Journey to Landaran by Judy Goodwin + $30 Giveaway

Aidah and her twin brother Tavish have always had a knack for getting into trouble. From pie stealing and pranks to hunting for magical creatures, they have always escaped notice in their tiny mountain village.

Until now.

Aidah begins seeing visions through her brother’s eyes. He’s a Firestarter, gifted with the Talent to control light and heat, destined to become a Sun Mage in the great city of Landaran. But he doesn’t want to leave without his sister. As storm clouds gather, Aidah dreams of a beautiful man, a frightening man, calling to her.

She fears the truth. That she may developing a Talent of her own, one that will change their lives forever.

The power to read minds. To possess bodies. To travel inside dreams. In the world of Ernid, Spirit is the ultimate power.

Nations will go to war over them.

I'm not sure where to start with my review for this book.  I think it might be easiest to just say that this book wasn't to my liking.  I had a hard time getting through it, I did a fair amount of skimming and there were a few times I was not only disgusted but creeped out, and not in a good way.

The characters were average, but didn't ever capture my devotion or feelings.  I never became invested in the book.  I can't really put my finger on why.  The premise of the book is good, mostly, and the blurb had me interested.  It just didn't capture me the way I was hoping.

The main characters are young.  Very young.  Twins coming into powers.  I liked that part of the book- the powers- which they call Talents.  I liked the idea of twins working through everything together.  

The girl gets raped repeatedly in her "real" dreams by the BAD guy.  While there aren't detailed descriptions, there is just something wrong with that.  Sometimes the girl even finds pleasure in it.  It's just creepy and wrong.  The bad guy is hundreds of years old but appears as a young man.  I don't know, it just completely rubbed me the wrong way.  The words used, the images it refered to.  I'm not a fan.  I would never let my daughter read this book simply because of that.

I am one person though, with one opinion, not shared by all.  Please take a look at the other people reviewing for the tour and see what they have to say.

There were some instances of mild swearing and profanity.

Enjoy the following excerpt:

As their eyes met, the dark-haired man sneered. “So there you are, my young fire Talent.”

Fear gripped Tavish’s body, but his mind raced. At any second the Storm Mage could call lightning to strike at him. He could disperse the heat but not the power of the shock; it would kill him. Tavish could also call fire from the hot embers of the temple, but doing so might cause the mage to strike. From where the militia had charged up the hillside to the tree line he heard shouts and the sounds of battle. There would be no help from them.

He wondered: did the fellow want him alive or dead?

Amazon Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/Journey-Landaran-Spirit-Mage-Saga-ebook/dp/B00IO7IXSC/

Amazon Print version: http://www.amazon.com/Journey-Landaran-Book-Spirit-Volume/dp/061591747X/

Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/journey-to-landaran-judith-boyer/1118760838?ean=2940149592487

Judy Goodwin has been writing since she was a child, when her fourth grade English instructor told her, ‘You should be a writer.” She earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Creative Writing from the University of Arizona, and a Master’s in Education from Argosy University. Over the last ten years she has appeared in several small press magazines and anthologies with her fantasy and science fiction short stories and poetry. Her first novel was published in January 2013, entitled Heart of the Witch.

When not working on her fiction, Judy works as a technical writer in a healthcare services firm. She enjoys bullying the sheriff at the local renaissance festival, volunteering at local charities, and catching up on the latest movies. She lives in Gilbert, Arizona with her partner and teenage daughter, four cats, and three small dogs.

Twitter: @judygoodwin6
Blog: http://judygoodwin.wordpress.com
Website: http://diamondprintpress.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Judy-Goodwin/282580281866578
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