Sword and Verse by Kathy MacMillian - Review by LAWonder10!

Sword and Verse (Sword and Verse #1)by  Kathy MacMillan 
 Hardcover, 384 pages
Published January 19th 2016 by HarperTeen
Original Title
Sword and Verse
ISBN
0062324616 (ISBN13: 9780062324610)
Raisa was only a child when she was kidnapped and enslaved in Qilara. Forced to serve in the palace of the King, she’s endured hunger, abuse, and the harrowing fear of discovery. Everyone knows that Raisa is Arnath, but not that she is a Learned One, a part of an Arnath group educated in higher order symbols. In Qilara, this language is so fiercely protected that only the King, the Prince, and Tutors are allowed to know it. So when the current Tutor-in-training is executed for sharing the guarded language with slaves and Raisa is chosen to replace her, Raisa knows that, although she may have a privileged position among slaves, any slipup could mean death.

That would be challenging enough, but training alongside Prince Mati could be her real undoing. And when a romance blossoms between them, she’s suddenly filled with a dangerous hope for something she never before thought possible: more. Then she’s approached by the Resistance—an underground army of slaves—to help liberate the Arnath people. Joining the Resistance could mean freeing her people…but she’d also be aiding in the war against her beloved, an honorable man she knows wants to help the slaves.

Working against the one she loves—and a palace full of deadly political renegades—has some heady consequences. As Raisa struggles with what’s right, she unwittingly uncovers a secret that the Qilarites have long since buried…one that, unlocked, could bring the current world order to its knees.

And Raisa is the one holding the key.

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MY REVIEW: (LAWonder10)
The Arnathian Island was raided, the learned ones destroyed and the rest taken into slavery. However, the learned mother of six year old, Raisa, had her flee to a friends house so her life was spared. Because of her early training, she was tested for a tutor position and prevailed. As a tutor-in-training, she met daily with the Prince Matti...Only a few years her senior. They  developed a secret , close friendship as they grew older. Would this be their undoing?

This is a tale of cruelty, betrayal, trust, change, rebellion, and Rites of Passage. 

The characters were very well developed and felt real. The scenes were detailed in a way, easily visualized. The Title and the Cover image were both eye-catching and well chosen.

The Narrator of the CD's, Emily Rankin,  was very talented and did an impressive job in creating the voices for the various characters. Her voice was very pleasant to listen to.

The action was non-stop and the story foundation began building steadily until ist ended in a astounding manner.

The only negative was the verse of the God's which preceded each chapter. That was slightly vague for the most part and wasn't clearly introduced before the story began. It took the reader awhile and great thought to connect and decipher it. 

I really did enjoy listening to the CDs and the ending left the reader anxious to discover more!
I offer a strong Four Stars rating.
This was gifted me with no suggestion, whatsoever, for a positive review. This is my honest review.

Kathy MacMillan is a writer, American Sign Language interpreter, librarian, signing storyteller, and avowed Hufflepuff. Kathy is the founder of The Sweet Sixteens (www.thesweet16s.com) debut group of 2016 middle grade and young adult authors, and serves as co-Regional Advisor for the Maryland/Delaware/West Virginia Region of the Society for Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators. She is a volunteer director for Deaf Camps, Inc., a nonprofit organization that provides camps for deaf children. She lives near Baltimore, MD.
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