Book Review: Sovereign Hope
Sovereign Hope (The Hope Series #1)
By: Frankie Rose
Published By: Create Space
Publication Date: July 1, 2012
Page Count: 391
Source: Ebook kindly provided by the author
Audience: Young Adult - Fantasy
Sovereign Hope's synopsis definitely intrigued me as I haven't really
read anything about the premise of soul-takers so I was quite excited to
get started with something different from what I've been reading
lately. As it turns out, this story had some charm and proved to have
an interesting concept.
In this world that Frankie Rose has created, there are immortal beings called Reavers, who have survived for hundreds of years by consuming the souls of people. The balance has been tipped by their corruption and evilness, and unbeknownst to Farley Hope, she is about to play a major role in the prophecies of these beings in equalizing the balance once again.
The beginning of the story opens with a bang that had me shaking my head in both amazement and astonishment at what played out on a busy LA freeway, in which Farley finds herself in the middle of some bizarre supernatural incident. The whole situation seemed so extraordinary that I HAD to see how it played out. Did the whole crazy scene make the news? Who was this obnoxious driver in the mysterious Dodge Charger following Farley and wanting her to leave with him? And who were these men in the black SUV she accidentally hit that carried guns and looked like they just left filming the Matrix? Definitely had my interest piqued.
Farley Hope is the story's protagonist...she's an 18 year old girl whose mother went missing a few months earlier and her father died in a car crash without ever knowing him. We only discover more about her as the story unfolds and I'm not sure if this is the reason that I had a bit of difficulty connecting with Farley -- especially at first. I realize that connecting with the heroine sometimes comes down to the syncing of personalities between the protag and that of the reader...so maybe we were not too in sync. I understood her significance in the story but I didn't quite feel the punch of that significance. However, there was something that I found in Farley that I wanted to get to know more as I DID empathize with her situation...particularly with the mixed signals she was getting from Daniel and her frustration at being left in the dark by the people around her that claimed to be helping her and protecting her. They felt that slowly sharing bits of information with her would ease her into this crazy world she had no idea existed but, not surprisingly, it seemed to have the opposite effect with Farley. We also later found out that there were other reasons for keeping her in the dark as well...but that still didn't take away the frustration I felt along with Farley.
Daniel, on the other hand, I did connect with quite easily...even though he was incredibly cold and seemingly indifferent towards Farley for much of the story. Thankfully, we as the reader, got some insight into why he was this way with her, and I did appreciate that. It helped me empathize with his side of the story and appreciate their encounters all the more. I loved the going back in time aspect and learning a bit more about Daniel's background. And that was perhaps another reason why I connected more with him versus Farley. We got very little of Farley's background...just bits and pieces as the story unfolded.
I will say that the romantic tension between Farley and Daniel was well played out. A few close calls along the way was my driving incentive to try to squeeze in more reading time during a busy week where I found little time to read. Their encounters were sweet, confusing, and frustrating all at the same time.
I also quite liked Agatha and Alden...although they were some of the people around Farley responsible for keeping her in the dark most of the time, only sharing with her on an 'as needed' basis. But I enjoyed their personalities and quirkiness.
Some developments along the way left me quite blindsided and I enjoyed some of those shocking revelations, but some of them were predictable through the clues that were left. I did find a couple of minor inconsistencies but they were not deal-breakers. I did feel that the ending was a bit abrupt and too neatly solved but overall I felt that Sovereign Hope had some strong points and some potential to develop into a worthwhile trilogy.
I'd like to thank the author for allowing me to read and review her book.
In this world that Frankie Rose has created, there are immortal beings called Reavers, who have survived for hundreds of years by consuming the souls of people. The balance has been tipped by their corruption and evilness, and unbeknownst to Farley Hope, she is about to play a major role in the prophecies of these beings in equalizing the balance once again.
The beginning of the story opens with a bang that had me shaking my head in both amazement and astonishment at what played out on a busy LA freeway, in which Farley finds herself in the middle of some bizarre supernatural incident. The whole situation seemed so extraordinary that I HAD to see how it played out. Did the whole crazy scene make the news? Who was this obnoxious driver in the mysterious Dodge Charger following Farley and wanting her to leave with him? And who were these men in the black SUV she accidentally hit that carried guns and looked like they just left filming the Matrix? Definitely had my interest piqued.
Farley Hope is the story's protagonist...she's an 18 year old girl whose mother went missing a few months earlier and her father died in a car crash without ever knowing him. We only discover more about her as the story unfolds and I'm not sure if this is the reason that I had a bit of difficulty connecting with Farley -- especially at first. I realize that connecting with the heroine sometimes comes down to the syncing of personalities between the protag and that of the reader...so maybe we were not too in sync. I understood her significance in the story but I didn't quite feel the punch of that significance. However, there was something that I found in Farley that I wanted to get to know more as I DID empathize with her situation...particularly with the mixed signals she was getting from Daniel and her frustration at being left in the dark by the people around her that claimed to be helping her and protecting her. They felt that slowly sharing bits of information with her would ease her into this crazy world she had no idea existed but, not surprisingly, it seemed to have the opposite effect with Farley. We also later found out that there were other reasons for keeping her in the dark as well...but that still didn't take away the frustration I felt along with Farley.
Daniel, on the other hand, I did connect with quite easily...even though he was incredibly cold and seemingly indifferent towards Farley for much of the story. Thankfully, we as the reader, got some insight into why he was this way with her, and I did appreciate that. It helped me empathize with his side of the story and appreciate their encounters all the more. I loved the going back in time aspect and learning a bit more about Daniel's background. And that was perhaps another reason why I connected more with him versus Farley. We got very little of Farley's background...just bits and pieces as the story unfolded.
I will say that the romantic tension between Farley and Daniel was well played out. A few close calls along the way was my driving incentive to try to squeeze in more reading time during a busy week where I found little time to read. Their encounters were sweet, confusing, and frustrating all at the same time.
I also quite liked Agatha and Alden...although they were some of the people around Farley responsible for keeping her in the dark most of the time, only sharing with her on an 'as needed' basis. But I enjoyed their personalities and quirkiness.
Some developments along the way left me quite blindsided and I enjoyed some of those shocking revelations, but some of them were predictable through the clues that were left. I did find a couple of minor inconsistencies but they were not deal-breakers. I did feel that the ending was a bit abrupt and too neatly solved but overall I felt that Sovereign Hope had some strong points and some potential to develop into a worthwhile trilogy.
I'd like to thank the author for allowing me to read and review her book.
Summary:
Everyone has a soul
Some are just worth more than others
Farley Hope was seventeen when her mother disappeared. In the last six months not much has changed, except that her eighteenth birthday came and went and still no sign of Moira. Her life is just as complicated as it always was. Since her father died in a car crash before she was even born, she’s officially parentless, and to top it all off she’s still suffering from the hallucinations. Mind-splitting, vivid hallucinations- the kind prone to induce night terrors and leave you whimpering under your covers like a baby.
The last thing on her mind is boys. Farley is on break from St. Judes’ when she meets Daniel. It’s not some casual run in at a party, or even a blind date with friends, though. Daniel is the guy following her in his 1970′s Dodge Charger; the guy standing at her window in the LA lunch hour traffic, trying to persuade her to leave everything behind and follow him. And he's hot as all hell.
The moment Farley lays eyes on Daniel, everything changes. He is cold and withdrawn, but there are cracks in his harsh veneer- cracks that betray the secrets he is trying so hard to hide. Farley is drawn into a world that will shake apart everything she thought she ever knew. There are truths out there that she must learn: that a person’s soul is their only real currency, and there are people who would do anything to take hers; that loving someone can hurt so much more than hating them; but, most importantly, when your future is predestined, there is little you can do to change it.
Farley Hope is prophesied.
Her coming has been awaited for hundreds of years.
She is destined to end the tyranny of the Soul Reavers.
To do so she must die.
Cool trailer! I enjoyed your honest review. This sounds like a unique story with some great things going for it. I am curious about the book so I may give it a try. Thanks for sharing. :)
ReplyDelete~Jess
Hey Jess! I hope you DO give Sovereign Hope a try, and please DO let me know what you think! I still think many will enjoy this story!
ReplyDeleteAnd thanks for enjoying my review and for your comments! :)
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