Review- Pawn of Mine by Tabitha Vale

Pawn of Mine

by Tabitha Vale

The world never ended in fire and ice. The people were consumed by it and now control the elements. The Fires have harnessed the power down to an art while the Waters cower in fear of their abilities, remaining weak and hopeless. Seventeen-year-old Sage Sinclair hopes to dispel the weakness of her Water people because she knows that if she doesn’t do anything, no one will. When she discovers something special about herself, she seeks Humble Narcissist Ruler Agni in the great fire city, Saint Firefly. Once she gains his seal of approval, she’s admitted into Erra Academy where she secretly sparks a revolution among her ennui peers—a revolution to fight back against the Fires. She has every hope in her movement, just as long as her feelings for a handsome and frivolous Saffron Larkspur don’t get in the way—that, and Agni’s sudden fascination with her. (Published April 9, 2012)

I received a review from Tabitha for debut novel, Pawn of Mine. This isn't in a genre I would normally choose for myself but the premise sounded interesting so I thought "Why not?" I am glad I did. 

Sage Sinclair is a very strong and determined teenager. She gets herself admittance to the elite Erra Academy where she sets her plans of overthrowing the leadership of Agni. She meets some engaging characters along the way including Saffron, Zane, Hazel, and Analese. While at school, her family begins to suffer from dire circumstances that threatens to destroy everything Sage has worked so hard for. Pawn of Mine combines elements reminiscent of Harry Potter and Avatar: The Last Airbender into a magical creation all her own. 

My only true "gripe" about the book was the pacing. The book takes place over the course of a few weeks. Sage shows up to school and the next day she is trying to recruit members for her club to overthrow Agni. She also suddenly starts dating on of the most popular boys in school. Not necessarily a bad thing (I like romance and this was good) but it seemed to develop so quickly that it just felt rushed. There is wonderful character development but it seemed hasty. Personally, I would like to see things taken slightly slower. This does appear to be the first novel of a set and I will probably be reading the forth coming books. 

Overall, I found Pawn of Mine to be an entertaining and enjoyable read; therefore, I am rating it 4/5 Stars.