4.5 Sniffs Review: ORENDA by Ruth Silver

Title: Orenda

Series: Orenda #1

Author: Ruth Silver

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Romance

Publisher: Patchwork Press

ASIN: B00JNTUNB0

Release Date: April 12, 2014

Source: Ruth Silver

Links: Goodreads ☆ Amazon ☆ Barnes and Noble ☆ Signed Copy

Join forces with a parallel universe.

Dark forces, magical creatures, and the world Lil thought she knew collide when a dream transports her to the strange world of Orenda. Stunned and terrified, Lil comes face to face with her doppelganger, Willow, who possesses the ability to travel between the two worlds. Everything Lil knows logically says that Orenda can't exist, but a small clue may be proof that it was more than an ordinary dream. With the threat of her younger sister in danger, Lil crosses dimensions but it may cost her even more than she bargained for.

A sword wielding girl, the eternal suit, and a parallel universe come together in this action-packed Young Adult fantasy adventure that will keep readers of all ages turning the pages. Orenda is the first novel in the Orenda series.

THE GIST: When Lil Porter woke up to start her day, she found herself in a completely different and strange world. There she meets someone who looks like her, but is different is small ways. This person send Lil back to her world and Lil believes it was all a dream until the boy who was with this other version of herself shows up outside her school. He claims that Willow is in danger and Lil is the only one who can help him rescue her. He takes Lil to a parallel world called Orenda. It's a dangerous place full of mangic and terrorized by a demon sorceress names Eilith. Willow Porter is the gatekeeper and protector and without her Earth is also in danger of being destroyed by Eilith.

WHAT I LIKED: I'm a huge fan of this kind of story. It's even better that the world our heroine travels to is a parallel world to Earth. I liked seeing the similarities and differences between the people and the worlds. There was a moment that completely broke my heart between Lil and Hudson. I really hope that it will eventually work itself out. ORENDA has a pretty clean ending, with no real cliffhanger. I'm really looking forward to seeing what happens next in the sequel, Elfinland.

WHAT I DISLIKED: I guess I would have liked the see more of Bray. His parts are kind of spread out and far between. He seemed more like a secondary character instead of a member of the team.

Lil: 16 years old. Transported to Orenda in her sleep. Meets Willow, who looks almost exactly like her. Doesn't get along with her sister, Jamey. Best friends with Bray. Shares some of the same abilities with Willow while in Orenda. Tries to help save Willow when she's kidnapped. Falls in love with Hudson. Gets healing ability from the Mystics that only works in Orenda.

Willow: Protects both worlds, a gatekeeper. Has a brother named Jamie who she raised after their parent's deaths. Kidnapped by Eilith. Rawlie's girlfriend. Destined to stop Eilith for good.

Rawlie: The protector. Hudson's cousin. From Australia. Willow's boyfriend. Helped Willow raise Jamie after her parent's deaths. Hasn't been able to go home since Eilith's takeover 5 years ago.

Bray: Lil's best friend. Has been in love with her for years. Kidnapped by Eilith ans taken to Orenda.

Jamey: Lil's younger sister. They are always fighting. Behind the fighting, Jamey really loves her sister.

Jamie: Willow's younger brother. They are extremely close. Barely remembers their parents. Is desperate to save his sister from Eilith. Comes to love Lil too during her time in Orenda.

Adrianna: Was rescued by Rawlie and Hudson. Lives in the Sanctuary with them. Has a surprising connection with Eilith.

Hudson: Rawlie's cousin. His family runs the Sanctuary. Feels animosity toward Lil when she first arrives in Orenda, but that quickly changes. Teaches her how to use a sword. Tech saavy.

Eilith was a sorceress who craved more power than she had. She caused the Scourge that destroyed Orenda by opening Pandora's Box. As she fed on flesh, blood, and souls, her power grew and she became more demon than human. Orenda is now devastated and now she wants to further her power by crossing the gateway to Earth.

Eilith is very powerful and her thirst for more power is endless. If she ever made it to Earth it would be the end of both worlds. Willow and Lil are both important to protecting the gateway and ultimately Eilith's destruction. They are the last line of defense.

The romance between Lil and Hudson was very sweet and had this kind of innocence to it. But it was also really heartbreaking. I loved these two together so much and to have it end the way it did really broke my heart and I really felt like crying for these two. I don't know if it's even possible, but I sincerely hope that Lil and Hudson can somehow find their way back to each other. The Fae really know how to take something precious away from you.

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