S GD Singh

Exiled to Freedom by SGD Singh is a nested story about Priya, a teen visiting family in India. When her behaviour angers her mother, Priya is dumped off at her great-grandmother's house in the middle of nowhere. Cut off from her tech, Priya at first sulks in her room. She finally decided to come out, and starts helping around the house. As she learns manual skills she never contemplated needing before, and immersing herself in the language of her family, Priya slowly begins to change. In her new growth, and innate compassion, she even rescues and heals a starving mongrel who comes on to the property. She also befriends Rohit, the young man who runs the farm.

Priya becomes interested in her great-grandmother's life and past. Her grandmother becomes willing to share her experiences during Partition, when Pakistan was formed, and Indians and Muslims alike had to scramble to get to the proper side, or risk grave consequences. Each night the tale is told more and more people come to hear. The end of the story reveals that Priya's grandmother has a dear wish to repay the descendants of a soldier who gave her a pack to hold, before stepping out into near certain death so the refugees packed in a train car got through safely. The story takes a bizarre turn, morphing into an Ocean's 11 heist attempt to help her grandmother's wish to come true.

Okay, I admit, at first I found Priya to be a spoiled little brat. She did mature over the course of the story, and I loved that she helped the dog. Really, that level of compassion swayed my opinion of her. Then she decided to help make her grandmother's wish come true, and while an impractical, fantastical plan, she and Rohit pull it off. My favourite part was the history of Partition, and what Priya's grandmother went through because it was a real part of history. A sadly brutal part of history full of atrocities.

The heist part at the end wasn't really believable to me, but it was fun and it lightened the atmosphere after the Partition tale, while still being tied to it. I also find it difficult to believe the love connection Priya found. It seems way too short a time frame for such love and devotion. Recommended read!

***Many thanks to the author for providing an egalley in exchange for a fair and honest review. Reviewed for Lola's Blog Tours… (meer)

With exotic scenes, fantastical creatures, action, and heaps of emotion, this is a read not to put down until the last page.

Asha lives with her grandfather in Miami. Her teenage life runs smoothly, however, a little unusual considering she's homeschooled, has a wealthy best friend and is well trained in several fighting forms. Just an average, teenage girl. Until her grandfather comes home one night with horrible wounds and demands that she head to India immediately to finish up her schooling/training. Not happy about it, but not in a position to argue, Asha heads in India to live with the family of her grandfather's brother, one she didn't know existed until that day. But that's only the beginning. Soon, she discovers an entire realm of fighters, who have the goal to keep the evil creatures from the lower seven realms at bay. Asha was born to be one of them, along with her friends. And so much more.

This is one of those books, which immerses the reader in a fantastical world and an epic tale. The mixture of wonderful details, action and heart-touching moments keep the pages flying by until the very end. While the book begins in Miami, the scenes quickly switch to India and then again to a fantastical realm. Each one is vivid and full of life, and the quick slide from one to the next in just a few short chapters was a bit overwhelming at first. But Asha and her friends made it switch into place as her situation and struggles soon took center stage.

The characters in this book are rich and full of personality. It's easy to get lost in Asha's relationships with all of them be it teacher, commander, friend, acquaintance, enemy or lover. And it's this drawing in of each character which makes this an engaging read, especially when the battles begin and danger lurks in the shadows.

Asha needs to discover herself as well as the layers of secrets around her. There are unexpected twists and turns, and the tension constantly mounts like a ticking time bomb. All the while, there's a building romance and a bond of friendship which is inspiring.

In other words, this is a book for friends of magic, paranormal creatures, descriptive fight scenes, and a lovely romance on the side. It's definitely a story to get lost in, and it will be interesting to see what battles Asha and her friends will face next.

I received a complimentary copy and couldn't put it down, so I'm leaving my honest thoughts.… (meer)