Book Review: Rae of Hope by W.J. May

Wow. What a surprising little novel. 
Rae of Hope explores the exciting new world of magic for an almost sixteen year old girl oblivious to the world of gifted individuals. Marked by tattoos inherent from a singular parent, Rae Kerrigan is the unknowing recipient of such a mark.
Starting at a new school filled with students at the cusp of accepting these tattoos, Rae soon learns more about her past, the unusual coupling of her parents and the power of each tattoo. Speed, visions, strength, dream domination and the chameleon ability of adapting to others are just a few to name, and naturally everyone expects Rae's to be something extra special.
But with power also comes greed, and since Rae is a suspected prodigy, there are more than few characters at the school trying to muscle in on her gifts and exploit the darkness of her past.
Interestingly, I rather enjoyed reading this novel despite the fact that the plot was not interspersed with hard hitting action, riotous humour or bouts of horror. In fact, it was rather sedate but ironically engaging through character dialogue and the mysterious unfolding of Rae's past. With a touch of simmering romance and plenty of promise for an interesting second collaboration, I happily rate this novel three and a half out of five fangs.

Synopsis:

How hard do you have to shake a family tree to find out the truth of the past? 
Fifteen-year-old Rae Kerrigan has never questioned her family’s history. That is until she accepted a scholarship to Guilder Boarding School in England. Guilder is a very unique, gifted school. 
Rae has no idea what she is getting herself into or that her family’s past is going to come back and taunt her. She learns she is part of an unparalleled group of individuals who become marked with a unique tattoo (tatù) on their sixteenth birthday. The tatù enables them to have supernatural powers particular to the shape of their marking. 
Both her parents were marked though Rae never knew, as they passed away when she was young and never told her. Learning about her family’s past, her evil father and sacrificial mother, Rae needs to decide if there is a ray of hope for her own life.