I received this book through NetGalley, but it was released December 8th of 2013.
Imagine having your world turned upside down. You realize that nothing is what it seems. Emily and Ashe were born without magic in a land that ranks you on how powerful your talents are. Suddenly the source of that magic is destroyed. Emily and Ashe are forced to fight their way through obstacle after obstacle to find the truth about who they are, and how they can save the lives of people in not only their own world, but other dying worlds.
I thought this was a decent book, the summary and cover immediately grabbed my attention. The blurb sounds very promising, but as I read it I found that I was disappointed. The characterization and romance fell flat, as well as some of the world building. Emily and Ashe fell in love the second they laid eyes on one another, and they had no problems with that. They barely know each other, in fact the only thing they know about each other is that they were born without magic.
Emily and Ashe are constantly complaining about how inadequate they are, even after they've acquired the most powerful magic in Alasia. Emily is indecisive about whether she wants to have powers or not, claiming in the beginning of the book that she doesn't want magic but later in the book she is seduced by the promise of unlocking her magical potential. Emily often feels that she can't accomplish anything so she doesn't even really try, she just gets frustrated and gives up.
There are also some parts of the book that are repetitive, or unnecessary. As a character, Raelyn didn't really do anything. She was sort of a love interest for Ashe but he never really showed an interest in her, and most of the time she was just scared or she was trying more powers. Even her betrayal to gain power didn't affect the overall story much.
Overall, this book was okay. It did have some redeeming qualities, the magic for one. The author did a great job of hooking me in and making me want to keep reading, because all of the worlds intrigued me. I wish we could've seen more of the different worlds, and what they're like rather than just a basic description of it. I decided to give this book two-and-a-half stars because it has lots of potential, but it could use some improvement.
"It was as if Predilon pulled his worst fear right out of his dream, and brought it here to face him once again"
"Emily's hair shimmered with the power of the sun, appearing like a flame dancing about in a breeze. A wind flowed through the depths of the root grove, catching at the skirt of her yellow dress. Her skin ignited in a current of shimmering power. For a moment it captivated him. He had never seen her so beautiful before, but he knew it couldn't be a good thing"
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