January 7, 2013

The Cadet of Tildor Blog Tour: Review & Giveaway

 

The Cadet of Tildor
Author: Alex Lidell
Genre: YA Fantasy
Release Date: January 10, 2013
Tour Organized by AToMR Tours 

Description:
Tamora Pierce meets George R. R. Martin in this smart, political, medieval fantasy-thriller.

There is a new king on the throne of Tildor. Currents of political unrest sweep the country as two warring crime families seek power, angling to exploit the young Crown's inexperience. At the Academy of Tildor, the training ground for elite soldiers, Cadet Renee de Winter struggles to keep up with her male peers. But when her mentor, a notorious commander recalled from active duty to teach at the Academy, is kidnapped to fight in illegal gladiator games, Renee and her best friend Alec find themselves thrust into a world rife with crime, sorting through a maze of political intrigue, and struggling to resolve what they want, what is legal, and what is right.
 
 

Alex Lidell (www.alexlidell.com) was a finalist in the 2010 Amazon Breakthrough Novelist Award competition and lives in New Jersey. This is her first novel. 




The Cadet of Tildor is a wonderfully written and fast-paced young adult fantasy novel that follows Renee de Winter - a young woman who is striving to graduate from the Academy and be inducted into the Service of the Crown. She is pushing herself to succeed and to prove herself worthy of serving. Outside of the Academy, there is a young new king on the throne and two powerful crime families who are battling for control of Tildor. On top of these outside threats, Renee's mentor and instructor is kidnapped by one of the families and will be forced to fight in the gladiator games. It is up to Renee and her best friend Alec to come to his rescue, all while trying to determine if what is legal and what is right are not always the same thing.

This was a very interesting and action packed novel that features a strong female lead. Renee wasn't put on a pedestal as your typical kick-butt heroine. She has flaws and weaknesses that are visible early on in the story, but she continues on with perseverance and courage - which makes her a worthy main character and heroine of the tale. The plot has many layers and has lots of different sub-plots occurring simulataneously throughout the book. I thought that the way they were written made them flow together effortlessly instead of confusing the reader or battling for the top storyline. I enjoyed reading about the history of Tildor - the Academy, the country, the people - it was very interesting and incredibly detailed. The characters were unique and had distinct personalities, which made it easy to identify with them. The plot was multi-faceted with several stories overlapping, but it made the story all the richer and more exciting to read. The writing was very well done and easily immersed me into the story. There was definitely a lot of action, adventure, a bit of romance, and some suspense woven in. Overall, this novel was a fantastically written story with great world building and an intriguing plot. Fans of fantasy novels will not want to miss it!





Alex Lidell is a YA fantasy writer and author of ABNA Finalist THE CADET OF TILDOR (Penguin, 2013).

Although English is Alex’s primary language, it wasn’t her first. Coming from Russia, Alex learned english in elementary school and fell in love with reading when the school librarian put Tamora Pierce’s ALANNA into her hands. Years later, in college, it was another book that re-united Alex with russian, which she had shunned in adolescence. The Three Musketeers.* Alex thanks both books, and the writers who created them.

Beyond writing, Alex is also a photographer, a horseback rider, and a paramedic. The latter two go hand in hand more often than one would like. She is trying to self-teach herself and her horse to sword-fight.

Alex would love to see THE CADET OF TILDOR in the classroom and is working on developing teacher guides for the novel. She enjoys “e-meeting” both students and educators.

Social Media Links:
Twitter: @alexlidell
Facebook: http://ow.ly/bbdw9
Shelfari: http://ow.ly/bbbaP
Library Thing: http://ow.ly/bbbef

Links to find/buy your book:



$20 Amazon Gift Card, PLUS a copy of THE CADET OF TILDOR with swag – US
$20 Book Depository Gift Card – International


a Rafflecopter giveaway


 

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