Blog Tour + Giveaway: Fraction of Stone by Kelley Lynn

Reading Level: Ages 13 and up
Paperback: 293 Pages
Release Date: March 21, 2013
Publisher: Sapphire Star Publishing
Narration: Third Person: Akara & Rydan
Genre: Fantasy/Superpowers
Challenge: Debut
Source: Xpresso Book Tours

Fraction Series:
Book One: Fraction of Stone

Order On Amazon: Paperback

Order On Barnes and Noble:
Paperback

Goodreads Synopsis:

There is only one among the Tarmack nation with the ability to wield magic, eighteen-year-old Rydan Gale. He lives like a prince, cherished for his talent to bend the fabric of the universe to his will. In the war against the Liasam, he is their ultimate weapon.

The Liasam have a source of magic as well, but Akara’s mastery of her power is rudimentary at best. With a brilliant display of fire-rain Rydan’s side wins the war, giving the Tarmack sole control over dwindling resources due to the natural disasters ripping apart the earth.

When Akara is sentenced to death, Rydan questions the motive, and discovers the leaders of the newly unified nation fear magic above all else. With war a memory, his skills no longer needed, Rydan suspects he is next. Throwing away every comfort, he pulls Akara from the flames of her execution and their lives as fugitives begin.

Both have a tattoo on the back of their neck, the mark of an extinguished tribe. They discover the natural disasters plaguing the world are due to the tribe’s demise and only Rydan and Akara can save the crumbling world.

But the greatest obstacle for saving mankind isn’t the bizarre creatures and determined men hunting them.

It’s that Akara doesn’t believe the world is worth saving.

My Review:

*Some minor spoilers may be included.*

I don't know what I was expecting to find when I first started Fraction of Stone, but it certainly wasn't this. The summary intrigued me with talk about the fate of entire civilizations, the entire world, hinging on the decision of one single girl. In most YA stories, the hero or heroine always does whatever it takes to save all of humanity, but in Fraction of Stone.....that was certainly not the case. Instead, our heroine doesn't believe the world is worth saving. 

Of course I wanted to read more about this magic filled world Kelley created, but I wasn't overly excited about it. Like how desperate I am right now to read Apollyon by Jennifer Armentrout. xD However, after reading the novel, I'm wondering why I pushed it so far back on my TBR pile. Fraction of Stone makes you really stop and think from the characters' perspectives instead of immediately labeling them as heartless people.

Although Rydan and Akara are the only people with the ability to wield magic, they had two entirely different upbringings. Rydan was seen somewhat like a crown prince of his nation. He had everything he could ever want growing up as a child. All the best clothes, all the nicest weapons, and of course, all the prettiest girls. In the beginning of the novel, we see him as a pompous, arrogant, and overly optimistic guy who is used to being treated as the hero. But under that superficial exterior, we also see a quieter side. A side that craves someone who understands the strain of using magic. Someone who fills the undeniable loneliness he tries so desperately to hide. 

Akara, on the other hand, got the short end of the stick. Although she is a very talented sorceress who can wield unfathomable amounts of power, she is treated as no more than a filthy piece of property to be used as a weapon when needed and thrown into the corner to rot when not. Ever since she accidentally lost control of her power and injured her teacher as a child, she was condemned and locked in a cell where she would never see the light of day. Since she's constantly drugged, she can barely even remember her own name, and when she's in the state of mind to think, she craves nothing more than her own death. A way to escape the constant pain she endures from her torturers and the deadness she feels inside.

Fraction of Stone has an immense amount of character development, that rivals even that of The Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson. Both Akara and Rydan learn from each other and become better people in result of it. When Rydan saved Akara from being burned alive, some of his reasoning was because he knew it was wrong and iniquitous. However, the majority of it was for his own personal gain. For the opportunity to figure out who he really was and where he really came from. When he did discover that his true calling was to rescue the world from it's ultimate collapse, he treated the quest as if it was a game. A way to be welcomed back into his city as a hero instead of a fugitive. As the story progresses, he learns that life and death is in fact not a game to be played, but something to be taken seriously. Rydan realizes that the weight of the entire world is literally resting on his shoulders.

After Akara is saved by Rydan, she still remains distrustful of all those around her, including her savior. Which is understandable, considering all of the hardships her people put her through. To Rydan, she has little more personality than a husk of corn. Throughout the novel, she begins to open up, little by little, to her travelling companions and learns that there are things in the world, no matter how small, worth saving. I loved the way that Kelley described the outside world in Akara's eyes. She saw beauty in the littlest things, because beauty was a luxury absent in her prior life of dungeons and dank cages. Akara was a great protagonist who challenged me to look at the world in a totally different light. She was a strong and intelligent character that may very well be one of the best written female heroines of 2013 so far.

The action had me completely absorbed in the story. Although the majority of the plot was of them travelling to remote places in order to gather the different fragments of the Gia stone, there was never a dull moment! Every time I even contemplated getting bored, some sort of high speed chase or magic flinging battle ensued to keep my mind occupied.

The romance had to be one of the best aspects of this novel. Thankfully, there was no Insta-Love connection where the two main characters felt that they were destined to be together, because the fates said it was so. In the beginning, they actually hated each other in a way, or if not hate, at least secretly despise. But as they journeyed on into uncharted waters, their trust in each other grew and they learned to rely on each other if they ever came across trouble. Their once acquaintance labeled relationship turned into friendship which gradually morphed into love.

Overall, Kelley is a truly talented author that I will be looking out for in the future. I can't believe that this is only her debut novel! With the style of writing she used and the amount of character development she incorporated into her story, she could be mistaken for a much more experienced author. I would recommend Fraction of Stone to anyone who enjoys strong protagonists, magic filled adventures, and thought provoking stories.

                           *An ebook copy was provided by Xpresso Book Tours 

                                                    in exchange for a honest and thoughtful review.

Heroine- 5/5
Hero- 4.5/5
Romance- 5/5
Action- 5/5
Comedy- 3.5/5
Overall- 4.5/5                                

                                        Click to Watch Book Trailer

About The Author:

During Kelley Lynn’s last year at the University of Wisconsin – Madison, while pursuing her degree in Chemical Engineering, the voices in her head got the best of her. Surprisingly, they didn’t want to talk about process flow diagrams and heat capacity. They preferred the fantastical. So instead of turning to her Thermodynamics book, Kelley brought up a blank page on her computer screen and wrote.

Come graduation, not only did Kelley have a diploma and, thankfully, a wonderful job, but she had a new obsession as well. Amidst the order and exactness that came with the nine to five, Kelley found a way to create; to determine the rules of a world and take her characters to the limits of what was possible. Perhaps she has a slight control complex.

The first in the series, Fraction of Stone, was born on an airplane and took ten days to write. It probes the question, should the world be saved if there’s no one in it worth saving?

When briefly managing to quiet the voices, Kelley participates in softball, soccer and volleyball. (You probably don’t want her on your volleyball team. Unless you want to laugh.) She lives with her sister and her dog who can attest to the chair that has Kelley’s butt print permanently pressed into it. Depending on the weekend, you might be able to hear Kelley sing for an area classic rock band.

Kelley Lynn is a member of the Society of Children’s Books Writers and Illustrators.

Find The Author:

( Goodreads ! Website ! Twitter ! Facebook )

Giveaway (5 Ebook Copies)

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