Review: The Eyes Of Tamburah

The Eyes Of Tamburah by Maria V. Snyder

Maria has created yet another fascinating world in The Eyes of Tamburah. I have enjoyed all of Maria's books and quickly jumped on the opportunity to review this latest novel.

Shyla is a researcher who resides in the underground desert city of Zirdai, which is ruled by the wealthy Water Prince and brutal Heliacal Priestess. Even though Shyla is sun-kissed - an outcast, considered cursed by the Sun Goddess - she is still renowned for uncovering innumerable archaic facts, lost artefacts, ancient maps, and obscure historical documents. Her quiet life is about to change when Banqui, an archaeologist, enlists her services to find The Eyes of Tamburah: legendary gemstones that bestows great magic to its wielder. These ancient objects can tip the balance of power and give whoever possesses them complete control of the city.

But chaos erupts when The Eyes are stolen soon after they're found - and Shyla is blamed for the theft. Forced to flee, with the Prince's soldiers and the Priestess' deacons on her trail, Shyla must recover the jewels and clear her name. A quest that will unearth secrets even more valuable than The Eyes of Tamburah themselves 
- Goodreads

I love Maria's dedication to research and authenticity. The information and real life experiences she gathers when preparing a book is evident in her world building. Each world is unique and captivating. The details and layers invite me into the world and stay with me long after I've put the book down. This is perhaps one of my favourite things about The Eyes of Tamburah, the intricate underground desert city of Zirdai.

The character development and story line were interesting and kept me reading. Shyla and those close to her were complex characters who each had their own flaws along with their more likeable qualities. In typical Maria style there is a lot of adventure and drama as Shyla and her friends find themselves in impossible situations and are required to risk their lives time and time again to save each other and the people of Zirdai. 

There were only a couple of things that irked me. Firstly, I found it hard to believe how quickly Shyla's opinions of other people flipped from negative to positive and back again. I also couldn't believe how many times she got herself captured and needed to be rescued by others. But perhaps these flaws or tendencies are deliberate on Maria's part and allow room for further character development later in the series. I hope so. Finally, the love interest in this book was obvious to me from the start, the relationship followed a similar pattern to love stories in some of Maria's others novels which I found a little disappointing.

Overall though, I enjoyed immersing myself in this new world that Maria has created and I look forward to the next instalment of Archives of the Invisible Sword.

My Rating

Nicki

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book for free through NetGalley for an honest opinion.