Book Review: Shattered Veil/Rebel Wing (The Diatous Wars #1) by Tracy E. Banghart

Summary:
When everything that defines you is stripped away, who do you become?
Selection
War has come to Atalanta, infecting its quiet villages and lush woodlands, igniting whispered worries in its glittering capitol.
All across the dominion, young men are being Selected for Military and sent to the front lines…and eighteen-year-old Aris Haan’s childhood sweetheart is one of them.
Secrets
Pyralis Nekkos, Atalanta’s leader, has kept the truth from his people, that their dominion will fall…and much sooner than anyone could guess.
Galena Vadim, his reluctant ally, wishes she could forget their shared past...until her future seems to depend on it.
Sacrifice
And for the boy she loves, Aris, a talented wingjet pilot, will give up everything - her home, her name, even her face...
...only to become the key to her dominion's survival.

Release Date: February 28, 2014
Age Group: YA
Source: NetGalley
Reviewed By: Kelli

Review:

Shattered Veil was such a neat book!  I loved the world Banghart has created.  The city on stilts, the way the world is divided into dominions, the technology, it was all so unique and well-done.  The actual veil used to change a person's appearance was the coolest part of the book.  I loved it!  There was just enough of a technological explanation to make the veil seem plausible and make sense, without overwhelming me with scientific information.

Shattered Veil was a little slow to start, but once the world was established and the characters were introduced, along with their histories, the book really took off.  Once Aris made her big decision about her career, the plot started moving quickly and the book got really exciting.

There was a big cast of characters in this story, which I enjoyed.  All of the characters were well-developed and they all contributed to the story in essential ways.  No one was superfluous and I enjoyed that aspect of Shattered Veil.  I especially liked that Banghart's characters didn't always behave how I expected them to: the story was full of surprises, which made it even more fun.

For a YA book, Shattered Veil was deep and introspective.  There was so much personal growth, in several of the main characters.  The fact that much of the story centers on the military and government during wartime made this book such an intelligent read.  

I really loved Shattered Veil.  The plot was intricate, the emotions were intense, and the book was exciting to read.  I highly recommend it!  



 

 

Update 7/29/14:

Shattered Veil has been re-released and titled Rebel Wing.  The updated cover is below.  What do you think of the new cover and title?  I like it and think it reflects the book very well!