Genres: Young Adult, Historical Fantasy, YA Fantasy | Release Date: 14 May 2019 | Series: Rise of the Grigori | Series Book: #1 | Pages: 454 | Indie Author | Review
“Control is not the same as strength, and love has more power than fear.”
Talena Winters
Overview:
The Undine’s Tear is a hefty fantasy by Talena Winters, packed with action, consequences, and oh so much heart. Generously supplied to me by the author and Book Sirens, this YA fantasy has actually been out in the world since 2019! Am I late to the party? Yes, yes I am. But hey, I’m here now!
This fantasy is the first in the Rise of the Grigori series, and revolves around two characters: Calandra, a female undine who has to heal the Heartstone (before she goes mad like all of the others before her), and Zale Teague, a male undine living in 19th century England. Everything starts to go awry when Calandra can’t trust her powerful magical abilities any longer, and she makes an impulsive promise to a childhood friend… Will keeping her promise destroy the foundation of undine civilisation? Dark powers will be unleashed if the Heartstone fails. And the fate of everyone rests in the hands of two undines, whose fates are intertwined in the most surprising of ways…
Happiness Boost:
I love a story that holds my attention, demanding that I forget everything else while I read its pages. The Undine’s Tear certainly did this, which is an incredible feat considering it’s 454 pages! I desperately needed to know how Calandra tackled the huge challenges before her; our young heroine really struggles with her confidence regarding her magic, so I felt a deep empathy with her plight. Not that I have magic of course (I wish), but her struggle with self-confidence is a battle I’m all too familiar with. I was cheering her on, every step of the way in this book. I really, really love that Calandra isn’t perfect, and that she doesn’t have all the answers.
There is a sizeable cast of characters, but Talena has made sure that every single one of them has their own motives and characteristics. I love this! It’s so disappointing when you read a book where everyone has a cookie cutter sameness about them. And with this YA fantasy, there’s space to delve into multiple threads of the story, culminating in a climactic end to The Undine’s Tear.
Downside:
Sometimes (despite my best efforts), I was dragged away from The Undine’s Tear. Because of this, I did have to revisit a couple of notes/highlights that I had made, so I didn’t lose track of what was going on. By the end of the story, the threads had come together and it was easier to keep track of things. But if you have a bad memory like I do, you may also find it helps to keep some notes in the beginning!
Final Thoughts:
I really enjoyed The Undine’s Tear by Talena Winters. This is an epic fantasy, in every sense of the word. And how good is it to sink into something so immersive and breathtaking?! Book two, The Sphinx’s Heart, is already out in the wide world, and I am definitely going to be adding it to my TBR list! A book about mermaids, with a splash of historical realism… How could I not fall in love with The Undine’s Tear? There’s so much to love in this YA fantasy. But don’t take my word for it, go ahead and dive into it yourself…
You can order via my Amazon link: The Undine’s Tear
