Title: The Exemeus (The Exemeus #1)
Author: Folami and Abeni Morris
Release Date: Jan 3/2013
Adquired: Ebook provided by author
Goodreads: ADD
Purchase: Amazon/Barnes & Noble/Indigo/Book Depository
Hyalee Smith is dead, she just doesn’t know it yet.
Her short life was devoted to love and to hate. Love of the man who stole her heart, hate for the man who stole the world. Murdered by the government she swore to destroy, she has been given another chance to make it right. But to save the planet, she needs the help of the most powerful mystic the world has ever seen—unfortunately he hasn’t been born yet.
In a world where fear is the only currency, Dephon has committed the ultimate crime:inspiring hope.
His only goal is to make it safely through ninth grade, but on a post-apocalyptic Earth run by the Treptonian government, it isn’t that simple. Heir to a legendary power, Dephon Johnson is the only threat to the government’s rule. And on Trepton, all threats must be eliminated. When hundreds of assassins are dispatched to neutralize him, Dephon is forced to fight back. His only chance of survival is to enlist the aid of the greatest warrior the world has ever known. The only problem is, she's been dead for 13 years.
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What an interestingly paranormal twist on a dystopian. Yeah, that was a mouthful, but this book definitely warrants it. With the only downfall being it's lack of a solid back story, The Exemeus was a thrill ride, and an enjoyable, quick-paced read for those who enjoy all genres of YA.
A little known fact about me: I love magic in ALL of it's forms. But actual magic gets me every time. This book had magic, and then some, in varying and wonderful degrees. The Exemeus revolves around Dephon, and the small problem of his government wanting him dead, due to the fact that he harnesses more power than he can possibly imagine. Born from two magically inclined parents, Dephon is set on a journey to discover the truth about his parents in all too "hands-on" way. With the help of an leather bound text book, and a wittingly pleasant aid by the name of Mallea (love that name!), Dephon comes to the realization that he's not the average, nerdy, teenage boy he thought he was.
The premise for this book is amazing, though the execution suffered just a little. As mentioned before, the back story for Trepton, formally Earth, was scarce, and left a lot to be imagined. I would have liked to have a more solid foundation to base my visions of the story line on as I was reading. Despite that qualm, however, the book played out in a pace that was easy to fall in step with. I loved that the content altered between Dephon's present time, and time of his mother's early years, as he reads from the text about how she came into her powers. I couldn't WAIT until he picked up the book and started reading again. The magic was palpable, and I hung off of every new discovery that Hyalee (Dephon's mother), made that brought her closer to who she would eventually be. I also think I developed an unhealthy obsession with Jacqueline's house-I won't say anymore, you guys MUST read this magic.
The action in this book was well-placed, and not all-consuming like other paranormal action scenes tend to be. I sometimes find it hard to follow along when magic is shooting out from every possible angle. But The Exemeus moved along well, and I found it easily engaging. The character dialogue was also a plus, and I absolutely loved the relationship between Hyalee and Singleton, especially in the early years. As another reviewer mentioned, I wish more was revealed about their later years, but I suspect that will come in the next books *fingers crossed*.
Overall, this book was right up my alley, and I found myself thinking about the possibilities of a reality like the one described for a while after reading.
Recommended for: readers fantasy, paranormal, action and a romance aspect.
A little known fact about me: I love magic in ALL of it's forms. But actual magic gets me every time. This book had magic, and then some, in varying and wonderful degrees. The Exemeus revolves around Dephon, and the small problem of his government wanting him dead, due to the fact that he harnesses more power than he can possibly imagine. Born from two magically inclined parents, Dephon is set on a journey to discover the truth about his parents in all too "hands-on" way. With the help of an leather bound text book, and a wittingly pleasant aid by the name of Mallea (love that name!), Dephon comes to the realization that he's not the average, nerdy, teenage boy he thought he was.
The premise for this book is amazing, though the execution suffered just a little. As mentioned before, the back story for Trepton, formally Earth, was scarce, and left a lot to be imagined. I would have liked to have a more solid foundation to base my visions of the story line on as I was reading. Despite that qualm, however, the book played out in a pace that was easy to fall in step with. I loved that the content altered between Dephon's present time, and time of his mother's early years, as he reads from the text about how she came into her powers. I couldn't WAIT until he picked up the book and started reading again. The magic was palpable, and I hung off of every new discovery that Hyalee (Dephon's mother), made that brought her closer to who she would eventually be. I also think I developed an unhealthy obsession with Jacqueline's house-I won't say anymore, you guys MUST read this magic.
The action in this book was well-placed, and not all-consuming like other paranormal action scenes tend to be. I sometimes find it hard to follow along when magic is shooting out from every possible angle. But The Exemeus moved along well, and I found it easily engaging. The character dialogue was also a plus, and I absolutely loved the relationship between Hyalee and Singleton, especially in the early years. As another reviewer mentioned, I wish more was revealed about their later years, but I suspect that will come in the next books *fingers crossed*.
Overall, this book was right up my alley, and I found myself thinking about the possibilities of a reality like the one described for a while after reading.
Recommended for: readers fantasy, paranormal, action and a romance aspect.
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Folami Morris
Folami grew up in the tiny city of San Mateo, California, where nothing ever happens and no one ever leaves. She went to Xavier University for undergraduate, getting her B.A in physics and her B.S in Biology. After graduation she returned to California, to live in an even smaller city, where even less happens, Antioch, California. During this time she escaped the monotony by hanging out with her imaginary friends Hyalee and Dephon, and by writing the Exemeus. She finally escaped to Queens, NY and now realizes that quiet and tiny aren’t so bad.
Abeni Morris
As luck (and logic) would have it Abeni grew up in the same tiny little town as her sister, then she too escaped to the tinier town of Antioch. She has yet to leave. She received her bachelor’s degree in early childhood development from Cal State East Bay. She is the mom of two amazing kids, who swear that they deserve a percentage of the book proceeds and a ton of the credit. At least she raised dreamers.
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I really liked this book. I understand about the lack of world-building but I think we will see more of that in the second book, being the first was more set during current time.
ReplyDeleteThis sounds fun. I love both paranormal and dystopian, but haven't read any combinations of the two. Sad to hear about the execution, though, although I sometimes disagree with people about that stuff and.. depending on circumstances, not a lot of backstory doesn't always both me, so I'd love to give it a try. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteBrynna