Sora's Quest (The Cat's Eye Chronicles #1)

4 1/2 stars!! Sora is a noblewoman. On the night of her Blooming - a party to celebrate her 17th birthday and prepare to start accepting suitors - her father is murdered. She had already planned on running away after the party anyway, so when she runs into the assassin in the hallway and asks him to take her with her, she figured she was good to go (she didn't realize her father was dead at this point). They meet up with one of the assassin's partners, and thus begins the adventure of a lifetime for Sora. One of the things she took with her when she left the manor was a piece of jewelry that used to her mother, The Cats Eye Stone. Sora was wearing it not knowing that it had magical properties. The assassin Crash is on the run from a Wolfie mage, Volcrian, after he murdered the mage's brother. After taking Sora with him and meeting up with one of his partners, a Wolfien named Dorian, they realize what Sora is wearing. After a magical attack, Sora becomes truly kidnapped as they don't want to lose her protection from magic. Chased by Volcrian, they meet up with the other party, another Wolfie named Burn. Sora also discovers that her father really was dead, and SHE is wanted for the murder. In order to escape, they decide to go through the haunted fen, and run into even more adventure.

Ms. Shreffler had me hooked from the very beginning. This book was full of adventure, races thought long gone, friendships built, and a special surprise (not giving spoiler there). The world building and character development were excellent. The occasional hints as to Crash's past well put into the story. There are many questions still unanswered, and hopefully we get those in the next installment.

This is a fun, adventure story. It's a smooth read, hardly a glitch in the writing. The characters are enjoyable with great descriptions of each and I liked the subtlety of the world Shreffler was building. I personally would recommend this to teens though there is mild adult content. The main character herself is a teen dealing with a world that has Wolfies and Catlins (you'll have to read to find out ;) ). I think teen and new adult readers would like it. The 'mud scene' was by far my favorite of them all. I found myself smiling and really enjoyed how Shreffler pulled it off. She has a talented way of creating a mood in each scene.

The plot was a little warbled though, swaying one way or the other. It didn't find purchase until the end and unfortunately only tied one loose end, but there are three books total to this series. That's ample time to knot the rest. There were entertaining fight scenes, which are also well written, though there wasn't much gratification except for one or two.

Scheffler's story is entertaining for sure, and a decent start to a series. I'd recommend checking it out if you like fantasy with some butt-kicking action scenes.

Top notch story telling.enjoyed the world, the writing style,and the characters. Action packed and fast paced, good fantasy read, just enough detail to get you absorbed, and keep you there.

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.

*edit* I have read the next book in the series and am planning on reading the third. Definitely a wonderfully rich series that progressively gains momentum. I cannot wait to read the final installment!

**This is a review of the newly revised edition, released March 2013

About to be put on display to attract a suitor (i.e. the highest bidder), Sora decides to run away directly after her dance performance. Unfortunately for her, she's not the only one planning something: an assassin crashes the performance and kills her father. Fleeing in the ensuing chaos, Sora manages to escape the chaos, only to run into (quite literally) the assassin. Since he can't afford for her to blow his cover, he takes her with him. And things go from bad to worse. Including finding out she's psychically bound to the necklace her mother left her, a Cat's Eye with the power to eat magic...something the assassin could definitely use.

Sora's quest is a fast-paced adventure story about a naive but strong-willed heroine who intends to set out into the world, only to have the world set upon her. This was a quick and engaging read to the point that it was almost over too fast! Sora develops well as a character, and Shreffler has spent a good amount of time building the world and its mythos. The supporting characters were well rounded and realistic, and there were a number of unexpected twists. I have confidence that, as Shreffler develops as a writer, her work will only get more interesting. This is definitely a writer I'll be watching.

Genre: Young Adult Fantasy

Rating: 5/5 Stars

Amazing! I absolutely loved this book! But I'm not sure how I will handle the wait till October for the sequel. ;) I loved following Sora's journey as she rose up to the challenges she faced and discovered she was stronger than she thought. Sora is a princess and young, though I don't think we are ever told her exact age. It was definitely refreshing that she didn't automaticly become the stereotypical rich, royal girl. Though she seems a but out of place in the 'real' world, I thought she was very noble in how she handled all of it.

Sora and her companions became friends at a very nice pace, not to fast or to slow. Crash, the sexy, mysterious assassin, just might be my favorite character as well as my new book crush. I can't wait to see what happens to him in the next book.

Sora's Quest is filled with an abundance of descriptions and detail. The fantasy elements enthrall you in the story but the characters remain interesting, original and easy to relate to. The ending was crazy! I definitely did not see it coming.

Once I started reading I could not put this book down and I think anyone who enjoys fantasy should read it!

Review by M. A. Bronson @ The Runaway Pen

Wow! What an adventure!
Sora was raised with out her mother. Her father a political man never paid much mind to her and was eager to marry her off. Sora was not ready for the married life, she wanted to be adventurous like the chracters in the books she read.
Little did Sora know, she was about to go on an adventure like no other.
After seeing her father murdered, Sora was kidnapped and held captive. While being forced to accompany her captors, Sora is seeing how much more is outside the walls of her states, and how much in the dark she is about what goes on in the world. The world she was taught is not what it seems. There is so much more that exist than she ever imagined.
Sora soon finds friends in the most unexpected places. Through these friends she learns so much more, not only about her surroundings but about herself. She becomes a much stronger person as she moves along her journey.
I was dissapointed in the lack of romance. You could tell there was something between Crash and Sora, but nothing ever came of it. I can't wait for the next book of of Sora's Quest. I am hoping and crossing my fingers that something happens between them. Personally, I thought the book was too short, only because I wanted more. I wish T.L. Shreffler would have gone deeper into the story. I loved this book and would recommend this to everyone who loves paranormal reads.

An entertaining fantasy. It starts off strong and peters out at the end in anticipation of the next in the series.

Nice one. Too short though ;)

I'm @ work and i've absorbed this in one sittin. Is this amazingly brilliant or what!!! OMG, wow & i'm the 1st to review?! Brilliant!!!!! More pls