Review: BaSatai Outside In by Suzan Battah
5:21 PMTitle: BaSatai: Outside In
Author: Suzan Battah
Publisher: Suzan Battah
Publication date: April 14, 2012
# Of Pages: 323 paperback
How I got the copy: From author in exchange for an honest review.
From Goodreads.com
Seventeen year old, Armani Radnelaq a full blooded BaSatai is plagued by a curse in her blood. A curse created from hate and designed to break the divide between two parallel worlds of Earth and H-trae when Armani's blood is spilled in attack and she dies.
S'teuqoubs have been travelling back and forth across the divide for centuries without trouble. The BaSatai and Guardians monitoring activity and enforcing rules to ensure peace and harmony but if the divide splits and opens, a much greater number of supernatural S’teuqoubs will filter into earth destroying equilibrium which the BaSatai and Guardians will be unable to control. Humanity and the BaSatai will suffer and perish. The parallel divide must remain secure at all costs.
Armani has remained hidden on earth with her adopted father Elijah since her birth. She has been raised in the human way and fights her natural instinct to evolve into a BaSatai. The BaSatai in her requires her to evolve and shift, use her powers and strength. Yet Armani is freaked out by the need to shift. She smokes, has a bad attitude, must deal with aggressive bullies and control her natural BaSatai instinct. Her Guardian with BaSatai Warriors are coming for her. She refuses to accept her fate and doesn't believe any BaSatai should die to protect her.
The blood curse maturing in her veins makes her a target for her enemies. Her Guardian Karhl and an elite BasSatai Warrior Rafael are the first to arrive and prepare her for her crossing over. Her attraction to Rafael complicates her purpose to stay on earth even more. They both insist she fall into line and follow their lead but she is not ready to leave earth just yet...
S'teuqoubs have been travelling back and forth across the divide for centuries without trouble. The BaSatai and Guardians monitoring activity and enforcing rules to ensure peace and harmony but if the divide splits and opens, a much greater number of supernatural S’teuqoubs will filter into earth destroying equilibrium which the BaSatai and Guardians will be unable to control. Humanity and the BaSatai will suffer and perish. The parallel divide must remain secure at all costs.
Armani has remained hidden on earth with her adopted father Elijah since her birth. She has been raised in the human way and fights her natural instinct to evolve into a BaSatai. The BaSatai in her requires her to evolve and shift, use her powers and strength. Yet Armani is freaked out by the need to shift. She smokes, has a bad attitude, must deal with aggressive bullies and control her natural BaSatai instinct. Her Guardian with BaSatai Warriors are coming for her. She refuses to accept her fate and doesn't believe any BaSatai should die to protect her.
The blood curse maturing in her veins makes her a target for her enemies. Her Guardian Karhl and an elite BasSatai Warrior Rafael are the first to arrive and prepare her for her crossing over. Her attraction to Rafael complicates her purpose to stay on earth even more. They both insist she fall into line and follow their lead but she is not ready to leave earth just yet...
þ New race that look like humans, but can shift
þ Unexpected twists at the end
þ Interesting characters with unique relationships
þ Interesting characters with unique relationships
This is my first half star review. I had mixed feelings about this one. I really liked it, but for some reason it was hard for me to follow.The beginning wasted no time in introducing the action which I was very grateful for. But in the first few chapters the main character Armani came off as whiny and ungrateful. I mean if two hot guys showed up and said they were going to help and protect me I wouldn't be complaining. And it's not like she didn't know they were coming eventually. Although I do understand her being reluctant to give up her life completely. She does slowly change this attitude over time. I was glad that it was a gradual change and that she still kept some of her fiery attitude in the end. Sometimes characters seem to switch overnight and that doesn't really happen in real life.
Rafe was my favorite character. I just have a soft spot for selfless, protective, hot male leads. Kahrl her Guardian was fun because he didn't take Armani's attitude. She really seemed to hate him in the beginning and then all of a sudden she is willing to do anything to save him. I was confused when their relationship seemed to shift so suddenly, but I liked it better when they were getting along. And I was so glad that for once there were many main characters without having a love triangle.
Although the whole book they are on Earth and not in the BaSatai world, there was a lot of world building. We learn about Armani's race, a curse that was placed on her family, how they shift, etc. All I kept thinking was Battah has one crazy imagination! I really wish I could come up with something as unique as the BaSatai.
The ending has two big plot twists that really surprised me and were the main reason for the extra half star. They were the reason I want to read the next book and find out what will happen. It's a little confusing, but it's fast pace and interesting characters makes it a worthwhile read. If you like reading about new worlds, characters with a lot of depth, and a few surprises in the plot this is a good book to try.
Rafe was my favorite character. I just have a soft spot for selfless, protective, hot male leads. Kahrl her Guardian was fun because he didn't take Armani's attitude. She really seemed to hate him in the beginning and then all of a sudden she is willing to do anything to save him. I was confused when their relationship seemed to shift so suddenly, but I liked it better when they were getting along. And I was so glad that for once there were many main characters without having a love triangle.
Although the whole book they are on Earth and not in the BaSatai world, there was a lot of world building. We learn about Armani's race, a curse that was placed on her family, how they shift, etc. All I kept thinking was Battah has one crazy imagination! I really wish I could come up with something as unique as the BaSatai.
The ending has two big plot twists that really surprised me and were the main reason for the extra half star. They were the reason I want to read the next book and find out what will happen. It's a little confusing, but it's fast pace and interesting characters makes it a worthwhile read. If you like reading about new worlds, characters with a lot of depth, and a few surprises in the plot this is a good book to try.
“She tapped her chest. “No, I’m not a freak, okay, so could you stop pressuring me.”
Rafael muttered something under his breath, throwing up his hands in surrender. “So what am I? What’s Karhl, Jayani, my brother, and all the BaSatai? Are we all freaks? Just
because this human has some kind of fascination with labeling you, you believe in it. Be your own person, Armani, not what someone else says you are.”
“Armani halted, thinking twice about making her way over there, but she pushed forward not wanting to believe something was wrong. There was nothing worse than walking into a nightmare. And Armani just did. The air in her lungs seized when she saw her draped all over him. She blinked a few times, but Lily was still pressing her body all over Rafael.
Armani wanted to kill her, right then and there.”
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