Obsidian Eyes by A.W. Exley {Blog Tour: Review+ Giveaway}

*Received a free copy in exchange for an honest review

Obsidian Eyes by A.W. Exley
Published by: Curiosity Quills Press
Publication date: March 24th 2014
Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult

Synopsis:

1836, a world of light and dark, noble and guild. The two spheres intersect when seventeen-year-old Allie Donovan is placed at the aristocratic St Matthews Academy. More at ease with a blade than a needle, she finds herself ostracised by the girls and stalked by a Scottish lord intent on learning why she is among them.

She begins to suspect the underlying reasons when soldiers arrive to see her friend, Zeb, a mechanical genius. On the hunt for answers she breaks into his underground laboratory. There, Allie discovers he is not just constructing sentient mechanical creatures, he is building a devastating new weapon for the military.

The guilds want the weapon and Allie is trapped by ties of blood. She must obey the overlord of the guild and deliver up her friend, unless she can rely on bonds of friendship, to save both their lives.

Helpful Links: Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

My Review

In Obsidian Eyes we are delivered right into a world of intrigue, nobles, guilds and danger. Allie, a seventeen-year-old with a big secret is thrust into the world of nobility, at St. Matthews Academy. Where Allie sticks out like a beacon of light in the darkness. In the midst of being bullied by those that see themselves as superior, Allie finds friends in mysterious places and with people who will match her both intellectually and physically. On a mission for the guild, Allie must discover the truth of what is going on, the truth behind her mission and the path she really wants to walk before she loses everything. 

Obsidian Eyes is one of the best stories I have read in a while. From the minute Allie graced the pages I was captivated by her quick tongue and lethal skills with a blade. Allie has a complicated story, one in which A.W. Exley does a fantastic job of unraveling throughout the tale, never giving you all the pieces of the puzzle, but just enough to egg you on. But with her easy to read writing style and marvelous dialogue it is easy to forgive her for not giving you all the pieces of the puzzle. 

There is a lot going on in this story as we deal with the world of nobility, commoners, military, the guild, science and love. Reading Obsidian Eyes was like reading a book where the past and future collided to create one hell of a ride. Allie's entrance to St. Matthews more than shakes up rigid life of the noble students who grace it's halls. Of course most of the students don't want her there, just a mere commoner they think she is far inferior and doesn't deserve to grace their presence. But Allie is not just a commoner, she is intelligent and as dangerous as any male soldier. She comes from a spotted background and a few people at the Academy are more than curious to know the real reason she is there. 

Enter Jared, the son of the Duke of Lothian, and one of the highest ranking nobles at Marquis of Kerr. He is asked to discover the truth behind Allie's attendance at St. Matthews and after sparring with her, is more than eager to get to the bottom of this mysterious girl. As he investigates he discovers that there is more to her than meets the eye and realizes that there is something about her that he just can't seem to forget. As he get's deeper into his mission he realizes that he has some hard decisions to make about his future and what he wants it to be. 

Jared and Allie are cast from the same mold. They are both intellectual, quiet, torn by what their heart desires and what duty requires and deadly-- very, very deadly. Obsidian Eyes is a perfect mixture of suspense, action, sci-fi, humor, and romance. It is a great story that stands strong, but begs to have a sequel written and it's characters have weaseled a way into my heart. A.W. Exley weaved this tale perfectly leaving me both satisfied and hungry for more. I loved everything about this story and it is definitely a must devour!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

About the Author~

Books and writing have always been an enormous part of Anita’s life. She survived school by hiding out in the library, with several thousand fictional characters for company. At university, she overcame the boredom of studying accountancy by squeezing in Egyptology papers and learning to read hieroglyphics.

Today, Anita writes steampunk novels with a sexy edge and an Egyptian twist. She lives in rural New Zealand surrounded by an assortment of weird and wonderful equines, felines, canine and homicidal chickens.

Find Her: Website | Goodreads | Facebook | Twitter