Readers' Muse: Tribal Affair by Matt Dallmann : A Review & Giveaway

BOOK TITLE: Tribal Affair

AUTHOR: Matt Dallmann

ISBN/ASIN: B074DYQWT9

GENRE: YA Fiction / Fantasy

NUMBER OF PAGES: 277

FORMAT: Digital

SERIES / STANDALONE: Standalone

HOW I GOT THIS BOOK: I thank iRead Book Tours for this review copy

SUMMARY:

Dahlia, a centuries old genie, lies hopelessly trapped in a damaged golden locket charm attached to an ankle bracelet. Its owner, sixteen-year-old Liana, wears it for the first time during her father Jamison’s opening night illusion spectacular. Not only does its presence cause Jamison to folly his performance, but it also starts a chain of bizarre events that lead to a showdown with Dahlia’s mortal enemy, Stefan, and an unsuspecting romance between Liana and his son.

FIRST IMPRESSION:

Certain genres always have a strange allure, no matter at what time they are based in. Fantasy belongs to this set, but in real, the books can either get it so believably right, making the reader wonder if maybe there is a version of reality where this fantasy exists. Or the book can veer into the dangerous 'oh this cannot be happening' territory, especially if it was inconsistent in its own narrative. The book's summary and cover gave very little information about what I should expect in a book so blatantly magical, but within the first few chapters, I knew it was of the former category, blending reality with fantasy seamlessly.

REVIEW:

A book that mingles reality and fantasy. The narrative alternating between an old genie and a young girl. Centuries old enmities coming to the surface. The stereotypical fight of good versus evil, with sacrifices made along the way.

In simple sentences, the normal fantasy storyline is what the book is all about. But, purely by his imaginative story and narration, the author manages to elevate a normal stereotype to something really interesting, holding my interest in every page, making me turn pages with a focused intensity that wanted to know more. The characters of the Genie Dahlia (who begins the narration) and that of the young girl Liana are well etched, both of them quickly vying for equal attention and space in my brain. The story itself was then a collection of scenes that played out in my head, the descriptions so vivid and detailed.

The first thing I loved about the story was how it proved that no matter how age-old or well-used a concept is, it can still seem fresh and new. Be it in the legacy of families, or in the fights in the other realms, both versions (maybe stories) held equal importance, which is a rare feat to achieve. The book will be interesting to both kinds of people, those who have read and enjoyed many stories about genies and djinns, and to those who are new to this kind of fiction. The narrative (that begins picking up pace only a few chapters in) makes sure that the focus and blending are equally proportioned, and that the descriptions do not bore the reader in any way.

Once the reader gets the hang of the author's writing style (but it is essential to persevere until a point for this to happen) the story flows easily. The pace is then steady, and the characters begin becoming important players stuck in scenarios, the outcome of which the reader becomes invested in. The language was clean (a pleasant surprise) and easy to read and follow. The book covered what it promised in the summary, delivering an interesting take on the often explored stories of genies.

The book gets plus points for staying true to its genre and not deviating despite the romance angle, and showing the good / evil characteristics in a way that will impress on the YA readers, the target audience.

WHAT I LIKED:

The book stays true to its genre and brings the right blend of reality and fantasy
It is one of the cleanest novels in the fantasy genre, having the perfect good - evil tropes
The book brings the magic of genies and their limitations to the reader's minds so visually.

WHAT COULD HAVE BEEN BETTER:

The sudden shifts in the narrative takes time to get used to.
The book's pace gets comfortable only after a few chapters in
The ending was a bit too fast paced, took me multiple reads to make sure I had not missed anything crucial

VERDICT:

A brilliant, refreshing book that manages to stay fresh despite belonging to an often misused / misrepresented genre.

RATING: 4/5

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Matt Dallmann has a background in acting and holds a BFA from Marymount Manhattan College in New York City. His films and screenplays have been featured at film festivals across the United States including Cinequest, Big Apple Film Festival, Seattle’s True Independent Film Festival, DragonCon and Zero Independent Film Festival. His piano compositions have been published for commercial use and he is a member of ASCAP. Matt is also the Co-Founder and Vice President of the boutique medical billing firm VGA Billing Services, Inc. in New York City. He lives in New Jersey with his wife and two daughters.

EDITIONS AVAILABLE: Kindle

PRICE $3.33 for Kindle

BOOK LINKS: Amazon