REVIEW| The Shadow of What Was Lost [ARC]

The Shadow of What Was Lost (The Licanius Trilogy #1)
James Islington

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Synopsis:

It has been twenty years since the end of the war. The dictatorial Augurs - once thought of almost as gods - were overthrown and wiped out during the conflict, their much-feared powers mysteriously failing them. Those who had ruled under them, men and women with a lesser ability known as the Gift, avoided the Augurs' fate only by submitting themselves to the rebellion's Four Tenets. A representation of these laws is now written into the flesh of any who use the Gift, forcing those so marked into absolute obedience.

As a student of the Gifted, Davian suffers the consequences of a war fought – and lost – before he was born. Despised by most beyond the school walls, he and those around him are all but prisoners as they attempt to learn control of the Gift. Worse, as Davian struggles with his lessons, he knows that there is further to fall if he cannot pass his final tests. 

But when Davian discovers he has the ability to wield the forbidden power of the Augurs, he sets into motion a chain of events that will change everything. To the north, an ancient enemy long thought defeated begins to stir. And to the west, a young man whose fate is intertwined with Davian’s wakes up in the forest, covered in blood and with no memory of who he is…

Review

Usually, I would talk a bit about the cover and it's relationship to the book and any other initial thoughts. I'm not going to go into my full review process, because I DNF'd this one. (For those who doesn't know- Did Not Finish.) Although I chose not to read to the final page, I still feel like I have read enough of this book to make some judgment, and to pass on why it wasn't working for me.

I stopped reading The Shadow of What Was Lost at around 200 pages. The premise and the books comparisons was what initially intrigued me to the point that I had requesting an ARC from the publisher. It was pitched, compared and recommended to fans of Brandon Sanderson and Robert Jordan. Don't get your hopes up?

The world building and the characters that we are introduced to initially kept my interest enough to keep going after the first few chapters. The writing was good and accessible.  Then I hit 150 pages in.  Everything just fell apart. Every curveball felt convenient as a plot device and seemed like reading what the author needed to happen, rather then being the characters choice. It just didn't hold together and was jaded. I felt no attachment to these characters at all nor get excited about picking the book back up again.  I just don't think reading the other 500 pages would have benefited me, in any way. As a University student, I don't have time to waste reading books I don't like, because I already have to do that as part of my degree!