Voice of Power

I fell in love with Cellier's fairytale series, but I was doubting if this would be my cup of tea. Until I thought about it a little longer and I was like: How can this not be my cup of tea? It's about the power of words, spoken, written and read. It's in a fantasy world with political issues. And there's a royal family and a handsome prince.And the moment I started this book this morning, it felt like coming home. Cellier's writing style is easy to read and flows nicely. Her stories always have a good pace. They start in the middle of the action and then we follow the characters while their entire world is turned upside down. And this book is not different. And even though there is some world building to do, it's nicely woven into the story and it never feels like an info dump.The world Cellier has crafted is also very interesting. There are a lot of political games going on that Elena, and therefore we as a reader, doesn't fully understand yet. But the glimpses in this book are only promising for the future books, when we're probably diving into that more. Apart from that, I like how Cellier plays with all the prejudice and the lack of knowledge the Mages and the commoners have of each other.And although the plot of the story is fairly simple, in this book at least, the characters keep it interesting. Elena is an easy to identify with heroine. She's fierce and strong and witty, but she also learns when to keep her mouth shut and actually listens to good advice. And Lucas might still remain a mystery, I did like him from the very start and I can't wait to get to know him better. On top of that I like it that Elena actually has a few friends who she also really spends time with. Strangely enough, that feels kinda refreshing.I'm really excited to order and get the next book in this series!

This book is just wonderful! I couldn't put it down! I liked the story, the setting, the characters. Even though sometimes I wanted to slap Elena and, of course Lucas – who is really intriguing! But I liked also the side characters very much, so well described and credible. Can’t wait for book number two…on paperback! I just can’t read Kindle books – I’m old fashioned  . Thus, I hope the paperback version will be available very very soon.Thanks to Melanie for all the amazing books she has written and for this new world she has created! Hope, one day, I will be able to give to my writing attempts such a special touch.

As a fan of Cellier's Four Kingdoms series, I was hesitant to read her newest creation, but I was pleasantly surprised. Cellier carefully and slowly introduces you to her new world and its unique magical system and government. Her characters all have flaws and strengths, although as far as physical descriptions go, we are mostly given hair and eye colors, and not much more. As the hopefully obvious first installment of the series, Cellier introduces what will be ongoing plots and character developments that we will hopefully see more of in the next three books. I greatly appreciated that the aspiring romances aren't smothering the rest of the story, making us cringe, but rather are introduced to us, but also left as something delectable to enjoy later as the series progresses.Melanie Cellier writes an enjoyable and clean fantasy story and I am definitely reading the next one.

As Always, Melanie Cellier has opened up a new world full of delightful fun, exciting discoveries, and humorous, well built characters. She's built a complex world, one that unfolds before our eyes as we, alongside the heroine, delve deeper into its mysteries. The characters are wonderful. It was at first a shock to me when I considered their ages--I have a brother in that age group. But as I continued reading, it make more and more sense. Their behavior matches their growth, and brings them out as realistic, relatable characters. While I did enjoy this book, I found it not quite as exiting for me, when compared to her fairy tales. I have a feeling it was the ages--and comparing the characters to my brother--that made it a little harder to get into. So while I'm only giving it four stars, I do still think its quite a wonderful book.

I really enjoyed this book! It has the vibe of Harry Potter but it brings something new to the table. While it may not have a ton of plot twists and action moments, it does have a great story! I could not put it down! The protagonist, Eleanor, is very relatable and you can see how her character changes throughout the book. I also enjoy how her humility shows a tiny bit of pride from ignorance and I find that the most relatable attribute.