Shadows of Atlantis: Awakening

** (I received a free copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review).

** Aspects of the plot have been revealed in this review.

3.5 stars

The described Atlantis in this book is definitely not the one you hear of in other stories. Mara Powers has brilliantly managed to weave an intricate world around this mythical city but it is filled with gadgets and a magic system that goes beyond one's scope of imagination. The worldbuliding is highly intricate with detailed descriptions of fashion, political divisions, temple sects, rituals, traditions and so on. I was really pleased that a glossary was given at the end of the story because many of the terms were highly confusing and this helped clarify their meanings.

Out of all the characters, D'Vinid was the most rounded. I really liked how his character progressed throughout the novel. However, Brigitte was described in a rather cliched way and I just couldn't connect with her character. The romance between them also felt too contrived and sudden. We don't get a gradual build up. I would have liked to see a forbidden romance blossoming between them. The other minor characters played their roles well in the story. Kyliron has definitely got me intrigued. I am unsure of what his whole role is but I feel he is connected to the darkness somehow. I would love to know about him. My favorite part in the whole novel would have to be the part about the darkness. This definitely gave a book a touch of mystery and gave the reader relief from the otherwise heavy content of the novel. However, I do feel that the way the madness begins wasn't fully described. Maybe because this ended up being relegated to a side story in the novel and the focus was more on the Queen Impending and D'Vinid.

My only negative about this book was that the reading felt a little tedious at times. I appreciate Mara's extensive research into this novel. It definitely led to a rich backdrop for the story. But while reading, I constantly felt that there needed to be some lighter elements in the book. For example, when Lukias and Brigitte have their conversations, you don't connect with their relationship as brother and sister. Mostly they speak about the Atlantean customs and the magic system which I found to be more info dumping and disconcerting. I would say, in hindsight, I would have liked to see the characters engaging with others in a way that brought out their emotions and personality more. This would have taken the novel to a whole new level.

Besides that small criticism, I did enjoy the story at the end of the day. It was a highly immersive read which fantasy readers would love. The book does end on a major cliffhanger and I hope to get to read the sequel soon because I look forward to the journey ahead for the characters.

#adult #scifi #mythology #futuristic