Bunny's Reviews: Rise of the Raidin Review Spotlight

Welcome to the blog tour for The Rise of the Raidin by Susan L. Markloff. Read on for my review, more details, and a chance to win a signed a signed copy of the book!

The Rise of the Raidin is the first book in Susan L. Markloff's The Human Born Era. This YA novel promises to bring readers an engaging series that will have you page-turning to the end and eager for the next book in this series.

The Rise of the Raidin is the first book that I have read by this author, but I'm looking forward to the next book in this series. The story focuses on a young girl by the name of Jen Monroe. Jen is in her senior year of high school, but she's not able to just lead a regular high schooler's life. It's school by day and training by night, because the enemy is going to be coming for her soon, and she's going to have to be prepared for when it happens.

When I started reading this book I felt a bit off-kilter. The author drops me in the middle of things with Jen training with her guardians. I was a bit thrown by this because I was really hoping that the author would begin things with Jen meeting her guardians and learning about what she is - a human-born. The fact that Jen already knows what she is because that scene I was hoping for has already happened is disappointing. I think that if the story had begun with that then it would have been able to build into a fascinating story. As it is though the story, for me, has a bit of a slow start, once it gains traction it's really engaging.

I appreciate that there is a lot packed into this book. The author gives readers character sketches and helps readers build a better mental image of the characters they will be reading about. I like this and the glossary as well because it helps me better imagine the various creatures that Jen either battles or fights alongside in this book. I do think that having the pronunciation guide at the front of the book would have been a better choice so that readers can easily flip to it and better grasp the words used.

For a YA novel this book is pretty good. I appreciate that the main character, Jen, isn't so focused on her "crush" on a particular boy. I like the relationship with her sister, that it isn't bickering and drama-filled for the sake of some drama in the story. There are plenty of dangers that Jen faces when the time comes.

I will say that there is one more issue that I have with this story though and that is the author having Jen become overly familiar with her principal. I understand that he's a friend of her father's, but her calling him by his first name - it's unacceptable in my book. He is not her friend. Her saying his first name in a burst of anger, that's one thing. But for the author to proceed from that point on to use his first name, it strips away the respect that the character should be allotted. I kept waiting for his name to be used properly, but it's only done in particular situations which is disappointing. But for Jen especially it just feels wrong.

I really like the variety of characters in this book. I can tell by reading about them that they each have their own unique story, and some of them I would really love to know more about them. There are a couple of characters in this book that, honestly, I would love to interact with (and yes, pet) but from the character sketches...that would be a bad idea. LOL! Doesn't diminish the desire, but does cut down on the temptation. Haha!

For me, this book had a bit of a scattered beginning - simply because it doesn't start the way that I thought it would, but it's a really good book. You get to watch Jen develop as a character, and see some of her friends do some really dumb things, too. Jen remains the focus of the story, but we get moments with her guardians as well which help to flesh out the story and really build it into something engaging. Once you get past the first few chapters, this book really picks up speed and before you know it you're page-turning eagerly to learn what happens next.

There are twists, turns, surprises and more packed into this book, and yes there will be some moments that will have your jaw on the floor. I'm truly looking forward to the next book in this series. Jen is really in for some trouble, but at least she's not alone in facing the dangers ahead. I'm rating this book 4.5 out of 5 stars. If the book had started the way it sounded like it would from the blurb this book would be perfect. As it is, it left me off-kilter for a bit until I gained my footing. This sounds like an exciting series and one I highly recommend.

The Rise of Raidin

Publication Date: November 1st, 2021

Genre: YA Fantasy/ Urban Fantasy

Jennifer Monroe is an average eighteen-year-old girl, and she knows it.

Which is precisely why no one—least of all herself—would suspect anything extraordinary from the quiet, boring girl who only has a few good friends to call her own. But that all got flipped on its head about a year ago, when two imposing men, a complete goofball, a werewolf, and two large four-legged creatures barged into her life.

Now over a year later, Jen leads a double life. Mild mannered, quiet, high schooler by day; dragon slayer and raw-energy-wielding-warrior (in training) by night. Juggling SAT scores, papers, and mastering the art of flying, she’s managed to keep her friends and family oblivious of her hybrid abilities and continue on a track for college. Everything was going swimmingly.

Until one normal, foggy, November morning, when a dragon crashed through the clouds, heralding a small army to descend on her high school. All for little, forgettable her. Making her realize that maybe there’s a whole lot more going on than she originally thought.

Add to Goodreads

Amazon

About the Author

Susan L Markloff is a rising YA Fantasy author. Upon devouring fantastical worlds as a child, she often spent her days playing make-believe and spinning stories with friends and family. At the age of 18, she wrote what would become the first draft of her debut novel, The Rise of the Raidin. While at Houghton College, she cultivated a love for the written word, and majored in Creative Writing. There she was encouraged by other aspiring authors and by her professors to hone her skills and write the best version of her stories. The Rise of the Raidin, book 1 of The Human-Born Era, is the first of over twenty planned novels revolving around the world of Tilion.

Susan L. Markloff | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook