The Unfinished Song and Taboo by Tara Maya: Review by AimeeKay

Greetings from the Rusty Dagger. We are currently anchored in the Persian Gulf while Captain Vix hunts for an informant with knowledge of the Narwal's where abouts. Be warned before you read any further the review of the latest book or should I say books, does have some spoilage to it. So reader beware, I hope you enjoy!



Amazon
Smashwords

$4.99

Amazon Summery:

A DETERMINED GIRL...
Dindi can't do anything right, maybe because she spends more time dancing with pixies than doing her chores. Her clan hopes to marry her off and settle her down, but she dreams of becoming a Tavaedi, one of the powerful warrior-dancers whose secret magics are revealed only to those who pass a mysterious Test during the Initiation ceremony. The problem? No-one in Dindi's clan has ever passed the Test. Her grandmother died trying. But Dindi has a plan.

AN EXILED WARRIOR...
Kavio is the most powerful warrior-dancer in Faearth, but when he is exiled from the tribehold for a crime he didn't commit, he decides to shed his old life. If roving cannibals and hexers don't kill him first, this is his chance to escape the shadow of his father's wars and his mother's curse. But when he rescues a young Initiate girl, he finds himself drawn into as deadly a plot as any he left behind. He must decide whether to walk away or fight for her... assuming she would even accept the help of an exile.


Amazon
Smashwords

$4.99

Amazon Summery:

A DEVASTATING SETBACK
Enemy tribesmen attacked during the Initiation. Dindi used the magic of the corn cob doll to protect herself and others but at a terrible price. Now her dreams are in shambles. In despair, she decides to step into the forbidden faery ring, and dance herself to death with the fae. Then she discovers another choice that saves her life…but breaks the ultimate taboo.

A DESPERATE OUTREACH
After being unfairly exiled from his own people, Kavio may have found a new home, but only if he can protect it from another attack by the enemy. He gathers a small group to venture deep into the heart of enemy territory in search of the ultimate prize…peace.

But by the harsh laws of their land, they cannot both break taboos and keep the peace. They will each have to choose, what, or whom, to betray.

***Big time spoiler alert!*** If you are going to buy the first book, just save yourself a little time and buy the second one at the same time! The first book pretty much ends directly in the middle of the story!!!!***End spoiler alert***(kinda)


K, now that I've got that out of my system...on with the review.

In the first book Unfinished Song: Initiate, Tara Maya deftly introduces her characters. Dindi-the troubled misfit, Kavio-the exiled son of a great leader, Rthan-A war leader bent on revenge, Gwenika-the ill daughter of Zavaedi Brena, just to name a few. (I'll try not to spoil EVERYTHING) She also introduces us to Faearth. A wondrous world of faeries and magic. While reading her descriptions of the land, and it's tribes, it reminded me of The People Books by W.Michael and Katheleen O'NealGear. (this is definitely a compliment, since their books are among my favorites) In the second book, Unfinished Song: Taboo, she continues the story she began in Initiate, weaving her characters and their stories together into an amazing tale.

I was pleasantly surprised by this book. To be honest I expected something slightly different. Maybe more romance, less story? Not really sure but what I got was definitely better then what I thought I was going to. Don't get me wrong, there is a romance beginning between Dindi and Kavio, in fact they are not the only ones who begin to fall in love. But the story isn't only about them, but also about their world. How it is changing, and how they themselves are helping to change it.

The story doesn't end with Taboo. There is a third book in the series, called Sacrifice, that I am looking forward to getting and reading hopefully soon (It says at the end of the first book that it is due out in June of 2011, but I can't seem to find it anywhere yet, So if anybody knows where I could get a copy please feel free to let me know!).

While the story is not over in Taboo it doesn't seem to cut off as drastically as it did at the end of Initiate, so I wasn't as agitated when it ended as I was when I flicked to the next page in Initiate and instead of more story found nothing. Almost threw my reader overboard. I know this doesn't sound positive, but trust me for the book to draw me in that much is definitely saying something. The book is beautifully descriptive, even in the violence, Maya doesn't cringe from verbally illustrating that either. The story was great, and I was really able to connect and actually care about the characters. Dindi is stuck in a world that doesn't understand her. She isn't allowed to dance because it is taboo for non-Tavaedi, but given the chance she can dance better than most. She can also see the faeries and the chromas (magic) of the Tavaedi. So it's not like she is trying to do something wrong. But no one, not even Kovia who is trying not to fall in love with her, believes that she can see them.

Rthan is driven by his vengeance and by a blue faerie that takes the form of his dead daughter, but he finds himself falling in love with Zavaedi Brena, whos clansmen killed his child and wife. By the end of the book I was wondering if the Aelfae (upper faeries) were really gone, and if they were using the dancers and their magic to exact a revenge for the massacre of their people centuries before. I guess I will have to wait for the third installment to answer some of my questions.

If you're looking for great summer read with more to it than your average romance definitely check this one out. (or should I say two?) It's worth it getting both books at once, Unfinished Song is a great series.

'Til the next time

AimeeKay