiza added it · review of another edition

Shelves: kindle-unlimited, did-not-finish

TSTL heroine, could not make it past how annoying she was

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Feb 12, 2013 Nicole Julke rated it liked it

The writing was wonderful. Having a good story-line, the ending was sligtly confusing. A good book for young adults

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Writers and Readers : Silk Screen Views: Author Interview K.L. Schwengel + Evil Villain Contest 4/30-5/4	1	3	Apr 30, 2013 07:09PM
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About K.L. Schwengel

K.L. Schwengel

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The youngest of nine children growing up in a small town in Wisconsin, I spent a lot of time hiding out with my dog to avoid doing chores. I also spent a lot of time hiding out with my dog and letting my imagination run wild.

Fast forward several decades (or more), and I still prefer to hide out with my dogs and let my imagination run wild.

That is frowned upon when you're an adult, but, then again ...more