Book Review: Feudlings by Wendy Knight

Feudlings (Fate on Fire) by Wendy Knight, 2013, 283p, Rating=5
Content: Clean, Young Adult Fiction
Source: Received review copy from Astraea Press for an honest review

Nothing makes a new school suck worse than discovering the guy you’re in love with is your prophesied nemesis.

Ari is the most powerful flame-throwing sorceress ever, and her people’s last hope in an ancient war. But she’s also a seventeen-year-old girl, and in her free, not-hunting-nemesis times, she jumps from school to school, trying to figure out regular people her own age and pretending she’ll get the chance to graduate.

Shane lives a double life. He goes to school and masters the art of popularity, hiding the fact that he has a fate with a slim chance of his survival. He’s destined to end a 300 year-old war by killing or being killed. He knows he’s hunted by a powerful enemy who’s not afraid to die. Only problem? He has no idea who that enemy is.

When Ari shows up at Shane’s school, angry and sullen and determined to keep him at arm’s reach, neither of them realize they are supposed to be killing each other, not falling in love. Until Ari does realize it, and she almost dies – by Shane’s hand. (Goodreads)

 
This drew me in from the first page and I had a hard time putting it down. It starts at a boarding school in Park City, Utah. It's the sixteenth one Ari's been to in nine years so she's not looking to make friends since she won't be there for long. Her roommate, Brittany, isn't thrilled to have someone share her room but manages to rope Ari into helping her decorate for the school dance. Brittany is trying to impress Shane, the best-looking guy at the school, so Ari grudgingly goes to help her. She falls off the ladder and hits the floor right as Shane, Hunter (Shane's bodyguard) and Charity (Shane's cousin) are all heading into the gym. As a Carule, Shane could heal her if he could just be alone with her for a few minutes but there are too many concerned girls following him to the nurse's office so he has to take her there. Ari spends the weekend in the nurse's office and misses the dance. She's able to start school on Monday and is surprised at all the attention she receives since she's planning to just blend in like she usually does.

She makes some good friends for the first time and finds herself enjoying her school. She meets swoon-worthy Shane and realizes that he really is all that but she's not about to let him know that. Besides, she'll be moving on soon and doesn't have time to form lasting relationships. 

The plot moves well as we learn about Ari's family and what her responsibilities are to them.  They keep her busy and sometimes it interferes with her new social life. Her exchanges with Shane and Hunter are fun to read as she's like no girl they've ever met before and she intrigues them both. Ari is tough and knows how to handle herself physically yet is still finding her way in relationships. I enjoyed getting to know her. When it ended, it left me looking forward to the next book! I loved reading this and highly recommend it!!

If you want to read more about book 2 (which also sounds amazing and looks like it will be out in August 2013) and other books Wendy Knight is working on, check out her website here. I'm a fan and am definitely looking forward to reading more of her books!