Just Hatched is a feature where I share my first impressions of a book after the first chapter. Check out the announcement post for more information.
Left-Hand Gods by Jamie Lackey is a new fantasy that takes a unique angle to magic in a fantasy world that feels both familiar and fresh. I’m definitely intrigued and hoping to find time to finish this one, and not just because I’ve been promised a dragon and a magic horse ;-).
Note: I received an advanced copy of Left-Hand Gods from the publisher. Some things may have changed in the final version.
Left-Hand Gods by Jamie Lackey
Published by Hadley Rille Books on July 15th, 2016
Genres: Fantasy, YA
Page Length: 244 pages
How I got my copy: Author
Amazon - IndieBound - Barnes & Noble - Goodreads
Purchases made support this blog
Elizabeth Avigaline has spent her whole life hiding because of the magic in her blood, a gift to left-handed people from the Left-Hand Gods.
People like Beth have been hated, feared, and burned at the stake in Cadarnfel for over three hundred years, ever since magic broke the old Empire. But the new Queen is left-handed, and things are finally changing.
Beth leaves the safety of her home and travels to Cadarnfel’s plague-ravaged capital with her unwanted fiancé, her scheming mother, and Solas Brightwind, a handsome mage sent to fetch her. Soon after Beth arrives, Dumarion, the only left-handed dragon, arrives with a warning.
An army of demons is preparing to attack the city on the night of the next new moon.
The demons won’t stop after destroying the city–the fate of the entire world rests on the defenders’ shoulders, and they have less than a month to prepare.
How is the writing style?
The writing is pretty standard for the genre. It gives you an idea of what things look like without being overly descriptive and mostly just delivers the plot and characters to the reader in a nicely transparent manner. The story is told from Beth’s perspective, third-person limited, past tense, so again, fairly standard.
General tone of the beginning
The beginning of this story shows us immediately that the magic is going to be a bit unique since apparently only left-handed people have magic and to use it, Beth must stab her fingers for blood sacrifices. It is a time of change in the kingdom where previously magicians were burned at the stake, but the new king seems to now be actively seeking out the few magic users remaining. Definitely a clear ‘chosen one’ feel to it, but with secondary characters that I already like. Even Beth’s controlling mother already has depth to her in that she is simply going to come with her daughter who is insisting on running away with the magician that just showed up out of nowhere.
Setting, genre, etc?
Fantasy young adult for sure. Beth is clearly a teenager coming of age in a world that expects her to marry soon and magic, so yeah, fantasy.
Verdict
- My current read, leave me alone! (~5 stars)
- Reading in the near future *hides from TBR pile glare* (~4 stars)
- Hoping to get back to eventually (~3 stars)
- Probably not getting back to but someone else will like it (~2 stars)
- Don’t really want to push this copy on anyone else (~1 star)
Left-Hand Gods is getting 4 stars from me, very close to 4.5, and I probably would just keep reading it if I wasn’t in the middle of other books that I also want to finish with my limited reading time. I definitely recommend you check this one out if you are in the mood for fantasy that is a bit different but still has favorite elements.
Have you read this one yet? Are you inclined to check it out?
Here’s a preview!
-Anya
Left-Hand Gods by Jamie Lackey
© 2016, Anya. All rights reserved.
