Review of Hawksong by Amelia Atwater-Rhodes

"The question then is, how much are you willing to give?"

I thought about all the battlefields, all the dead men and women I had seen, all the dying children and fathers and mothers I had held and sung to. I thought about my dead alistair, Vasili, about my brother, Xavier, and about Gregory Cobriana begging me to stop the pain.
And I answered, "Anything."
A breath later, Zane echoes my response with, "Everything."

Amelia Atwater-Rhodes, Hawksong

During a recent trip to Barnes and Noble, my roomie and I marveled at the section dedicated to "Teen Paranormal Romance". And, hey, I have totally been there and read quite a few of those titles. I've read Twilight! I have in the past made the argument for critical thinking in regards to that series. Maybe I'll make a post on it in the future, we'll see. For now, check out this tumblr which, rather harshly, points mistakes that Stephanie Meyer's editor should have.

But I digress.

While I find myself simultaneously wincing at the flat characters and increasingly cliche plots, I am reminded of some pretty amazing books that fall under the heading of "teen paranormal romance".

Which brings me to today's rec: Hawksong.

Nonchalantly strolling through the
mist of sheer awesomeness, no biggie.

Amelia Atwater-Rhodes published this book in 2003 when she was 19. That's already impressive, but given that this was her fifth book published? I definitely wanted to be her when I grew up.

Hawksong takes place in a world of shapeshifters. The avian and the serpiente races have been at war for so long, no one remembers what began the bloodshed. Instead, the vicious cycle continues: revenge for a fallen brother, a sister killed in battle, an assassinated monarch.The beginning of the war goes unquestioned when these fresh wounds spur the violence forward.

Danica Shardae is the heir to the avian throne, and in an attempt to end the war, she makes a pact with Zane Cobriana, the garnet-eyed leader of the serpiente: make peace by joining the two royal houses in marriage.

So, yes, there is a romantic element, and it does get cliched and a little dramatic. But in addition to that, there is the constant threat: How much can you trust your spouse when they have had a direct hand in the death of so many family members? Bottom line: The romance is on the back burner. Yes, it happens, but the main story line is about ending a war*.

The world building that takes place in this book is brilliant. The differences of the two cultures are described in simple but very rich terms. The serpiente race is sensuous and emotional, whereas the avians have developed a level of emotional restraint that makes them cold and calculating.

The depiction of war and battle is amazing. More than that, it tells the story of what happens, after battle has ended. Two lands trying to pick up the pieces after generations of grieving. Zane and Danica must put aside their own issues to help their people.

While it was initially meant to be a stand alone, the author continued the story in four more books. They answer questions that Hawksong leaves open ended. Each book has a different narrator, and focuses on different characters, which left me aching to hear from good ol' Danica and Zane. The rest of the series never recapture the same brilliance as Hawksong.

Check out Amelia Atwater-Rhodes blog here!

*Which isn't to say that books with romance are bad, just be honest with your marketing! This is a paranormal book with romance. Not a romance book with paranormal aspects- I'm looking at you, Twilight.