The Blue-Eyed
General
(Rating: 5 of 5 stars)
*Book One of a
trilogy*
***WARNING: This review contains MAJOR SPOILERS***
How do I start? Well, I was given
the privilege to an ARC, but before that I have already had the chance to read
the first eight chapters like everyone else who has been given the link. To be
honest, the title got to me the first time… because I am really partial to the
colour blue. Uh huh… It sure is my favourite
colour. So I went to read and man, I didn’t know what first to expect or what
to make of it when I got to the prologue. I just knew it was a promising story.
I instantly liked Tieve, that feisty 12 year old girl who’s charming yet
stubborn and Jed, who seems to be her only friend in the world. As early as it
is in the story, I felt it in my bones that these two could be something. I
immediately thought that I want them to be together. Yeah, I ship them! *claps
& giggles* I do!
“I love you Tieve Kedgewater,” he
says, looking down on me, still sat half stunned and half in the sea. “And even
if we never see each other again, I’m always going to love you.”
But, parting is indeed such a
sweet sorrow… so, believe me when I say, I cried with Tieve the night they told
her Jed…her Jed, is dead. Man, I can
say the author did broke my heart at this point but as a bookie would always
hope in her heart of hearts…I firmly convinced myself that Jed is not dead. He
might still be alive. (Yep, I was making my own plots & twists) Who knows,
I could be right, right?
In Gaia, as the
world is known in this story, the place is ruled by an Emperor, a rather
selfish and oppressing tyrant who rules from the Diamond City and dominates the
Empiric state that’s composed of the Crystal Cities govern by eleven Lords
respectively. Selfish enough to obtain massive amounts of Rythium (a rare mineral, luminous blue in colour,
discovered by the Empiric State a hundred years ago) that basically acts as the
main power source for all there is in the world. A mineral that is dangerous as
it is precious, corrosive as it is powerful – the key to a legend that can
allegedly create a bridge to Utopia,
the world of the Dead.
Revenge is indeed, only the beginning....
Needless to say, I find the author’s imagination and
creativity really impressive. Delving deep into the story, I found myself
hooked and submerged into the world of The Blue-Eyed General. I love the
intrigue, the action packed scenes, and the whole plot the story is revolving
around. Thinking that her best friend
is already dead shortly after joining the Elite
army, young Tieve ran away on a night and started her journey to the Diamond
City with only one purpose in mind. REVENGE. She wanted to avenge Jed’s death
that she so blatantly blames on Caleb – the infamous founder of the
Elite Army whose purpose is to oppose and bring down the Emperor’s cruel reign.
And that, she could do by joining the Empiric state’s army who is intent on
crushing any one who dares to question the rule of Emperor Litek, a.k.a the
Elite Army under Caleb’s command.
With 12 year old Tieve Kedgewater
running away from their small coastal town of Aaquna (Oh yes, I do love the
names of the places & characters. Yeah, no one better argue with me on that.),
finding her way through hardships and eventually falling under the care of the
Emperor after reaching the Diamond City, the real story is just about to start.
Now, I kind of had a
problem in here…like how in Utopia can a twelve year old girl survive hunger,
fatigue and predator attacks in the Firdawn Forest, on her own? Well, she’s
brave and all but physically, how did she manage to kick down on their asses
full grown men? Soldiers at that? I thought it’s just unrealistic and just
doesn’t add up. But wait, there’s more!
Hmmmmm…I thought she was superhuman or something…I even
thought of magic, but no. She’s just destined to become:
General Cecelia
Rivermire
-
3rd of the 5 Generals
of the Litekian Empire Guard Squad
-
Commander of Division Two
-
Wielder of Scheherazade the Quick
(1 of 5 legendary weapons)
-
Became a General at the young age
of seventeen
-
Blonde haired, Blue-Eyed beauty
-
Beautiful and lethal as she is ruthless
I really love what our heroine has turned out to be.
Claiming a new identity and keeping her true self from the citizens of the
Diamond City, making a name for herself for her incredible strength,
ruthlessness in the battlefield and of course of her peculiar blonde hair-blue
eyed beauty. I felt for her in every step of her journey, when she was accused
a traitor to the state; a renowned general who fell from grace; down to her
escape from the dungeons and General Valoel’s fondness and caring for her is
indeed very endearing. And there came Brey,
her rescuer, from a group of thieves working against the empire and leaning
towards the Elite. And boy, did I sense a
possible love interest. Brey’s a good character, his jolly, carefree,
annoyingly charming persona almost reminds me of Puck. But no, my love-junkie
heart still screams for Jed. However annoying and provoking he might get at
times, I can say that Cici our heroine could passably like this new guy character, what with Jed only a memory… or so I
thought.
The
blue-eyed ex-general turned fugitive is now in league with a band of thieves
smuggling rythium powered weapons for Elite, and yes, my interest went up a notch higher at this. I can smell a
twist. An adventure towards the greater part of the story. And voila! Cici
learns so many things about the Empire she had loyally served for 5 years. With
the help of Cassillas – Lord of Albehlia, who happens to be the benefactor of
Brey’s little thieving group she came to realize how brainwashed she had been,
not really seeing the bigger picture and not knowing the real situation of the
world (with poverty and savagery among citizens) outside the Diamond and
Crystal cities known as the Warren. She then encounters Caleb. Curses! He’s
quite a character that kept me so intrigued. Blonde haired-blue eyed, he could
almost be our heroine’s brother but stronger and faster, except he’s kind of
mad.
Reading
into Cecelia’s attempt to kill Caleb to finally avenge Jed’s death, I was so
carried away that I wish I have my own Scheherazade to summon. But man, was I frustrated
when Caleb proved to be a very prominent semi-villain dude. He spoke of things
that really rocked our blue-eyed general’s world. The Utopia Project for one, and the rationale for their beauty,
strength, speed and peculiarness for they are so much alike. Finally, my
earlier questions are about to get answered in this part of the story. Hah, I
have no doubt that our heroine is special but I want to know how brilliantly
brilliant our dear author is. J Curses! Secrets and intrigues are spilled and spewed
incredibly. I was wowed, I couldn’t stop reading. This mysterious
scientist/physician Derado guy who gives our heroine the creeps is the master
key to all closets of secrets after all. Well, we can call it pods of secrets
too, trust me. And so, after all the
mystery has been explained, our blue-eyed general finally knew who she is, not
entirely Tieve Kedgewater, not entirely Cecelia Rivermire but a little of the
supposed-to-be-dead Sophia Litek. The revelations just won’t stop right here
and I tell you I wanted to know how puny, sickly little Jenson would squeak and
how infuriating & maddening devil Devin would scream out the impossibility
that dearest Sophia Litek, daughter of the late Emperor is very much alive.
Jenson and Devin irk me to the max. *gritting my teeth*
All these
revealed after Cecelia couldn’t quench her thirst for curiosity and finds her
way to Azgirth – the place Caleb
claims to be where, they (Cecelia & Caleb), among hundreds were
experimented with rythium to be the beings
born of both woman and blue diamond in the old old legend. That explains
our heroine’s almost inhuman abilities: strength, speed, faster healing,
beautiful skin that doesn’t scar, and rythium-perks - white blonde air and
bright blue eyes. (curses! Wouldn’t
anyone, as in anyone love those?! Well…I do love those IF I can survive the
process, that is.). The last
fight scene between Caleb and Cecelia is the shocker of all shockers in this
book. And I got really worked up when I thought Brey is going to die – not when
I told myself “okay, He would have to be Cici’s love dude”. And Caleb is just
utterly out of his mind, so intent to kill our heroine. (Yes, I did pray that Derado would come bursting the door and save the
day, but that can’t be because it would ruin the scene. Haha) Oh no, Oh
no…Cecelia can’t die! Of course, it’s just the first book! But well, bombs were
dropped mercilessly and I was like “wow, just wow…really? I hadn’t thought of
that! Wicked!” But wait! There’s more! Uh no… there’s just only one more, actually.
**pauses dramatically**
JED IS ALIVE.
The infamous new Elite general for the last 5 years or so
when Caleb went AWOL, the famed protégeé’ of Caleb is none other than Jed. (So imagine me reading the last page with a
goofy grin. I was right, right? The feels!)
All in all, I can
only give praise to this wonderful and really promising YA work of fiction. If I ever thought that its story is similar to one of those already
published, I was wrong. It’s well-made and well thought of. I love the choice of
words; the names of characters and places, so apt when you close your eyes and
imagine; the plots and twists; the setting which for me, resembles a mix of the
old and the new; the idea of rythium itself is not so new but is very reviving & unique; the action, terror, suspense;
the badassness of the heroine; a little sprinkle of romance, which I hope will
take up a notch in the succeeding books; the intrigue and basically everything
about this book I truly truly love and enjoyed. Sorry that I couldn’t seem to
pinpoint a flaw here and there because it just doesn’t really matter to me. I
was entertained, I found a whole new world to delve into, and really, I just
can’t think of readers not liking this book. I would surely secure a copy of
the printed material when it comes out in a couple of weeks and I would
definitely recommend this to readers! Curses and all! ;)
Kudos Ms. Rebecca
Inman! I would be one of your number one fans. That in Utopia, is for sure!
Thank you!
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