Daughter of the Sun is an excellent, thrilling read that teenagers and adults will enjoy!
Daughter of the Sun is the first in the Cult of the Cat series of YA books and is a mythological fantasy novel by Zoe Kalo. While mythological fantasy stories are something I do not generally read, the synopsis sounded intriguing so I decided to give it a try.
Troubled 16 year old Trinity is an orphan who was born during a total solar eclipse and left on the doorstep of a convent in England. With no known relatives she was raised in the convent by nuns and although her temper sometimes caused her problems she led a relatively uneventful life. That is until a few weeks before her 17th birthday, which happens to fall during a lunar eclipse.
When a Dr Nassri arrives at the convent with the news that Trinity has a grandmother, Trinity is whisked away to a small island off Istanbul, Kedilerin Ada – the Island of Cats, to be reunited with her.
Something bizarre is happening on the Island of Cats!
Trinity should be happy that she is getting to meet the grandmother that she never knew existed. Before she can get to really speak to her she dies leaving Trinity orphaned again with Dr Nassri and her daughter Ara for company.
Now Trinity wants to discover where she came from, the mystery of the piece of ancient papyrus she was left with when left at the orphanage, her strange dreams and the weird behaviour of 1000 cats. She soon discovers ancient Egyptian gods, goddesses, demons, curses, her bizarre developing feline abilities and a path that has very dangerous consequences.
Overall all I can say is that while mythological fantasies are not my usual reading material I loved this book! It is well-written with a great plot bringing ancient Egypt to the modern world and very exciting, teenagers and adults alike will be thrilled with a story that unfolds at a good pace.
Trinity not only has problems with being an orphan, not knowing much of the world as raised by nuns plus teenage hormones but she also has to deal with developing cat like prowess but despite all that she knows her own mind and is a strong female lead character.
The mythology is interwoven into a modern teenage life and works extremely well. Mixing ancient Egyptian gods, goddesses and demons, ancient languages and curses and I found it very enjoyable and not too overpowering or overblown.
I loved the plot, characters and pace of the book that slowly builds the tension, increasing its pace with the more that is uncovered right up to its dramatic ending. My only small criticism would be it ended rather abruptly even though it is the first in the series.
This is a YA thriller that is different from the norm and one that I think will hold your attention and keep you entertained.
Daughter of the Sun is intriguing, full of energy and a great start to the rest of the Cult of the Cat series.
Rating: 4.5/5
RRP: £10.41 (paperback) / £3.80 (Kindle)
Available to buy from Amazon here.
About the Author
A certified bookworm, Zoe Kalo has always been obsessed with books and reading. Reading led to writing – compulsively. No surprise that at 16, she wrote her first novel, which her classmates read and passed around secretly. The pleasure of writing and sharing her fantasy worlds has stayed with her, so now she wants to pass her stories to you with no secrecy – but with lots of mystery…
A daughter of adventurous expats, she’s had the good fortune of living on 3 continents, learning 4 languages, and experiencing a multicultural life. Currently, she’s working on a Master’s degree in Comparative Literature, which she balances between writing, taking care of her clowder of cats, and searching for the perfect bottle of pinot noir.
Connect with Zoe Kalo on the web: www.ZoeKalo.com / Facebook / Twitter
Disclosure: I was provided with a free copy of this book for the purposes of writing an honest and impartial review.
