3 out of 4 stars
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The Sparrow is the first installment in Denna M. Davis’ Emaji Nation Series. A fantasy adventure book that will introduce us to a new aesthetic and mystical world that is Emaji. The story revolves around Amanda and her journey towards her self-discovery in Emaji.
Amanda is a sixteen-year-old high school student who is already bored just by the thought of spending her summer at her grandparents’ house, little did she know that this summer will certainly change her life forever. Tucked under her grandparent’s library is a portal to a different realm called Emaji. There, they assume her to be the girl in the prophecy, the sparrow who will receive power to defeat Zorn, the atrocious king of the isolated Fire Kingdom. Meanwhile, Solomon, an air defender in Emaji, also known as the silver wings bind to the sparrow, spots an earthling who seems to be lost and wandering while he is patrolling the sky. He feels an electrifying connection with the girl when they touch, and that’s when he realizes that the girl in front of him is the Ha’Ankor, the sparrow, their savior, his destiny, his wife.
While Amanda is discovering more about Emaji and who she might be, Zorn is strengthening his own army. He also orders someone to assassinate her. With her life in danger, Will Amanda continues her journey in Emaji and fulfills the prophecy? Or will she rather pursue her life as an ordinary girl on earth?
Ms. Davis’ deftness in nation-building is superb. Her portrayal of Emaji is so picturesque that I hear myself saying “ Wow. I want to go there, I want to go to Emaji,” the citizens of Emaji are as enthralling and as beautiful as their world. Each one of them bears a feature of the earth, water, air, and fire. Additionally, an inherent feature of emajians is their painted bodies that correspond to the gifts they receive from Ema, their god. What’s more, Emajians are distinct from each other, even from their own family. For instance, Solomon is of air, so he possesses wings while his sister has gills a standard feature of emajians who belong to the water caste. Clearly, these are the things I like the most in this book. In addition, the epilogue introduces a new breed of characters, which truly makes me look forward to the succeeding books.
The characters are delightful, commendable and mysterious. Amanda’s character is the most developed in this book, from being a skeptic to finally embracing her fate, she truly amazes me. I believe readers will understand her reaction towards the unknown truths that she learns about herself. On the other hand, I appreciate Solomon for being a gentleman. He does not push himself to Amanda, despite his heart screaming and yearning for her. However, I am not into their romance. I’m afraid that the prophecy greatly affects their relationship. It would be good for you to read this book and judge for yourself.
There is nothing that I particularly dislike about in this book. However, due to numerous grammar glitches, I will give this book a rating of 3 stars out of 4 stars. As much as I enjoy perusing this book, the errors are too noticeable to ignore. At long last, I recommend this book to people who want to escape the tiring and harsh earth and wishes to be in a different and pleasant world. People who love fantasy and adventure novels will truly devour this book.
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The Sparrow
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