Review: Weighted (The Neumarian Chronicles Book 1) by Ciara Knight

TLDR Recap:

Held captive following the war of 2185, Raeth is fearing interrogation, torture, and a slow and painful death. Her only chance is a potential ally in the Queen’s daughter, but what can she trust when they’re using mind alteration to attempt to extract information? She can only hope to die before she gives up the secret of herself and her people.

• Title: Weighted
• Series: The Neumarian Chronicles, book #1
• Author: Ciara Knight
• Prominent Characters: Raeth
• Recommended Reader Age: 13+
• Sexual Content Level: N/A

*** This review is SPOILER-FREE! Read on with confidence! ***

Thoughts:

This is a young adult story, and the age of the main character, Raeth, is said to be twelve, but damn if this isn’t a bit dark. The pain and hopelessness from the torture scenes, not to mention the state of society is just dark and depressing. If it weren’t for the age of Raeth and the fact that the violence isn’t as graphic as it could be, I’d wonder if this really should be young adult.

I was intrigued with the world as two races are named and war is referenced, with a powerful “gift” among one of them, but we never get any solid confirmation on the “why” for the primary conflict and we don’t get much explanation on the races or the desert beasts that are mentioned occasionally. I would’ve liked to learn more.

The biggest disappointment for me was the lack of romance. There’s no potential love interest for anyone, unless you count the princess who is a secondary character, and even then it’s unlikely. The story in its entirety felt almost like a segment taken from a much longer book and put out on its own. Overall it just seemed too short and incomplete and left me feeling more confused than entertained.

Final Thoughts:

Rating: Weighted