Hello hello! I’m still here!

And I am here with a review for The Eyes of Tamburah by Maria V. Snyder, the first book in what is set to be a freaking AMAZING series. Look, this book has archaeology, magic, intrigue, secret leagues of assassins….. it was a seriously good read!

I was incredibly luck to have this review copy sent to me by HQ Young Adult, and this may be one of the best-targeted review copies I have ever received, to be perfectly honest. It ticks all the right boxes. Better yet, this was the first book I’ve read by Snyder so I am now very keen indeed to keep going with her work.

The story is centered on a young archaeologist named Shyla (a female protagonist! Who is a person of colour! And figures out her own brand of badassery!), and her journey from relative obscurity to being both hunted by and working for some of the strongest factions in the city-state in which she lives and works. A colleague of hers enlists her help to find a set of artifacts stolen from him, the Eyes of Tamburah, said to endow the wielders with incredible power. I’m not going to tell you what happens, because this book is one that should be read and experienced. Seriously. I will say, though…son, I did not see that coming!!

Having said that, I did have one or two things about the book that grated on my nerves. For example, the introduction and explanation of this world’s manner of time keeping and how to measure days: while I can see the point, and it is part of the world-building, it felt a little forced and awkward. There was also the (relatively infrequent, to be fair) occasional oddity with grammar or vocabulary, but as review copies aren’t final I can’t really deduct points for that. Overall though, the writing style was good and the story flowed really well. I am very much looking forward to the rest of the series and won’t hesitate to acquire the next book when it comes out.

Happy reading!

Disclaimer: this review copy was sent to me by Harlequin Young Adult (unrequested). As you should know by now, however, the provenance of a title has no effect on my opinion of the text itself.

Image credit: my photo, taken of my copy of the book.

Categories: Book Reviews, Fantasy

Tags: Australian Book Blogger, Australian Book Reviewer, book blog, book blogger, Book bloggers, book review, book reviewer, Book Reviews, Bookstagram, bookstagrammer, Bookstagrammers, Fantasy, fantasy literature, fiction, HaperCollins Publishers, Harlequin Young Adult, HQ Young Adult