- Author: Shauna Alderson
- Genre: Urban Fantasy/ Sci-fi
- Publisher: Zimbell House Publishing
- Page Count: 396
- Date Started: June 15th
- Date Finished: June 20th
A Brief Description
Now that high school is over, Randi just wants to live her quiet life in her little town, but it doesn’t feel right without her friends there. Ever the daredevils, they’ve gone to seek adventure in the capital city of Grandin, and Randi can’t help but feel left behind.
Not to mention that she definitely can’t stop thinking about that kiss she and Eddy shared before he left.
When Randi discovers a mysterious mark on her skin that matches an illustration in A Handbook on Paragonhood, she’s thrown into a world of powerful gods and ancient magic that she thought only existed in the myths. She’ll have to step out of her comfort zone-and into the dangerous streets of Grandin-to find a way to protect herself and the people she loves.
Randi’s not the only one with a secret, and she finds herself questioning who she can trust. Randi will have to wrestle with what it means to be a Paragon and how far she’s willing to go to do what’s right.
With the fate of the world on the line, can she live up to being one of the chosen?
Find it: Goodreads || Amazon || Kindle || B&N || iBooks || Kobo || TBD || Bookshop.org
I am thrilled to be hosting a spot on the PARAGON by Shauna Alderson Blog Tour hosted by Rockstar Book Tours. Check out my post below and make sure to enter the giveaway!
MY REVIEW
I struggled to get into this at first, but once I got about 25% into it though, I was hooked and reading it was quick and easy. I started to like the characters more and the plot was getting increasingly interesting. The premise was also pretty interesting. We have a world where there are Paragons, powerful gods with ancient magic. They are believed to be mythical, but are still hunted by Hunters. Randi, our main character is one of these Paragons. She needs to step out of her comfort zone so that she can protect herself and those that she loves. She needs answers, and she struggles to find who she can trust.
You are given a lot of information about the mythology of Paragonhood at first, almost too much to know what to do with at first, but once you get used to that, the pace improves. I actually enjoyed reading about the myths, and in the end, all of the information that is given in the beginning makes sense and is important. I especially loved the sci-fi twist.I always love speculative fiction that implements twists that are rooted in sci-fi.
The trope of a teen who finds herself with magic, on a quest to save the world, is a rather common one. I feel like it was well executed in Paragon. The magic was something I had not seen before. There were elements of it (i.e. the dreamscape, totems, and the eighth power) that were new and intriguing. It definitely made the story more interesting to read.
The setting was also pretty interesting. Here we have a world where even speaking about the myths of Paragons could get you a visit from the Hunters. The world is dangerous and there are strange things happening in the nearby shrines. The world felt real and it felt like there were high stakes.
The characters were all fleshed out. They all had their own secrets that led to new twists and turns that were unexpected and fresh. The group of friends had such a strong bond and each had their own voices that all worked well together, without all sounding exactly the same. Some of them frustrated me, especially with some of the choices they made, but that did not hamper my enjoyment of the book. Randi was an interesting character to read a perspective from. You can see a lot of growth from her character. She goes from being very insecure and unsure of herself to knowing what she wants and how to get it. I really liked to see her grow through the course of the novel.
I would recommend this to anyone who loves magical worlds or quest stories. I would also recommend this to anyone who likes sci-fi twists or mythical tales of overcoming overwhelming adversity!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Shauna Alderson is a Young Adult fantasy writer and author of PARAGON (Zimbell House, 2020). She began writing teen fantasy even before she was a teen. After she “grew up”, she completed creative writing courses (and a BA in Development Studies) at the University of Calgary. When not reading or writing, she can usually be found teaching ESL, composing on the piano, creating art, or volunteering abroad. She also enjoys dessert, Studio Ghibli films, and being the silliest person she knows. Connect with her on Twitter @AldersonShauna.
Photo by Laura Grace Photography
Website | Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads | Amazon Author Page
Giveaway!
a Rafflecopter giveaway https://widget-prime.rafflecopter.com/launch.jsLink to Giveaway: http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/e2389ba21108/
Tour Schedule:
Week One:
| 6/15/2020 | Lone Tree Reads | Excerpt |
| 6/16/2020 | BookHounds ya | Interview |
| 6/16/2020 | JaimeRockstarBookTours | Instagram Stop |
| 6/17/2020 | A Dream Within A Dream | Excerpt |
| 6/18/2020 | Rajiv’s Reviews | Review |
| 6/18/2020 | Rajiv’s Reviews | Instagram Stop |
| 6/19/2020 | Lifestyle Of Me | Review |
Week Two:
| 6/22/2020 | The Try Everything | Review |
| 6/22/2020 | jenifer_reads | Instagram Stop |
| 6/23/2020 | Two Chicks on Books | Interview |
| 6/24/2020 | Locks, Hooks and Books | Review |
| 6/25/2020 | cosmiclattesandbooks | Review |
| 6/25/2020 | cosmiclattesandbooks | Instagram Stop |
| 6/26/2020 | Book Bustle | Review |
| 6/26/2020 | Book Bustle | Instagram Stop |
I want to thank Rockstar Book Tours and Shauna Alderson for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book!
~Cam
Cosmic Lattes and Books 
Thanks so much for the review, Cam! 😀
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