Talking Sushi Monster

Sworn to Raise by Terah Edun

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Book Summary:


Seventeen-year-old Ciardis has grown up in poverty, a cleaner in a small vale on the outskirts of the kingdom. But beneath her kingdom’s seemingly idyllic surface lies a hidden secret. Whispers of an inept crown Prince are growing ever louder—intensified by the five year anniversary of the soulbond initiations.

Amidst scandalous whispers, Ciardis finds herself chosen to train for the Companion’s Guild. She leaves her home and sets off on a personal journey to become a Court Companion. A position she’d never thought possible for a lowly servant to obtain, she must prove that she has the skills to attract a Patron. 

But she must master those skills quickly. If the legends are true, only Ciardis can harness the power to raise a Prince in an Imperial Court sworn to bring him down.

***I requested and received a free copy of this book via NetGalley.

I'm always fascinated with stories about "companions", like Memoirs of a Geisha or stories about Kisaeng (korean geisha) because back in the days, those companions are not just companions, they are bunch of talented ladies who spend a lot of time mastering the art of entertaining, they are known for their exceptional skills in dancing, acting, playing various instruments and more. If the a certain companion manage to become a high ranking and most coveted companion, they become powerful in the sense that they can influence their "patrons" and most of that patrons are actually the most powerful men in their country.

Sworn to Raise tells the story of Ciardis, a girl who grow up in poverty but was given the chance to become a companion, if she'll manage to prove her worth. But being a companion is not just learning how to dance and recite poetry, in their world i'ts more..it's about possessing a different type of skill which is magic.

Ciardis is a character that is not hard to like and understand, she's not some soft kind of heroine, contrary to that..although naive she's streetwise and thank goodness far from being an annoying-dramatic-type-of-heroine, instead of complaining when facing hard situation she takes action.

In a way Sworn to Raise reminds me of one of my favorite fantasy series which is the Study series, hopefully Ciadris will became stronger just like Yelena.

All in all I can say that I absolutely enjoy reading Sworn to Raise, I love the world building and I'm looking forward to reading the next book in the Series.

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