Heather Cashman

Books are wonderful for taking readers away to far away lands where the rules are different along with the peoples and culture. Perception gives readers lots to think about and forces us to look inside ourselves on how we view ourselves and how others perceive us to be. None of us can know how strong we are until we are forced to push ourselves to extreme limits. Most of us would do astonishing things we never thought possible unless it was to protect someone we love.

Cashman introduces readers to a world where human and animal are tied together through telepathy. This world houses various districts, each with a different perspective on how humans and their animal, ingenium as they are called, communicate, love and protect each other. All are honorable and truth is more precious than any treasure. But of course, like most world's there is always an enemy lurking in the shadows forcing those that are good to make sacrifices and even question their own worth.

Ardana and her ingenium tiger named Rijan, show us this tale of self discovery as they search for freedom for themselves, as well as, for their people of the Tiger District. A place that used to be their home until Baelon, a ruthless man who killed her mother and captured her father so that he could become the ruler of the Tiger District. His treachery and her need for revenge drives her and the reader along for an adventure of revenge, a battle for freedom and an understanding and acceptance of love, to find the truth and to set things right.

Ardana, along with her twin brother Kade and his tiger ingenium Adamas retreat to the Outskirts where survival is their main objective. Prepared to escape to the ocean, they encounter the Passion Vine Forest where they learn more about their heritage and their past. Ardana and Kade are half breeds. Their father a man from the Tiger District, and their mother a woman of the Passion Vine District fell in love. It was forbidden for districts to intermingle with one another, but love does conquer all. It was this love that started a fury of deceit and betrayal of two men who were once the best of friends. The father, Valdaran and his new enemy Baelon, the now Senator of the Tiger District.

As the story unfolds, new characters are introduced and create a complicated mission to save all of the districts. Ardana and Kade along with their ingenium are pushed to the limits of separation, love and determination to find who they are and where they ultimately belong. They need proof of who they are, which is written on papers secured away in a bunker guarded by Baelon. The papers are all they need to secure their future, save their father and bring back justice to the land they once called home.

Cashman introduces a world with oversized animals with extreme intelligence. Humanoid creatures with scales for skin, poison for blood, and a connection with trees and vines that can strangle or embrace. This story takes readers on a roller coaster ride that makes you root for good to conquer evil. There is something for everyone, love, bloody battles and descriptive scenery that any reader would long to see.… (más)

“I was immediately drawn to the characters of this book. I love post-apocalyptic stories and this is one of the best I've read. I was slightly confused at first about the relationship between the main characters and their tigers, was it a telepathic link or were the tigers an extension of the characters' souls (as in the Daemons in Golden Compass). Once I understood the relationship, it was much easier to understand. I didn't care for the unorthodox names of the characters, but that is really the only thing I have to complain about this book. The descriptions the author put forth were amazing, I felt I could actually hear and see the Passion Vine. I also loved the words of wisdom from the tiger Rijan: for example, "Worry is fear of the future. It is foolish to fear something unknown because you don't know it". Wow. This is a great book. I give it 5/5 stars and look forward to the second in the trilogy.… (más)