LOOKING FOR DEI BOOK REVIEW// MAGIC, RUNES AND THE POWER OF BROKEN PEOPLE + GIVEAWAY

“Nara, you aren’t gifted. And you aren’t blessed. I truly don’t know what you are”

Fifteen year old Nara has a secret. She has magic, powers beyond anyone’s wildest imaginations but she must keep it secret , at least until the announcement ceremony where the gifted, people with magical powers are revealed. There hasn’t been a gifted in Dimmitt, the little poor town where she lives with her father, in years. When Nara finds out why, she decides to fix it setting off a series of events which forces her, her father and her best friend Mykel to flee from the village and sets her off on a journey  filled with danger as she learns more about herself and her powers.

I enjoyed reading this book. The world in the book is interesting, the magic system, the religion , the politics and the world building is  good . The main character Nara was so naïve at first ,which isn’t suprising because she has been sheltered in her little village all her life and everyone around her wants to protect her. But as the story progresses she grows , having a sort of subtle strength and becoming even stronger in the use of her magic, facing bitter truths and fighting for what she believes in. Mykel is Nara’s best friend who sticks with her till the end and comes into his own power. Many characters were introduced in this book but they weren’t forgettable, I especially liked the mysterious old woman. I loved the action and the plot is intriguing though it was a little predictable and cliché. The plot got intense in the last part of the book and it ended  without a cliffhanger but leaves you wanting to know what’s next for Nara and see how the prophecies play out in the next book.

There is some romance in this book but it rests mostly in the background as the focus was more on the bonds between friends and family, magic and how things aren’t always what they seem.

It took a while to get used to the switching point of views . It felt like I was watching a tv series where the scenes got changed abruptly at first but I realized that the different points of view were necessary to tell the story fully which would not have been possible with just Nara’s point of view. The story was told from the point of view of the protagonists and antagonists revealing their back stories and motives.  There were also  information dumps here and there and  but I enjoyed it overall and I feel this book has so much potential. I would love to see what happens in the next book.  Looking for Dei is a coming of age young adult fantasy with lots of action, adventure, magic and mystery and it is the debut novel of the author.

“Everyone makes their own choices. Just remember you’re not defined by who you were or who you think you are now. You’re defined by what you actually do. Today. In fact, it’s the only choice you ever have. What you do right now is all that matters.”

VERDICT: This is a quick fun read which I would recommend to lovers of young adult fantasy . I look forward to reading the next book in this series. I rate it 3.5 stars

Looking for Dei by David A. Willson

Genre:YA Fantasy

Release Date: March 23rd 2018

Fifteen-year-old Nara Dall has never liked secrets. Yet it seems that her life has been filled with them, from the ugly scar on her back to the strange powers she possesses. Her mysterious father refuses to say anything about her origins, and soon, she and her best friend must attend the announcement ceremony, in which youths are tested for a magical gift.

A gifted youth has not been announced in the poor village of Dimmitt for decades. When Nara uncovers the reason, she uses her own powers to make things right. The decision sets her on a path of danger, discovery, and a search for the divine. In the process, she learns the truth about herself and uncovers the biggest secret of all: the power of broken people.

ADD TO GOODREADS    GET THE BOOK: Amazon |  Barnes and Noble

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

David A. Willson is fantasy novelist who lives in the great land of Alaska with his wife and five children. His passions are faith, movies, books, coffee, traveling with his beautiful lady, and hanging out with his wonderful kids

Website | Facebook | Goodreads

Enter the giveaway here. (US ONLY). Good luck!   https://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/9e540ef9467/

I received a digital ARC from the Author through Netgalley in exchange for my honest review. This blog tour is organised by YA bound blog tours and you can check out other tour stops here

Chat time! Have you read this book? If you could have any magic power what would it be? I think I would like to be able to control the earth. What fantasy books are you reading this month?