A Dream Within A Dream: The Wasteland Blog Tour: Review + Giveaway

Welcome to my stop on the official blog tour for THE WASTELAND by Emily Sims! Today I have my review of the book to share with you and don't forget to enter the awesome giveaway! To follow the rest of the tour, click on the banner above.

The Wasteland

Author: Emily Sims

Release Date: January 7, 2014

Publisher: Tate Publishing and Enterprises

Description:

In another world, one far removed in time and space altogether, a timeless journey awaits. The path is steep, the road is long, and it encompasses a wild evil. Here, in a place entirely different from our own, we discover the lost remains of a once vast empire and a love story long forgotten.

In The Wasteland, set against a barren landscape, we find a terrified woman named Lylah. She races along the overgrown highways of a war-torn country, pursued by a deadly enemy. Try as she might, Lylah remembers nothing about her past or who she is. Without quite meaning to, she stumbles upon a sinister forest and a small tribe of people. They have dark skin and hair. They speak in thick accents. Nothing about them is familiar, but at least they’re safe.

As she struggles to unlock the keys to her past, Lylah falls deeply in love with this primitive way of life…a way of life she’s never known before. The tribe’s leader is a fearless man they call “Matteo.” He is formidable and abrasive, but Lylah is inexplicably drawn to him.

In spite of uncertainty, one thing remains: an evil force governs this rugged land. The Opposition uses its power to oppress the tribes-people and they are quickly closing in on Lylah. Will she summon the courage to face her past in time? Somehow, Lylah’s memories hold secrets that could destroy the Opposition and break its tyrannical power.

The Wasteland is a highly imaginative novel that combines several genres to create a complex and fascinating narrative. The story follows our heroine, Lylah, as she struggles along in a world torn apart by war - now barren deserts and harsh winds. Lylah finds herself in this terrible place with no recollection of how she got there. She has no memories whatsoever, including who she is. As she takes refuge among the forest tribe she finds by accident, Lylah begins to piece things together - what has happened to the land, why the war is going on, and exactly who - and what - she truly is. Will she be able to fully confront her past and her painful memories before it's too late and the Opposition finds her?

I was really intrigued by the premise of this book. I thought it sounded really unique and original - like nothing else out there right now. The characters were all well rounded with distinct personalities and traits. I loved the character of Lylah - she was smart, strong, ambitious and free spirited. She was a great choice for the heroine of the story. I loved reading about her life - from when she was a young girl up until she's an adult wandering the wasteland around her. The writing was incredibly well done - there's something about it that I was very drawn to, although I can't pinpoint exactly what it was. I think it's the way that the author describes the characters, the occurrences, and the setting - along with the way the the story itself is told - that made it stand out to me. It was definitely refreshing to read a book written in this manner and it's one of the things I loved most about it. On the flip side of that - I was incredibly lost and confused for the better part of the book. It jumped through time - at first describing Lylah as a young girl, then abruptly jumping ahead sixty odd years later when she's traveling in the wasteland. Just when I got accustomed to the new setting and situation, the story jumped back in time again - and I got lost and confused all over again. It jumped around in this manner repeatedly throughout the book and I wasn't able to really immerse myself into the book like I usually do. I was confused and lost for a good portion of the book. I hated that the time/space jumping didn't allow me to connect fully with the story or the characters - and I truly believe that if it was written in a different manner, I would have loved this story completely. Some readers might not have an issue with the abrupt changes in time, but it was something that I just couldn't adjust to. Aside from that issue, I found the book to be interesting and original - and I would recommend that fans of fantasy, science fiction, and dystopias definitely give it a try.

Emily is a mother, writer, photographer, and home-schooler. She loves family, thrift shopping, chai lattes, good books, nature, and learning new things. She strives to find beauty and divinity in imperfect things…she searches for God in the earthy and the grit and the ordinary and the joyful stuff of life.

She lives in Texas with her husband and five children.

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