Nemesis (Nemesis, 1) Hardcover – October 4, 2016

*Originally reviews on Goodreads and my Blog*First off I have to say the cover of this book is beautiful! It's what pulled me in right away. Although, Sepora and others in the book paint their skin whenever something special is going on, she does have beautiful silver eyes. And the reason for this is because she is a Forger of Spectorium.:Spectorium is a beautiful, silvery substance that can be used to make many things and in reading the book, to help with plagues. But, there is also evilness that can be used with it and since Sepora's father, the King of Serubel wants to do evil, she runs away to try to hide in one of their nemesis city of Theoria.:The new king of Theoria, Tarik, ends up getting Sepora in his harem. He doesn't have anything to do with them but he takes an interest in Sepora. She doesn't tell him who she is until the bitter end and I was so happy that it finally came out.There are a lot of things going on in this book that I haven't mentioned and I'm not going to mention, you can read them for yourself. Like the fish like people in the river called, Parani, they are really cool. Well, they eat people but it's all good, you will see =)The outcome of the book seems like it may bring peace once and for all to the two kingdoms, BUT, you know that is never the case. I look forward to what is going to happen in the next book!

I was a big fan of Anna Banks’ Syrena Legacy trilogy and was ecstatic when I heard she had new fantasy series out! Fast forward to the now, I finally read Nemesis and found it to be pretty enjoyable. Don’t get me wrong, I had a huge struggle with the first 100 pages, but I stuck with it, determined to see it through and found myself captivated by it by its end.I think my struggles began with the world-building. With fantasies world-building is a very delicate matter, I think. You can make or break a story with it. In this one, there were times when I wasn’t quite grasping what kind of world I was dealing with. I know we say things like show, don’t tell. But that’s not always the best route for fantasy worlds. All of sudden I am seeing new words that describe creatures and there’s talk of this land and that land and the land in between. A map would’ve done wonders for that part! There’s just SO much new information and then to incorporate segments of history lessons, so to speak, it basically gave me a headache and left me confused.To top it off, our characters, Sepora and Tarik don’t meet until past the 100 page mark. Hence my struggle to get into this story. But once they’re finally in the same scope of things, the story did start to pick up for me. Sepora is a princess and is running away from home. She is tired of her father using her to Forge spectorium. Forging spectorium is a very rare ability and the spectorium is rare and powerful itself. It’s exact usage and whatnot was one of those things not made completely clear, but it’s basically the hot powerful thing to have. Sepora’s father was using it too much, having Sepora drain herself dry in order to create it and never letting her have a life of her own. So she runs away. And then as fate would have it, she soon finds herself a concubine for the new king of Theoria, Tarik.While Sepora wanted out of her kingdom, winding up as her enemy’s concubine, or one of them. She manages to get herself another job at the palace and is soon an adviser to the king while his own adviser is away negotiating a marriage contract with yet another kingdom. Poor Tarik though became king in a sad way as his father died from the Quiet Plague and has healers working to treat other patients with it and to hopefully find a cure. When it becomes clear that spectorium is what they would need, Sepora knows she must keep her abilities a secret because she is tired of being used by others.Naturally, it’s not long before feelings start to develop between these two. Though, in a sense, it does take a while page time wise. That was something I enjoyed obviously! I love a slow burning romance! Then add in a brother who also likes Sepora, and is actually the one who “gifted” her to his brother’s concubine horde, for hopes of having his own dalliance with her, it definitely shakes things up. I wouldn’t say there’s a love triangle involved, because Sepora is less than impressed with the brother.The plot soon revolves around a possible impending war between the countries. Or more likely between Theoria and Serubel. There’s a tension to things, especially when Tarik’s kingly duties start to affect the romance growing between him and Sepora.The ending definitely leaves things kind of tense. I wouldn’t say we’re dealing with a cliffhanger per se, but you’re left knowing that there is a great deal more to come. And the tension was soooo bloody thick! I loved it! We get both Sepora and Tarik’s points of view during the telling of this tale, which was nice as it let us in on what they were both thinking. Oddly though, Sepora was told in first person and Tarik in third, but I guess it’s just more to differentiate between the two? Just something I noted as I read but really had no effect on my enjoyment.Nemesis had a rough and bumpy start but once I got further into it, it soon became a read that held me riveted! I am so glad I kept going with this one and even more glad that I have the next book ready and at the helm! This is definitely a fantasy that stands out as it has a more unique world setting.Overall Rating 4/5 stars

Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review.Thanks to NetGalley and Feiwel and Friends for the opportunity to read and review Nemesis by Anna Banks! Sepora has escaped her kingdom with the help of her mother and her pet, whom she loves very much. In a neighboring kingdom, Tarik has been honored as he takes over the role of king when his father gets sick, deteriorates quickly and dies. This story is told in two points of view featuring Sepora as one and Tarik as the other. Sepora and Tarik alternate consistently throughout the book. I like this switching between the two because it gives insight into both of their thoughts and perspectives.Sepora is captured then sold as a concubine in Tarik's harem, which he never visits. She escapes and seeks an audience with Tarik and being amused by Sepora, he makes her an assistant. She's a handful for Tarik and he's not sure how to deal with her because he enjoys her and learns a lot from her, but he is expected to punish her actions by his peers and subjects. Told in beautiful prose, Nemesis weaves romance, intrigue and a unique story into a new and fantastic world, 5 stars! I'm looking forward to the sequel, Ally coming out Fall 2017!

3.5 StarsI thought Nemesis was a good story although it started off a bit slow. It was certainly engaging, entertaining, with just the right amount of romance, action, mystery, and an interesting plot line. Good world building with lovable characters in Princess Maya Sepora of Serobel and King Tarik. It was a fast paced plot that left me turning the pages finishing it in two days.I can already tell this will be a series to watch out for and I can't wait for book two.Jack Murphy

Sepora's character made me think of Banks' previous series' lead Emma, whom I loved. Sepora had a spirit of duty and for her kingdom, but she had spirit, bravery, strength and the feistiness I have grown to expect from any of Banks' characters, which I love. The story was much different than I had originally anticipated and ended much differently than I had expected. It definitely left me wondering what was to happen with the characters in the next book and if they would finally agree to get over their issues and trust each other. Also, Tarik is such a fun character despite all the responsibility he has to face.I'm excited to see what happens next in Ally and other books by Banks!

I really liked the characters. I can't wait for the next book!! The pace was quick and i read it in one day!

I had been in the mood for some more fantasy, and this definitely hit the spot. Excellent world-building (the country Sepora escapes to is heavily based on Ancient Egypt, which is not such a common fantasy setting, and is very fun to read), excellent characterisation, interesting plotline. It is also really easy to read - raced through, and am now eagerly anticipating the sequel's release to see how the rest of the story plays out.

Awesome !!! I devoured this book in one sitting after planning on reading only for an hour... I had to get used to the writing style as it seemed a little different from the Neptune saga, but it is very appropriate for the depicted world and customs (and also I’m not a native speaker).I love the characters and how they learned and grew! Ordered the second part straight away (hint: it’s also great!). I do hope Miss Banks publishes more.

You can't just end it like that!Still a very good read with interesting characters and a believable story line

It was for a gift, the people said me it was a good book to read and the shipping was fast