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Book Review of Jaran (Jaran, Bk 1)

Jaran (Jaran, Bk 1)
althea avatar reviewed on + 774 more book reviews


The first book I've read solely by Kate Elliott, and the first she published (under this name.)
I'm not sure why I hadn't read anything by her previously, as I did love 'The Golden Key,' which she co-wrote.
'Jaran' was good enough that I'm now planning of reading more from her. It was a very enjoyable space opera. My one criticism, however, is that at times it seems a little unsure of where it's going, plot-wise. Our protagonist, Tess, is accidentally stranded on a primitive planet. To survive, she joins a nomad horse-clan - and also starts investigating a possible alien intrigue against her rich and powerful brother. However, the intrigue and investigation kinda falls by the wayside in favor of quite a lot of romance. I didn't mind as much as I usually would, because it was actually rather interesting and hot (though non-explicit) romance. It's just that at times, I was like, "hey! Tess! Aren't you worried about what those aliens are up to? Stop looking at that hot guy!" I'm just going to have to accept that she's an easily distracted individual.
Still, it was a fun book; although long it didn't drag at all, and I very much enjoyed the details of the unique culture that Tess finds herself in.