The Exemeus
Author: Folami and Abeni Morris
Publish Date: Jan. 3, 2013 by Royal Colours Ink
Length: 337 pages
Series: The Exemeus #1
Rating: 4/5
Genres: Fantasy, romance, science fiction, dystopia
Get it here: Amazon, B&N
Review
I found that writing this review for The Exemeus was a bit harder than I anticipated. This is because there were a number of things that I really liked and yet there were a number of things that I didn't like, or that confused me.
First, I'll talk about the book itself and then I'll come back to my points of like and dislike.
One of the first things I noticed about The Exemeus is that is was very uniquely narrated. We have two main characters here, Dephon and Hyalee. They come from two different times and two different worlds. Hyalee comes from a world much like our own, but Dephon comes from a futuristic, dystopian world just 13 years later. And a lot can happen in 13 years.
I won't summarize it too much for you because you can just read the book's summary below.
Dephon is just a freshman in high school. He gets picked on each day, only to come home to a supposedly uncaring father who sits on the couch all day.
One day he comes home to find his father off the couch and in an argument with a woman he's never seen before. Even though she seems to know him. It's clear that this is the point where the start is going to start picking up and we're going to get some answers.
Dephon finds his answers in a book, called The Exemeus, that once belong to his dead mother - who we find out soon enough is Hyalee. It's up to Dephon to right all the wrong that happen in this futuristic world ruled by a ruthless leader.
So here is what I really like about The Exemeus. The two main characters a vastly different. They're similar in their heroism and need for justice but growing up in two different worlds has made them very different. I like having two characters who offer different views in the book.
Since it takes place in two different times, it's almost like reading two books in one.
You also get to see two versions of Dephon's father, Singleton. It's interesting to see how he transformed from a carefree, 17-year-old to a protective father who has a hard time connecting with his son. There's a lot of depth with these characters that I think Morris sisters did an excellent job with.
I also really like how this book spans a wide number of genres, you've got fantasy, romance, science fiction and dystopian with a sprinkle of time travel. Sometimes this is done well and sometimes this is done not so well. Thankfully, this book was successful in that area.
Now for a few things I didn't like in the book. And it wasn't so much that I didn't like it, they just confused me.
In Hyalee's world it becomes clear that her "super powers" are not common or known to the public. But that really doesn't seem to be clear for a long while. When she finds out what she is and what she can do, it doesn't seem to surprise her in the least.
The same happens with Dephon. It's unclear, in the world that he lives is, whether or not it's normal for people to have special powers. At one point his father causes an earthquake that almost levels his house but Dephon doesn't even flinch. Which is weird because his father hasn't ever used his powers around Dephon and he had no idea his father had them.
So basically I'm confused as to why these characters easily accept these supposedly impossible events like they're just going out for ice cream.
Another thing that really confused me is that there are different worlds such as Oreland. That in itself isn't confusing. The problem I have is that the worlds aren't explained at all. You, as a reader, are just expected to know that they exist and that they are different from the world Hyalee and Dephon exist in.
For me, I'm one of those people who need things explained. Tell me how these worlds are different, not just that they are. Tell me when society found out about these worlds or even if the mass population is aware of them. Don't brush it under the rug like I'm supposed to know what you're talking about.
So there you have it. I found the book hard to rate because it was an enjoyable read, with likeable characters and good writing. But a few things were too cloudy. It was like looking through a dirty window and I just couldn't see everything. I just needed a little Windex.
Overall, I'm still giving The Exemeus a 4 even though I was annoyed by the lack of description, it was still a good book worth a read.
Summary
Her short life was devoted to love and to hate. Love of the man who stole her heart, hate for the man who stole the world. Murdered by the government she swore to destroy, she's been given another chance to make it right. But to save the planet, she needs the help of the most powerful mystic the world has ever seen—unfortunately he hasn’t been born yet.
In a world where fear is the only currency, Dephon has committed the ultimate crime:
inspiring hope.
His only goal is to make it safely through ninth grade, but on a post-apocalyptic Earth run
by the Treptonian government, it isn’t that simple. Heir to a legendary power, Dephon
Johnson is the only threat to the government’s rule. And on Trepton, all threats must be eliminated. When hundreds of assassins are dispatched to neutralize him, Dephon is forced to fight back. His only chance of survival is to enlist the aid of the greatest warrior the world has ever known. The only problem is, she's been dead for 13 years.
About the authors
Folami and Abeni Morris are a sister-sister writing team. Together they wrote (and
rewrote) The Exemeus, somehow managing to accomplish it without murdering one another. Despite their facial similarities, tendency to finish each other’s thoughts and stick up for each other constantly, no, they’re not twins and thus deserve their own individual bio.
Folami Morris:
Folami grew up in the tiny city of San Mateo Ca, where nothing ever happens and no
one ever leaves. She went to Xavier University for undergraduate, getting her B.A in physics and her B.S in Biology. After graduation she returned to California, to live in an even smaller city, where even less happens, Antioch Ca. During this time she escaped the monotony by hanging out with her imaginary friends Hyalee and Dephon, and by writing the Exemeus. She finally escaped to Queens NY and now realizes that quiet and tiny aren’t so bad.
Abeni Morris:
As luck (and logic) would have it, Abeni grew up in the same tiny little town as her sister, then she too escaped to the tinier town of Antioch. She has yet to leave. She received her bachelor’s degree in early childhood development from Cal State East Bay. She is the mom of two amazing kids, who swear that they deserve a percentage of the book proceeds and a ton of the credit. At least she raised dreamers.
Author Links
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