Aranya (Shapeshifter Dragons Book 1) was a very enjoyable
read. Aranya is the Princess of Immadia.
As the story begins she is taken as a hostage by the Sylakians who have
conquered most of the known world. Right
from the beginning you know that there is something special about this
Princess. Aranya is not a sit in the castle and wait to be rescued by Prince
Charming kind of Princess. Aranya is a
Princess more than willing to fight her own battles, but more than that she is
willing to fight on behalf of the oppressed and those that the Sylakians plan to
crush and destroy. When the Sylarkians attempt to execute Aranya all they do is
provide the key that unlocks some of the mystery of who she really is.
The world building in this book is very good. The characters
and creatures you meet along the way are great.
The plot is excellent. I loved some of the deeper themes like the importance
of knowing who you really are and the value of living a life you can be proud
of. I was also very taken by a dialogue around the scars that we carry and the
value they can have in making us who we are.
One of my favorite things about this book was that it was complete in itself while laying some good groundwork for a sequel which I look forward to reading sometime in the future.
One of my favorite things about this book was that it was complete in itself while laying some good groundwork for a sequel which I look forward to reading sometime in the future.
