Jillian Boehme's debut YA, Stormrise, was a fast paced read with a familiar plot that will appeal to fans of Mulan's legend and Tamora Pierce sense of fantasy storytelling. I found it to be an enjoyable read that is perfectly suited for readers who are being introduced to the YA genre.
When Stonewall is breached, a draft is carried out where every able-bodied man must join the effort to protect the wall. In order to spare her twin brother this fate, Rain purchases a powder derived from dragon magic that enables her to disguise herself as a boy.
However, she soon begins to hear the voice of the ancient dragon Nuaga echo in her head as a consequence to using the powder. Since Rain's father trained her to be a Neshu warrior in secret, Rain quickly rises in the military ranks. While harboring her true identity, Rain must come to terms with her inner self if she wishes for her kingdom's survival...and her own.
Boehme carries forth a strong sense of independence from the established patriarchy that her protagonist, Rain, was born into. The sense of justice and need for independence from gender normative roles prevailed throughout the work without overwhelming readers. Because of the emphasis on these themes, I believe that the dragon's voice that Rain hears is a metaphor for the dragon within. As a young woman, Rain was forced to adhere to societal expectations; however, by listening to her inner self, she awakened a dragon.
ABOUT THE BOOK
Stormrise
by Jillian Boehme Publisher: Tor Teen Release Date: September 24th 2019 Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Dragons
Synopsis:
A combat warrior will risk everything to awaken the dragons and save her kingdom in Jillian Boehme's epic YA Fantasy debut, Stormrise , inspired by Twelfth Night and perfect for fans of Tamora Pierce.
If Rain weren’t a girl, she would be respected as a Neshu combat master. Instead, her gender dooms her to a colorless future. When an army of nomads invades her kingdom, and a draft forces every household to send one man to fight, Rain takes her chance to seize the life she wants.
Knowing she’ll be killed if she’s discovered, Rain purchases powder made from dragon magic that enables her to disguise herself as a boy. Then she hurries to the war camps, where she excels in her training—and wrestles with the voice that has taken shape inside her head. The voice of a dragon she never truly believed existed.
As war looms and Rain is enlisted into an elite, secret unit tasked with rescuing the High King, she begins to realize this dragon tincture may hold the key to her kingdom’s victory. For the dragons that once guarded her land have slumbered for centuries . . . and someone must awaken them to fight once more.
BOOK LINKS
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
JILLIAN BOEHME is known to the online writing community as Authoress, hostess of Miss Snark's First Victim, a blog for aspiring authors. In real life, she holds a degree in Music Education, sings with the Nashville Symphony Chorus, and homeschools her remaining youngster-at-home. She's still crazy in love with her husband of more than thirty years and is happy to be surrounded by family and friends amid the rolling knolls of Middle Tennessee.
AUTHOR LINKS
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Starts: 10th September 2019
Finishes: 24th September 2019
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