When I woke up the other day, I headed straight downstairs to my Mac with one purpose: to see the review of In Her Name that was scheduled to be published by The Book Smugglers. This site is run by two book-obsessed women, Ana and Thea, and they do some of the most in-depth reviews – particularly of speculative fiction and romance – that you’ll find anywhere on the web. Like the other reviewers I had submitted the book to, they looked to be fair but tough. And since they frequently do joint reviews, it was even more of a challenge.
I wasn’t disappointed. In fact, I was totally blown away. Here are excerpts of their first impressions:
I wish I had read In Her Name as soon as we got it because once I got past the first few chapters , I got sucked into the story and couldn’t stop reading it until I was done. And there is only one work I can think of using to describe it right now: Awesome. [Ana]
In Her Name is a stunner of a novel: an Epic blend of space opera and fantasy, with impressive world building, a beautifully conceived plot, and wonderfully alive characters. One of the most enjoyable books I have read in a while. What Ana said: Awesome. [Thea]
When discussing the plot, here are a few words I pulled from the review that I think hit their bottom-line impressions:
The first few chapters do not give a measure of the scope that the story will have and it’s not until Reza is taken into the heart of the Kreelan Empire that the book really got me by the guts. That was when the story truly became alive and riveting and utterly unlike any other hero journey because of the choice Reza ultimately makes. [Ana]
The best thing is–the plot is wonderful from beginning to end. The dramatic ending to this operatic journey is perfect, not a cop out and feels like the only way that serves the Kreelans and Humans justice. I loved it. [Thea]
They both rated the book an “8 out of 10 – Excellent!” And Thea noted that she likely would have given it a 9 or 10 had the book been broken down into a trilogy (which I’ve been considering for some time – I guess it’s time to do that!).
So, please take a look at the review and see what you think!
