Nemesis (Nemesis, #1)

by Anna Banks

[Ashley]

Well shucks.

I didn't love it and I'm pretty upset about that.

I guess I feel like my first impression of this book (title/cover) was totally wrong and that really threw my whole experience.

Nemesis -> To me, screams intense, awesome, badass warrior girl on a mission for revenge.
Cover -> To me, reinforces the idea I had about the title. Kind of a stone cold killer type warrior princess.

I guess when I reread the synopsis, the synopsis doesn't give me any of those things, so maybe I shouldn't have anticipated them. Because none of those are present in the book. (But to me this also implies a pretty bad disconnect between the synopsis/story and the title/cover.)

Basically, the main character Sepora, and Tarik are not enemies. Not really, anyway. Hundreds of years ago there was a bit of a disagreement and Tarik's kingdom branched off from Sepora's. But since then, they've lived as peaceful neighbours. Tarik is certainly not Sepora's nemesis; her father simply doesn't like Tarik's kingdom. He's just a grumpy old king who's still butt-hurt about Tarik's kingdom branching off from his... before either of them were even born.

Anyway, before I totally tear this apart, I'll talk about some good things.

I really loved the setting. It's sort of a spin on a tech savvy, fantastical ancient Egypt, which is only the coolest thing ever! Deserts, cats, pyramids, pharaohs... Oh gosh, it's brilliant!

Plus there's this whole spectorium forging thing, which was both cool and slightly weird (weird how they were injecting it into people, and among other things).

Also there are five kingdoms total along with at least one other species that's intelligent but not really a "Kingdom". We only get bits and pieces but I really enjoyed those bits. Anna certainly created an interesting world.

Now, sadly, let's hop back over to the bad.

This book's pacing was so odd.

The VERY VERY beginning was interesting. Sepora has run away from her kingdom. I was immediately interested!

But then, almost THE ENTIRE FIRST HALF of the book is just... boring. A crazy big percentage is Sepora travelling through the desert on her way to Tarik's kingdom, Theoria.
Just her.
In the desert.
Until she gets kidnapped.
Then her and her kidnappers.
In the desert.
For so long.
As Sepora plots her escape.
For AGES.

It takes her FOREVER to even meet Tarik and I was bored of it.

Then when she finally does meet him, I was interested again. But that was at like 50% or some crazy mark.

Then as the book got towards the end, I started not to like it again. Tarik got weird. It's like he lost all his substance and just became a caveman.

"Sepora.
Pretty.
Curvy.
Silver eyes.
Me want.
Me want Sepora.
Sepora be mine.
I make Sepora wife."

He lost every interesting thing about him and became solely focused on his attraction to Sepora, and I so wasn't on board with it.

I started out interested in the romance, but I just thought it got worse as it developed. I lost all interest in it.

I don't think I'll be continuing with this series. I love the world it takes place in. I thought it was super creative! But the romance kind of ruined it for me and in my experience, if I don't love the romance in a romance novel then the rest of the series is kind of doomed (for me).