Legend of the Chosen by Jennifer Selzer & Daniel Huber

Legend of the Chosen was sent to me by the author for an honest review (which is still a fantastic feeling, being asked for my opinion). It was an interesting blend of science fiction, fantasy-adventure, with a splash of prophecy and mythology. It was very well put together and I can easily see this appealing to basically any demographic. Reads like a young adult novel, but with enough impact to appeal to older generations as well. I had a blast reading this, and give it 5 out of 5 stars for entertaining me like it did.

From the publisher:
Bethel, the charmed central planet of the galaxy is on the brink of the year’s most anticipated event: the celebrated Twilight Bloom. Quade Decairus has no reason to believe that this year will be any different than those in the past: food and music, friends and the good cheer of those he loves the most. So why has he been plagued with nightmares of the end of his world coming on this very night?
Prophecies masked as legends. Impossible visions, bringing universal destruction. Only one man can seek those chosen to stop the evil and save them all.
In a world rich with magic and technology, a seamless blend of Fantasy and Sci-Fi, Destiny’s Kingdom explores Quade’s journey as he quests to save a galaxy that has always known peace and prosperity from a powerful evil only he can face.

My thoughts:
I thought this was a wildly inventive story that kept my attention from start to finish. I couldn't help but feel myself drawn into the plot, worrying about whether Quade would be able to embrace his destiny as one of the Chosen and save the galaxy, whether Trina would be alright, and whether Clea would be taken for a ride with Ryder's contracts; I really don't trust him and while I know Clea can take care of herself, I hope he doesn't interfere with her destiny. Clearly, I get too invested in fictional characters.

Some of the chapters threw me for a loop though. Who's Shylo, and what's his relationship to the Legend of the Chosen? I assume these questions will be answered in the next book in the series, as well as the rest of the questions left unanswered by the novel's cliffhanger ending. Not that that's a bad thing, of course. It just pulls me into the next book that much quicker.

While this book can certainly be categorized as a sci-fi or a fantasy/adventure, adding an element of mythology and destiny was a nice touch. Quade has his emissaries, messengers of the gods who spent months telling him his destiny and trying to get him to accept it, while Clea receives regular visits from the muse Avalon. Then of course, there's the Avé, who sort of makes me think of Alan Rickman in Dogma. Yes, the Avé wasn't exactly the voice of God, rather he was a semi-deity in my eyes, but there was just something about him that made me think that. It was interesting seeing a futuristic, alternate universe that still involved gods and religion and prophecy; these concepts are generally relegated to medieval stories such as Game of Thrones and the like.

Legend of the Chosen was very well put together and integrated; while there are plenty of questions left unanswered, this was the authors' choice and not simply a lack of information and plot holes. Very pleased with this novel, and I cannot wait to open up the second book in the series.

- Justin :)