Monday, April 30, 2012

Sela by Jackie Gamber

Sela

Author: Jackie Gamber

Publisher: Seventh Star Press

5 out of 5 stars

Note: This review assumes that you  have already read the first book in this series, Redheart.  If you have not yet read Redheart then you may not want to read this review, as it will reveal key points from the first book.  You can find my review of Redheart here.

The wind swirls around you, as you soar through the sky.  Your scaly wings glint in the sunlight as you twirl in the air, enjoying your freedom.  Suddenly, you start to fall towards the earth, sinking like a stone.  The calm air now cuts through you, and your body feels as if it is compressing, getting smaller by the second.  When you finally hit the ground with a thud, you open your clenched eyes, and look around.  Everything seems fine.  But as you try to get up on your paws, you look down and see fingers and toes instead of claws.  Skin instead of scales.  Two arms and two legs.  An overwhelming fear envelops you, and you feel as if you are caged in, unable to escape.  You’ve locked yourself in, but you don’t know the key to breaking free.

Just by looking at her, you would never be able to tell.  At a glance, she looks like a plain maiden, with sparkling green eyes.  Nothing more special than anyone else.  But underneath the mirage, there is something unique about Sela Redheart.  She is a dragon… or at least, she used to be.

Sela is the heir to the throne of Mount Gore.  Being the child of the leader of the Leland’s Dragon Council, Kallon Redheart, and his once human wife, Riza Redheart, Sela’s destiny is mapped out for her.  Until she turns into a human.  Sela doesn’t understand how or why she has changed, but ever since the transformation things haven’t been the same.  No longer able to stay at Mount Gore in her human form, Sela is placed under the care of her grumpy, old uncle and wizard, Orman Thistleby.  But all Sela longs for is to feel whole again, and find her place.

With the hope of not burdening her parents any longer, Sela runs away to the Esra Province where she gets caught up in more than she is ready for.  Can Sela blend in with the humans, or will she be found out for who she really is?  Old tensions and rumors are resurfacing, and Sela might just be at the center of it all.  Jackie Gamber reveals all in her magical journey exploring the ability to change in, Sela!

Sela starts off with old friends and new faces.  The sequel to Redheart, Sela picks up where Redheart left off.  Only this time, instead of following Riza and Kallon’s adventures, readers get a chance to know their daughter Sela, who is thrown into the world, left to fend for herself.  Mixing new with old, Sela has a familiar, yet fresh feel to it.  I recommend this book for readers fourteen and up, as there may be concepts that younger readers may not understand.

Trapped in human form, Sela must learn how to live all over again.  Growing up sheltered her entire life, when Sela takes a risk to explore the unknown outside of her home, things don’t come as easily to her.  She always seems to find herself in the thick of things.  This reminded me of her mother Riza in Redheart, who was also always getting caught in sticky situations.  It was interesting to get to witness Sela’s naivety, but also her understanding, wise way at looking at things.  Having been a dragon gave Sela a different perspective in which she saw things.  She got a chance to see things from both worlds.

Old friends and foes are brought back in Sela, with some mysterious new ones as well.  Sela doesn’t know who to trust in this new world.  It was nice to get to see some old characters again, even if I did have trouble remembering them at first.  The past intertwined with the present, causing new plots to arise.  There was still unfinished business to attend to, and new problems to face.  Sela got a taste of what her parents had to deal with, but she also got a chance to take on her own troubles as well.

Revisiting the Leland Province, and also being introduced to new parts of the land was a delight.  Some things had changed since Kallon and Riza’s youth, but I could count on others to always be there.  During Sela’s journey, those around her change as well, especially herself.  Sela learns who she truly is, and finds her own place in the world.  But it’s not over yet.  I can’t wait to see Sela’s journey continue in the next book of The Leland Dragon Series, and how she deals with the trials coming her way.

Sela continues the story of the dragons of the Leland Province, and it is just as I remember.  With its rolling hills, mountains, raging deserts, and mythical creatures at every turn, this is a book full of rich detail and changing times.  Join Sela as she searches for her destiny, all the while shaping her future in, Sela!

-This is T.B. with Another Book Back on the Shelf…
Until Next Time, Keep Reading!


*I received Sela from C.C. James of Seventh Star Press and the author, Jackie Gamber, in exchange for my honest review as part of the Sela Blog Tour.  Thank you so much C.C. James, Jackie Gamber, and Seventh Star Press!



Sela also features artwork by Matthew Perry in the book.

Check out my review of book one in The Leland Dragon Series, Redheart, here.
Check out my Interviews With Authors: A Talk With Jackie Gamber here.

Check out Jackie Gamber's website at www.jackiegamber.com.

1 comment:

  1. Reading this review made me remember just how much I loved the first book. With Sela's change that can only bring up a myriad of issues and I can't wait to see what the author brought to life with this sequel! Thanks for the reviews, they just keep getting better and better!

    ReplyDelete

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