Pixie Dust Book Reviews: [Blog Tour & Interview] Innovera Yakov: The Journey of a Thousand Eyes by Kia Garriques

In Kia Garriques novel, Innovera Yakov, we find ourselves faced with the intense story of several characters as they struggle to survive with battling personalities and a journey that could ruin it all. What have these characters gotten themselves into?

REVIEW

Title: Innovera Yakov: The Journey of a Thousand Eyes

Author: Kia Garriques

Publish Date: February 14, 2013

Publisher: Story Star Publishing

Pages: 222

Buy the Book: Amazon

Rating: ★★★

Be prepared to immerse your self in a world where falling in love could cost you your life and nothing is as it seems.

Innovera Yakov – The Journey of A Thousand Eyes is the first installment in an action-packed fantasy drama where characters with powers of healing and destruction live, love, compete and disappear without a trace while they are being prepared for the Journey.

What is the Journey? What happens to the ones who do not return? What unspeakable, stomach-churning things can happen to them there?

Even Ayana the Great Healer, Krave ‘The Golden One’ and the powerful Blu Tara are terrified of it.

Sometimes I just really love giving characters little pet names and this story came filled with random little things that I can fondly refer to the characters as from now on. I, for some reason, have found myself especially attached to the pet name 'The Golden One' because, let's be honest here, how many characters are called that without sarcasm? I could totally see it being used as a joke in some instances and perhaps that is why I found it really endearing in this one. It was completely serious. Technically, Krave really has golden hair and stuff so it makes sense. But anyway, it's something I really liked about this story.

Innovera Yakov by Kia Garriques takes on not only one story but multiple as they face an epic journey that may just have fatal consequences. It has only just begun. Everything begins with the calm before the storm and introduces the life that these characters have come to know. They learn together, hang out together, fight together, and must survive together. The only problems they seem to face are conflicts between each character one-on-one, whether it is because of selfishness or differing opinions. Everything crumbs to dust when one of those characters makes a grave mistake and now everyone must pay the cost. On a journey to survive, they must deal with opinions, love, and destruction. But as many tales have proven, love only makes things more complicated and it holds true for this story as well. Love triangles and jealousy run rampant through this story, leaving few untouched. What will the future hold for the journeyers? What fate will they face?

The plot of this story is extremely complex, like most full on fantasy books, and it was the complexity of the story that made it difficult to truly get into. I felt like I was so close to understanding the way things worked but then it would dance out my reach and of course, that only proved to further frustrate me. Somethings needed to be explained better such as the specific histories or little tidbits of information on characters and object. But I found true beauty in the way that the author managed to describe the world that was created in this story. Even though I didn't have a full grasp on the world itself, I discovered that it was easy to visualize what the characters were seeing with the masterful descriptions provided.

Ayana was probably the most relatable of the characters for me. I definitely found myself easily slipping into her persona as the story continued than perhaps any of the others. It's hard to say what exactly made her the easiest but I think it had a lot to do with the way she handled herself. She understood that even the most evil or proud person has a purpose in this journey and she never allowed herself to forget it. I found her to be extremely giving, even to the point of frustration. Sometimes you want to see a character become selfish and claim whatever they apparently want but instead, she stood by as the things she wanted slipped away. I guess I just want to see more fight in her beyond the selfless actions. She needs to learn to fight for herself before she can fight for other people. To lose herself in that would mean to forget herself entirely.

I know this review is super short but there is a lot going on in the book that is kind of hard to understand unless you read it yourself. It's like trying to explain a private joke to someone who wasn't there to understand it and then it just kind of turns awkward. For all of the flaws of this story, I can't help but see its potential to be a great tale of love and faith in a cause. It's the hope that this story will continue to become everything that I believe it can be that makes me refrain from over-sharing.

AUTHOR BIO

Kia Garriques studied writing and English literature at University and has been a published short story writer since 2009. Her first story "The Invisible Alien Watcher" was published by Micro Horror in 2009 and reprinted by Pill Hill Press in 2011. Innovera Yakov: The Journey of a Thousand Eyes is her first novel in the 'Worlds' series and will be out on Amazon mid-February.

Twitter: @

Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/user/show/5623131-kia-garriques

Facebook: www.facebook.com/kiagarriquesfanpage

Tumblr: http://kiagarriquesauthor.tumblr.com

Wattpad: www.wattpad.com/user/kiagarriques

Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/kgarriques

Website: www.kiagarriques.com

EXCERPT

Blu Tara stared her sister in the face. ‘Let me tell you what you don't know about love, Gamma. It is a curse. You will scoop out your core and abandon it just to have the Being that you love. You will steal another person's life force if it makes it easier to get it. You will abandon the world you have been cradled in, betray everything and everyone you care for. You’ll give up your name for it.’

Blu Tara's voice went soft and dreamy. ‘You will gladly close your eyes and embrace the world of darkness. You will kill or die for it. And you will hate yourself for the weakness that it brings on you. So don’t talk to me about love.’

Gamma shook her head. ‘You're not making sense,’ Blu Tara. ‘You talk as if... I’m the one who should be upset about all this.’

Blu Tara lifted her hand dismissively. She pointed a hot finger at Gamma. ‘Anyway don’t forget what we are.’

'And what are we?’ Gamma glared at her..

'Different. Strange. Something to be frightened of. Two Beings that can fuse and burn everything to ashes. That's the way they all see us down there. That's what the Stardog wants from you - the powers you possess.

‘I hate them all. With their suspicious, shiny faces and their empty games. I hate that Voice which drones on and on at us in the Learning Dome as soon as we've finished resting.

Innoverans! All those perfect, pretty Beings; they remember nothing — it’s the curse of this shallow, shining world. Tell me, Gamma - what do you remember of the world we come from before your Odors Apeno dumped us here?’

Gamma swung around to face her sister fully. ‘Blu Tara! What's got into you? Where’s all that coming from? I've never heard you speak like that before. This is about Krave and I- not you!’

Krave and you - don't make me laugh. And, oh! Here’s a big difference — between you and I this time, Twin Sister. It’s the answer to your question that you brought me up here to ask.’ Blu Tara mimicked Gamma's soft and musical voice, Why do you want to kill Krave?

Here's the answer, Gamma. I will do whatever I have to do to save myself. I'm the half of you that's not like you. I don't have a weeping heart. Now I'm out of here. I need my Rest.

INTERVIEW

1. I know a lot of authors hate the question about what inspired them to write a story but I’m always curious. So here’s my question: what led to your interest in writing the story?

The concept of Innovera Yakov originated from my dreams. I used to dream about these Beings in some other world. At first, it was scary but then I learned to overcome that fear and started looking forward to them. At one point, I became so enthusiastic about science, evolution and the possibility of realities and forms of life that might exist outside of what we know, that I wanted to absorb anything in relation to that. Innovera Yakov addresses many of the questions I have about our earth and the universe in general. It’s my attempt to understand life.

2. Are there any messages in the story that you want the readers to grasp by the time they finish the book?

I'd like people to read it and tell me what they think. If you're at that place in your life where relationships are important then Ayana's confusion about who she really loves will speak to you. If not Ayana then Krave's and Gamma's longing to be with each other at the risk of endangering their existence. Then there is the rivalry between Gamma and her sister, Blu Tara, where we have the idea of selfish, destructive love. Despite its imaginary setting, Innovera Yakov, explores themes that are of direct interest and relevance to young people: from the importance of co-operation and team work in achieving goals through to respect/self-respect, the nature of love and friendship, peer pressure etc. These are all important themes of the novel.

3. Now, I am going to ask a question that typically isn’t a favorable question. I’m going to ask you to pick favorites. Who is your favorite character to write and why? Which character do you relate the most to?

I see myself in Ayana. She is the underdog and it takes her a long time to discover her strengths. My favourite character to write? Now that’s a whole different ball game! It would have to be Blu Tara. She is just plain bad and she can be good if she wants to be. In the next book we are going to see a lot more of her. Right now she is wounded and angry and we will see a girl bent on destroying everything in her path. But there may be hope for her. Let's see what happens in the next book.

4. The process of creating characters seems to be very complex and different for each writer. Did you base any of your characters off of people you know in real life? Did you have them go through similar experiences that people you know or you have gone through?

They are completely based on my dreams. It’s as if they actually exist in that faraway world and I have been granted access to their lives.

5. What was your favorite scene to write? I’ve always liked that authors seem to never favor the same type of scenes. Some are all for the action and suspense scenes while others prefer the complex, deep, and emotional scenes. Which type of scenes do you prefer to write?

I prefer the emotional scenes where the reader gets to know the heart, the inner feelings of the characters better. There is a scene where Ayana who is seen as the weakest amongst them and who does not believe in herself really begins to get a sense of her own powers. The scene I really like is where she discovers that the scars that mark her face and leaves her feeling 'ugly' are the key to their survival on the dangerous Journey.

6. Most authors place a lot of value on pre-writing rituals to help them prepare for writing different scenes and getting into a character’s mind. Do you have any?

I always write after midnight - around 2 or 3 am - when it is very quiet outside and I imagine that everyone else is asleep. My impulse to write and dream up worlds comes alive around that time.

7. What books have influenced your life the most? Or rather what characters have made the biggest impact on you?

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, Dracula by Bram Stoker and A Brave New World by Aldous Huxley. The character that has had the biggest impact on my life is Frankenstein.

8. Because I’m a huge fan of reading and love different authors because of their different writing styles, I’m curious about whether you have that same experience. I like certain ways that authors word things and it seems to influence the way I write. Do you have any authors in the Genre that you would consider influential on your writing?

I am inspired by JK Rowling. I like her style.

9. Are there any new books that have come out or are coming out that have caught your attention?

Recently I've been purchasing books whose storylines appeal to me; for example Gabrielle Zevin's, Elsewhere; Chanda Hahn's, UnEnchanted and Markus Zusak's wonderful novel, The Book Thief.

10. Do you have any advice for aspiring writers?

Follow your dreams. Work for what you want and even in the depths of despair or fading confidence never give up. It is important to believe in yourself because not everyone is going to believe in you. Embrace your gifts. Learn what they are and use them for good. Cherish what you are and don’t let go of that.