A Warden's Purpose by Jeffrey L. Kohanek

         
                    "Don't waste your grains of sand, for you cannot know how many remain."
                                                               - A Warden's Purpose


 (Quick note before I begin this review, I received a complimentary copy of this book from Jeffery L. Kohanek in exchange for an honest review.) 

                My family has always been close. When all else fails, I always know they'll have my back. And it's the close family ties in A Warden's Purpose that first drew me into the story. A Warden's Purpose (when you break it all down) is about the love of family, parent to child, and brother to sister. The story begins with two siblings, Everson and Quinn, who are both accepted into an intense school in a far away city. Everson is going to the school of magic and engineering, while Quinn is going to the combat school next door.
              
              The Pros:
                        
             This book has a lot of pros, so many that I will definitely be reading the next book in the series the first chance I get. Do you like school settings? A super smart MC? A bad ass female MC? Awesome action through out? Yeah, this book has all of those things. 


              "With rapid and fluid movement, not one motion wasted, the way Quinn scaled the wall would have made a lizard proud. She reached the top and grabbed the pulley handles with a thrust, her legs swinging wildly out as her momentum carried her down the long rope." 


           But while action scenes are fun, I always need to be able to like the books characters. If the characters aren't likable, I usually have a hard time getting into a book, but I didn't have that problem with Everson and Quinn. Everson is the first character that we're introduced to. He's trapped in a cell (we don't know why) and is forced to tell his story to his unknown captors. We're also told, with in the first couple pages, that our main character was born with a disability.


            "Everson bit his lip as uncomfortable feelings surfaced, rising above the tension of the moment. His eyes lowered to his lap and saw pale thighs - scrawny, twisted, useless."

           Everson's disability plays a big part in the overall story and shaped his character into something unique. Since he has trouble moving around, he spends his life building up his brain instead of his muscles (which is why he gets accepted to the school of engineering and magic). 

          Quinn is the second character that we're introduced to, and she's in the same situation that Everson is in. She's also trapped in a cell (just a few doors down from Everson's cell) and being interrogated by unknown persons. The coolest thing for me about Jeff's choice of characters was that I got to see the same story told from two totally different people at the same time. 

         Quinn is Everson's bestfriend and protector, even choosing him over being friends with a lot of the other village kids. She isn't quite as book smart as her brother, but she's incredibly smart in other ways and has the determination to accomplish anything that she puts her mind to. 


         "Oftentimes, the line between life and death is drawn in an act of desperation. Yes, Quinn's actions were unconventional, and you may even find them despicable. However, following some unwritten code of honor matters little if you are dead."

             The Cons:

             There were two main things that made this book more of a 3 star, than a 4 star read for me. While I enjoyed the characters, the action scenes, and the overall plot, some of the interactions were a bit juvenile. There is one semi-romantic relationship in the book and the couples choices/reactions to each other were very reminiscent of middle school. Some of the interactions between Quinn and Everson are just as overplayed and middle school like. (Quinn being overprotective to the point of insanity being one example)

          "Quinn felt a single tear run down her cheek - a tear of betrayal."

          That, my friends, is some epic stringy cheese. But that was my only real gripe with this book. The cheese is strong, but the overall story and characters are stronger. This book has an intense young adult vibe, so if that's not your thing, A Warden's Purpose probably isn't for you. 

           Conclusion and Rating

         This book was a very strong 3.5/5 for me. I'm always a sucker for school oriented stories and this was one of the more unique schools that I've read about. I loved the idea of magic, runes and engineering combining to create a host of cool inventions for me to read about. 

        "A rune drawn on the floor began to glow, a rune that Everson recognized. The crimson power of Chaos caused the rune to flare brightly, pulse briefly, and fade to darkness."

         I feel like if I had found this book when I was in middle school, or early highschool, it would have ended up a dog eared mess by the end of the year from constant re-reading. While some of the cheesy parts didn't pair well with my adult self, I would've loved it in my early years. It's a fun, easy read, and I can't wait to see what kind of adventures Everson and Quinn get into next. The way the story ended, I know the sequel is going to be a blast!