Eubeltic Descent by Nadine C. Keels

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


First of all, I really enjoyed this book. Abigaia is an intelligent girl who communicates in more ways than one—signing, writing, and dancing. She is a dreamer who feels a pull toward the land of her ancestry. As a child, she experienced something so traumatic that she became mute. Still, she holds on to the stories and memories of her happy childhood. As fate would have it, she has the opportunity to travel to Diachona with a group of friends and fulfill her dream of going to the Realm.

I could identify with her struggles concerning a sense of belonging. She is both Rehan and Eubeltic. I am both Mexican and American. Reconciling my roots with the place I was born…sometimes it can be a struggle knowing where I fit. As a Christian, I loved seeing the similar struggles and revelations I experience when it comes to God in Abigaia’s story. I also loved seeing how she practiced her dancing and signing and seeing her growth in both of those areas. It reinforces the idea that practice and hardworking can be very rewarding.

I love the brother-sister dynamic with Daun and Valorie. Their relationship is so cute. The same goes for Abi and Daun. Their romance is not rushed despite their strong feelings for each other since their first conversation.

**SOME SPOILERS FROM HERE ON**

The reason I give it four stars is because there are some parts that seem a bit of a stretch and areas that I feel could have been explained more. First, the reason to go to Diachona. It was kind of a stretch for Abel’s brother’s company to offer free passage and accommodations for five others. The explanation given was passable, so I let it slide.

Second, while I understand Abigaia’s motivation to make her stand before the king. I, as the reader, wasn’t convinced of what she was doing. It seemed kind of random that she suddenly wanted to do this after listening to the actors. Sure, it bugged her that the words in the play seemed off, but it isn’t until her speech that I realized why it was so important to her. Or actually, when she snuck into the library and read the former king’s words. Since there wasn’t a major plot, I think making Abigaia experience a stronger sense of injustice towards the play and the begging child would have made her actions more justifiable for me as a reader.

However, I overlooked these things because the story was so good. It has been a while since I’ve read a book that kept me with my Kindle glued to my hands for days. I was immediately sucked in. I’m looking forward to reading the rest of the series!

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I received a complimentary copy of this ebook in exchange for my honest review; all opinions expressed are my own.

For more about author Nadine C. Keels, check out her blog https://prismaticprospects.wordpress.com/ and follow her on Twitter @nicolekeels.

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