Review: Sworn to Raise, by Terah Edun

This book and a handful of others are a result of my overly-enthusiastic ARC spree on Netgalley, which I admit I am very guilty of doing a lot. I end up with books I don’t like, and books I have to force myself to read. Lesson of the day? Stop going on Netgalley, no matter how tempting it is.

 

Title: Sworn to Raise
Author: Terah Edun
Genre: Fantasy
Pub. Date: April 10, 2013

Seventeen-year-old Ciardis has grown up in poverty, a cleaner in a small vale on the outskirts of the empire. But beneath her empire’s seemingly idyllic surface lies a hidden secret. Whispers of an inept crown Prince are growing ever louder—intensified by the five year anniversary of the soulbond initiations.

Amidst scandalous whispers, Ciardis finds herself chosen to train for the Companion’s Guild. She leaves her home and sets off on a personal journey to become a Court Companion. A position she’d never thought possible for a lowly servant to obtain, she must prove that she has the skills to attract a Patron.

But she must master those skills quickly. If the legends are true, only Ciardis can harness the power to raise a Prince in an Imperial Court sworn to bring him down.

This sensational series debut melds intricate storylines with remarkable characters and unforgettable magic. Sworn To Raise is ideal for fans of Kristin Cashore, Michelle Sagara, and Maria Snyder. -Goodreads

My Rating: 1 star

Every once in a while we all come across a very mediocre book.

You don't hate them, you don't love them, and they don't really affect your life in any way. You're kind of indifferent to everything that occurs and could care less about any of the characters. You notice the countless flaws, but couldn't be bothered enough to actually list all of them.

Usually, this "meh" feeling is a sigh of amateur writing and under-developed characters. Needless to say, when readers feel this way towards a book, that is a BAAAAAD sign.

From the moment I began reading this, the writing clearly needed work. There were run-on sentences, sentences that made little sense, and sentences that completely ignored the rules of grammar. It was painful to read, to say the least.

AND THE MISPLACED COMMAS OH GOD.

Trudging through this book, I noticed that it lacked the given fundamentals that a reader expects. The plot went all over the place, there was no cohesiveness, and plenty of times I found myself scratching my head out of confusion. The conversations flowed unnaturally. To be put bluntly, it was all quite awkward.

I could go on and on about the numerous problems with this book, (ex: why did she willingly travel with an unknown stranger? Where was the world-building?) but, I don’t believe this series has much hope. It needs a lot more improvement, and by a lot, I mean A LOT. Just read this sentence and you be the judge.

"Inch by inch, it withdrew from the core of his magic like a parasitic water worm being withdrawn from a swollen sore."

....

*barfs*