Sora's Quest (The Cat's Eye Chronicles 1) [Kindle Edition]

Sora is not happy that her father is marrying her to a stranger, so she plans to run away. However before she can, her father is murdered and she is kidnaped by the assassin and a thief of a thought long extinct magical race called wolfies. However Sora is wearing a Cat's Eye, a necklace that can protect her, which might help her complete her quest.

This is a YA fantasy book which is usually my favourite type of book but Sora's Quest was just ok, because of the plot holes you just could not connect to much in this story.

Sora is a very sheltered character who does know much about the outside world, but my main problem with her is that her thoughts make no sense, one second she hates Crash and next she is worrying about his safety. Also after a few days she seems to act like part of the group not a prisoner, which must be one of the quickest cases of Stockholm syndrome, which did not seem realistic.

SPOILER
The main problem with this book is there are no motives for some of their actions. Firstly why does Sora want to go find her mother when she abandoned her, and yet did not care that her father was murdered just because he was distant even though he still looked after her. Secondly she never asks Crash why he killed her father and we never find out, also we don't know why Crash killed Etienne, Volcrian's brother. Also there was no reason why they kidnaped Sora as they did not know she had the Cat's Eye.
SPOILER END

The one positive thing about this book is that it is very vivid and imaginative. Also it was nice to see some different races in fantasy books apart from elves, dwarfs etc. Overall Sora's Quest is an average story that is let down by motives which do not make sense.

Sora's Quest (Cat's Eye #1) by T.L Shreffler.

5*

After being kidnapped by the assassin that killed her father, Sora finds herself dragged into the forgotten world of mage's, wolfies and magic. She yearns for freedom but once the assassin discovers the cat's eye hanging around her neck he can't let her go. The `cat's Eye' is a rare and magical stone with ancient powers, but once worn it cannot be removed from the owners throat without dire consequences. Wanting the protection of the stone to help him evade Volcrain, a powerful mage seeking revenge for the death of his brother, Crash needs to keep Sora close and with the help of his wolfie friend Dorian they vow to keep her and the stone safe. The question is, will Sora learn to control the stone before it begins to control her?

This is the first book in a trilogy and is an exciting start to the series. We are introduced to a variety of interesting characters and species. Our MC, Sora has lived a very sheltered life not experiencing anything outside the walls of her fathers estate, but she is curious and eager to see the world. Being held captive by a wolfie and an assassin isn't exactly the way she envisioned her adventures to begin, but as the days and weeks pass she finds herself becoming attached to the pair. Crash is an enigma, he is brooding and dark with a lack of humanity that makes him difficult to like, but when Sora's life is at risk we see a softer side to him that had my heart melting.

I became a fan this author after reading `Mark of the wolf' a few months ago and I have not been disappointed in any of the books I've read by her since. T.L Shreffler has the skill to paint a very visual setting, creating a believable and exhilarating world to escape to. Her characters have depth and feel real with natural flowing dialogue and interesting personalities. Sora's Quest is a steady paced fantasy moving forward with a good dose of action followed by a comfortable amount of down time. The cliff hanger ending was aaarrrgggghhh....(I hate cliff hangers), and has me itching to read the next instalment.

Copy supplied for review

Firstly, look at that amazing cover?! Just captivating. I love having a visual of the "Cat's Eye" on this cover. And although Sora has golden blonde hair, the strawberry tint is very attractive. Now to the gushy!

Sum it up:
Sora, tired of her simple and boring girl-in-the-manor life, plans to escape the night of her wedding, wanting nothing more than adventures like the "stories of old." She has no idea that her desire will be fulfilled via a kidnapping - by the very assassin who murdered her father, giving her the very opening to escape, and his two Wolfy companions. What begins as hatred, turns to timid trust and wary friendship between Sora and her captors.

The yum:
Crash, the assassin, is mysterious up until the last page in Sora's Quest. Sexy, scary, and quiet are the three words best used to describe the man who seems to be running from his past. Ms. Shreffler has an interesting way of making her characters super sexy without being overt about their physical prowess or bragging about their beautiful features. Crash just is. Yum! ;)

Dorian, a mage Wolfy, is an effeminate creature with a biting sarcastic and endearing quality about him. I liked Dorian immediately - especially because he called Sora out on her irritating princessy qualities.

Burn is a large burly mercenary Wolfy that I just wanted to squeeze. He is the most open and kind of the three but still hosts his own unexplored demons.

Romance?
There was plenty of awareness occurring in Sora's Quest and I was waiting for a romance to unfold - but it seems like I have to wait until Viper's Creed (Book 2) to *hopefully* see some woo-age occur.

Overall:
Sora was a typical teenager and certainly irritated me throughout the book, but looking back, I love how the voice of Sora's voice ages from beginning to end.

The antagonist was a clever one, coming up with evil and interesting ways to follow, capture, and manipulate his prey. I enjoyed Volcrian, and the sympathy the reader had for him from chapter one.

So why the missing star, you ask? There were a LOT of unanswered questions: Who is Crash? Why are Crash, Burn, and Dorian together? Why did Crash murder Volcrian's twin and Sora's dad? What is a "protector" and is that what Crash is to Sora?

After the entire book, I still am confused about our main characters. But I managed to really connect to them too.

I can't WAIT until Book 2 - released in winter of 2012. Grab your copy and tell me what you think! :)