Confessions of a Readaholic: Nemesis Blog Tour: Review + Dream Cast + Giveaway

Nemesis Blog Tour: Review + Dream Cast + Giveaway

Nemesis by Anna Banks

Release Date: October 4, 2016
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Series: Nemesis, Book 1
Rated: YA 14+
Format: eGalley
Source: NetGalley
Buy: Amazon ● The Book Depository ● B&N ● iBooks
Goodreads ● Website

The princess didn't expect to fall in love–with her nemesis.

Princess Sepora of Serubel is the last Forger in all the five kingdoms. The spectorium she creates provides energy for all, but now her father has found a way to weaponize it, and his intentions to incite war force her to flee from his grasp. She escapes across enemy lines into the kingdom of Theoria, but her plans to hide are thwarted when she is captured and placed in the young king's servitude.

Tarik has just taken over rulership of Theoria, and must now face a new plague sweeping through his kingdom and killing his citizens. The last thing he needs is a troublesome servant vying for his attention. But mistress Sepora will not be ignored. When the two finally meet face-to-face, they form an unlikely bond that complicates life in ways neither of them could have imagined.

Sepora's gift could save Tarik's kingdom from the Quiet Plague. But should she trust her growing feelings for her nemesis, or should she hide her gifts at all costs?

I love the trope when two people who are complete opposites and don't get along at all eventually fall in love. I mean, take it a step further–as in, have the trope set in a fantasy world where the two people who do fall in love are from opposing kingdoms–and you have Nemesis. I absolutely adored Of Poseidon, but for some reason didn't finish the series. I did get to meet Anna Banks though at the Boston Teen Author Festival in 2015! She was super sweet and gave out tons of swag. Awesome author aside though, I definitely wanted to read this one ever since I saw the fantastic cover and read the synopsis. This one was wonderful, and I got sucked in right from the start.

Major plus point for the world building–I loved the setting. You have multiple kingdoms, but two are featured prominently: Theoria and Serubel. Talk about extreme opposites! Theoria is definitely based on Ancient Egypt, and then you have Serubel, which reminded me of Scandinavia or the Norse region. They have dragon-esque creatures (serpens) too...How to Train Your Dragon, anyone? Anyway, I loved the interactions with other kingdoms too, and I'm interested to see how it all plays out in the sequel.

First off, I can't help but think of Sephora whenever I see Sepora's name, and I know I'm definitely not the only one. Anyway, I enjoyed Sepora (it's seriously difficult to spell it without the 'h'!) and Tarik's characters. There were some awesome animals and creatures in this book–Patra, Nuna and Dody–that totally deserve a shout-out, too! Sepora was really headstrong, and while I think she has various flaws like being too irrational, I enjoyed her story. Tarik was super attractive (not just in looks!) to the point where I was basically drooling over my kindle, but I felt like I couldn't get to know his character too well, and that's probably because of the novel's narrative.

I don't know how to feel about the switch in narrative perspectives. The two points of view wasn't a problem–heck, you could throw in a few more and it still wouldn't be a problem. Nemesis, however, switches from first-person (Sepora) to third-person (Tarik). While I like that it's a pretty unique way to tell a story, it was just so strange. I ended up preferring Sepora's chapters over Tarik's, just because I felt I could connect to her more.

I also was a little disappointed with the romance. While, yes there were some swoon-worthy scenes here and there, there was a general lack of sparks flying that I oh so desperately wanted. The build-up was great though. I liked the resistance and the hesitance between the two of them to begin with, but just wanted more in the after. The end throws things off-balance though, and has me very curious as to how things will continue on in the second book.

Leaving me thirsty for more, Nemesis was phenomenal. A gorgeous start to the duology, I'm saddened by the fact that the sequel won't be out for a while. Anna Banks's latest novel is magical and captivating–the world-building is beautiful, the characters are unforgettable, and the story is entrancing from beginning to end.

If you like this, try...

Cruel Beauty by Rosamund Hodge ● Goodreads
An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir ● Goodreads

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ANNA BANKS

NYT Bestselling YA author of The Syrena Legacy series: OF POSEIDON (2012), OF TRITON (2013), OF NEPTUNE (2014).

Repped by rockstar Lucy Carson of the Friedrich Agency.

I live with my husband and daughter in the Florida Panhandle. I have a southern accent compared to New Yorkers, and I enjoy food cooked with real fat. I can’t walk in high heels, but I’m very good at holding still in them. If you put chocolate in front of me, you must not have wanted it in the first place.

Favorite Books:

Shatter Me, Cinder, Linger, Shiver, Forever, Pushing the Limits, Unravel Me, Shadow and Bone, Enclave, Divergent, Candor, Graceling, Fire, The Hunger Games Trilogy, The Host, Most of James Patterson, and Janet Evanovich makes me laugh through my nose in an unfeminine sort of way.

Visit Anna’s website, like her on Facebook, and follow her on Twitter.

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Dream Cast

I had a tough time picturing who could play Sepora potentially, because I was just basically picturing the girl on the cover the entire time, and I finally decided that Britt Robertson might actually be pretty good for the role. She's super pretty, got the blonde hair, she's done pretty well in films (Tomorrowland!), and could pull off the action-y role. I'm just wondering if she can play regal though.

As for Tarik, I can't help but picture Rami Malek, especially since the character is a pharaoh and based out of Ancient Egypt. I know he's a bit old for the part, but LOOK AT THAT GORGEOUS FACE! Magic of Hollywood: please make him look younger than his actual age so he can play this role, thank you.