{Review} BaSatai: Outside In by Suzan Battah

BaSatai: Outside In
by Suzan Battah
Series:  BaSatai (#1)
Source:  eARC courtesy of Suzan Battah in exchange for a fair and honest review
Available as of April 14, 2012
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Seventeen year old, Armani Radnelaq a full blooded BaSatai is plagued by a curse in her blood. A curse created from hate and designed to break the divide between two parallel worlds of Earth and H-trae when Armani's blood is spilled in attack and she dies.

S'teuqoubs have been travelling back and forth across the divide for centuries without trouble. The BaSatai and Guardians monitoring activity and enforcing rules to ensure peace and harmony but if the divide splits and opens, a much greater number of supernatural S’teuqoubs will filter into earth destroying equilibrium which the BaSatai and Guardians will be unable to control. Humanity and the BaSatai will suffer and perish. The parallel divide must remain secure at all costs.

Armani has remained hidden on earth with her adopted father Elijah since her birth. She has been raised in the human way and fights her natural instinct to evolve into a BaSatai. The BaSatai in her requires her to evolve and shift, use her powers and strength. Yet Armani is freaked out by the need to shift. She smokes, has a bad attitude, must deal with aggressive bullies and control her natural BaSatai instinct. Her Guardian with BaSatai Warriors are coming for her. She refuses to accept her fate and doesn't believe any BaSatai should die to protect her.

The blood curse maturing in her veins makes her a target for her enemies. Her Guardian Karhl and an elite BaSatai Warrior Rafael are the first to arrive and prepare her for her crossing over. Her attraction to Rafael complicates her purpose to stay on earth even more. They both insist she fall into line and follow their lead but she is not ready to leave earth just yet...

Rating:

My Review:

I didn't know what to expect when I started BaSatai: Outside In, but it was beyond amazing.  Not only was I pulled in from page one, I found myself very attached to Armani, Karhl and Rafael. 

Four days after Armani is born she is taken to Earth to be watched over by Elijah because she has cursed blood running through her veins.  Seventeen years later her Guardian, Karhl, comes to watch over her to make sure she lives because if she dies, both Earth and H-trae will be destroyed.  Not only does Armani push him away, she refuses to accept her heritage.  Then there is Rafael, the one who is made for her.  Will she embrace him and her heritage and accept who she is or will she put up a wall and ignore those trying to keep her alive?

Let's talk about the main players.  Armani is the girl who doesn't fit in and is called a freak on a daily basis by girls she used to be friends with.  She knows she is a BaSatai because her father, Elijah, raised her to know she was not of this world.  Karhl, her Guardian, is supposed to keep her safe at all costs.  She may not like it or his actions, but he is keeping her best interest in mind.  Rafael is easily angered and doesn't like the way Karhl is doing his job.  He feels strongly for Armani, but doesn't think she feels the same way in return.

I really loved the characters in BaSatai: Outside In.  Armani has a really strong bond with Karhl.  This bond  is hard for Rafael to accept because he wants to connect with her, but she won't allow it making him think it is because of Karhl.  This causes a major rift between the two boys.  Yes, this sounds like a love triangle, but it's not, promise!  I also really liked the story line.  It was unique, creative, and kept my attention.  There were times that I laughed, got really angry and even shed a couple tears.  I was so attached to the characters that I felt for them when things didn't go according to plan.  

Overall, Suzan Battah did a wonderful job depicting the world of the BaSatai.  I highly recommend it to all paranormal fans and I can't wait for book two!

FTC Disclosure:  I received a copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.  I was not monetarily compensated for my opinion.