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Title: You Are Mine
Author: Janeal Falor
Published: 2013 by Chardonian Press
Genre: Fantasy, Paranormal, Young Adult
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Wow. I love it when I’m pleasantly surprised by a book!
You would not want to live in this society, especially as a woman. Women are property. They are left in the dark (legitimately), aren’t allowed to sit down in certain situations like waiting for an appointment, are physically punished for the most mundane things, and they are just treated so awful it will make you sick. But stick around, because even though all that occurs it is really a good book!
It’s Serena’s 17th birthday and she is getting her blood examined. This will tell her father and other warlocks (potential husbands) how much magic she has (which is useful to know for any baby warlocks she might have) and therefore how valuable it will be to marry her. It’s not long before Serena has an intended husband lined up. She is at a tournament where warlocks from all over duel with one another. Serena’s future husband loses the dual, and therefore she is now property of one of the barbaric Envadi clan! Chancellor Zade (Envadi) proves to be much different than Serena is used to, but that doesn’t keep her off her toes. After all, he might just be testing her to punish her later. Is Zade as nice as he appears, or does he have an ulterior motive?
You know one reason I loved this book was because it wasn’t like Zade jumped in and saved Serena. Yes, he did make her life easier a bunch of times, but it wasn’t like halfway through the book he proclaimed his undying love for her. He didn’t. I actually wasn’t sure whether he had feelings for her or not until the very end. I love that!
Serena was such a strong character. She would often take punishments from her father to protect her 13 other sisters. The poor women in this book. As if they weren’t scared and tortured enough; if they make their owner angry enough, they can become tarnished; tattooed, barren, and worthless. In fact, Serena meets and makes friends with a tarnished woman, and she learns that things aren’t always as they appear.
Maybe reading this review makes the book seem a little dark, but I didn’t feel depressed after reading it; I felt intrigued. Perhaps it was Serena’s strong attitude; for a bunch of times I didn’t know if I could live through what she went though. And Serena’s sister keeps her company a lot and helps keep the book uplifting because Serena has someone to confide in. And the fact that it’s not an immediate romance, but there is substantial character development is another huge plus for me. And lastly, the ending. The ending was not what I expected at all, and that’s one of the reasons I liked it. If you couldn’t tell by now, I really enjoyed this book, and I’m looking forward to reading more from Janeal Falor.
My Rating: 4 1 /2 out of 5 stars
~Pam
*****I received this book free from the author in exchange for an honest review.*****