Chosen (Warrior Chronicles #1)
Summary:
It is said that when war threatens the world, one individual will be selected by prophecy to lead the Shadow Warriors out of the Land of Mist and reclaim the freedom which has been stolen.
Shanti has grown up under the constant threat of war. Since she helped her people defeat a raiding party by using a special power, she’s been a hunted woman. Carrying rare abilities and an uncanny fighting aptitude, Shanti is the only hope of salvation for her people. The problem is, she doesn’t believe in her own divinity, and when she flounders, she nearly fails in the duty hanging so heavy on her shoulders.
It seems like any other day when Sanders and his band of misfit boys find a foreign woman clinging to life in the wastelands. Oblivious to the weapon they now have in their possession, they are content to harbor the mysterious woman until she is well enough to continue her journey.
But when the war spreads its arms and lands on her borrowed doorstep, Shanti has no choice but to reveal her secrets, plunging her saviors into danger. If they band with her, they will face certain death. But to trade her to Xandre, the warlord desperate to add her to his war machine, would be to give up their entire way of life.
War is coming. The only choice becomes: Which side do you choose? (summary and book cover courtesy of goodreads.com)
Review:
Chosen is the first book in K.F. Breene's new Warrior Chronicles series and I have to say I am extremely excited to see where it goes. I've recently been plowing through mindless chick lit and this was an extremely welcome switch up. Of course, I am frustrated to now be hooked into a new series that (warning) is NOT COMPLETED. Even worse, not only is the series incomplete, but there isn't a release date for the sequel yet.
Shanti is a refreshingly original, spunky, self-aware heroine that doesn't fall into standard stereotypes. Though she is strong and has great power, she has had to earn both - no spontaneous perfection in this book. The Captain is a larger than life dominating man who is a little over the top in protectiveness, but intriguing in his own right. While originally I wasn't sure about the character dynamics, the absence of love-at-first-sight was appreciated. Additionally, Breene does a fantastic job weaving humor into the story through Shanti's determined ignorance of social norms and her interactions with the Honor Guard.
All in all this book had me captivated while reading and wanting more when it was over. I'll be looking forward to future books in the series!
Rating: 5 stars!
Who Should Read It? I definitely recommend this for fans of fantasy or anyone looking for an escape from day to day routine. That being said if you are not typically fantasy genre reader, this probably won't be the book to win you over.
Want to read the whole series?