Review: Akarnae

Akarnae by Lynette Noni
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**Re-read 01/19**

Reading this for a second time was such a fun experience. I was a little cynical the first time around because I'm wary of HP rip-offs, but there's so much sass in this series it's hard for me not to fall in love.

Alex is such a fantastic protagonist. She falls into this world of magic and takes it all in her stride, going along with it, and copping crap from her new BFFs, Jordan and Bear, whenever she starts to take the magic stuff too seriously. This is a book that's not afraid to poke fun at itself.

There aren't really any characters I don't like. They're all a bit different, and unusual, and psychotic. Karter is awesome. Finn ... nope. I would not want to do one of his classes at all, nuh-uh.

Kaiden James .... mmmm. I mean, he didn't properly steal my heart until book 2, so it was fun flirting with him a little in this one. He and Declan were far less intimidating this time around. Funny how that happens.

I really do love this series and I need more people to read it so I can fangirl over these characters more. Okay? Thanks friends!


**Original Review 12/16**

Hmm. A YA Fantasy novel set at a boarding school for 'gifted' kids. Where have I read this plot before??!

Yet there was something about it that really drew me in and this turned out to be a pretty enjoyable novel. It's slightly awkward in its introduction to the world, with blocks of information and some pretty thin explanations, however this does open things up nicely for greater depth in subsequent novels.

Alex's initial journey from her world to Akarnae feels quite out of place, but once it's out of the way the story flows quite naturally, and fast. I rather enjoyed the dynamics between the main trio, as well as the colourful supporting cast, though it was a little frustrating that everyone was 'unnaturally good-looking'. Mostly I enjoyed the humour and the ease of the interactions - and the absence of moodiness. It was light and fun, despite the inevitable dark thread destined to tie the conclusion to the remainder of the series.

It's painfully obvious that the author is a Harry Potter fan, but that hasn't prevented the production of an entertaining introduction to a new fantasy series, likely to be popularised by its own merits. An easy recommendation for YA fantasy lovers, but likely to be particularly enjoyable to HP fans looking for something new to sink their teeth into.

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