The Unfinished Song (Book 1): Initiate [Kindle Edition]

Tara Maya (Author)

Book Description

DEADLY INITIATION

A DETERMINED GIRL...
Dindi can't do anything right, maybe because she spends more time dancing with pixies than doing her chores. Her clan hopes to marry her off and settle her down, but she dreams of becoming a Tavaedi, one of the powerful warrior-dancers whose secret magics are revealed only to those who pass a mysterious Test during the Initiation ceremony. The problem? No-one in Dindi's clan has ever passed the Test. Her grandmother died trying. But Dindi has a plan.


AN EXILED WARRIOR...
Kavio is the most powerful warrior-dancer in Faearth, but when he is exiled from the tribehold for a crime he didn't commit, he decides to shed his old life. If roving cannibals and hexers don't kill him first, this is his chance to escape the shadow of his father's wars and his mother's curse. But when he rescues a young Initiate girl, he finds himself drawn into as deadly a plot as any he left behind. He must decide whether to walk away or fight for her... assuming she would even accept the help of an exile.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Wow. Holy smoking wow. This is one of the few books I've read that I can honestly say was totally, 100% original.... However, as unique as it is, it was insanely easy to slip into the story..." --Emi London, Octopus Ink

From the Inside Flap

Excerpt:
Blue-skinned rusalki grappled Dindi under the churning surface of the river. She could feel their claws dig into her arms. Their riverweed-like hair entangled her legs when she tried to kick back to the surface. She only managed to gulp a few breaths of air before they pulled her under again.

She hadn't appreciated how fast and deep the river was. On her second gasp for air, she saw that the current was already dragging her out of sight of the screaming girls on the bank. A whirlpool of froth and fae roiled between two large rocks in the middle of the river. The rusalka and her sisters tugged Dindi toward it. Other water fae joined the rusalki. Long snouted pookas, turtle-like kappas and hairy-armed gwyllions all swam around her, leading her to the whirlpool, where even more fae swirled in the whitewater.

"Join our circle, Dindi!" the fae voices gurgled under the water. "Dance with us forever!"

"No!" She kicked and swam and stole another gasp for air before they snagged her again. There were so many of them now, all pulling her down, all singing to the tune of the rushing river. She tried to shout, "Dispel!" but swallowed water instead. Her head hit a rock, disorienting her. She sank, this time sure she wouldn't be coming up again.

"Dispel!" It was a man's voice.

Strong arms encircled her and lifted her until her arms and head broke the surface. Her rescuer swam with her toward the shore. He overpowered the current, he shrugged aside the hands of the water faeries stroking his hair and arms. When he reached the shallows, he scooped Dindi into his arms and carried her the rest of the way to the grassy bank. He set her down gently.

She coughed out some water while he supported her back.

"Better?" he asked.

She nodded. He was young--only a few years older than she. The aura of confidence and competence he radiated made him seem older. Without knowing quite why, she was certain he was a Tavaedi.

"Good." He had a gorgeous smile. A wisp of his dark bangs dangled over one eye. He brushed his dripping hair back over his head.

Dindi's hand touched skin--he was not wearing any shirt. Both of them were sopping wet. On him, that meant trickles of water coursed over a bedrock of muscle. As for her, the thin white wrap clung transparently to her body like a wet leaf. She blushed.

"It might have been easier to swim if you had let go of that," he teased. He touched her hand, which was closed around something. "What were you holding onto so tightly that it mattered more than drowning?"

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• File Size: 264 KB
• Print Length: 190 pages
• Page Numbers Source ISBN: 0983107319
• Simultaneous Device Usage: Unlimited
• Publisher: Misque Press; 1 edition (December 22, 2010)
• Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
• Language: English
• ASIN: B004H4XE5I
• Text-to-Speech: Enabled
• X-Ray: Enabled
• Lending: Enabled
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,653 Free in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Free in Kindle Store)
  • #19 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Fantasy > Fairy Tales
  • #21 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > World Literature > Mythology
  • #25 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Fantasy > Epic

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 22 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars A fantastic fantasy read! February 1, 2011

By Kiki Deister

Format:Kindle Edition

The Unfinished Song: Initate is the first installment of a new series by Tara Maya set in the fantasy world Faearth. There are only seven tribes of people in existence, and faeries, pixies, brownies, and the like still roam the earth. It is set in a stone age era, more civilized than cave dwellers. This novel is primarily the story of Dindi, a young girl living in the Lost Swan tribe, anxious to pass Initiation and become a Taevaedi, a member of a secret society of revered magical dancers. It drew me in slowly at the beginning, but most fantasy novels do, as the new worlds and societies are built within the framework of the story. The world that the author created in Faearth was extremely creative and unique. Elements from many different cultures, legends, myths, and fairy tales were woven throughout the story. There were Slavic rusalkies and tribal rituals reminiscent of Native American culture, as well as some plot points that reminded me of some of the Hawaiian and Polynesian folk lore I learned when I lived in Hawaii. Even the physical environment had things brought together that would never have been found on our version of Earth. This made the texture of Faearth, its inhabitants and the story very intriguing.

I found the book to be well-written, with lots of descriptive phrasing that made me feel as if I were standing in the midst of the story. The weaving of myths and legends and tales from so many cultures could have left the reading a little muddy, but this wasn't a problem at all. There were twists and turns throughout the book, including intermittent travels back in time. That threw me at first and confused me, but I later realized it was because I had accidentally missed a couple of paragraphs when continuing to read after a short break! The action was fast-paced and kept me wanting more!

Dindi was my favorite character in the story. She was both relatable and lovable with all of her issues. She was underappreciated as a person, and didn't give herself enough credit for her abilities. The way she was treated by the other members of her own tribe, as well as those she met on her path to Initiation, made me hurt for her. And any time I feel strongly for a fictional character is a sign that I am reading a great book. I also liked her friend Gwenika whose self-sabatage and her lack of self-esteem made her as relatable as Dindi. Kavio, the exiled warrior, embodied all the traits of a good fantasy novel hero: strong, honorable, and compassionate.

The cover art was stunning, created by the author herself. That alone would have drawn me to the novel!!

POSSIBLE ITTY BITTY SPOILER: --->The conclusion was definately a cliffhanger, leaving you with questions and wanting more. Without saying too much, I was left wanting to cry for Dindi, cheering for Gwenika, wanting to know what happened to Gwenika's sister, and wanting to know more about Kavio. But it was the perfect lead-in for the next book in the series, so I can't complain about those questions! It ended just as it should have. <--- END OF POSSIBLE ITTY BITTY SPOLER

I gave it a 4.5 stars!

60 of 73 people found the following review helpful

2.0 out of 5 stars neverending story October 24, 2011

By dragonfly

Format:Kindle Edition

I have to be honest and say that I enjoyed this book, and the two that follow. However, I was expecting the story to have an ending, and when it didn't I checked out the blog (should have done that first I guess). So far there are three books written and another 9 planned for this series. That just makes me angry. There should be a warning about neverending stories. Some people like that, and fair enough those people can decide to read stories that never end. I don't like it, I prefer resolution at some point. I also get bored after the third or fourth book, and this series is at that point after the third book. I feel ripped off.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A great read! January 9, 2011

By Laura

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

The Unfinished Song: Initiate is the first in a series of fantasy novels, and it features just about everything you'd want in that genre. The world has magic, faeries, and secret societies, all of which fit together to form an internally consistent whole. The characters are, in various combinations, heroic, misunderstood, self-destructive, well-meaning, and flawed (some of them might be evil, but I'm withholding judgment until I've read the rest of the series). There's injustice, family dysfunction, and just a little redemption. There's some fighting and a lot of dancing. There's a bit of political intrigue, which I suspect will come more into the forefront later in the series. What more could you want?

More About the Author

Tara Maya has lived in Africa, Europe and Asia. She's pounded sorghum with mortar and pestle in a little clay village where the jungle meets the desert, meditated in a Buddhist monastery in the Himalayas and sailed the Volga river to a secret city that was once the heart of the Soviet space program. This first-hand experience, as well as research into the strange and piquant histories of lost civilizations, inspires her writing. Her terrible housekeeping, however, is entirely the fault of pixies.