A Journey She Did Not Choose Will Change Her Life Forever Transported surreptitiously to a terrifying alien world, with limited resources and only a few cryptic words to guide her, Callie Hayes finds herself engulfed in a perilous battle for freedom – for her very life. After agreeing to participate in a routine psychology research experiment, she must unravel the mysteries shrouding her only route of escape or risk succumbing to the deadly deception of the Arena. Genre: Fantasy Release Date: April 16, 2022 Click here to get your copy! |
Definitely not what I expected....I knew I was in for some sci-fi reading when I picked up Arena, a story that I've actually wanted to read for almost as long as the book has been available, but I got much more than I had anticipated....and in all of the best ways possible...
I wasn't into the story more than a few chapters before figuring out that it was an allegory. That, in and of itself is a bit of a surprise as I usually get so caught up in a story that I have a harder time picking out when they are fiction with a message or allegory. It was only after I finished that I actually read the back cover and discovered, lo and behold, they mention the fact right there. However, I'm kinda glad that I didn't know it at first as discovering it on my own made the reading experience even better. It also made it easier for me to draw the parallels with each character's journey. Particularly that very pesky human habit of having to learn the hard way and repeat the same lessons over and over.
One of the things that impressed me the most about this book was Karen Hancock's skill with sci-fi-slash-fantasy worldbuilding that allowed me to follow the allegorical parts without being jarred out of the story itself. The action and adventure and romance are not canceled out by heavy-handed preaching. Nope. Not at all. There is enough of those three important elements, along with some pretty vivid imagery, to keep the reader engaged, entertained, and eagerly diving into the next chapter.
Having wanted to read Arena for nearly 20 years certainly made things interesting but I'm kinda thinking that maybe now, for whatever reason, was the time for me to have read it. There was a lot packed within this novel from Karen Hancock, things that I likely will be pondering for some time to come...
Tell Tale Book Reviews gives Arena by Karen Hancock a 4.5 Bark rating.
More from Karen
I am thrilled to have Arena appear again in this 20th anniversary edition with a new cover and in limited-edition hardcover. Oasis Audio will also be producing the audiobook, for the first time, so it can be available for every type of reader.
Karen Hancock has won Christy Awards for each of her first four novels—Arena and the first three books in the Legends of the Guardian-King series, The Light of Eidon, The Shadow Within, and Shadow over Kiriath. She graduated from the University of Arizona with bachelor’s degrees in biology and wildlife biology. Along with writing, she is a semi-professional watercolorist and has exhibited her work in a number of national juried shows. She and her family reside in Arizona. |
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a $40 Amazon gift card and signed copy of Arena!!
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