The synopsis for The Book of Iudex immediately draws me in. A recent college grad that is struggling in the post-recession world, and then taken to some new world to be Queen? Who doesn’t want to read about that? Well, I mean if you don’t then maybe this isn’t the book for you. Or maybe it is. Keep reading to find out 😊.

The Book of Iudex

Author: Tachina Eva

Series: The Paralleled Series #1

Genre: YA Fantasy

Publication Date: November 24, 2017

My Rating: 4 pens!

Goodreads Synopsis: Rose is a post-recession, struggling graduate, who is suddenly taken into a mirrored, shadowy world, where she learns she is the new queen of Iudex. She is rescued by the king of Ignusia, who she later discovers to be the boy who disappeared from their world ten years prior—Declan. With the fate of the kingdom lying in her hands, she must learn fast while avoiding the entanglements of war, escape, and love.

Topics and Triggers: Kingdoms, Recession, War, Love

Purchase Amazon US | Amazon UK | B&N | Book Depository

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I received a copy of The Book of Iudex from the author in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own. 

I really loved the sounds of The Book of Iudex when approached by Tachina to read it. As I read through the first chapter I was pulled into the story and had such a great connection with Rose. I’m going to say this a lot, but this book was so good! Let me tell you why.

• The Chapter Titles

The titles for each chapter are all constellations. Being that the main character really enjoys astrology, it is a unique aspect that I really enjoyed for this book. I even did a little bit of research into each of the constellations to know more about them. A little bit of my Greek Myth nerd side showing, as many constellations are based on Greek Mythology.

• World Building

We are taken into the world of Tekra, a fantasy world where things are a bit different than Earth. I loved the description that Tachina uses to talk about the place and the way people dress. It is something that I really enjoy imagining. The only thing is that much of the time is spent in one place, so I would love to know what other aspects of this world look like. I guess that will be for book 2 though!

• Character Development

The characters are fun and realistic and I love them! Rose, the main character, is new to Tekra and has a lot to learn. She yearns to go home and her character really shows that through her actions. Declan, another important character, has been in this world and is shaped by it. He doesn’t know any other way and would do anything to help his people in a time of war. There are many other characters that play their role very well and are very well developed, but I don’t want to discuss them and possibly spoil anything. Just read it! I promise they are good!

Favorite Quotes:

“Sometimes a failure is what this world needs. Failures are foundations. A person who has gone through life with nothing success is bound to fail hard.”

“‘You are going to be the death of me,’ she said between kisses. ‘You are going to be my reason for living,’ he whispered”

• The Formatting

This wasn’t a big problem, but it did make reading the book a bit hard. I received a paperback copy of this book and I could tell the entire book was formatted using world. The paragraphs had awkward spacing between them and huge chunks of text in single-spaced format. During slower sections, this made reading difficult. Also, the page numbers were in a different font which bothered me. This doesn’t affect my overall rating, just something I felt the need to mention.

• Longest Chapter Ever

I was absolutely loving this book but was having a hard time picking it up because chapter 2 is almost 100 pages. The book is on 337 pages so a major part of the book is one chapter. I really don’t like not being able to finish a chapter in one sitting, so I kept putting it off. Once I got through chapter 2, the rest of the chapters were consistently around 20 pages which is a lot more reasonable.

• Slow Plot

There were times that I really started to drift from this book. I felt like the same thing was happening on repeat. Everything was moving so slowly that I was struggling to get through the chapters. Then all of the sudden, the book picks up the pace around halfway through and I rushed through to the end. Although the slow spots are a bit boring, when the action picks up, you won’t want to book to end.

The Book of Iudex is a wonderful introduction into the world of Tekra. The worldbuilding and character development are amazing. I feel like I’m actually in the world and with the characters. The book only has a small cliffhanger that keeps you yearning for more but wraps up major points that are a part of this book. The plot was a bit slow, but branches into something marvelous as I frantically read page after page to find out what happens next. I can’t wait for book 2 in this series to see what happens next for Rose! 

Purchase The Book of Iudex today on: Amazon US | Amazon UK | B&N | Book Depository

What do you think? Does this book sound good? Do you like a steady increase in pace for plot? Do you like Greek Mythology? Talk to me in the comments below!

 

 

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