Nola is born into poverty in Sarsenay City. When Nola's mother realizes that Nola has the gift of Othersight and that she can foretell the future, she sells her to a brothel seer, who then teaches the girl to harness her gift. As Nola grows up, she embraces her new life, and even finds herself a small circle of friends. All too soon, Nola's world is again turned upside down when one of that small circle of friends is murdered. When a handsome, young Otherseer from the castle promises to teach her, she eagerly embraces the prospects of luxury beyond what she can imagine and the safety from a killer who stalks girls by night. Little does Nola know that he will soon draw her deep into a web of murder, treachery, and obsessive desire that will threaten the people and the land she holds dear. Nola will soon learn the harshest of lessons: that being able to predict the future has nothing to do with being able to prevent it happening.
Hmmm how to describe this book?.....like nothing else I have ever read is totally honest. It was quite complicated in some places and in others at the beginning a touch slow but wow once it got going it all happened. Then you realised you needed the slow paced part of the book to have set the scene and given you the background on the history of Sarsenay and of course the history of Otherseeing. The book is quite dark, and the blood seeing is mysterious and dark in itself as well as what Nola and Taldaru are doing with it. Its difficult to know what to say without giving away spoilers but at the end Nola makes the ultimate sacrifice to try to put all the darkness and wrong doing right. I loved the perseverance of Baldrem, how he is beaten but still tries to help and protect Nola even though he ends up paying the ultimate price. You find yourself saying if only things had been slightly different for Nola and Bardem, they could have been so happy and things so different. Nola is not totally innocent but does come across as quite naive and then she seems to be in so deep she cannot escape no matter how she tries and she does try. Nola also tries to warn people but because of the curse laid upon her she is unable to do so.
Like I said the book could at times be confusing but all the paths and ends came together in the end and made sense. So I did enjoy the book overall. It is aimed at adults, though I think some younger adults may also read it too. I would also add it is a thought provoking book too, you ask yourself what you would do if you had Nola's gift. I also liked the character of Grasni who turned out to be a true and honest friend to Nola when she most needed one at the end of the book.
I had to return to this review, it's quite difficult to describe what I am wanting to say I wish to add that when you finish The Pattern Scars it doesn't immediately fade it is kind of thought provoking in its own way. It made me wonder if I had such magic/blood seeing available would I use it to bring someone back I loved or would I be able to resist as Nola did with Bardrem. (I hope this statement addition doe not contain what is considered to be a spoiler that spoils your enjoyment of the book, I just felt my review as it stood wasn't giving enough praise to the book! (hope this makes sense when you read it)
This book was released 15th Sept 2011
Available at Amazon.com, Amazon.co.uk £11.69 paperback £7.20 kindle Bookdepository.co.uk £9.74 paperback
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