Book number 42 for 2024, 5/5 stars.
I became aware of this author on Intagram, seeing reels that she has created. I’m particularly fond of her “Book Goblin” reels. But, as many independent authors are doing, she advertises her books on social media. The premise sounded interesting, so I bought them directly from her site.
And yes, the is “fantasy romance.” Not my usual wheelhouse, mind you, but I must say I thoroughly enjoyed the story as well as the world that the author has built.
Daindreth is the archduke of the Erymayan Empire, of which Mynadra is the capitol city. Amira has been sent by her father to assassinate him, as he is betrothed to Amira’s sister, Fonra. Oh, and he is cursed with a demon.
Amira has a curse of her own, that binds her to obey everything her father tells her to do. Everything gets very complicated when Amira fails at her task, though it is truly no fault of her own.
The world that Ms. Wheatley has built is, in my opinion, a worthy fantasy world. It fits very well into the genre and does it justice, I think. In addition, we have a strong female protagonist, but not, I would say, overly strong. There is magic in this world, but it’s not easy magic. In other words, those who use it must pay a price for it, in some way. The spirit of said magic is also designated as “ka,” which I have heard used before, in other stories. Stephen King’s Dark Tower series, for one. I may be misspeaking by referring to it as “magic,” and I apologize if that is the case. There appears to be more to it than that.
We have the typical arranged marriages of this kind of world, and for political reasons, of course. And that is the marriage that has been arranged for Fonra and Daindreth. Not surprisingly, that doesn’t come to pass.
The “romance” aspect of this fantasy romance is not overbearing at all. I quite appreciate that. The pace of the story does not drag. In fact, the opening couple of chapters move along at a great pace and are exciting enough to hook the reader. Things slow down a bit after that, but then, at the end of the book, the excitement level goes through the roof, to the point that, for the last few chapters, I would designate this book as “unputdownable.”
One of my favorite lines in the book is when Amira thinks, “How like a man to assume he was safe because she wore skirts.” This sentiment actually occurs more than once in the story. There was another line that I found to be quite poetic. “Her heart hammered a loud tattoo and her body shivered with the need to do something.”
The ending is satisfying, and leaves the reader wanting more. Of course, there is more, and I will be getting to it soon, I’m sure.
I highly recommend this book for folks who enjoy fantasy with a bit of romance thrown in. I have purposefully avoided sharing any other plot points, and there are plenty more that make this story fun and engaging.
TTFN, y’all!
The Constant Reader 