The Pearl Savage by Tamara Rose Blodgett: Review by AimeeKay

Greeting from the Rusty Dagger. We still are awaiting news of the Narwal as we drift through the Iron Seas. This time Melissa was nice enough to send me a copy of The Pearl Savage by Tamara Rose Blodgett.

link to smashwords
Paperback-$8.99
Kindle- $0.99

Description from Smashwords:

"The Guardians," have saved a fragment of 1890s America in nineteen spheres when a natural disaster threatened to drive humanity to extinction. One hundred forty years later, Clara is a seventeen-year old princess that feels a great obligation to her kingdom that is encased in a steam-engineered, bio-sphere for their survival. Clara's father, King Raymond, passes away when she is only twelve, leaving the Kingdom of Ohio in the sadistic rule of her mother. Queen Ada has promised Clara's hand in marriage to an abusive prince of a neighboring sphere. When it's discovered that there are people outside the sphere that did survive, Clara deliberates on escaping Outside to a future free of abuse and tyranny. Unbeknownst to Clara, the Clan people of the Outside have their own calamity and set of perils. Those two objectives collide in an emotional and tumultuous story of love, duty and survival.

Characters:
Seventeen-year old Clara Williamson, reluctant princess and daughter to Queen Ada, lover of wine…who exchanges Clara’s liberty for free trade of grapes with another sphere…

Bracus, who as a protector of the Band, must save his clan’s people from extinction Outside…

Charles, Clara’s long-time companion, keeps his love for her tightly veiled…

Prince Frederic, her sadistic betrothed…bent on having her, and she, escaping his grasp…

Suddenly, with both the clan and sphere peoples’ destiny in her hands, Clara finds herself torn between love and duty…


This was a good story. I liked the world Blodgett has created. I wasn't too sure about the way the author switched between the characters points of view at first, but it didn't really detract from the story. I really liked how she used the mystery "guards" thoughts, I was guessing who it was up until the last moment before his true identity was revealed.

One of the few problems I had with the book was the whole romance angle of the story. ***Minor spoiler alert*** It wasn't so much the love triangle that bothered me. After some surprising facts are revealed about Clara its easy to see that she will have issues deciding who to share her kingdom with, much less give her heart to. It's near the end of the book when the author decides to throw a third party into the mix, and I guess that's where I got agitated with the whole love triangle story lines. (or in this case would it be a love-rectangle?) At least with bachelor #1 she was attracted because of dna, bachelor #2 same thing, plus she actually cares for him romantically. When bachelor #3 was thrown in, well, one too many cooks spoil the stew maybe? Plus the fact that it was a character that through out the whole book the princess says is just her "friend". She knows he has feelings for her, but she doesn't feel the same, and she states this repeatedly that he is just a friend. Yet one kiss later and she's got her panties in a bunch for him. It just didn't make sense .***End spoiler alert*** Up until that point, story was a good story, I already wanted to read the next book in the series to find out what happens next to the peoples of the Spheres and the Clans. (And hopefully to get some more back story on the Guardians involvement). . But after the final twist in the romance portion of the story I don't know if I really care what happens in Clara's love life.

I guess what it comes down to with this one is that I liked the world that the author created more than I liked her main character. Because of this I probably won't enjoy the next book in the series as much as I would hope to. However, I wouldn't let that stop me from giving it a chance and reading it.

Til next time,

AimeeKay