Book Revew: Issaura’s Claws

This is my stop during the blog tour for Issaura’s Claws by Katharine E Wibell. This blog tour is organized by Lola’s Blog Tours. The blog tour runs from 10 till 23 April. You can see the tour schedule here.

Issaura’s Claws (The Incarn Saga #1)
By Katharine E Wibell
Genre: Fantasy
Age category: Young Adult
Release Date: 29 November, 2016

Blurb:
According to legend, when the world was young, the goddess Issaura appeared among men. Those who treated her with kindness received the gift of the gods—the ability to transform into an animal form. This was a great honor but one that separated this race from other humans. Before Issaura departed the mortal realm, she promised to return if her people were ever at the point of destruction.

“Now a threat is rising from a land across the mists of the ocean, a threat that will push this race to the brink of extinction. Responding to the call to war, seventeen-year-old Lluava heads off to find her destiny, one that will carve her name in history.”

You can find Issaura’s Claws on Goodreads

You can buy Issaura’s Claws here:
– Amazon
– Amazon Paperback

My Review:

A great book, that opens up a story about gods and two populations: Humans and Theriomorphs, a book that builds up characters. And this is the strongest point that I can identify.

Lluava has the ability to shape shift into a white tigress. She is proud of her origins, in a world where being different means not being accepted. A war is about to start and she volunteers as a representative of her family. From here on, we get to experience what means becoming a soldier and taking part in a war. This is a strong story, which shows the glory, but also the horrible side of war – except the gods-related aspects, which I am not planning on touching.

The book is divided in two parts, first one being focused in Lluava’s developments, second one following the war and how the team manages to work together. From writing perspective, the author has done a great job in pointing out all emotions for all characters. Most of all, depicting the war scenes. Even though I felt the action as being dragged as some point, later on I understood why I had this feeling.

I loved how the main character was presented – from start to end. She started apparently as a lonely person, constantly living with the idea of being different, all the while trying to fit in. She does however show us, even from the first pages, a strong character with a good sense of justice. But what actually impressed me was how the reader gets to experience her development: from a girl to a soldier, a leader. She will push herself far beyond her limits, only relying on her own strength. Lluava can become a model heroine.

Without any unnecessary comments, for me this was a lovely read, with a main character that is now among my favorites. It is a series that I will for sure follow.

About the Author:
Katharine Wibell’s lifelong interest in mythology includes epic poetry like the Odyssey, Ramayana, Beowulf, and the Nibelungenlied. In addition, she is interested in all things animal whether training dogs, apprenticing at a children’s zoo, or caring for injured animals as a licensed wildlife rehabilitator. After receiving degrees from Mercer University in both art and psychology with an emphasis in animal behavior, Wibell moved to New Orleans with her dog, Alli, to kick start her career as an artist and a writer. Her first literary works blend her knowledge of the animal world with the world of high fantasy.