Rating: PG
Genre: Fantasy, Action
Score: 4 1/2 stars
Page Count: 222
Book #1 of The Kingdom Of Oceana series
Publisher: Butterhorse Media
Published: November 27th, 2015
Five centuries ago, on the island now called Hawaii, there was a kingdom filled with adventure, beauty, and magic. When 16-year-old Prince Ailani and his brother Nahoa trespass on a forbidden burial ground and uncover an ancient tiki mask, they unleash a thousand-year-old curse that threatens to destroy their tropical paradise.
As warring factions collide for control of Oceana, it sparks an age-old conflict between rival sorcerers that threatens to erupt-just like Mauna Kea, the towering volcano. With the help of his ancestral spirit animals, his shape shifting sidekick, and a beautiful princess, Prince Ailani must overcome his own insecurities, a lifetime of sibling rivalry, and a plague of cursed sea creatures brought forth by the tiki's spell. Can peace be restored to the kingdom? Can Prince Ailani claim his rightful place as the future king of Oceana?
Two brothers, but only one can rule.
Review:
PROS:
1. First, I would like to thank Kelsey for sending me a copy of this book in audiobook form! When I was first contacted by Kelsey to see if I was interested in reviewing this book, I was hooked as soon as I read the first paragraph of the synopsis. I adore audiobooks like nothing else so I thought it would be really neat to review the audiobook format of this book since I don't really review audiobooks. Anyhoo, let's get on with the review so you can get my thoughts on the story!
2. In all the years I've been alive, I've never read a book set in Hawaii which I had to remedy since it's such a cool place from what I've heard and seen in movies. I know I usually talk about the characters first but the setting was just too amazing not to mention it first. The descriptions given about the island made the book feel so magical in a way. I could almost hear the waves and see the amazing tropical sights for myself as I listened to the book and it had this certain air about it that made me feel almost as if I was in Hawaii myself which I thought was so great. Everything was so vivid and detailed with the descriptions of the ocean, coral reefs, the animal life and even simple things such as the boats people used and the surfboards. The writing was absolutely amazing and did a great job of really bringing the setting to life as the story unfolded. I also learned a little more about the culture and mythology which I loved.
3. Okay, now we can fangirl over the characters. I really loved all of them so much, especially our main character Ailani. Although the two brothers were young, they were mature for their ages and knew their duties. Of course, that didn't stop them from getting on each other's nerves. They were smart boys and were eager to learn more about their responsibilities as princes while having fun every now and then like siblings do. They were adventurous and quick learners, quick thinkers, and ready for the challenges they faced as the story moved forward. 
4. The magical elements in this book were so fun and the author did a great job of bringing light and dark magic, the curses, and the mythology to life and blending them so beautifully together. The way the magic worked was so intriguing and the magical items that helped the characters were interesting and had entertaining origins and it was fun discovering them. I also loved the intense action scenes sprinkled in the book. It made the story more exciting and had me on the edge a few times. Not only that but the narrator did a great job of reading the story and his accent really added to the cultural experience of the book. The audio was so relaxing and almost melodic at times.
The only reason I didn't give this book a five-star rating is while I loved everything about the book, I did have a problem with the pace of the story at times. Certain scenes I wished had been a little longer to avoid feeling a little rushed. Other than that, I highly recommend this book because not only is it a great story but it has an amazing audio to go along with it should you be looking for an audiobook to listen to. I'll be eagerly awaiting the next book in this series!
You Can Purchase The Book Here:
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About The Author:
Mitchell Charles’ love of the ocean and its miraculous creatures began at the age of 12 when his father taught him to SCUBA dive. From his first adventure 50 feet (15 meters) beneath the Caribbean Sea he was hooked. He has been involved in the Oceanic Society, America’s first non-profit organization dedicated to ocean conservation, established in 1969.
Mitchell’s inspiration for The Kingdom of Oceana was born of exploring the spectacular coastline, lush valleys, and vibrant coral reefs of the Hawaiian Islands. On these excursions, he imagined what Hawaii was like hundreds of years ago. Before Captain Cook arrived from England. Before the golf courses and hotels. Before the ukulele and the Mai Tai became icons of Hawaiian culture. He dreamed of a time when the islands were an undiscovered magical paradise.
These days, Mitchell divides his time between Southern California and Hawaii. He has two teenage children and a dog named Magic.
Mitchell is currently working on the second book in the Kingdom of Oceana series, The Legend of the Nine Sacred Pearls. For more information, visit http://kingdomofoceana.com/
Author Links:
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Hope you all liked this review! Read on, bookworms! See you in the next chapter!
I am glad that this book was so good for you! It must have been cool to try and review a book in a different form than usual! Audiobooks aren't my thing, but I see how people like them a whole lot :D I also haven't read a book set in Hawaii before, so that will be unique and nice for me too. And the magic and the characters sound splendid!
ReplyDeleteI love audio-books so it seemed like it was about time that I actually reviewed one since I listen to them every now and then when I'm trying to squeeze in a book or two :D I highly recommend it since it's such a fun adventure story with fantasy elements mixed in!
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