Powerborn: Book One of the Zarryiostrom Paperback – July 30, 2013

I bought this book because I love Nene Thomas puzzles. Well...this series explains the puzzles and now my reading obsession feeds my love of puzzles and it’s a never ending circle. I’m an avid reader of Christine Feehan and Sherrilyn Kenyon. Yes, this book rates up there with them! It’s a fantastical world much like Tolkien’s Middle Earth. There’s a lot of background and politics. It started out slow to me since the writing style is different from what I’m used to, but soon I couldn’t put it down. There’s pictures of Nene’s puzzles inside and it’s great because you get a real look at what the characters look like for her and which puzzles I have yet to collect. I enjoyed this book so much I ordered the next. And to my surprise in the introduction, I learn that there’s to be 9 books!

While this book definitely needed an additional editor to trim a lot of the fat and tighten the dialogue, this was an enjoyable read! The majority of the characters are interesting in unique ways and I am glad I finally picked this book up. I'm excited to move on to book 2. 💛As for more specifics - Madari was the most interesting until he [redacted.] Morvandis, Thorn, & Enaria are fascinating. Valeriad is cool in spite of his insta love with pick-me Lyrahe. I'm sorry but I don't give a ---- about Prudence, & Phaedron has promise so I hope he gets more interesting. Lyrahe is an absolute ninny, & Deirdre is annoying. I know this all sounds negative BUT their sections are still interesting and I'm invested in the story, except for freaking Pru-dense. I just have to vent a little. 😅

The book is well written and easy to read. It's more high fantasy with intrigue and light on the fighting. The world is European style mixed with magic, and has a wonderful backstory that affects the world interwoven throughout the book and hints at greater things to come. The story if focused around political infighting, with the "church" and Mage Citadel trying to avoid war. The characters are well portrayed with their own desires and motivations. Easy solutions are overlooked because of pride or ignorance. The different cultures are lightly protrayed without burdening the story with long explanations. The powerborn wield magic, which is split into five areas with 2 being outlawed, but still secretly practiced. While there are magic artifacts that were created by the Archon 2,500 years prior, only a couple are used within the story.The artwork by Nene Thomas is fantastic. In the Kindle version, the artwork is interspersed throughout the book, while the hardback has them grouped at the back.

Just okay. The info dump in the prologue was a challenge for me to get through, though I found that the pace started picking up as I got further in. Some of the characters were pretty well developed but some were painfully one-dimensional. And in the interests of exposition there's a lot of characters standing around thinking about things in great detail and stilted phrasing (aka "No one will ever know that everything I do is to gain more power simply for power's sake!"). Too much telling, not enough showing. Also everyone is drop-dead gorgeous and talented, which is pretty boring and tired. Also, someone else noted that the characters are inconsistent and I would agree with that. For example, Ethan is written as being aware of his sister's struggles and the difficult position she's in in one chapter, but then after that he's just a generic jerk?My sister tried reading the book and quit because she said it was like reading a plot built around someone's D&D character sheets.The PowerBorn and Dragon Witches conceits are interesting and the Harbinger/Champion, while a standard fantasy plot device, is pretty well done. The Dragon Witches are a very interesting idea but it feels like the most intriguing parts of that idea are never even talked about, just glossed over!My main problem with this book is that it's a huge lead-up but by the end of the book, very very little actually happens. People stand around talking about politics or fall in love after one meeting and spend the rest of the time agonizing over it (because politics). The whole book feels like a prologue to the real action of the impending war.

I find the writing very good, The artwork beautiful. The Hardcover 1st Edition , is next to impossible to find . 1000 copies were printed and signed by the Authors. It took months of searching Worldwide and only 1 Rare Book Dealer,in Texas has located 1 single copy in Canada, which I have yet to receive. I have the Kindle version, which I am reading ever so slowly (up to chapter 6) hoping that , the Rare Book Dealer in Texas can deliver my Hardcover soon. I was smart enough to order the 2nd Hardcover "Usurper", which I have safely stored for my next read.

I liked this book, but I think it could have done without the prologue, which I found gave it an unnecessarily confusing start to the book - perhaps this could have done differently as a flashback once the main characters were introduced and from the point of view of a character telling that part of the story. Once past that initial chapter, however, I think this story draws the reader into this world that brings the character's of Nene's artwork to life, giving back stories and a story that is unique in many ways and which has an intriguing premise. While there's some parts that I think could have been improved with an editor's touch, overall I enjoyed this book and immediate purchased the second book to continue reading about the world of the Powerborn.If you like fantasy and medieval stories of power with a bit of magic thrown in, then I'd recommend this book. If you're a fan of Nene's artwork, then you will enjoy reading how Steven brings her artwork to life in written form.