Blog tour (Review): Shattered Veil by Tracy E. Banghart

I participate in this tour with a REVIEW.

NOTE: I received the eARC from 2 places, Netgalley and the author.

When I picked up Shattered Veil, I had no expectations for it. I hoped it was at least average, but it turned out to be incredible. I enjoyed it immensely.
Also, it was clean in content and this certainly gets a high rating.

Writing style:
Intoxicating storytelling. Easy on the descriptions, very good in the emotions department. The story was told in 3rd person, switching between several characters.

Storyline:
A girl, who everyone perceives as weak, goes to Military to be with her beloved, only to understand that bigger things are at stake in the Dominion. Seeing that time and distance changes people, she concentrates on her flying and the new flutters in her heart.

Themes:
-Women in the Military - should the gentle gender be allowed to serve?
-Could torture bring out your deepest secrets?
-A woman's jealousy can ruin an entire country.
-We are only as weak as we perceive ourselves to be.

Characters:
-Aris is a young woman who struggles with a limp caused by a sickness from her childhood years. Ever since then she's perceived as a weakling, as a person who could never take care of herself. And somehow, through the years, she'd become so used to it, that the idea of depending only on herself was foreign to her.
Aris is the ultimate romantic. She undergoes extreme physical training and a makeover just so she could be with the guy she loves. Hopeless, but romantic.
She never thought of herself as brave, or courageous, but those missions she went on boldly told her otherwise.
When she signed up for the Military, it had be solely for Calix. And okay, a little bit for the flying. By the end of the story, she knew that if she could, she'd sign up again, but for the right reasons. For the right to fight for her country, for the people she loved. And for freedom.

-Calix seemed to be an honorable young man before he left for the Military. He took care of Aris, he didn't demand she Promise herself to him. For that, I respect him.
Yet, when we met him again, I could only see a guy stuck up on old rules. A guy who didn't want a female to be fighting alongside him. A guy too biased to see that a girl could be capable enough to be Military selected.

-Aris's parents were caring, but they saw her future as nothing more than dusting the family olive groves. As if she wouldn't want to do something of more value with her life.

-Dysis was another disguised girl in the Military. She became friends with Aris in a time when things got tough.

-Major Vidar, a closed off officer with a perpetual sneer, was the only one who didn't care who Aris (a.k.a. Aristos) was, as long as he could count on her, both as a flier and not. I was sure he'd play a bigger role the moment he was mentioned. I guess the detailed description and the attention Aris paid him, were sure giveaways.

-Ward Galena Vadim was another super brave, super strong woman. She was tortured for a long period of time because of political reasons. The pain she endured for the sake of her dominion and her son... she was amazing.

-Ward Nekkos... I wasn't sure what to feel towards him. He was always so serious, but then again, his Dominion was in war. I just wish he'd figured out something wasn't quite right about Galena though.

In conclusion, I can only say that I will be waiting for the next installment of this series. It can't come soon enough!

My rating is:

BOOK DETAILS:

Shattered Veil by Tracy E. Banghart
(The Diatous Wars #1)
Publication date: February 28th 2014
Genres: New Adult, Science Fiction

Synopsis:

For Aris, a talented wingjet pilot, war means sacrificing everything: her home, her name, her face—and the one promise she swore she’d never break.

In the small village of Lux, everyone flies wingjets, but nobody flies them like Aris Haan. When she’s not dancing through the skies, she’s spending every minute with Calix, whom she’s loved since childhood. They plan to Promise, but instead he is sent to defend their dominion against a bloody invasion. Determined not to lose him, Aris follows, joining an underground network of women inside the male-only military. Using secret technology that allows her to pass as a man, she becomes “Aristos”, a Flyer in a search-and-rescue unit.

As Aris grows stronger on the battlefield and more comfortable in her guise as Aristos, her personal mission becomes less and less clear. When she and her enigmatic commander, Major Vidar, uncover an astonishing conspiracy that could destroy everything, she must make a choice that will determine not only the fate of her heart, but the future of her dominion.

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18621479-shattered-veil?ac=1

Purchase:

--Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Shattered-Veil-Tracy-E-Banghart/dp/0989037347/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1393258363&sr=8-1&keywords=shattered+veil+tracy

--B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/shattered-veil-tracy-e-banghart/1118591644?ean=9780989037341

----

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Tracy E. Banghart is a cheesy movie–loving, fantasy football–playing (go Ravens!), globe-trotting Army wife who began “practicing” her craft at the age of five, when she wrote her first story. She loves visiting the international friends she met while pursuing her MA in Publishing and spends a portion of every summer at her family’s cabin in Canada, where she finds inspiration and lots of time to relax on the dock. She lives with her husband, son, two lazy dogs and one ornery cat. When not writing or spending time with her family, she is on a mission to bake the perfect cupcake.

LINKS:

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter

GIVEAWAY DETAILS:
Tour wide giveaway 4 prizes:
--$50 Amazon gift card (INTL)
--3x "swag packs" which will include: a notebook, magnet, button, 2 signed bookmarks, and Shattered Veil-themed temporary tattoos - picture attached. (US/CAN)
a Rafflecopter giveaway