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The Diamond Peak Series #1
Lethal Inheritance
A scream pierces the night. Ariel jolts awake and watches in horror as demons drag her mother into a hidden realm. She finds help and sets off on a rescue mission. But to defeat the demons, who feed on fear and seek to enslave the human race, she must learn a secret esoteric wisdom to awaken the dormant, but potentially explosive, power of her mind.
Walnut, a quirky old wise man, guides her through treacherous inner and outer landscapes, and Nick, the powerful Warrior who travels with them, proves a dangerous attraction. Can Ariel defeat the sadistic demon lord before he kills her and enslaves her mother?
The stakes are high, death a real possibility. Fail now, and she fails humanity.
AIA Seal of Excellence
Walnut, a quirky old wise man, guides her through treacherous inner and outer landscapes, and Nick, the powerful Warrior who travels with them, proves a dangerous attraction. Can Ariel defeat the sadistic demon lord before he kills her and enslaves her mother?
The stakes are high, death a real possibility. Fail now, and she fails humanity.
AIA Seal of Excellence
384 pages, ebook
First published October 8, 2012
5 people are currently reading
494 people want to read
About the author
Tahlia Newland
21 books82 followersTahlia Newland is a multi-passionate artist, author and editor. She is the author of seven magical-realism novels, plus books on writing, meditation, and recovering from spiritual abuse in Tibetan Buddhism. She works as an editor and publisher for Alkira Publishing, and in her spare time, she creates AI art or makes masks or decorates hats, which she sells as TahliasArtAndCraft on Etsy.
On her blog and social media, she writes on navigating this crazy world as a neurodivergent contemplative with a passion for nature, story and art. She animates some of her AI imagery, turns it into music videos, and posts it on her Psychemagination: Tahlia Dreaming YouTube Channel.
On her blog and social media, she writes on navigating this crazy world as a neurodivergent contemplative with a passion for nature, story and art. She animates some of her AI imagery, turns it into music videos, and posts it on her Psychemagination: Tahlia Dreaming YouTube Channel.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews
September 24, 2013
5 Stars
The demons in this book are real. They live unseen among us.
There are other planes of existence within our own world.
Without conscious effort to avoid it, we all fall prey to the Serpentine.
the lead-in to Lethal Inheritance by Tahlia Newland
The intensity of those words caused me to stop for a few moments of reflection.
I know about demons and their existence in this world. I have fought with a few, and I realize there are always more battles on the horizon. I also know demons aren't unseen. I read about them in the news. I constantly catch glimpses of them in the way people treat each other. I try to ignore all of that, but it doesn't always work. Does that mean I am falling prey to the Serpentine, whatever that is?
Then, it dawned on me that Tahlia Newland was a pro at setting up a story with some seriously thought-provoking foreshadowing.
I scrolled to Chapter One and entered the lives of 17-year-old Ariel, Nadima (her mother), and a host of other true-to-life characters. The first few moments of the story moved quietly and covered the routine world of a teenager who needed to get schoolwork done but was just tired of it. As she sat at the table procrastinating, she sensed strange going-ons in the street beyond her window but wrote those feelings off to stress and work-overload. She ignored the nagging fear she felt. After all, there had never been anything in her short life to predict the events about to happen ... By the end of the first chapter, Nadima had been kidnapped by a strange force that moved with no logical explanation, and Ariel was caught in a no-win situation.
What can I say except there was no way I could put down this book. I followed Ariel through discoveries about her father, who had died when Ariel was very young. I was right there when she learned the secrets of her own background. I felt her shock when she started learning about her mother's role in all that was happening. I felt the danger of the Serpentine (a snake-like energy parasite) as it fed on the destructive emotions of people and encouraged negativity throughout the human race. I had a sense of being inside Ariel's thoughts as she struggled with her family secrets, her new-found powers, the rights and wrongs of her actions and feelings, and the new people in her life (including Nick, a young man who not only has the potential of being a love interest but also shares her destiny... and is a bit jealous of the attention their mentor, an interesting character named Walnut, gives her).
I was definitely living inside the story as the words carried me from one moment to the next. What an adventure! Lessons were taught and, sometimes, absorbed. Dangers challenged nearly every movement. Battles were fought. There were victories. There were failures.
The author, Tahlia Newland, certainly has a gift when it comes to creating characters and putting a story together. Her ability to place the action of the plot in a fantasy domain while maintaining a strong connection to the realities of this world is an example of her talent. The link she establishes and uses to travel between the two planes gives the story authenticity and power.
Thank goodness, the book is the first in the Diamond Peak series. There is no way I am ready to say goodbye to Ariel and her exploits.
AIA Reviewer
The demons in this book are real. They live unseen among us.
There are other planes of existence within our own world.
Without conscious effort to avoid it, we all fall prey to the Serpentine.
the lead-in to Lethal Inheritance by Tahlia Newland
The intensity of those words caused me to stop for a few moments of reflection.
I know about demons and their existence in this world. I have fought with a few, and I realize there are always more battles on the horizon. I also know demons aren't unseen. I read about them in the news. I constantly catch glimpses of them in the way people treat each other. I try to ignore all of that, but it doesn't always work. Does that mean I am falling prey to the Serpentine, whatever that is?
Then, it dawned on me that Tahlia Newland was a pro at setting up a story with some seriously thought-provoking foreshadowing.
I scrolled to Chapter One and entered the lives of 17-year-old Ariel, Nadima (her mother), and a host of other true-to-life characters. The first few moments of the story moved quietly and covered the routine world of a teenager who needed to get schoolwork done but was just tired of it. As she sat at the table procrastinating, she sensed strange going-ons in the street beyond her window but wrote those feelings off to stress and work-overload. She ignored the nagging fear she felt. After all, there had never been anything in her short life to predict the events about to happen ... By the end of the first chapter, Nadima had been kidnapped by a strange force that moved with no logical explanation, and Ariel was caught in a no-win situation.
What can I say except there was no way I could put down this book. I followed Ariel through discoveries about her father, who had died when Ariel was very young. I was right there when she learned the secrets of her own background. I felt her shock when she started learning about her mother's role in all that was happening. I felt the danger of the Serpentine (a snake-like energy parasite) as it fed on the destructive emotions of people and encouraged negativity throughout the human race. I had a sense of being inside Ariel's thoughts as she struggled with her family secrets, her new-found powers, the rights and wrongs of her actions and feelings, and the new people in her life (including Nick, a young man who not only has the potential of being a love interest but also shares her destiny... and is a bit jealous of the attention their mentor, an interesting character named Walnut, gives her).
I was definitely living inside the story as the words carried me from one moment to the next. What an adventure! Lessons were taught and, sometimes, absorbed. Dangers challenged nearly every movement. Battles were fought. There were victories. There were failures.
The author, Tahlia Newland, certainly has a gift when it comes to creating characters and putting a story together. Her ability to place the action of the plot in a fantasy domain while maintaining a strong connection to the realities of this world is an example of her talent. The link she establishes and uses to travel between the two planes gives the story authenticity and power.
Thank goodness, the book is the first in the Diamond Peak series. There is no way I am ready to say goodbye to Ariel and her exploits.
AIA Reviewer
November 1, 2012
Ariel’s battle with boredom and a sense of disconnect from her everyday life comes to an abrupt and terrifying halt one night when her mother, Nadima, is kidnapped by two horrifying creatures whose existence ought to be impossible, but isn’t: demons with an apparent malevolent agenda, who seem to have targeted Ariel’s mother for a reason. Set on a frightening journey to find and rescue her mum, Ariel soon learns there’s another world hidden behind the visible one, where the fight for the human spirit is waged by those who are strong enough and brave enough to face the challenge to see and to discover the true meaning and purpose in their lives.
In this exciting allegorical YA urban fantasy/magical realism novel, author Tahlia Newland weaves philosophical questions about perception, fear, compassion and love into a fast-paced fantasy adventure that is a highly entertaining and metaphysically fascinating tale for readers of all ages. Much as she did in You Can't Shatter Me, her exceptional novella about bullying, author Newland exhibits great skill in allegorical storytelling, creating a seamless blend of the tale’s deeper philosophical considerations and the fantasy adventure and magical realism main story arc, so that the former never comes across as a message added to the story, but is simply an organic part of it. As such, it is, first and foremost, an enjoyable fantasy adventure quest, but one that also offers more for the reader interested in delving beneath the surface. For me, this made Lethal Inheritance an even more fascinating read because, while I enjoyed it for all the traditional reasons – strong writing, realistic character development, smooth plot pacing, creative world-building – as someone with a background in Catholic theology and some education in Comparative Religions, I also appreciated the subtle insight into Tibetan Buddhism as Ariel began her journey on the path to enlightenment in this first book of the Diamond Peak series. Her experience with the Serpentine and her battles against the Emot demons brought to mind concepts, familiar to Judeo-Christian readers, of mastering the negative passions like fear and anger and the idea of sin or evil being “passed down” or strengthened and spread to consecutive generations, and I could easily find similarities between the Buddhist view of the soul and my own Thomistic understanding of the same.
A well-written, yet also easy-to-read, fantasy that I believe will be appealing to YA and adult readers alike, I highly recommend this novel to fantasy readers of any worldview who enjoy an epic adventure with real world symbolism and depth. I was fortunate to have been able to read an advance copy of the story as its copyeditor and I eagerly look forward to the next book in the series.
In this exciting allegorical YA urban fantasy/magical realism novel, author Tahlia Newland weaves philosophical questions about perception, fear, compassion and love into a fast-paced fantasy adventure that is a highly entertaining and metaphysically fascinating tale for readers of all ages. Much as she did in You Can't Shatter Me, her exceptional novella about bullying, author Newland exhibits great skill in allegorical storytelling, creating a seamless blend of the tale’s deeper philosophical considerations and the fantasy adventure and magical realism main story arc, so that the former never comes across as a message added to the story, but is simply an organic part of it. As such, it is, first and foremost, an enjoyable fantasy adventure quest, but one that also offers more for the reader interested in delving beneath the surface. For me, this made Lethal Inheritance an even more fascinating read because, while I enjoyed it for all the traditional reasons – strong writing, realistic character development, smooth plot pacing, creative world-building – as someone with a background in Catholic theology and some education in Comparative Religions, I also appreciated the subtle insight into Tibetan Buddhism as Ariel began her journey on the path to enlightenment in this first book of the Diamond Peak series. Her experience with the Serpentine and her battles against the Emot demons brought to mind concepts, familiar to Judeo-Christian readers, of mastering the negative passions like fear and anger and the idea of sin or evil being “passed down” or strengthened and spread to consecutive generations, and I could easily find similarities between the Buddhist view of the soul and my own Thomistic understanding of the same.
A well-written, yet also easy-to-read, fantasy that I believe will be appealing to YA and adult readers alike, I highly recommend this novel to fantasy readers of any worldview who enjoy an epic adventure with real world symbolism and depth. I was fortunate to have been able to read an advance copy of the story as its copyeditor and I eagerly look forward to the next book in the series.
December 19, 2012
Lethal Inheritance has some of the best writing that I have seen in a long time. Tahlia Newland makes everything and everyone come alive. It was like I was reading the book with 3D glasses on; everything was so vivid. If you like fantasy books at all, you HAVE to read Lethal Inheritance.
You know what I found awesome, right off the bat with Lethal Inheritance? On the first page of the kindle edition I had there was a summary of the book. I know that may seem like a simple, little thing, but I think it is brilliant! You can't just flip your kindle over to read the summary of a book, and when you read a book that you got months ago, sometimes you can't remember the whole summary. I think more publishers and authors need to start including the summary at the start of their ebooks.
Lethal Inheritance is such an intriguing concept. Demons that feed on fear. (and anger, and jealously, etc.) Now I don't know about you, but if I see a huge scary demon chasing after me, the first thing I would be feeling is fear. I am so impressed with the main character, Ariel. She is so full of different emotions, which makes her quest so much harder but she didn't give up. She has to travel up all of these insanely hard and scary paths up a mountain where it seems the whole world is out to get her. I was surprised at the immediate connection that I felt with Ariel, but I soon realized it was Tahlia's incredible writing that sucked me in.
And then there was Nick. He is so hard to describe. I loved him, because of his complexities and because of his flaws. He starts out as kind of an enigma, and then there is that strange energy connection that he has with Ariel. But as the story progresses, Nick opens up a little more and more and it kind of just made me like him more. I just want him to love himself. And a little more of the book from his point of view would make me a very happy girl too.
Lethal Inheritance has it all- rich, detailed world building, insanely realistic characters, and a kick ass fantasy plot. Tahlia has a gift for writing. Her writing style is so clear and descriptive, and her pacing is impeccable. I want to read the second book right away. This series has "favorite" written all over it for me! It is not a book you want to speed through, you want to savor and enjoy every page of Lethal Inheritance. I could take or leave the cover, but don't let that stop you from reading this awesome book!
You know what I found awesome, right off the bat with Lethal Inheritance? On the first page of the kindle edition I had there was a summary of the book. I know that may seem like a simple, little thing, but I think it is brilliant! You can't just flip your kindle over to read the summary of a book, and when you read a book that you got months ago, sometimes you can't remember the whole summary. I think more publishers and authors need to start including the summary at the start of their ebooks.
Lethal Inheritance is such an intriguing concept. Demons that feed on fear. (and anger, and jealously, etc.) Now I don't know about you, but if I see a huge scary demon chasing after me, the first thing I would be feeling is fear. I am so impressed with the main character, Ariel. She is so full of different emotions, which makes her quest so much harder but she didn't give up. She has to travel up all of these insanely hard and scary paths up a mountain where it seems the whole world is out to get her. I was surprised at the immediate connection that I felt with Ariel, but I soon realized it was Tahlia's incredible writing that sucked me in.
And then there was Nick. He is so hard to describe. I loved him, because of his complexities and because of his flaws. He starts out as kind of an enigma, and then there is that strange energy connection that he has with Ariel. But as the story progresses, Nick opens up a little more and more and it kind of just made me like him more. I just want him to love himself. And a little more of the book from his point of view would make me a very happy girl too.
Lethal Inheritance has it all- rich, detailed world building, insanely realistic characters, and a kick ass fantasy plot. Tahlia has a gift for writing. Her writing style is so clear and descriptive, and her pacing is impeccable. I want to read the second book right away. This series has "favorite" written all over it for me! It is not a book you want to speed through, you want to savor and enjoy every page of Lethal Inheritance. I could take or leave the cover, but don't let that stop you from reading this awesome book!
December 3, 2012
Tahlia Newland has managed to WOW me once again with a story that takes magical realism, fantasy, and everyday problems that teenagers struggle with, and combines them into a story that will whisk you away from reality while at the same time teach you lessons in ways that are enjoyable.
Lethal Inheritance is about a teenager named Ariel, whose life is turned upside down in the blink of an eye, or rather, a scream from her mother. Cast in to a world that she did not even know existed, Ariel watched her mother get kidnapped by strange, scary creatures. Running when her mother screamed for her to, Ariel manages to get away. Met the next morning by a strange woman with an even stranger explanation of what happened and who exactly Ariel is, Ariel goes on a journey to find her mother, to a land that is practically right in her backyard, and yet, she never knew it even existed. Armed only with a beautiful dagger that she does not even know how to use, and a few supplies, Ariel sets off on a path that will take her through experiences that she never thought possible. With a guide named Walnut, and hottie named Nick, Ariel sets off to destroy the demons that took her mother, and get rid of the Serpentine (the evil inside of us), once and for all.
I have to say that this is an absolutely wonderful story for teens and adults alike. Beautifully written and full of fantasy and adventure, I found myself wanting more as soon as the last page was over. I highly recommend this book to everyone. It would make a fantastic gift to that teen in your life who is struggling with the normal issues that teenagers do. It takes the world and makes it understandable and enjoyable, and you realize that everyone doubts theirselves and this book gives you a great understanding of how to take those doubts and rid yourself of them. I give this book 5 stars and if I could, I would give it more
Lethal Inheritance is about a teenager named Ariel, whose life is turned upside down in the blink of an eye, or rather, a scream from her mother. Cast in to a world that she did not even know existed, Ariel watched her mother get kidnapped by strange, scary creatures. Running when her mother screamed for her to, Ariel manages to get away. Met the next morning by a strange woman with an even stranger explanation of what happened and who exactly Ariel is, Ariel goes on a journey to find her mother, to a land that is practically right in her backyard, and yet, she never knew it even existed. Armed only with a beautiful dagger that she does not even know how to use, and a few supplies, Ariel sets off on a path that will take her through experiences that she never thought possible. With a guide named Walnut, and hottie named Nick, Ariel sets off to destroy the demons that took her mother, and get rid of the Serpentine (the evil inside of us), once and for all.
I have to say that this is an absolutely wonderful story for teens and adults alike. Beautifully written and full of fantasy and adventure, I found myself wanting more as soon as the last page was over. I highly recommend this book to everyone. It would make a fantastic gift to that teen in your life who is struggling with the normal issues that teenagers do. It takes the world and makes it understandable and enjoyable, and you realize that everyone doubts theirselves and this book gives you a great understanding of how to take those doubts and rid yourself of them. I give this book 5 stars and if I could, I would give it more
December 14, 2012
This story has a fun and quirky ensemble of characters that I think everybody will enjoy. There is a lot of traveling and adventure in a fantasy world full of dangers and humor.
When Ariel travels to a different world to try to save her mother from kidnappers. She must learn to fight and wield a weapon in a very short period of time. Luckily there is Nick who comes her way and helps her. Nick not only teaches her how to fight, he is her guide to this magical and imaginative world that was beyond her wildest dreams.
Warrior Nick is not the only one that is helping to teach her how to battle the evil demons that took her mother, but she also encounters numerous other characters along the way that are there to test her and help her build the strength she needs.
I would definitely recommend this book to readers of high fantasy and adventure. I fell in love with the world building and the variation of characters/creatures and magical landscape that we meet (or shall I say travel through) along the way.
With all of the high fantasy novels that are coming out today with strong female lead characters. This has to be one of the most unique settings I have read. Amazingly fun and entertaining with a very strong-willed, determined main character every reader will root for.
When Ariel travels to a different world to try to save her mother from kidnappers. She must learn to fight and wield a weapon in a very short period of time. Luckily there is Nick who comes her way and helps her. Nick not only teaches her how to fight, he is her guide to this magical and imaginative world that was beyond her wildest dreams.
Warrior Nick is not the only one that is helping to teach her how to battle the evil demons that took her mother, but she also encounters numerous other characters along the way that are there to test her and help her build the strength she needs.
I would definitely recommend this book to readers of high fantasy and adventure. I fell in love with the world building and the variation of characters/creatures and magical landscape that we meet (or shall I say travel through) along the way.
With all of the high fantasy novels that are coming out today with strong female lead characters. This has to be one of the most unique settings I have read. Amazingly fun and entertaining with a very strong-willed, determined main character every reader will root for.
September 10, 2013
This book seriously wowed me, and I've read LOTS of fantasy. It's about this girl, Ariel, whose mother is kidnapped by demons. She is then thrust into a role she never held before - that of a demon slayer, complete with a special sword. She begins her journey to the top of the mountain, where she must kill the Master demon Rasama to free her mother. She also learns magic along the way.
Her love for her mother touched me. No matter what happened, or how hopeless it seemed, she never gave up fighting for her mom.
So many obstacles! I love stories that make things tough on the characters, and this one is no exception. There are also two other characters: Walnut, Ariel's lovable guide, and Nick, her companion (I think there's a love match there). Both Nick and Walnut help her on her journey and at times, save her.
The magic system is really unique - people have Radiance that comes from good thoughts, and Serpentine which comes from negative thoughts. Ariel learns that she can summon Radiance and send it down her sword to kill demons. The Serpentine is kind of like a sticky fog that clings to people and regenerates. I've never seen that before.
This is the first book of a series, so there's more to come. I can't wait.
Her love for her mother touched me. No matter what happened, or how hopeless it seemed, she never gave up fighting for her mom.
So many obstacles! I love stories that make things tough on the characters, and this one is no exception. There are also two other characters: Walnut, Ariel's lovable guide, and Nick, her companion (I think there's a love match there). Both Nick and Walnut help her on her journey and at times, save her.
The magic system is really unique - people have Radiance that comes from good thoughts, and Serpentine which comes from negative thoughts. Ariel learns that she can summon Radiance and send it down her sword to kill demons. The Serpentine is kind of like a sticky fog that clings to people and regenerates. I've never seen that before.
This is the first book of a series, so there's more to come. I can't wait.
June 23, 2016
I received a free digital copy from the author/publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest feedback.
Ugh, I don't know why I found this book so hard to read. On paper, it should be good, it's about a young girl with a destiny trying to save her mother from a pack of hungry demons and a quest through a strange and wonderful world. Why didn't I love it?
I think my problem was this book was just too much for me. It was trying to be serious and funny and eccentric and young adult and romantic all at the same time and I just couldn't deal. Parts of the fantasy world, attached to the real world, reminded me of the Discworld seen in Terry Pratchett's books. However, I feel like Pratchett was the only person who could get away with such a mix of weird and wonderful. In this book, it felt like it was trying too hard and I just felt tired and breathless. There didn't seem to be much breathing space between obstacles. They defeated one monster, and another appeared right around the corner. I just couldn't enjoy the book, and was relieved when I finally finished it.
Ugh, I don't know why I found this book so hard to read. On paper, it should be good, it's about a young girl with a destiny trying to save her mother from a pack of hungry demons and a quest through a strange and wonderful world. Why didn't I love it?
I think my problem was this book was just too much for me. It was trying to be serious and funny and eccentric and young adult and romantic all at the same time and I just couldn't deal. Parts of the fantasy world, attached to the real world, reminded me of the Discworld seen in Terry Pratchett's books. However, I feel like Pratchett was the only person who could get away with such a mix of weird and wonderful. In this book, it felt like it was trying too hard and I just felt tired and breathless. There didn't seem to be much breathing space between obstacles. They defeated one monster, and another appeared right around the corner. I just couldn't enjoy the book, and was relieved when I finally finished it.
April 19, 2018
An enjoyable, compelling read with a touch of romance.
I really like the concept of the Serpentine, Rasas, and demons in this book, and how the characters' emotions present in visible forms. The concept is very easy to relate to and remind us about 'the Serpentine' inside us. This book also has unique characters that remind us of the obstacles/helps that we find in life.
However, I felt that the book is too fast to follow and some parts are missing from the storyline that made it quite a struggle for me to read.
With some more details to the world building and characters relationship building, this book could be a much more enjoyable read.
I voluntarily read and review a free copy of this book provided by the author.
I really like the concept of the Serpentine, Rasas, and demons in this book, and how the characters' emotions present in visible forms. The concept is very easy to relate to and remind us about 'the Serpentine' inside us. This book also has unique characters that remind us of the obstacles/helps that we find in life.
However, I felt that the book is too fast to follow and some parts are missing from the storyline that made it quite a struggle for me to read.
With some more details to the world building and characters relationship building, this book could be a much more enjoyable read.
I voluntarily read and review a free copy of this book provided by the author.
October 25, 2013
Lethal Inheritance is many things…
It's the first novel in The Diamond Peak series.
It’s exciting and uplifting, thrilling and thoroughly positive, and it shows huge challenges and how to overcome them. It made me giggly and silly and generally happy.
But it’s also soul-crushingly dark and creepy in parts. Those parts left me feeling a little gutted, a little hollow inside and filled with a desire to expel the darkness. Perhaps it was my Serpentine rising up to overcome my inner Radiance or perhaps I had a Gimp climbing up my legs?
We start with Ariel, she's a regular 17-year-old girl. She's concerned about school and exams and her friends, boyfriends and fitting in. She's pretty much what everyone would expect of a normal teenage girl.
Her mother, Nadima, is a little different. She raises orphan baby wombats!
Spud instantly made me squee!! I think people around me thought I'd choked on some food, but really, I was just instantly drawn into the lives of these two women. I loved that they cared for this beautiful animal. It drew a strong connection with me and considering it was a tiny piece of information in a large and complex story, it still stuck with me throughout the whole story.
Tahlia doesn't beat around in the bush, the action happens quickly. This is a good thing. It brought me instantly into the middle of turmoil, horror and whirl-wind emotion. It also raised a lot of questions.
Foremost in my mind was what the hell is happening?!
Thankfully, things are explained in a rational and timely manner, Ariel is exposed to the same information as the reader. This is a great way to get the reader to bond with the protagonist. I mirrored the confusion and disbelief that Ariel went through.
We follow Ariel on a journey into a world she had never known existed. She's making this trip to save her mother from the Demons that kidnapped her. Why they took her, we don't really know, but the horrific ideas that Ariel creates in her mind of what could be happening to her mother are a very forceful motivator. I wanted to jump into the pages and save her mother from them myself.
When Ariel meets her cast of supporting characters, Nick and Walnut things become a little more interesting.
I adored Walnut. He pushes Ariel, comforts her and offers his many years of wisdom. I didn't really get a strong visual of what he looks like. I was thinking something like this:
but I'm not sure why I don't have a strong idea of how he looks, perhaps to me, it didn't really matter. It was more his wisdom and advice that mattered to the story.
The magical side of things was a little bit out of my depth. When inner radiance was mentioned, this is how I imagined it:
As the story progressed, I knew that was wrong. Tahlia explained the magical aspects of the story in great detail. I liked this, because it gave me an opportunity to understand exactly what she was trying to show me.
I liked too, how things just didn't fall into Ariel's lap. She had work for things, she had to experience failures before she succeeded and it made everything seem more realistic because of it. I especially liked the sword fighting.
There were a few things that were a little obvious and a little cliche. The Nick/Ariel relationship had kind of been done before, and I picked up on a lot of the twists and turns of their relationship well in advance. This was only a minor issue I had, it really didn't detract from the story, but I would have liked to see something else a little more original when it came to the two of them.
Ultimately, I plan to continue this series (of which there are four novels and one prequel), it held my attention, it is extremely well written and an enjoyable story of adventure, self exploration, magic and general mayhem.
**Note: I was provided with an electronic version of this story in return for an honest review**
It's the first novel in The Diamond Peak series.
It’s exciting and uplifting, thrilling and thoroughly positive, and it shows huge challenges and how to overcome them. It made me giggly and silly and generally happy.
But it’s also soul-crushingly dark and creepy in parts. Those parts left me feeling a little gutted, a little hollow inside and filled with a desire to expel the darkness. Perhaps it was my Serpentine rising up to overcome my inner Radiance or perhaps I had a Gimp climbing up my legs?
We start with Ariel, she's a regular 17-year-old girl. She's concerned about school and exams and her friends, boyfriends and fitting in. She's pretty much what everyone would expect of a normal teenage girl.
Her mother, Nadima, is a little different. She raises orphan baby wombats!
Spud instantly made me squee!! I think people around me thought I'd choked on some food, but really, I was just instantly drawn into the lives of these two women. I loved that they cared for this beautiful animal. It drew a strong connection with me and considering it was a tiny piece of information in a large and complex story, it still stuck with me throughout the whole story.
Tahlia doesn't beat around in the bush, the action happens quickly. This is a good thing. It brought me instantly into the middle of turmoil, horror and whirl-wind emotion. It also raised a lot of questions.
Foremost in my mind was what the hell is happening?!
Thankfully, things are explained in a rational and timely manner, Ariel is exposed to the same information as the reader. This is a great way to get the reader to bond with the protagonist. I mirrored the confusion and disbelief that Ariel went through.
We follow Ariel on a journey into a world she had never known existed. She's making this trip to save her mother from the Demons that kidnapped her. Why they took her, we don't really know, but the horrific ideas that Ariel creates in her mind of what could be happening to her mother are a very forceful motivator. I wanted to jump into the pages and save her mother from them myself.
When Ariel meets her cast of supporting characters, Nick and Walnut things become a little more interesting.
I adored Walnut. He pushes Ariel, comforts her and offers his many years of wisdom. I didn't really get a strong visual of what he looks like. I was thinking something like this:
but I'm not sure why I don't have a strong idea of how he looks, perhaps to me, it didn't really matter. It was more his wisdom and advice that mattered to the story. The magical side of things was a little bit out of my depth. When inner radiance was mentioned, this is how I imagined it:
As the story progressed, I knew that was wrong. Tahlia explained the magical aspects of the story in great detail. I liked this, because it gave me an opportunity to understand exactly what she was trying to show me.
I liked too, how things just didn't fall into Ariel's lap. She had work for things, she had to experience failures before she succeeded and it made everything seem more realistic because of it. I especially liked the sword fighting.
There were a few things that were a little obvious and a little cliche. The Nick/Ariel relationship had kind of been done before, and I picked up on a lot of the twists and turns of their relationship well in advance. This was only a minor issue I had, it really didn't detract from the story, but I would have liked to see something else a little more original when it came to the two of them.
Ultimately, I plan to continue this series (of which there are four novels and one prequel), it held my attention, it is extremely well written and an enjoyable story of adventure, self exploration, magic and general mayhem.
**Note: I was provided with an electronic version of this story in return for an honest review**
December 11, 2013
LETHAL INHERITANCE is the first in the YA fantasy Diamond peak series. I don’t know if author Tahlia Newland had a particular peak in her mind as she wrote this series – but I spent the whole book with Mt Cook in my mind. I hasten to add that Mt Cook doesn’t have demons living in it, whispering reeds, shifting stones and a group of different zones to lure you in and make you forget the real world. At least I hope it doesn’t.
Ariel and her mother Nadima live alone, her father died when she was small. Life seemed pretty normal for the teen, going to school, gossiping with friends and avoiding doing her homework. But that all changes one night when Ariel wakes up to hear her mother screaming for Ariel to hide and Ariel sees her being dragged away by a huge monster. The monster comes after Ariel but a bright light flashes out and when Ariel wakes up she is in her bed. It hasn’t been a bad dream though, an old woman named Maya is there and tells Ariel she has to go on a quest to discover her hidden powers so she can free her mother and kill the top Demon in order to save the world. Ariel meets her guide, Walnut, and his young assistant, Nick, and they train her as she climbs up Diamond peak to rescue her mother and hopefully save the world.
Tahlia Newland has built a wonderful literary world for her characters to explore, a blend of reality and fantasy. I loved the idea of an alternate world that is all around us that we can’t see – one full of demons that send out a snake like weed that covers us whenever we do unkind things. The demons feed off anger, negativity, sadness and hunger and the more we get covered in the weed the less human we become. It is one explanation for the inexplicable cruelty that humans can sometimes carry out. The only way for humans to escape is to have the demon that infected them killed; that is where Ariel and her new found supporters come in; they are demon killers; and it would appear that Ariel has the capability to be one of the best if only she can find the confidence to listen to her trainers and look deep inside her for the power she has.
I really liked Ariel as a character, her moods are all over the place which is situation normal for a female teen; she sulked, she was grumpy, she worried, she was absolutely terrified at times, but she dug her toes in and listened to advice (occasionally) and gradually it all started to come together. Most of the story is related by Ariel, but occasionally the point of view switched to Nick – who is a character of significant interest. Nick is further up the experience chain that Ariel but he still has problems to overcome, secret from the past to reveal, and growth to happen. I like it when a character shows signs of growing and even though the expectations are that Ariel is going to be one powerful young lady she is not there yet by a long shot. Tahlia Newland has not pushed the growth to an unbelievable level but paced it, there is a lot more to come and I am guessing that the final battle will not be until the last book in the series. There is adventure, humour, danger and friendship – there is good versus evil and I really enjoyed reading LETHAL INHERITANCE.
Ariel and her mother Nadima live alone, her father died when she was small. Life seemed pretty normal for the teen, going to school, gossiping with friends and avoiding doing her homework. But that all changes one night when Ariel wakes up to hear her mother screaming for Ariel to hide and Ariel sees her being dragged away by a huge monster. The monster comes after Ariel but a bright light flashes out and when Ariel wakes up she is in her bed. It hasn’t been a bad dream though, an old woman named Maya is there and tells Ariel she has to go on a quest to discover her hidden powers so she can free her mother and kill the top Demon in order to save the world. Ariel meets her guide, Walnut, and his young assistant, Nick, and they train her as she climbs up Diamond peak to rescue her mother and hopefully save the world.
Tahlia Newland has built a wonderful literary world for her characters to explore, a blend of reality and fantasy. I loved the idea of an alternate world that is all around us that we can’t see – one full of demons that send out a snake like weed that covers us whenever we do unkind things. The demons feed off anger, negativity, sadness and hunger and the more we get covered in the weed the less human we become. It is one explanation for the inexplicable cruelty that humans can sometimes carry out. The only way for humans to escape is to have the demon that infected them killed; that is where Ariel and her new found supporters come in; they are demon killers; and it would appear that Ariel has the capability to be one of the best if only she can find the confidence to listen to her trainers and look deep inside her for the power she has.
I really liked Ariel as a character, her moods are all over the place which is situation normal for a female teen; she sulked, she was grumpy, she worried, she was absolutely terrified at times, but she dug her toes in and listened to advice (occasionally) and gradually it all started to come together. Most of the story is related by Ariel, but occasionally the point of view switched to Nick – who is a character of significant interest. Nick is further up the experience chain that Ariel but he still has problems to overcome, secret from the past to reveal, and growth to happen. I like it when a character shows signs of growing and even though the expectations are that Ariel is going to be one powerful young lady she is not there yet by a long shot. Tahlia Newland has not pushed the growth to an unbelievable level but paced it, there is a lot more to come and I am guessing that the final battle will not be until the last book in the series. There is adventure, humour, danger and friendship – there is good versus evil and I really enjoyed reading LETHAL INHERITANCE.
September 25, 2013
The story commences when the teenage heroine of Tahlia Newland's "Lethal Inheritance", Arial, is hurtled into a new life, discovering that she has a unique inheritance when her mother is kidnapped by demons. To rescue her mother, Arial must venture from her apparently safe, suburban world into a hidden realm.
"Lethal Inheritance" is a fantasy novel, the first in a series called "Diamond Peak". I purchased and read this novel to dip into the booming field of fantasy. Previously, my fantasy reading was only LOTR and Phillip Pulman. I'm otherwise a lapsed science-fiction fan.
The author classifies her "Diamond Peak" series as metaphysical fantasy: "the characters’ experiences, though cloaked in fantasy, are the journey we all take through life whether we know it or not." This set me, in my possibly somewhat nerdy way, watching for metaphors: of course, there is a mountain to climb; the demons that must be defeated feed on fear and negative emotions and can only be defeated by managing these emotions. (At one point, the demons are described as being more like weeds than truly autonomous, sentient creatures, though their malevolence as depicted does seem to me to give them more agency than this. There is a detailed "natural history" of the Hidden Realm to work out if you're that sort of person.)
For me, the most arresting images were those of a man drowning in mud while denying that it was happening, the "Lures" and finally a path of shifting stones. The Lures are simulacrums of aspects of the real world: beach resorts, shopping centres, fairgrounds etc, where, “If you start believing everything’s real, you might want to stay, and once the Lures become your reality, you can’t see the way out.” The shifting stones tilt and twist and attempt to tip walkers off. The only way to survive is to put your feet "according to how things are now, not how they were a moment ago or how you think they will be."
This is interesting, however I'm of course not suggesting that "Lethal Inheritance", and its followers in the series, should be read the way I did it: somewhat self-consciously on the watch-out for metaphorical allusions - because I happened to read what the author said about it. The story's images seem good enough to be absorbed unconsciously.
"Lethal Inheritance" also has a few romantic "oo-er" moments for young girls, eg, "Fire blazed in the pit of her belly and raced through her body" and "… she glimpsed his finely muscled chest through his open necked shirt." Well, fair enough.
I suggest the novel and the series as a whole offers an alternative to the "Dr Who" assistant model: you know, where the girl always falls and twists an ankle during the chase scene ("Oooh! Aaagh! Doctor - DOCTER!") and then has to be rescued from the monsters by a bloke. The Diamond Peak series should be great for teenage girls, offering via its heroine an active, engaged role model.
"Lethal Inheritance" is a fantasy novel, the first in a series called "Diamond Peak". I purchased and read this novel to dip into the booming field of fantasy. Previously, my fantasy reading was only LOTR and Phillip Pulman. I'm otherwise a lapsed science-fiction fan.
The author classifies her "Diamond Peak" series as metaphysical fantasy: "the characters’ experiences, though cloaked in fantasy, are the journey we all take through life whether we know it or not." This set me, in my possibly somewhat nerdy way, watching for metaphors: of course, there is a mountain to climb; the demons that must be defeated feed on fear and negative emotions and can only be defeated by managing these emotions. (At one point, the demons are described as being more like weeds than truly autonomous, sentient creatures, though their malevolence as depicted does seem to me to give them more agency than this. There is a detailed "natural history" of the Hidden Realm to work out if you're that sort of person.)
For me, the most arresting images were those of a man drowning in mud while denying that it was happening, the "Lures" and finally a path of shifting stones. The Lures are simulacrums of aspects of the real world: beach resorts, shopping centres, fairgrounds etc, where, “If you start believing everything’s real, you might want to stay, and once the Lures become your reality, you can’t see the way out.” The shifting stones tilt and twist and attempt to tip walkers off. The only way to survive is to put your feet "according to how things are now, not how they were a moment ago or how you think they will be."
This is interesting, however I'm of course not suggesting that "Lethal Inheritance", and its followers in the series, should be read the way I did it: somewhat self-consciously on the watch-out for metaphorical allusions - because I happened to read what the author said about it. The story's images seem good enough to be absorbed unconsciously.
"Lethal Inheritance" also has a few romantic "oo-er" moments for young girls, eg, "Fire blazed in the pit of her belly and raced through her body" and "… she glimpsed his finely muscled chest through his open necked shirt." Well, fair enough.
I suggest the novel and the series as a whole offers an alternative to the "Dr Who" assistant model: you know, where the girl always falls and twists an ankle during the chase scene ("Oooh! Aaagh! Doctor - DOCTER!") and then has to be rescued from the monsters by a bloke. The Diamond Peak series should be great for teenage girls, offering via its heroine an active, engaged role model.
December 15, 2012
Lethal Inheritance is contemporary young adult fantasy adventure by Australian author Tahlia Newland. Seventeen year old Ariel is stunned to learn of a hidden world that exists alongside her own when her mother is abducted by demonic creatures, a world she must now enter if she is to rescue Nadima from their clutches. With only a dagger once wielded by her father and an elderly guide to lead her, Ariel must conquer her fear to defeat the Serpentine and save not only her mother, but the world for their evil.
Every chapter Of Lethal Inheritance introduces a new facet of Newland's elaborate world building as Ariel journeys through the Hidden Realm. Serially confronted by Gimps, Wraiths, witches, hallucinogenic mists, shifting stones and whispering reeds, Ariel, Walnut and Nick are challenged in their quest for Diamond Peak at every step.
Ariel is plagued with fear, self doubt and anger, the very emotions that give the demons of the Hidden Realm their strength. Forced to learn the skills needed to defend herself during her journey she struggles during any confrontation and is easily distracted by her negative emotions. While sympathetic to her limitations, I would have preferred her not to 'freeze' quite so often but to be fair Ariel does keep going despite often being overwhelmed by the threats she faces.
Walnut is both Ariel's physical and spiritual guide, a Swami like figure, who says little but teaches Ariel what she needs to know. Nick is an apprentice of sorts to Walnut, similar in age to Ariel, he still struggles with the self control he needs to master. Inevitably, the two teens develop a mutual attraction during their journey.
The spiritual lessons imparted within Newland's story are not subtle. Drawing heavily on accumulated metaphsyical philosophy relating to identity, self awareness, positivism and ethics, I found it a little heavy handed at times, however the emphasis is probably about right for Newland's intended YA audience.
I also thought I recognised influences from literary fantasy and sci-fi classics such as Alice in Wonderland, The Lord of the Rings and The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy. In some ways the structure of the story reminds me of Enid Blyton's Wishing Chair tales, albeit for a much more grown up audience, as the group travels between different lands within the Hidden Realm.
An engaging tale, Lethal Inheritance blends action, magic, humour and a touch of romance into a young adult fantasy adventure with an inspirational message. The good news for fans is that Newland plans to follow it up with a series of four novels to feature Ariel and her quest.
November 2, 2012
One dark and terrible night, Ariel's mother is dragged away from their home and abducted by horrible demons. Helpless and clueless as to what has just happened to her, Ariel hopes it's all a bad dream. In the light of morning the truth is clear. Her mother, Nadima, is gone. An old woman named Maya appears and seems to know exactly what's happening. Trusting in her council, Ariel leaves her home and embarks on a journey into a hidden land alongside our own.
Overwhelmed with unbelievable supernatural phenomena, Ariel must act on faith and find a mysterious guide who will lead her to the evil that has abducted her mother. Joining her guide, Walnut, and his intriguing young assistant, Nick, she will endeavor to train to reach the Serpentine's lair and defeat her mother's captors. Will she rescue her mother? Can she overcome these terrible obstacles and survive?
Newland weaves another fantastic tale of supernatural amazement and peril. This story was filled with symbolism and allegory. Dealing with the very real problem of evil, this is no lighthearted, meaningless read. Throughout the story I felt the keen awareness and grief over evil. Ariel is trapped by the Serpentine weed that pervades and cripples society, only to re-grow after defeat. It both feeds itself with evil, suffering, and negativity, and re-creates more of its nourishment with feeding.
Unique to any other fantasy book I've read, Ariel's weapons to defeat these horrors are focus, clarity, and spiritual power. Newland has created a unique and notable new approach to magical powers. It was very interesting comparing and contrasting my own world view with the one Newland presented. I noticed and appreciated the references to Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy! Love!
As with some of Newland's other books, I found that I wished for more description or introduction in certain scenes or with certain characters. For example, I was unable to recall any physical description of the character Tynan. (I was surprised to see this unique name used here, as I also used it in Don't Judge a Book By Its Magic. I didn't copy, I promise!) However, the lack of description didn't detract from the story in any way, and many of them were deferred to later on in the narrative.
Lethal Inheritance was a fantastic and fun read with lots of action and truly spectacular imagery. The emotional lives of the main characters were honest and tumultuous, drawing the reader into their points of view.
This book was given to me by the author for an honest review.
Overwhelmed with unbelievable supernatural phenomena, Ariel must act on faith and find a mysterious guide who will lead her to the evil that has abducted her mother. Joining her guide, Walnut, and his intriguing young assistant, Nick, she will endeavor to train to reach the Serpentine's lair and defeat her mother's captors. Will she rescue her mother? Can she overcome these terrible obstacles and survive?
Newland weaves another fantastic tale of supernatural amazement and peril. This story was filled with symbolism and allegory. Dealing with the very real problem of evil, this is no lighthearted, meaningless read. Throughout the story I felt the keen awareness and grief over evil. Ariel is trapped by the Serpentine weed that pervades and cripples society, only to re-grow after defeat. It both feeds itself with evil, suffering, and negativity, and re-creates more of its nourishment with feeding.
Unique to any other fantasy book I've read, Ariel's weapons to defeat these horrors are focus, clarity, and spiritual power. Newland has created a unique and notable new approach to magical powers. It was very interesting comparing and contrasting my own world view with the one Newland presented. I noticed and appreciated the references to Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy! Love!
As with some of Newland's other books, I found that I wished for more description or introduction in certain scenes or with certain characters. For example, I was unable to recall any physical description of the character Tynan. (I was surprised to see this unique name used here, as I also used it in Don't Judge a Book By Its Magic. I didn't copy, I promise!) However, the lack of description didn't detract from the story in any way, and many of them were deferred to later on in the narrative.
Lethal Inheritance was a fantastic and fun read with lots of action and truly spectacular imagery. The emotional lives of the main characters were honest and tumultuous, drawing the reader into their points of view.
This book was given to me by the author for an honest review.
September 2, 2013
I received Lethal Inheritance by Tahlia Newland from the author for review, and this is my honest review.
After finishing Lethal Inheritance I can honestly say that I haven’t read anything like it before, and I mean that in a very good way. In this story we meet a young girl named Ariel who witness’ her mother, Nadima being kidnapped my strange creatures in the middle of the night. Ariel doesn’t know anything other than that she needs to save her mother. So that is her mission in this book.
I really liked Ariel’s character because most of the time she had absolutely no clue what was going on or what she was going to have to do to get her mother back but she was very brave and was willing to do whatever it took. I definitely commend her on her bravery it was one of the things that made this book worth reading.
This story has no doubt A LOT of action which kept me quite entertained but I was very impressed with Newlands job of incorporating other things into the story along side the action like humor here and there, and romance too. We can’t forget about that romance! We met some other very likeable characters like Walnut (I love that name by the way, very creative!) whom is Ariel’s guide for the most part. He was a sweet old man (I think he was supposed to be an older man) and he was always there to guide Ariel when she needed it. Ariel’s other guide was Nick, now I liked Nick a lot especially him and Ariel’s relationship because it wasn’t this love at first sight thing they actually kind of hated each other in the beginning but ended up growing on each other which was cute.
Now there were a few things that annoyed me about this book as well that brought my rating down a little. Like I understand that finding her mother was crazy important but the book seemed to just drag on and on and i’m not sure if it was because I wasn’t in the mood to read it or what but it took me forever to finish it seemed like because I just couldn’t take the plot for too long of a time. The next thing is going to sound weird because I wanted it to wrap up BUT when it did come time for Ariel to save her mother it just seemed like that whole part of the book was way rushed. Like the whole search for her mother could have been shortened considerably and the fight at the end could have probably been more action packed I feel like but that could just be me.
Anyways there are a few more books in this series and even though I won't be jumping into them like a madwoman I do plan to read them sometime in the future.
After finishing Lethal Inheritance I can honestly say that I haven’t read anything like it before, and I mean that in a very good way. In this story we meet a young girl named Ariel who witness’ her mother, Nadima being kidnapped my strange creatures in the middle of the night. Ariel doesn’t know anything other than that she needs to save her mother. So that is her mission in this book.
I really liked Ariel’s character because most of the time she had absolutely no clue what was going on or what she was going to have to do to get her mother back but she was very brave and was willing to do whatever it took. I definitely commend her on her bravery it was one of the things that made this book worth reading.
This story has no doubt A LOT of action which kept me quite entertained but I was very impressed with Newlands job of incorporating other things into the story along side the action like humor here and there, and romance too. We can’t forget about that romance! We met some other very likeable characters like Walnut (I love that name by the way, very creative!) whom is Ariel’s guide for the most part. He was a sweet old man (I think he was supposed to be an older man) and he was always there to guide Ariel when she needed it. Ariel’s other guide was Nick, now I liked Nick a lot especially him and Ariel’s relationship because it wasn’t this love at first sight thing they actually kind of hated each other in the beginning but ended up growing on each other which was cute.
Now there were a few things that annoyed me about this book as well that brought my rating down a little. Like I understand that finding her mother was crazy important but the book seemed to just drag on and on and i’m not sure if it was because I wasn’t in the mood to read it or what but it took me forever to finish it seemed like because I just couldn’t take the plot for too long of a time. The next thing is going to sound weird because I wanted it to wrap up BUT when it did come time for Ariel to save her mother it just seemed like that whole part of the book was way rushed. Like the whole search for her mother could have been shortened considerably and the fight at the end could have probably been more action packed I feel like but that could just be me.
Anyways there are a few more books in this series and even though I won't be jumping into them like a madwoman I do plan to read them sometime in the future.
December 19, 2012
In a overcrowded YA fantasy genre, Lethal Inheritance is a well constructed story with plenty of ups and downs, a clever dash of humour, and a clearly defined atmosphere. Our heroine Ariel is plunged straight into her worst nightmare when her mother is abducted by demons that literally chill her soul. And what Tahlia Newland does very effectively is to show us powerfully how any teenager must feel when faced with the choice of leaving behind a familiar world and embracing something new and challenging, not to mention dangerous.
Ariel is given plenty of opportunity to test her instincts with friends and foes - her guide is particularly well drawn, as is the attractive young man who becomes her companion while wrestling with dark demons of his own - and Ms Newland has used an interesting inversion of magical realism, infusing the magical world of Diamond Peak with elements of the real world, rather than relying simply on the more traditional approach of infusing our world with magic. The chapters in The Lures are particularly effective in that sense. She has also created a complex world at Diamond Peak with layers of good and evil that are not simply that, and the 'mythology' of that world is convincingly explained throughout as ever more threatening perils emerge for Ariel to face. The underlying theme of the power of love and goodness over the dark forces of anger and greed feels a little bit more adult than YA at times, for Ms Newland writes of it with an authority that comes more from experience and wisdom of an adult point of view, and less from a sympathetic YA fictional narrator.
And therein lies the missing star in this rating: for me, the narrative style has some repeated phrases and words and some explanatory content which, for me, could have been better explored through dialogue rather than description of what Ariel is thinking. That becomes less of an issue as the book goes on - the second half is much more fluent to read, a factor affected in my opinion by the dramatic increase in action and less wondering by Ariel about this strange new world she has entered.
Nonetheless, this is a really strong story with plenty to engage a YA reader - and adult ones too - and some nice Australian touches of setting. And it will be really interesting to follow Ariel on the second stage of her quest, for her challenges have surely only just begun.
Ariel is given plenty of opportunity to test her instincts with friends and foes - her guide is particularly well drawn, as is the attractive young man who becomes her companion while wrestling with dark demons of his own - and Ms Newland has used an interesting inversion of magical realism, infusing the magical world of Diamond Peak with elements of the real world, rather than relying simply on the more traditional approach of infusing our world with magic. The chapters in The Lures are particularly effective in that sense. She has also created a complex world at Diamond Peak with layers of good and evil that are not simply that, and the 'mythology' of that world is convincingly explained throughout as ever more threatening perils emerge for Ariel to face. The underlying theme of the power of love and goodness over the dark forces of anger and greed feels a little bit more adult than YA at times, for Ms Newland writes of it with an authority that comes more from experience and wisdom of an adult point of view, and less from a sympathetic YA fictional narrator.
And therein lies the missing star in this rating: for me, the narrative style has some repeated phrases and words and some explanatory content which, for me, could have been better explored through dialogue rather than description of what Ariel is thinking. That becomes less of an issue as the book goes on - the second half is much more fluent to read, a factor affected in my opinion by the dramatic increase in action and less wondering by Ariel about this strange new world she has entered.
Nonetheless, this is a really strong story with plenty to engage a YA reader - and adult ones too - and some nice Australian touches of setting. And it will be really interesting to follow Ariel on the second stage of her quest, for her challenges have surely only just begun.
November 30, 2014
What I liked: I loved recognizing the allegories between what Ariel goes through and different religious elements that were presented, things I only recognized in the story because I had somewhat studied about the different religions in varying degrees of seriousness over the last few years, though I have to say that they weren't really in your face, it took me a while to actually catch on with them. This was executed well, with the allegories hidden behind what was happening in this fantasy realm that was hidden from others. Following Ariel as she learned about herself and the secrets her mother had kept hidden from her all these years I saw her grow and change, from stubborn and resistant because she didn't believe in herself into knowing more about what she can do and learning different lessons along the way. She doesn't give up, though sometimes it takes some prodding for her to realize she really doesn't even when she says she does. Walnut and Nick were wonderful side characters, though Nick gets his own narration parts that outweigh the other characters.
What I didn't like: Personally I didn't feel like some of the narration change was necessary, and it would have been better if narration only changed with the chapter because one moment you're reading something in someone's (likely Ariel's) POV and then suddenly you're thrust into another point of view from another character in the same chapter in the same scene. It just didn't seem necessary to do such a thing. Also, some portions were rushed when they would have worked better being drawn out a bit more than they were when presented.
Overall Review: This is a really interesting book to start a new series with some interesting concepts and ideas behind it. With Ariel learning about herself, Walnut guiding her to become the Warrior she needs to be to do what she must at Diamond Peak, and Nick who provided some humor and helped teach in some places about herself while trying to battle his own demons, this book is really engaging in most places to where you don't want to put it down!
Recommend?: I really enjoyed it, and while I do recommend it, if you decide to read it I hope you enjoy it too!
What I didn't like: Personally I didn't feel like some of the narration change was necessary, and it would have been better if narration only changed with the chapter because one moment you're reading something in someone's (likely Ariel's) POV and then suddenly you're thrust into another point of view from another character in the same chapter in the same scene. It just didn't seem necessary to do such a thing. Also, some portions were rushed when they would have worked better being drawn out a bit more than they were when presented.
Overall Review: This is a really interesting book to start a new series with some interesting concepts and ideas behind it. With Ariel learning about herself, Walnut guiding her to become the Warrior she needs to be to do what she must at Diamond Peak, and Nick who provided some humor and helped teach in some places about herself while trying to battle his own demons, this book is really engaging in most places to where you don't want to put it down!
Recommend?: I really enjoyed it, and while I do recommend it, if you decide to read it I hope you enjoy it too!
May 8, 2016
Lethal Inheritance is an action-packed metaphysical YA fantasy adventure. The action and tension in the story start quickly with the abduction of Ariel's mother by a demon, and her own narrow escape, followed by her quest to rescue her mother. She is guided by knowledgeable and likeable characters who teach her ways to learn self-control and master physical and mental techniques (hence the 'metaphysical' in my description earlier) to find and overcome the demon who kidnapped her mother, Nadima. Along the way on this journey of self-discovery, she and her companions / guides meet with various adventures and a variety of the demon's minions, leading to plenty of action, great interaction between the characters themselves, and a bit of romance. Most of the story is told from Ariel's point of view, but in other places, the point of view switches to one of her companions, Nick, and these viewpoint changes are clearly denoted.
Reading this story reminded me of two other books in particular (both very good ones): Running With The Demon by Terry Brooks, because that also has a young female protagonist hunting a demon and other similarities, and The Lord of the Rings, because of the fantasy quest and the good against evil theme. However, Lethal Inheritance has a unique blend of spirituality, philosophy and magical realism (or realistic magic) that the author has used to great effect in other books such as You Can't Shatter Me. It is these elements that make the story different and engaging to read. Most of the story is fairly well-paced, though at one point the characters allowed themselves to be diverted and delayed by the 'Lures', a series of zones of the imagination that trap unwary travellers within, and here some of the urgency of the quest was temporarily forgotten. Nevertheless, the whole book was a fun read, seamlessly layered with philosophical themes adding depth to the adventure, with engaging characters and evil antagonists, a bit of humour and romance and great action sequences.
Lethal Inheritance is the first of a series, and I look forward to reading the others.
Reading this story reminded me of two other books in particular (both very good ones): Running With The Demon by Terry Brooks, because that also has a young female protagonist hunting a demon and other similarities, and The Lord of the Rings, because of the fantasy quest and the good against evil theme. However, Lethal Inheritance has a unique blend of spirituality, philosophy and magical realism (or realistic magic) that the author has used to great effect in other books such as You Can't Shatter Me. It is these elements that make the story different and engaging to read. Most of the story is fairly well-paced, though at one point the characters allowed themselves to be diverted and delayed by the 'Lures', a series of zones of the imagination that trap unwary travellers within, and here some of the urgency of the quest was temporarily forgotten. Nevertheless, the whole book was a fun read, seamlessly layered with philosophical themes adding depth to the adventure, with engaging characters and evil antagonists, a bit of humour and romance and great action sequences.
Lethal Inheritance is the first of a series, and I look forward to reading the others.
December 10, 2012
Putting on young shoes, this is definitely a 5 star. Slopping in my comfy middle-aged slippers, this is definitely a 5 star. The writing is every bit as good as any hunk of Rowling's fantasy, and if anything the plot has more originality. I have to admit to being a bit of a long-term fan of books that can mysteriously pluck me from everyday life and plunge me into the realms of fantasy. The escape into otherness, away from this all too real existence, to weird places that night's illusions so often strive to go, is done very well in "Lethal Inheritance". If we wish we can explain everything as delusion, or the stuff of nightmare, or of chemical concoction, possibly as shadows on the edge of perception, or simply consider this fantasy as metaphor for some deep, private, spirituality. I can't be bothered to dwell for long on such particulars, preferring to just get on with enjoying a very good tale told very well. Newland effortlessly draws us out of a suburban bedroom window to follow Ariel on the quest demanded by her destiny. Mental strength is the key to success, belief in one's self, the learning to live with one's fears and succeed despite them. The Serpentine, the snaking "river" of evil, may well have flowed into Australia through a gap in understanding that separates the land of "Dreamtime" from "La Serpentine" Mountain in the distant European Alps. Certainly the story, the invention, comes from a breadth of cultural mythology as wide as the physical distances between the Earth's diverse landscapes. We all have to fight the snaking terrors that pollute life, some are fantasy and some real. Newland had my attention, possibly spellbound, held down by the demons, to the very last words, and now I have a sequel nipping at my ankle like a gimp. I don't thing anyone is ever too old and not for long too young,to enjoy this fantasy. We have romance, the swish of swords, the light of wands, the chill of fear, heroes and heroines, monsters in the dark, and always a connection to the city we know, just down the hill.
August 5, 2015
***I received the eBook free as a review copy through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review***
An interesting book, which I was fully prepared to enjoy.
This fantasy book revolves around a girl names Ariel who lives a seemingly normal life. That is, until her mom, Nadima, gets kidnapped by demons and Ariel has to set out on a journey to kill the Master Demon, Rasama, to free her. Ariel has to undergo severe Warrior training in the hopes to defeat Rasama. She is accompanied by Walnut and Nick, who is a Warrior.
I really wanted to immerse myself in the story... But I couldn't. Don't get me wrong, I did enjoy the book when I was reading it but it didn't captivate me and make me want to continue reading it. Part of the reason was probably the content of the story. The plot is normally fast-paced but there were parts where is went turtle-pace because Ariel was learning how to be a Warrior and had to learn how to control her mind. Walnut would then have a long conversation with her about the mind and become a bit philosophical about it. There was also a big information dump near the beginning. I couldn't remember the different demon types and had to check back several times to understand what kind of demon Nick and Walnut were talking about.
The perspective sometimes shifted from Ariel to Nick and back again. I didn't like Ariel as much as I should for a main character. She seemed really petty throughout the entire book and had a huge problem with her emotions as well. Nick was alright though, he was a bit cocky at first but then I became more interested to his character and especially his backstory which still remains a mystery. I think that Walnut bay be my favourite character in this book because he was really random and had a wry sense of humour.
I thought that the book was really enjoyable to read but it wasn't captivating. I never really felt the urge to continue reading and find out what would happen next. I couldn't also really connect to the characters and was even a bit annoyed by them at the beginning.
Overall, I give this book 3 out of 5 stars!
An interesting book, which I was fully prepared to enjoy.
This fantasy book revolves around a girl names Ariel who lives a seemingly normal life. That is, until her mom, Nadima, gets kidnapped by demons and Ariel has to set out on a journey to kill the Master Demon, Rasama, to free her. Ariel has to undergo severe Warrior training in the hopes to defeat Rasama. She is accompanied by Walnut and Nick, who is a Warrior.
I really wanted to immerse myself in the story... But I couldn't. Don't get me wrong, I did enjoy the book when I was reading it but it didn't captivate me and make me want to continue reading it. Part of the reason was probably the content of the story. The plot is normally fast-paced but there were parts where is went turtle-pace because Ariel was learning how to be a Warrior and had to learn how to control her mind. Walnut would then have a long conversation with her about the mind and become a bit philosophical about it. There was also a big information dump near the beginning. I couldn't remember the different demon types and had to check back several times to understand what kind of demon Nick and Walnut were talking about.
The perspective sometimes shifted from Ariel to Nick and back again. I didn't like Ariel as much as I should for a main character. She seemed really petty throughout the entire book and had a huge problem with her emotions as well. Nick was alright though, he was a bit cocky at first but then I became more interested to his character and especially his backstory which still remains a mystery. I think that Walnut bay be my favourite character in this book because he was really random and had a wry sense of humour.
I thought that the book was really enjoyable to read but it wasn't captivating. I never really felt the urge to continue reading and find out what would happen next. I couldn't also really connect to the characters and was even a bit annoyed by them at the beginning.
Overall, I give this book 3 out of 5 stars!
April 30, 2013
You'll need a sword not a smart phone...
Tahlia Newland is an author who remembers the fear and bravado that every teen feels when first stepping away from their parents. She also understands that only by challenging her characters to their breaking points, can their true selves be examined. In Lethal Inheritance, this first book in the Diamond Peak series, she delves into all of that and more.
Ariel is a typical teen living with her single mom--until demons break into their house and brutally assault and kidnap her mother. Ariel barely escapes to track the kidnappers to a nearby hillside where, impossibly, they dart into an open gash that heals over before she can follow. She's left staring at an impenetrable, rocky slope. A few hours later, Maya, a mysterious old friend of the family, explains that there are many secrets from her past and that only by uncovering those mysteries can Ariel ever hope to see her mother again.
And so the terrified teen begins a quest to another realm, where her coming-of-age journey is equal parts adventure and self-discovery. Along the way, she meets various foes and friends, including a fascinating but infuriating boy her own age (Nick) and an enigmatic old man (Walnut) who seems utterly incapable of answering a simple question in a simple way. As she pushes further and further up Diamond Peak Mountain, the danger grows until she literally has demons nipping at her heels.
This urban fantasy has a unique dash of sci-fi and a lens of self-awareness that kept me particularly engaged. When you add that the author Tahlia Newland has a poetic deftness with language and that her prose has been beautifully edited, A Lethal Inheritance becomes an obvious and wonderful investment of entertainment time.
Highly recommended.
Tahlia Newland is an author who remembers the fear and bravado that every teen feels when first stepping away from their parents. She also understands that only by challenging her characters to their breaking points, can their true selves be examined. In Lethal Inheritance, this first book in the Diamond Peak series, she delves into all of that and more.
Ariel is a typical teen living with her single mom--until demons break into their house and brutally assault and kidnap her mother. Ariel barely escapes to track the kidnappers to a nearby hillside where, impossibly, they dart into an open gash that heals over before she can follow. She's left staring at an impenetrable, rocky slope. A few hours later, Maya, a mysterious old friend of the family, explains that there are many secrets from her past and that only by uncovering those mysteries can Ariel ever hope to see her mother again.
And so the terrified teen begins a quest to another realm, where her coming-of-age journey is equal parts adventure and self-discovery. Along the way, she meets various foes and friends, including a fascinating but infuriating boy her own age (Nick) and an enigmatic old man (Walnut) who seems utterly incapable of answering a simple question in a simple way. As she pushes further and further up Diamond Peak Mountain, the danger grows until she literally has demons nipping at her heels.
This urban fantasy has a unique dash of sci-fi and a lens of self-awareness that kept me particularly engaged. When you add that the author Tahlia Newland has a poetic deftness with language and that her prose has been beautifully edited, A Lethal Inheritance becomes an obvious and wonderful investment of entertainment time.
Highly recommended.
August 20, 2013
I feel like I’ve been saying this often lately but I honestly don’t know why I took so long to read this book. I’ve been following the author’s blog almost since I started this one and so I’ve heard so much about Lethal Inheritance! And right from the beginning I was hooked. The reader meets Ariel and the action begins almost all at once, with a little transition to keep things moving smoothly.
Ariel is definitely a strong character and I was rooting for her from the beginning. Even when the odds are against her-when demons she didn’t know existed are attacking, for example-she’s ready to fight for herself and her mother. She has so much thrown at her at once as she’s torn away from her mother, thrust into a different and dangerous world, and then is told that in order to rescue her mother she’ll need to defeat a powerful demon lord to have a chance of getting her back. Yeah, I don’t think I’d do so good under all of that pressure. What makes it even better is that through all of that Ariel doesn’t feel artificial at all. She still reads like a regular teenage girl, albeit one with fantastical problems.
I knew I’d like Nick as soon as he made Ariel laugh after they met. Even with all that had happened (and his attitude) there was already great banter going on that was very fun to read.
There are so many different aspects that I enjoyed about Ariel’s journey. Even when she was first starting out I was completely captivated with all of the new and exciting things happening . . as well as more obstacles thrown in her way.
I really recommend Lethal Inheritance! I already have book two and plan on starting it soon! If you’re looking for a great adventure, fantastic characters, and lots of action you should check out this book!
Ariel is definitely a strong character and I was rooting for her from the beginning. Even when the odds are against her-when demons she didn’t know existed are attacking, for example-she’s ready to fight for herself and her mother. She has so much thrown at her at once as she’s torn away from her mother, thrust into a different and dangerous world, and then is told that in order to rescue her mother she’ll need to defeat a powerful demon lord to have a chance of getting her back. Yeah, I don’t think I’d do so good under all of that pressure. What makes it even better is that through all of that Ariel doesn’t feel artificial at all. She still reads like a regular teenage girl, albeit one with fantastical problems.
I knew I’d like Nick as soon as he made Ariel laugh after they met. Even with all that had happened (and his attitude) there was already great banter going on that was very fun to read.
There are so many different aspects that I enjoyed about Ariel’s journey. Even when she was first starting out I was completely captivated with all of the new and exciting things happening . . as well as more obstacles thrown in her way.
I really recommend Lethal Inheritance! I already have book two and plan on starting it soon! If you’re looking for a great adventure, fantastic characters, and lots of action you should check out this book!
November 21, 2014
I was provided a copy of Lethal Inheritance by Tahlia Newland in exchange for an honest review.
This is book one in the Diamond Peak series and the beginning of seventeen year old Ariel’s journey into a strange and frightening world. The story starts out with Ariel dealing with many of the ordinary teen issues such as exams and boys. Ariel’s life drastically changes when her mother is kidnapped by demons. Suddenly Ariel is drawn into a world she never imagined existed and told that the only way to save her mother is to kill the master demon. I really enjoyed the way that the ordinary world was woven into the fantasy world Ms. Newland created.
Ariel is met with many obstacles as the story progresses and with each of these she grows stronger. Her growth is well written as is her struggle to adapt to her new reality. The story has a lot of action. The supporting characters are also fun. I will admit that I got frustrated with Ariel’s interactions with Nick at times, but they matched her age.
While this book is part of a series, it does not end with a frustrating cliffhanger. It leaves the reader with the knowledge that the story is not over, but it gives closure in some areas. My only problem with the story was that I felt the big fight at the end was over too soon. It just seemed anticlimactic to me. Overall, this is a very good YA Urban Fantasy story with well-written characters and a lot of action. This series is definitely worth picking up.
This is book one in the Diamond Peak series and the beginning of seventeen year old Ariel’s journey into a strange and frightening world. The story starts out with Ariel dealing with many of the ordinary teen issues such as exams and boys. Ariel’s life drastically changes when her mother is kidnapped by demons. Suddenly Ariel is drawn into a world she never imagined existed and told that the only way to save her mother is to kill the master demon. I really enjoyed the way that the ordinary world was woven into the fantasy world Ms. Newland created.
Ariel is met with many obstacles as the story progresses and with each of these she grows stronger. Her growth is well written as is her struggle to adapt to her new reality. The story has a lot of action. The supporting characters are also fun. I will admit that I got frustrated with Ariel’s interactions with Nick at times, but they matched her age.
While this book is part of a series, it does not end with a frustrating cliffhanger. It leaves the reader with the knowledge that the story is not over, but it gives closure in some areas. My only problem with the story was that I felt the big fight at the end was over too soon. It just seemed anticlimactic to me. Overall, this is a very good YA Urban Fantasy story with well-written characters and a lot of action. This series is definitely worth picking up.
May 20, 2013
Lethal Inheritance is a young adult fantasy whose story starts out quickly with our protagonist Ariel waking up to her mom being abducted by demons right in front of her eyes. After a brief but intense struggle, Ariel was knocked out by one of the demons and woke up where everything was exactly where it belonged! Except, of course, for her mother … who was still gone. An ancient family friend visits, dumps the severity of the situation upon Ariel (mom was abducted by demons and it’s up to Ariel to run up the mountain and save her by slaying the Demon Boss), and then leaves her with sparse instructions on moving forward to save her mother. Along the way, Ariel is met by a cast of colorful characters, whom she does not know whether to trust, ignore, or use her powerful dagger on. A boy her age whose mystery outweighs her
Lethal Inheritance is a wonderfully intense, magical, frightening, love-driven YA book whose audience definitely is not limited to Young Adult. Demonstrating the teen angst rather appropriately (to the point I yelled at Ariel to JUST. STOP. QUESTIONING. I yelled out loud, even), Ms Newland got me involved from the beginning and I felt that the characters – Ariel, Maya, Nick, Walnut – were very realistic and I was able to connect with them, and I felt that way all the way up the mountain.
Lethal Inheritance is a wonderfully intense, magical, frightening, love-driven YA book whose audience definitely is not limited to Young Adult. Demonstrating the teen angst rather appropriately (to the point I yelled at Ariel to JUST. STOP. QUESTIONING. I yelled out loud, even), Ms Newland got me involved from the beginning and I felt that the characters – Ariel, Maya, Nick, Walnut – were very realistic and I was able to connect with them, and I felt that way all the way up the mountain.
January 5, 2017
It is extremely difficult to find a new take on the quest archetype that is so prevalent in the fantasy genre. There are authors that try and end up failing miserably and then there are authors like Tahlia Newland who do not try to do something new with the quest archetype, but rather color inside the lines and end up with the most glorious of paintings. In this book, we meet Ariel, whose mother is kidnapped by demons. Ariel finds out, as all young people on a holy quest do, that she is destined for greatness because of who her father (tragically, dead) was. There are so many quest stereotypes that the novel could have easily become a parody of the genre. Instead, through tight storytelling, excellent character development, and an internally-consistent world, Tahlia Newland has delivered an enjoyable book that is well worth the time investment. While the book ends on a semi-cliffhanger, it is still stand alone. And, unlike some other books I've read with cliffhanger endings, this one hooked me enough that I would willingly read the next book in the series, just to find out what happens next in the world. This is a young adult/new adult book in which the steamiest scenes involve Ariel ogling Nick's washboard abs so I feel comfortable recommending it to readers 14+.
Reviewed by HR Duby for Romance Authors that Rock
Reviewed by HR Duby for Romance Authors that Rock
February 9, 2015
Excellent storytelling in a genre that's somewhat long in the tooth, so kudos to Tahlia Newland. I bought this on a quest for examples of well-written YA fantasy that manages to be enough out-of-the-box to be interesting to a person (me) with grandchildren almost old enough to fit the target readership. Naturally, the elements of the tale I found most fascinating were the author's metaphysical constructs (vs, say, the strong romantic elements). These pulled me back into the time when minds were more open and "New Age thinking" flourished. I found Ms Newland's underlying message — that our spiritually empty "modern society" is infested with demons of our own making — to be right on the money; the Diamond Peak series is her way of planting seeds in youthful minds, a worthy mission. Worked for me and helped the book transcend the usual hackneyed fantasy tropes. I wish I'd been lucky enough to have a high school teacher like Ms. Newland. ;-)
Bottom line: Lethal Inheritance is a well-plotted, well-written, highly readable tale with interesting characters and settings...and some thought-provoking and timely ideas. A lively read!
Bottom line: Lethal Inheritance is a well-plotted, well-written, highly readable tale with interesting characters and settings...and some thought-provoking and timely ideas. A lively read!
December 5, 2012
My review:
Lethal Inheritance by Tahlia Newland was a surprise for me. It was first book written by Tahlia which I have read and I found it very engaging. It's a action packed page-turner with an engaging story and likable characters.
It all started with a scream and suddenly Ariel finds herself in a world she did not know existed, but what is basically situated in her back yard. Her mother has disappeared and Ariel is quite lost. The only weapon she has is a mysterious dagger which she has no idea how to use. She finds herself in a world of demons.
Ariel needs to find a guide in order to reach her mother who has been kidnapped by the demons. On her path she finds friends and foes and she grows both as a personality and as a young woman.
It was a wonderful story which kept me on edge and which had unique settings. I think the author also did a wonderful job with the characters and the dialogue between them. i can't wait what the author has to offer in the upcoming books in the series.
Great read for all ages!
Lethal Inheritance by Tahlia Newland was a surprise for me. It was first book written by Tahlia which I have read and I found it very engaging. It's a action packed page-turner with an engaging story and likable characters.
It all started with a scream and suddenly Ariel finds herself in a world she did not know existed, but what is basically situated in her back yard. Her mother has disappeared and Ariel is quite lost. The only weapon she has is a mysterious dagger which she has no idea how to use. She finds herself in a world of demons.
Ariel needs to find a guide in order to reach her mother who has been kidnapped by the demons. On her path she finds friends and foes and she grows both as a personality and as a young woman.
It was a wonderful story which kept me on edge and which had unique settings. I think the author also did a wonderful job with the characters and the dialogue between them. i can't wait what the author has to offer in the upcoming books in the series.
Great read for all ages!
December 2, 2014
A thrilling, epic adventure – this book had so much to offer, with plenty of action and exciting twists and turns. I was thoroughly engrossed from the very first page, as Ariel set off on a life-changing journey that would see her grow from strength to strength, facing many obstacles and choices.
I enjoyed getting to know the characters and exploring the wonderful fantasy world that Newland created. In fact, I felt like I had just fallen into a new kind of wonderland and it was fascinating.
This story was a great read and will immerse younger readers in a world of magic and mysticism. But, take away all the fantasy – demons, warriors and magical elements – and you have a powerful message that everyone would do well to remember – allow your fears, cravings and anger to fester, and your inner goodness will suffer; face them, deal with them and accept them, and all the negatives will lessen until they cannot harm you any longer.
I am excited to continue on this journey of love, friendship, acceptance and self-belief.
I enjoyed getting to know the characters and exploring the wonderful fantasy world that Newland created. In fact, I felt like I had just fallen into a new kind of wonderland and it was fascinating.
This story was a great read and will immerse younger readers in a world of magic and mysticism. But, take away all the fantasy – demons, warriors and magical elements – and you have a powerful message that everyone would do well to remember – allow your fears, cravings and anger to fester, and your inner goodness will suffer; face them, deal with them and accept them, and all the negatives will lessen until they cannot harm you any longer.
I am excited to continue on this journey of love, friendship, acceptance and self-belief.
May 14, 2015
***I received a copy in exchange for my honest review***
I went into reading this book with an entirely open mind even though the cover did not grab my attention for some reason. It did sound very interesting and I was quite excited to read it.
I did NOT hate this book, quite the opposite actually. I liked the whole idea of demons feeding on negative emotions and Ariel being able to combat them by transforming her negative emotions into a power. I thought the entire book was interesting and I loved the way the author wrote her book. This book just didn't take me to the next level. I liked it but if I feel like I would not curl up in a ball in the fetal position if I did not get the next book immediately. I honestly don't know why! Maybe the relationship between Ariel and Nick seemed a little forced to me? It seemed a little weird that he varies between jealousy and infatuation with her throughout the book. I do think that this author is extremely talented and should continue to write books! This book was just not my favorite book of 2015. However, it was not a book that I hated!
I went into reading this book with an entirely open mind even though the cover did not grab my attention for some reason. It did sound very interesting and I was quite excited to read it.
I did NOT hate this book, quite the opposite actually. I liked the whole idea of demons feeding on negative emotions and Ariel being able to combat them by transforming her negative emotions into a power. I thought the entire book was interesting and I loved the way the author wrote her book. This book just didn't take me to the next level. I liked it but if I feel like I would not curl up in a ball in the fetal position if I did not get the next book immediately. I honestly don't know why! Maybe the relationship between Ariel and Nick seemed a little forced to me? It seemed a little weird that he varies between jealousy and infatuation with her throughout the book. I do think that this author is extremely talented and should continue to write books! This book was just not my favorite book of 2015. However, it was not a book that I hated!
December 6, 2012
This is an action-filled novel that will keep your attention from beginning to end.
There is a wonderful blend of the magical and the everyday in this book. That’s what really captured my eye from the beginning. There are lots of basic fantasy elements, but there’s also a grittiness that makes it stand apart from only being labeled “fantasy.”
The characters were fun. Ariel, the protagonist, goes through a journey in more ways than one in this book. She truly evolves as a character as the novel progresses, which always makes for good reading. I would have liked a bit more descriptions on other characters, though. I would have enjoyed to have gotten to know some of the other ones as well as I got to know Ariel.
This book will appeal to teens and adults alike. It is packed with fun moments, with action, and with even some scary scenes to keep those of you who are like me, and like a bit of adrenaline pumping while we read. I do recommend this one.
There is a wonderful blend of the magical and the everyday in this book. That’s what really captured my eye from the beginning. There are lots of basic fantasy elements, but there’s also a grittiness that makes it stand apart from only being labeled “fantasy.”
The characters were fun. Ariel, the protagonist, goes through a journey in more ways than one in this book. She truly evolves as a character as the novel progresses, which always makes for good reading. I would have liked a bit more descriptions on other characters, though. I would have enjoyed to have gotten to know some of the other ones as well as I got to know Ariel.
This book will appeal to teens and adults alike. It is packed with fun moments, with action, and with even some scary scenes to keep those of you who are like me, and like a bit of adrenaline pumping while we read. I do recommend this one.
January 28, 2013
If you like demons and crazy adventures than this book is the one for you!
Waking up to demons taking my mother would probably be the worst thing in the world.
Finding out that I'm the only one who could save her would probably scare the crap out of me.
Discovering that this was planned since before I was born would probably worry me to no end, since there are people who are looking to me to save them.
Those are just the things that Ariel faces in Lethal Inheritance by Tahlia Newland.
I loved the descriptions and the characters themselves. It was told very well, but I think the only thing that made me a little disappointed was how the demons were killed. I liked the whole idea that the demons feed on fear, but the way the die isn't the most "heroic" I guess I would say.
It was a very good page turner that anyone any age would enjoy!
I thoroughly enjoyed the book! Thanks, Tahlia for including me in another tour!
Waking up to demons taking my mother would probably be the worst thing in the world.
Finding out that I'm the only one who could save her would probably scare the crap out of me.
Discovering that this was planned since before I was born would probably worry me to no end, since there are people who are looking to me to save them.
Those are just the things that Ariel faces in Lethal Inheritance by Tahlia Newland.
I loved the descriptions and the characters themselves. It was told very well, but I think the only thing that made me a little disappointed was how the demons were killed. I liked the whole idea that the demons feed on fear, but the way the die isn't the most "heroic" I guess I would say.
It was a very good page turner that anyone any age would enjoy!
I thoroughly enjoyed the book! Thanks, Tahlia for including me in another tour!
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