The Chosen - Andrea Buginsky - Blog Tour Review

Halli is a shy, young dwarf who has no idea of her true calling. When the evil Prince Gastle sets out to detroy the world of Phantasma, Queen Laurali of the Elves comes to tell Halli she’s a Holy Paladin with the power to heal, and will join The Chosen, a group of brave warriors being sent to defeat the evil beast and save Phantasma. Will Halli be accepted by her group, and be able to keep them alive through their adventures? Will the evil Prince Gastle be defeated, freeing Phantasma from his destruction? Only time will tell.

Synopsis taken from Amazon. 

Title: The Chosen

Author: Andrea Buginsky
Genre: Middle Grade Fiction, Fantasy

Publisher: Solstice Publishing

Publication Date: December 14, 2010

Format: E-book

Source: Received from author courtesy of the Teen Book Scene blog tour for The Chosen. Many thanks goes to Andrea Buginsky and Teen Book Scene for sending me a copy of this book for review. I received this book free of charge in exchange for an honest review.

Tour: Teen Book Scene blog tour for The Chosen. You can follow along with the tour here, or by clicking through the banner, located below. 
Look for it: Amazon

My rating: 3/5

Halli is a shy, quiet, unassuming dwarf. When she meets Queen Laurali of the elves outside her home one morning, she is surprised, and shocked by the news that Queen Laurali brings with her. Halli is a Holy Paladin and has the rare power of healing. She is asked to aid her country as Prince Gastle is set on destroying the world of Phantasma. Along the way she will join a group called The Chosen, who will set out to wage war against the evil Prince Gastle. 
The Chosen is a cute read, and is aimed at a young audience. I think many middle grade readers will enjoy the action and fast pace used in The Chosen as it is an action-focused read. With Halli coming to terms with her new, unknown abilities, and the group of warriors she is sent to protect, she will soon endear herself to the reader's heart. For Halli's age set at eighteen, I found her voice very young.
I think those that play video games will enjoy this story more so because it reads like a companion novel to a video game with references to actions taken while playing said games. Actions like drinking potions to level up health, among other things. 
All in all, this is a cute read. I would have loved to have seen it fleshed out with more descriptions, more back-story, and more interaction with the other characters. It has great bones, but I just wanted a little bit more. This is a fast read, and I'm sure many young readers will be fascinated by Halli's journey with her new team of warriors, The Chosen. 

The scavenger hunt for an E-copy of The Chosen is still ongoing. The giveaway will end tomorrow, but you can find all of the details on the scavenger hunt located here.

Blog Tour: The Chosen - Andrea Buginsky - Author Interview - Scavenger Hunt Giveaway

Today, Andrea Buginsky is here with an author interview courtesy of the Teen Book Scene blog tour for her book, The Chosen. Thank you for being here, Andrea! You can follow along with the tour here, or by clicking through the banner. Please keep an eye out for the giveaway listed below the interview, as it is a scavenger hunt of sorts. Enjoy!

Which characters from THE CHOSEN were the most fun to write? (Why?)

Halli is my favorite, as her personality is based on me. It was fun to write about her learning experience, and have her do things I could never do as she grew. I also loved writing about Silvor, and the way he and Halli connected. They are, of course, the hero and heroin of the book. Lumina was also fun to write, because I got to be a kid while working with her.

Can you give us a description of THE CHOSEN in haiku?

The Chosen sets out

To save Phantasma from doom

And bring hope to all

If you found yourself in Phantasma, what is the first thing you would do?

Ooh, that’s hard to say. I’d love to visit Halli and Drumple, and then ride with her to The Castle of the Elves to meet Queen Laurali.

If you could be a Harry Potter character for a day, who would you be and why?

Hermione, because she’s smart and talented. I would love to have her brain and wisdom for just one day.

What's coming up next for Halli? Anything you can share?

Book 2 (untitled) starts with a very happy and special occasion for Halli. I can’t say too much without giving it away, but use your imagination During this occasion, in which all of The Chosen are present for, a mysterious presence is felt, and they are sent off on their next quest.

What are your musical preferences when writing?

I love to listen to music sometimes, and sometimes it helps to listen to music either before I write or while I’m writing. I find that if I have something quiet in the background, I can concentrate more. It’s like if I have something I can ignore in the background, albeit something non-distracting, I can work better. I was the same way in school, when I would study and do homework.

I wouldn’t say there is one particular type of music that I listen to when I’m working. I like a variety of different music, but not that huge a variety. My choices tend to stay toward more contemporary, quiet sounds, such as country and pop, or, as it’s called today, adult contemporary. I love Celine Dion, Richard Marx, Kenny Rogers, Peter Cetera, Billy Joel, Elton John, Garth Brooks….I could go on and on.

Now, there are times I like to listen to louder rock music, but even here I have my specifics. I don’t like heavy metal or rap. I have a few select groups from the ‘80s that I LOVE. Def Leppard is my absolute favorite! I also like Bon Jovi and Poison. I can listen to their music very easily, and turn the volume up very loud. Other hard rock bands and heavy metal just sound like noise to me, and I’d rather avoid them.

Another type of music I love is the oldies: ‘50s and ‘60s music. I could listen to them all day. I think the original rock ‘n roll bands are wonderful, and definitely set the stage for the future of music. Of course, I don’t think back then they realized just how “loud” rock ‘n roll was going to get.

Now, if I had to pick a choice of music to set as a theme to “The Chosen,” it would be something not on my list, but another type of music I do like: Gaelic. My book takes place on a world that is not unlike our medieval era, where kings and queens ruled the world, and knights and paladins saved it. When I think of my story and characters, I think of movies like “The Lord of the Rings,” which had a wonderful soundtrack. When I hear music like that, it reminds me of scenes to my own story. If it ever were to become a movie, that type of music would definitely have to be the soundtrack.

I love music as much as I love books. Sometimes, they can go hand-in-hand, but at others, they can’t. I think what it really comes down to is the reader’s personal choice: do you like background music when you read, or do you prefer silence? The choice is all yours.

Thank you for answering all of my questions, Andrea! LOVE your answers! 

Giveaway

Andrea has graciously provided us with an E-copy of The Chosen to give away. 

As for the rules and regulations, we're going to do this a little bit differently. 

First off, this is a scavenger hunt, and answers for the questions will be provided at three of the stops on the tour. You will find answers in the author interview posted here today, the ten's list which will be posted on Jessica's blog, Hopelessly Devoted Bibliophile, and the guest post which will be posted on Anne's blog, Creativity's Corner.

Every correct answer will be an entry into the giveaway. You can receive a total of 8 entries. 

You do not have to answer every question. What you answer is up to you. 

Please fill out THIS FORM to enter. You can enter up until May 31, 2011 at Midnight EST.

The winner will be announced on the last stop of the tour, June 3, 2011.

Lastly, this giveaway IS International as it is for an E-Copy of the book.

Thank you!! =)