Rhodi's Light (Rhodi Saga #1)
- Aug 3, 2016
- 3 min read
**I received an ARC copy from the author in exchange for my honest review.
4 stars!!!
A new fantasy read by Megan Linski set in a dysptopian world called Crescentia. The story starts off with twins Dylan and Devin who lose their parents in a car crash. They are taken in by an ancient assassin group called the Rhodi to avoid starvation. Under the guidance of her master, Dylan has to overcome her fear and guilt as well as learn about her magical abilities. Will she along with her brother become what they are destined to be?
Well, that was one heck of read. My emotions seem to be all over the place but I'm going to try my best to put down my thoughts as coherently as possible in this review.
This is definitely a different sort of dystopian read. It had bits of fantasy thrown in which I loved. From the way it was written and the way the characters were portrayed, it had a distinctive Anime feel to it which I thought was really unique.
The worldbuilding was done really well. I liked that a map was given of Crescentia so we knew where places were. The world that Megan created was a modern one filled with cars and other hi tech stuff but there is a distinctive undercurrent of something ancient and primal underneath it all. The magic system of Crescentia was intriguing, there's like a kung fu vibe going on with the two guilds - Rhodi and the Hunters. We also get to see a range of special abilities like mind speaking, shapeshifting and so on. I would like to point out that there were instances in the book where I felt there was a bit of info dumping going on. This was a tad bit confusing because we aren't given an explanation for things. But, I'm going to let it go because the book is part of series and I'm hoping these things will be clarified and developed further on.
I think what really grabbed my attention were the characters. My favourite would have to be Dylan. I really liked how Megan dealt with the issue of mental illness in the book. The emotions portrayed were so raw and real, that I could easily connect with Dylan as a MC. I found myself constantly rooting for her and hoping she overcomes her fears and guilt. I also loved her relationship with Talidin. It was so heartwarming and gut wrenching at the same time. I found myself close to tears especially towards the end of the book. The other characters were equally well done. I felt Megan gave equal weight to each of them which resulted in all of them being well rounded. I never felt any of them to be flat. We got to see parts of each of their backstories throughout. I also liked Devin and Nellie's friendship. That one was exceptionally cute. I can't wait to find out how things pan out for both of them. I am hoping for a bit of romance in book two although I have to admit, I didn't really miss it in this one.
With regards to the villain, I would have to say the Red Huntress has mystery coming up in spades. We aren't given much of her story but she is definitely someone not to be taken lightly.
The battle scenes between the Hunters and the Rhodi throughout the storyline were definitely epic. I thought the plot and twists were placed strategically enough to keep my interest going. The revelation, however, at the end wasn't really shocking to me though (view spoiler). I felt it was a bit jarring and was kind of placed there for like a "big moment" but fell flat instead. That would be one of my small negatives with the book. Also there were few grammatical errors here and there which I am sure will be edited out before the book hits the shelves.Overall, despite there being a few minor faults, I would really recommend "Rhodi's Light" to anyone who loves dystopian and fantasy reads. It should really go on your TBR list. It's not a story you would want to miss out on. I can say for sure that I'm really looking forward to reading the sequel :)
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