Avery (The Chronicles of Kaya #1) in Aussie Readers

Jul 06, 2013 Shelleyrae at Book'd Out rated it liked it

Shelves: arc-are, netgalley-reviews, provided-by-publisher, aussie-author

Avery, the first book in Charlotte McConaghy's romantic fantasy adventure trilogy, The Chronicles of Kaya, introduces a nation divided by war. For centuries the people of Kaya and Pirenti have fought bloody battles for dominance. The Pirenti, ruled by the sadistic Barbarian Queen, have the advantage of size and strength, the Kyan rely on the magic of the Warders and the bravery of their people to fight the tyranny.
During a mission to assassinate the queen in her castle, Avery is caught and sava
Avery, the first book in Charlotte McConaghy's romantic fantasy adventure trilogy, The Chronicles of Kaya, introduces a nation divided by war. For centuries the people of Kaya and Pirenti have fought bloody battles for dominance. The Pirenti, ruled by the sadistic Barbarian Queen, have the advantage of size and strength, the Kyan rely on the magic of the Warders and the bravery of their people to fight the tyranny.
During a mission to assassinate the queen in her castle, Avery is caught and savagely murdered much to the horror of his bond-mate, Ava. The people of Kyan die in pairs, and his passing should condemn Ava to death, but instead she is the first of her kind to survive. With her soul ripped in two, and cast out of Kayan society as 'unnatural', Ava assumes Avery's identity and plots her revenge on the Queen but her plans are thwarted when she is captured by Ambrose, the Pirenti Prince.
Ambrose, like his elder brother Thorne, has been raised by his mother to hate the Kyan, scorning their physical weakness and soft emotions. A fierce and merciless warrior he is nevertheless beginning to question his mother's cruelty and the endless bloodshed. Tasked to transport the Kayan boy he captured to the Pirenti prison isle, and then shipwrecked during the journey, he slowly comes to admire Avery's courage and tenacity, challenging all he has been taught ...and his barren heart.

Unusually, the narrative of Avery is carried by the first person perspectives of Ava and Ambrose, as well as Thorne, Ambrose's elder brother, and Thorne's wife, Roselyn. The focus of the tale is on the emotional journey of these four characters, struggling to reconcile their expectations and desires. The characters are quite complex and stir a mixture of admiration, pity, distaste and respect.

It wasn't until I began to organise my thoughts to write this review that I realised there were elements of the romantic relationships that made me really uncomfortable. There is the idea that a man's violent nature can be changed by love, that Roselyn's patience with her abusive husband, and Ava's endurance of Ambrose's violence, are eventually rewarded by that change. That the Prince's are excused because of their twisted upbringing, and eventually redeemed simply because these women love them. There is some attempt to mitigate the dysfunction with apologies, promises and redemption, but it is still a troublesome model of romance.

I did enjoy a number of other elements of the plot, particularly the twist that reveals the Barbarian Queen's secrets. The action scenes, even those that are quite brutal, are well written, as are the more intimate and emotional scenes. Avery explores a number of facets of love - the love of country, and the bonds between siblings, parents and lovers.

The world-building is fairly simplistic, I understood the Pirenti but didn't feel I learned much about Kaya. I did find I could easily visualize the Pirenti castle, the hazards of the Prison isle and Ava soaring through the sky on the back of her Pegasi.

Avery is a tale of love, hate, revenge and redemption. Though I have my reservations about the romance I did enjoy the story in the moment and found it to be a quick read. ...more

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Feb 10, 2015 Joy rated it liked it

Shelves: 2015-goodreads-challenge, fantasy, new-adult

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Rating: 2.5 out of 5 stars

The people of Kaya die in pairs, it's been so for thousands of years until Ava's bondmate is murdered by the barbarian queen of Pirenti and she doesn't follow. Banished for her unnaturalness, Ava disguises as her bondmate, Avery, and spends two years training to enact her revenge on the queen. Before she's able to act, she's captured by the second prince of Pirenti and is sent to the horrendous prison isle to be tortured and starved. Along the way, their boat

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Rating: 2.5 out of 5 stars

The people of Kaya die in pairs, it's been so for thousands of years until Ava's bondmate is murdered by the barbarian queen of Pirenti and she doesn't follow. Banished for her unnaturalness, Ava disguises as her bondmate, Avery, and spends two years training to enact her revenge on the queen. Before she's able to act, she's captured by the second prince of Pirenti and is sent to the horrendous prison isle to be tortured and starved. Along the way, their boat sinks and Ava along with the prince Ambrose are the only survivors. Ambrose is determined to finish his job, but he's also battling against his duty and what is humanely right.

I had a very odd relationship with Avery. I can say for certain that the first half of the book did not impress me at all and I was very close to DNFing it. However I soldiered on and was pleasantly surprised with the turn of events and how much the characters grew into themselves. I struggled with my rating because I hated the first half, but I really enjoyed the second...so a solid 2.5 stars it is. It was good, and I would read the next book when I have the time.

Despite the synopsis, Avery actually follows the story of four characters - Ava (aka Avery), Ambrose (second prince), Thorne (crown prince) and Roselyn (Thorne's whimsical wife). Ava is from the country Kaya, where magic exists in the form of warders. The other three are from Pirenti, a barbaric loveless country that values strength and masculinity. Both countries are at war but most citizens have forgotten the reason why. I really hate it when books skimp on the historical details because it just makes me feel disconnected to the characters' thought processes and what their motivation would be to continue the war. The worldbuilding definitely left me wanting more.

While worldbuilding may be lacking, the characterisation was definitely on point. You can see a change in all four characters as the story progressed and I was truly impressed with how natural this progression was. Roselyn is the weakest of all four characters. As a female living in Pirenti, she's bound to remain subservient to her husband Thorne, who abuses her for her oddities and mistakes, thinking it's a way to teach her to improve. She's fragile and scared of everything, using a counting mechanism to keep herself from going insane. Thorne and Roselyn are complete opposites as he's the most feared person in Pirenti, having been born with berserker blood. While abusive at times, I thought his actions were at times necessary to show the way his country has shaped him as a person. The changes he goes through in understanding what love and affection is highlight the stark contrast between the Thorne at the start of the book to the Thorne at the end. Roselyn also changes a lot throughout the book as she grows into herself and starts becoming stronger. Needless to say I enjoyed their development a lot more than Ava and Ambrose's.

Ava and Ambrose ends up on the prison isle after being ship wrecked. I found it a little unbelievable as they describe the journey takes two weeks but three days into their trip and after being shipwrecked, they manage to wash up on the isle? There are a lot of small plot holes like these throughout the first half, contributing to my dislike of the beginning of the book. Fortunately as the novel progresses, Ava and Ambrose also grows to rely on each other, having each saved the other's life. There is a bit of sexy time in the book which I welcomed, and applaud the author for including. I love that more and more NA books are featuring sex in other genres like fantasy rather than contemporary romance. It's a natural part of a relationship and I personally don't think it should be considered such a taboo subject.

What I enjoyed most about the book is the resilience and strength of all the characters. Like I mentioned before, all four characters were on point. Each had their own demons to overcome and it was so nice to see that they all slowly changed the way they viewed life throughout the novel. I'm also very impressed that McConaghy was not afraid to hurt her characters and make them experience pain. It just added more realism to the dire situations they were facing.

Despite the issues I had with this book, the last half really impressed me. If you've picked up this book but faced the same issues I had with the first half, I urge you to continue because it does get better. Avery has a shaky beginning but a very solid conclusion.

Thank you to Random House Australia for providing a copy in exchange for an honest review.

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Jan 05, 2015 Rachel (The Rest Is Still Unwritten) rated it it was amazing

Shelves: bought-by-me, i-own, e-book, random-house-sent

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Thank you to Random House Australia for allowing me to read this in exchange for an honest review!

Find this review and more on my blog The Rest Is Still Unwritten!

Avery is an absolutely beautiful and sensationally told fantasy tale by Australian author Charlotte McConaghy that introduces readers to vivid and highly imaginative world with two sides at war and is a heartwarming, touching story of redemption, healing and power of allowing oneself to love again!

From beginning to end Avery blew me Thank you to Random House Australia for allowing me to read this in exchange for an honest review!

Find this review and more on my blog The Rest Is Still Unwritten!

Avery is an absolutely beautiful and sensationally told fantasy tale by Australian author Charlotte McConaghy that introduces readers to vivid and highly imaginative world with two sides at war and is a heartwarming, touching story of redemption, healing and power of allowing oneself to love again!

From beginning to end Avery blew me away; plain and simple. I headed into the novel with high expectations and Charlotte McConghy certainly met them. The moment I began Avery I was instantly drawn into the stunning world McConaghy has envisioned and swept up in the journeys of the four characters whose POV’s we follow throughout the novel.

Avery introduces readers two different warring lands; Kaya a place where people die in pairs after bonding with their other half and mate, and Pirenti, a land known for its formable soldiers and barbaric ways, ruled by a brutal Queen who aims to bring the Kayan people to their knees. Avery follows four very different individuals from both domains; Ava, a broken Kayan woman who lost her mate Avery two years before but miraculously managed to live on, becoming a shadow of her former self and driven only by revenge for her lost love; Ambrose, the second Prince of Pirenti, a fierce solider who captures Ava masquerading as Avery and takes “him” prisoner; Thorne, the eldest Prince of Pirenti, Ambrose’s brutal older brother who is a known killer and first in line for the Pirenti throne, and Roslyn, Thorne’s wishful wife who is mocked and scorned for her mental unstableness and who is at Thorne’s whim.

I really appreciated seeing this novel unfold through the varying POV’s. We’re introduced to two kingdoms at war with one another, with one as brutal and as barbaric as you can get, and yet author Charlotte McConghy manages to make you really feel about her characters. You can’t help but think about the complexity of human nature as you read this story. The line between good and evil blurs and who is in the right often changes from situation to situation. Our characters make bad choices and the wrong decisions and they don’t always do the right thing, but they’re so complex and layered, and really grow. Honestly it’s impossible to not become invested in their individual pursuits and dreams and as McConghy weaves their lives together, you’ll find yourself even more invested in the inevitable outcome.

The seemingly broken and vengeful Ava, also known as Avery is one of the four characters we follow, if not the most important one. Ava has been left a shell of the person she used to be after the death of her mate Avery, and this novel really is her story of learning to live, and love again. Ava’s thirst for revenge leads her to Pitrenti where a failed attempt to assassinate the Queen sees Ava dragged by Ambrose to one of Pirenti’s most infamous prisons. Along the way Ava, disguised as a boy and known as Avery begins to form an unexpected friendship with the formable warrior and soon finds herself actually feeling again, more so than she has in a long, long time.

Ava and Ambrose’s story is sensational to witness, but it’s not without its difficulties. Ava still feels so much pain over the loss of her mate in the beginning of the novel and it’s not until Ambrose helps her live again that she starts to even contemplate continuing on with a life without him. There’s plenty of guilt and then shame as she slowly falls for Ambrose, but seeing Ava slowly heal is a beautiful thing to watch.

Ambrose is a complex character in and of himself. In the beginning he is very cruel to Ava and doesn’t treat her the best, but as he begins to develop a friendship with “Avery” he starts to question his actions and adjust his responses. I honestly found seeing Ambrose fall for Ava to be beyond beautiful in so many ways. I mean, Ambrose falls in love with Avery, not Ava. Obviously they’re the same person, but he loved her as the boy he knew her to be, and her sex was never as issue. It was pure love; for a person and who they were inside and I found that so, so beautiful.

Thorne and Roselyn have their own hurdles to overcome in this book and I very much enjoyed seeing their journey as well. Both brothers have had horrendous childhoods and lives, something that really shows but I was happy to see Throne learn how he needed to treat Rose and do the right thing in the end.

Avery is an emotionally charged fantasy story and explores the possibilities of forgiveness and letting yourself move on. Charlotte McConghy weaves together a wonderful story of romance, danger and the strength of love and has won herself a fan in me!
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Mar 25, 2015 Skye rated it really liked it

Is only every once and I while, I find a book that keeps me awake until 1 am in the morning.
I can’t even express how much I luv, love, loved, this book.
Not every book needs there, White Knight, “happy ever after” fairy tale ending, this book totally has this...
The Dark Princes who have blood lust running through their veins,
the evil queen, the ever loving princess, the vengeance of the loved one. Gosh!
This books kept me on the edge of my seat, and I still wanted more!

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Jun 21, 2015 Tarran rated it it was amazing

The lengths that people will go to for revenge is clearly portrayed in this book. It also shows the healing people can do when they think all is lost.

The bond between loves is infallible and life shattering. To lose your bond mate is to lose your life... except in the case of Ava. When her bond mate Avery is murdered, she expects to die but she doesn't. Instead she lives with half a soul and dreams of revenge.

I loved this storyline and the characters had real depth. You could feel the anger and ...more

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Jan 19, 2015 Stephanie rated it really liked it

Shelves: kindle, read-2015, aww-2015, for-review, aurealis-awards-2018

Avery is the first book in a new Young Adult series by Australian author Charlotte McConaghy, The Chronicles of Kaya.

When Ava’s bond-mate Avery is killed, Ava naturally expects to die as well. But Ava does not die. She fades, grows numb, loses her sense of taste, but she does not die. Rejected by her family and friends, she sets on the only course she can: revenge against the Queen of Pirenti, murderer of Avery. Pirenti is a barbaric country where travelling as a woman is too dangerous, and so s Avery is the first book in a new Young Adult series by Australian author Charlotte McConaghy, The Chronicles of Kaya.

When Ava’s bond-mate Avery is killed, Ava naturally expects to die as well. But Ava does not die. She fades, grows numb, loses her sense of taste, but she does not die. Rejected by her family and friends, she sets on the only course she can: revenge against the Queen of Pirenti, murderer of Avery. Pirenti is a barbaric country where travelling as a woman is too dangerous, and so she disguises herself as a boy and takes her dead lover’s name, Avery.

In Pirenti, love is seen as weakness and power comes from violence. The princes of Pirenti are Ambrose and Thorne. Thorne is married to the fragile and strange Roselyn, a woman for whom he can express his love for only as violence. When Ava’s path crosses Ambrose’s, and eventually Thorne and Roselyn, everything must change for them all.

This is a book that I would have adored as a teenager. The hook–lovers bonded for life–would have grabbed me and not let go. I can easily see this book and series being a gateway for many younger readers into fantasy, especially those who have mostly read only mainstream YA.

As an adult, and especially as one who has read a lot of fantasy (aimed both at YA and adult audiences), I was initially wary of many of the tropes McConaghy uses in the book. The bonding between lovers veers very close to love at first sight, and the fact that Kayans have colour changing eyes seemed yet another recycling of old tropes.

However, as I read on, I found that McConaghy was pushing past many of these tropes. The colour-changing eyes was used to good effect, and the bonding was shown to be something that didn’t necessarily have to be instantaneous. More refreshing is that Ava herself is never a weak character–she doubts herself at times, but she’s never a damsel in distress.

Some readers will likely find the parts of the story which focus on violence against women (especially Roselyn) confronting, and may wish to avoid the book on that basis. However, as with the other plot threads, I felt that McConaghy explored this with respect (and with an actual cultural reason for the said violence in Pirenti). I actually found Roselyn to be one of the most fascinating characters in the book, and I hope that her story is further explored in the future.

All in all, this was a satisfying read for myself as an adult reader who has consumed a great deal of fantasy, and I could see it easily being an almost obsessive read for many a younger reader. Highly recommended. ...more

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