REVIEW: Pawn of Mine by Tabitha Vale

Title: Pawn of Mine (Fiery Water #1)
Author: Tabitha Vale
Published: 09 April 2012
Format: Kindle ebook*

The world never ended in fire and ice. The people were consumed by it and now control the elements. The Fires have harnessed the power down to an art while the Waters cower in fear of their abilities, remaining weak and hopeless. Seventeen-year-old Sage Sinclair hopes to dispel the weakness of her Water people because she knows that if she doesn’t do anything, no one will. When she discovers something special about herself, she seeks Humble Narcissist Ruler Agni in the great fire city, Saint Firefly. Once she gains his seal of approval, she’s admitted into Erra Academy where she secretly sparks a revolution among her ennui peers—a revolution to fight back against the Fires. She has every hope in her movement, just as long as her feelings for a handsome and frivolous Saffron Larkspur don’t get in the way—that, and Agni’s sudden fascination with her.

My Review:
I was simply blown away by Tabitha Vale’s Pawn of Mine. It’s got everything I’ve wanted in a story and so much more. She didn’t just meet my expectations, she surpassed them! I loved every aspect of this book, wanting even more once I finished. 



In Pawn of Mine, a meteor shower hits the earth, giving the people control over the elements of Fire and Water. They do this with the stars by drawing out the constellations with their hands and/or feet. This becomes their ultimate power that they called starlight. After the second meteor shower, the Fire and Water Ancients are wiped out. Now, there is no more balance between Fire and Water. The Fire element has become superior to the Water element, rendering them useless to all the Fires. The Fires are able to use starlight, while the Waters are not taught to use it at all. The main protagonist, Sage, is willing to do anything to overthrow Agni as the leader and give her Water people the equality and best leadership they deserve. However, Sage may be in over her head. She still has much to learn and sometimes things don’t go her away, especially if love is involved. 



One of the best things about Pawn of Mine is the unique world that Tabitha created. It’s completely well-thought out. I love the idea of people acquiring elemental powers. This is such a creative concept, I praise Tabitha Vale for thinking outside of the box. She builds up the world nicely, drawing everything out and not overwhelming the reader with this new world. She explains how the people came to have this elemental power in great detail throughout the story and alongside Sage’s journey. I learned as Sage learned and I loved that this happened. It felt like I was in the story rather than being an observer on the outside. This world has Media Maps, star dust, star syrup, humens, and oppos that make Pawn of Mine considerably original and quite well-rounded. She also parallels the story with the rich vs. the poor in each the Fires and the Waters. This is an intriguing addition to the story that Tabitha weaves in flawlessly.

I commend Tabitha for creating such an amazing and strong protagonist in Sage. From the start, Sage is so determined to start this revolution to save her people. Sage is such a visionary and her unwavering courage and her never-ending willingness to go through her plans is inspiring. Sage is a true fighter and an honorable person. She has big dreams, big goals. She’s independent, thinks freely for herself, speaks her mind and she’s intelligent. She’s unique and special in every way. Most of all, Sage is bold and has guts. She’s left an impressionable imprint on me and there is just no way you cannot not love her. On the plus side, Sage doesn’t whine or complain. She faces everything head-on. Sage truly is one of a kind.

The secondary characters in this book are very well developed, but Tabitha Vale manages to give these characters this air of mystery that made me want to get to know them more. Next to Sage, my most favorite character has to be Zane. He becomes Sage’s best friend and confidant. He’s funny, flirty, smart, super charming and he’s extremely attractive. Zane manages to brighten everything up in this book. Half the time he’s making some remark that makes me laugh endlessly or has me grinning from ear to ear. I found Zane to be the most remarkable character in this book. He swept me off my feet from the very beginning. Another character was Hazel. He keeps to himself, rarely says anything and he’s quite mean. He always seems to be in a foul mood, but his strength and the power he exuded along with his broken past made me adore him completely. He’s also got this bad boy, “stay-away” from me going for him. It also doesn’t hurt that he’s completely swoon-worthy and very handsome.Then there is Saffron. He’s is a total sweetheart, a little strange, but I like his charm too and his way with words. He’s the second person to show some sort of interest in Sage. He’s kind and a little overconfident. I didn’t get to know him much, but I liked his quirks and the way he could talk into Sage’s heart and possibly my own. The antagonist of Pawn of Mine was Agni. He was a complete surprise. He’s not like other villains out there. He’s a little crazy and over the top. He’s dense at times, but he’s powerful and his temper is crazy scary. Agni is the type that smiles and laughs and acts like everything is ok, but he’s got this evil, creepy and ruthless personality lurking inside of him that can come out at any time. The way he acts is a little terrifying and I never knew when he’d burst into a rage. He doesn’t seem like the clichéd type of villain with the way he treated Sage and the way he wanted to please the people, but I can see through Agni. Believe me when I say that he is dangerous. Agni is totally different and I love how Tabitha portrayed him to be this way. 



Overall, the writing and pacing to Pawn of Mine is superb and rich. It’s descriptive, easily engrossing and downright astounding. Pawn of Mine has everything a book needs: a kick ass heroine, romance that doesn’t overpower the main storyline, bursts of humor, well-developed characters, wonderful world building and lots of action with plenty of twists and turns that surprise the reader to no end.

Pawn of Mine is a must-read! 



My Rating: 5 out 5 stars

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Read the First Three Chapters to Pawn of Mine

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