Crystet

Author: Nicoline Evans

Series: Namaté (Book 2)
Paperback: 480 pages
Publisher: Createspace; I edition (March 27, 2018)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1986695395
ISBN-13: 978-1986695398
Price: 16.58 (Amazon )

This is a story about a girl made of glass. When all is lost, how do you hold onto hope? When the world is against you, do you fight back or surrender? Princess Gwynessa Gunvaldsson of Crystet has no choice but to adapt. Despite her constant flirtation with mischief and a never-ending waltz with grief, she endures, determined to enact an altruistic shift amongst her people. But when the unimaginable occurs, she is faced with a choice: to sacrifice everything or to let the monsters win. With a brave spirit and determination to challenge fate, she sets forth on a noble quest of justice and nothing can stop her from seeking vengeance on he who hurt her most. Tangled in a web of dark magic and cursed by mysterious setbacks, can she save everything she loves without losing herself along the way? Or will she succumb to the darkness and let her evil side reign victorious? The choice is grave, but she has promises to keep. This is a story about her broken heart. Crystet is the second installment of the Namaté series; a prequel to Orewall that is meant to be read second.

What I thought: Oh, that beginning! Once again Nicoline paints a very vivid picture with her world of Namaté. Here we have the land of Crystet, inhabited by people made of glass – the Glaziene. These beautiful, cold, and fragile creatures are so different yet similar to the strong and combative Bouldes (people made of stone) from the land of Orewall. What I love most about Nicoline’s writing is that her heroes are not perfect – they are outrageously flawed, which it is what makes their journey (in this case, Gwynessa’s journey) so fascinating and heart wrenching to watch. So many of Gwyn’s trials and tribulations gave me an extra sting as a reader – especially with the #metoo movement continuously gaining momentum. I rooted for our heroine regardless of the choices she made. I am looking forward to reading the next installment in the world of Namaté.

The Quote: May you always resist what is learned in examination of more noble paths. May your explorations lead to progress for the greater good, and may your defiance shape our world into a better one.

Why I chose it: I felt like this was the perfect anthem we should bless all our daughters with! There were really too many quotes that I could have chosen, but this one really hit me in the beginning. It was so heartbreaking to watch so many of the Glaziene tried to tear down Gwyn’s beautiful spirit and yet this one person had faith in her.

About the Author:

I love inventing new worlds where readers can escape. My goalwhile writing is to create a safe place for people to forget about the heavythings in their own lives, even if it is only for a few hours of the day. Mystyle of writing often contains dark undertones within the storylines andcharacter development. Why? I believe there is beauty in the unexplored depthsof sadness and struggle.

I graduated from Rutgers University – New Brunswick, NJ as a communicationsmajor. After taking every creative writing course they offered, I realizedwriting was my passion.

Random things about me? I am a certified scuba diver, I revel in newadventures, and I believe in all things magical.–