Review for "Initiate"

 "Initiate" is the first book in Tara Maya's 'The Unfinished Song' series.
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A young woman stands in front of the mountains, her hand outstretched to touch a floating blue fairy. The fairy leaves an arc of sparkles in its wake.
Dindi is kinda the odd duck. She loves to dance. She sees visions. She plays with fairies. She dreams of one day becoming a Tavaedi, a member of the secret society of dance, magic, and war. It encompasses her every thought. But in order to become Tavaedi, Dindi must pass the Initiation and be chosen. What's worse no one in her family has ever been chosen and if she fails she can never dance again.
Kavio is the Rainbow Labryinth's chief's son. But that doesn't save him from being exiled for a crime he didn't commit, a victim to political intrigue when he should be hailed as a hero.

What I liked:

• The author merges mythologies and cultures seamlessly to create a bold and beautiful new world. I often imagined the characters as being native american or spanish in origin, usually with my thoughts tending towards Brazil for some reason. But at the same time the fairies are celtic in nature like the pooka and kappa. 
• The way the Tavaedi's dance and move in battle reminds of the Brazilian style of martial arts known as capoeira.

What I disliked:

• First off there were more than a few proofreading errors, that I noticed
• I think the author introduced a few too many characters. It would have been a little better to focus on maybe the first two instead of adding in all the others. 
• Dindi's perfomance at the Initiation doesn't make sense to me. I know if she'd thought it through it would have ended the series too quick but she could have proved she could see the magic of Tavaedi's just by pointing each of the lights she saw out along with their color, since she saw them all. And if Kavio can see her magic why can't anybody else?
• Brena married and had two kids with the man who essentially raped her during her Initiation ceremony. Really! What the hell!
• It ended rather abruptly without any closure and without cool down period from the climax. I feel like that even though a book is part of a larger series each one should have its own satisfactory ending.

It was nice to find a fairy tale with a different setting, it made for a unique and captivating read. 'Initiate" is currently available for free for the kindle and if you don't mind being left hanging its definitely worth adding to your virtual library. The series continues with 'Taboo', 'Sacrifice', 'Root', 'Wing', and 'Blood' with prices starting at $3.99 and making their way up to $5.95. You can find out more about the author, the series, and her other works at www.taramayatales.blogspot.com
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4 out of 5 smilies
Recommended for older teens and adults who would enjoy a unique foray into a new world, especially those who find native american/south american cultures fascinating.
Synopsis: " DEADLY INITIATION

A DETERMINED GIRL...
Dindi can't do anything right, maybe because she spends more time dancing with pixies than doing her chores. Her clan hopes to marry her off and settle her down, but she dreams of becoming a Tavaedi, one of the powerful warrior-dancers whose secret magics are revealed only to those who pass a mysterious Test during the Initiation ceremony. The problem? No-one in Dindi's clan has ever passed the Test. Her grandmother died trying. But Dindi has a plan.
AN EXILED WARRIOR...
Kavio is the most powerful warrior-dancer in Faearth, but when he is exiled from the tribehold for a crime he didn't commit, he decides to shed his old life. If roving cannibals and hexers don't kill him first, this is his chance to escape the shadow of his father's wars and his mother's curse. But when he rescues a young Initiate girl, he finds himself drawn into as deadly a plot as any he left behind. He must decide whether to walk away or fight for her... assuming she would even accept the help of an exile."

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