Refugees (Mud, Rocks, and Trees #1) by R.A. Denny (2017)
-Review Request-
YA Fiction | Fantasy
Blurb:
“‘An epic journey of a lifetime.’ That’s what three young individuals from three different corners of the world have dreamed about. They were destined for greatness since the moment they were born. But what if they don’t want it? What if they’re not ready? What if their desires no longer align with the prophecy?
The problem is, they have no choice. The star has appeared. Their destiny has already begun to unfold.
It’s not the send-off that they’ve been dreaming of. Forced out. Banished. Raided. This wasn’t how it was supposed to be. Now they must discover who they really are while embarking on the most exciting journey of their lives. One star. One impossible task. One chance to save the world they love.”
–Goodreads
pooled ink Review:
Thank you to the author for submitting this book for review!
I love getting review requests (most of the time) because it’s easy to be bombarded by the swanky releases by big publishers but it’s always fun to see what else is out there because sometimes you stumble across some hidden gems.
Refugees is the start to a pretty cool fantasy series. It wasn’t quite what I was expecting but I quickly settled into the rhythm and imagination of the story. Filled with prophecies, fantasy lands, unique beings, destiny, and evil closing in on all sides, this was a quick-paced tale not afraid of the darkness and sacrifice that accompanies greatness.
It might be cliché but I have to admit I do love a good prophecy! And there was a prophecy at the core of this plot that drove all the action forwards at an unrelenting pace giving the story urgency, mystery, and anticipation for what it would bring.
The characters were easy to like and I enjoyed reading about them, their strange people, and how the main characters meshed together like a dam broke loose running from death and hurtling towards destiny. Denny definitely had some colorful creativity when it came to crafting the unique attributes of the people in her fantasy. Some had webbed feet like ducks making them fantastic swimmers and fishers, others curled up for hibernation periods lying still as stone, and yet others had delicate stretches of skin from wrist to ankle allowing them to glide from tree to tree. And thus you have the three main elements (and characters) of the prophecy/story: mud, rocks, and trees.
There were definitely some surprises lurking throughout the story and I’ve got to say that I’ve never read anything quite like this book. True it builds off of the well-worn and well-loved outline of a typical fantasy tale but then Denny takes it into a direction completely of her own making.
If you’re looking for a fantasy read that isn’t cumbersome or hideously time consuming but is still filled with a unique world, fun characters, adrenaline, and grit, then consider looking into this series.
Refugees spins a tale dark and thrilling whilst maintaining a beating heart of friendship, loyalty, and strength. A single star in the sky acts as a catalyst for what becomes an epic line of dominoes crashing into one another with a force that none can stop. Destiny has come, but it won’t be the glamorous hero’s life they expected.
Cheers.
Purchase here: Refugees (At the moment you can buy the first book in the series for FREE!)
NOTE: This series recently got a makeover so the first two books, Refugees and Seekers have been combined into one book:
The Emperor’s Harvest (Tales of Tzoladia #1)
Meet R.A. Denny!
R.A. Denny is an ancient history buff with a law degree from Duke University. While working as a criminal prosecutor by day, she escaped by night to create the fantasy world of her Mud, Rocks, and Trees series.
R.A. Denny loves adventure, animals and history. She has travelled to the ancient rock city of Petra on horseback, flown through the jungles of Costa Rica on zip lines and visited the Great Pyramid on a camel. She lives in Delaware. As a child, she had two pet flying squirrels.
-Goodreads
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