I was given a free
e-copy if 'The Daughter of the Sun' by Zoe Kalo (thank you!). All
thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.
Feisty Trinity was
born during a solar-eclipse, and left as an orphan at a covenant to
be raised by nuns. She's not your typical covenant-raised girl, and
is known as being hot-headed and impulsive. But one day she's
summoned by Mother Superior, saying that her grandmother had summoned
her. Immediately whisked away to The Isle of the Cats, Trinity's
whole life is turned upside down as she enters a world of intrigue,
magic and, of course, ordinary teenagers!
The main thing that
intrigued me about Kalo's book was the basis on Egyptology. (Apart
from the cat part, of course!) There don't seem to be many novels YA
or otherwise, centred around Egyptology, in spite of the plethora of
Norse and Greek based books out there. I think every child excited
when Egyptians are the topic at school (they're more interesting than
doing Henry VIII for the millionth time!) and that excitement has
extended into adulthood. But if you're looking to learn about
Egyptology, this isn't really the book to go for. It contains its
fair share, but it isn't by any means a way to learn about that
period of history. I found this sort of disappointing, although that
was a lot to expect.
Like many YA books,
'The Daughter of the Sun' is told from Trinity's perspective in first
person. As always, it's a very engaging style of writing to use, and
Kalo uses it to great efficacy. Trinity's a likeable character;
however, in some ways I just didn't believe in her. The relative ease
she moves from life in a convant to life in the 'real world' just
didn't strike me as plausible. After three days or so, she's wearing
a swimming costume and drinking beer! Although she was always a bit
of a rebel, I don't think that sixteen years' worth of spartan and
rule-bound upbringing would have had such little effect.
That said, overall,
the book is enjoyable. It's pacy and interesting and (thank god!) not
too predictable. I feel some of the other characters needed some more
fleshing out, but maybe this will continue in the rest of the series.
I actually want to read book two – it doesn't finish on a
cliffhanger, it just sort of stops. So… what next?
Kalo's writing is
nothing special or remarkable but the rapid storyline and fun
characters means this doesn't matter.
Basically – a good
YA read! Loved the basis on the Egyptians, enjoyed Trinity's
'transformation' (I'll say no more), and sped through on the backbone
of a strong plot.
Three and a half
stars.
Title: Daughter of the Sun (Cult of the Cat series, Book 1)
Author: Zoe Kalo
Genre: YA mythological fantasy
Word count: 93,000 words
Release date: May 1, 2016
Daughter of the Sun, Book 1 - blurb
Sixteen-year-old Trinity was born during a solar eclipse and left at the doorsteps of a convent along with a torn piece of papyrus covered with ancient symbols. Raised by nuns in the English countryside, she leads a quiet life until she’s whisked away to the Island of Cats and a grandmother she never knew.
But before they can get to know each other, her grandmother dies. All that Trinity has left is a mysterious eye-shaped ring. And a thousand grieving cats. As Trinity tries to solve the enigma of the torn papyrus, she discovers a world of bloody sacrifices and evil curses, and a prophecy that points to her and her new feline abilities.
Unwilling to believe that any of the Egyptian gods could still be alive, Trinity turns to eighteen-year-old Seth and is instantly pulled into a vortex of sensations that forces her to confront her true self—and a horrifying destiny.
About the Author
A certified bookworm, Zoe Kalo has always been obsessed with books and reading. Reading led to writing—compulsively. No surprise that at 16, she wrote her first novel, which her classmates read and passed around secretly. The pleasure of writing and sharing her fantasy worlds has stayed with her, so now she wants to pass her stories to you with no secrecy—but with lots of mystery…
A daughter of adventurous expats, she’s had the good fortune of living on 3 continents, learning 4 languages, and experiencing a multicultural life. Currently, she’s working on a Master’s degree in Comparative Literature, which she balances between writing, taking care of her clowder of cats, and searching for the perfect bottle of pinot noir.
Here's the Amazon Purchase Link:
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