Author: S.L. Wyllie
Genre: Fantasy
Rating: 4/5
Synopsis (Goodreads)
Princess Ariella Ostragorion of the Golden Peaks is one of the few left in the Eastern Realm whose bloodline possesses a power known as the Inner Eye. With it, she has a power that is beyond imagination; the ability to create frost and ice. But it is a talent that she shares with King Jasteroth, a malevolent force who is believed to control the Black Magic Sorcerers, the most powerful enemies of the Eastern Realm. The lethal half-elvish warrior, Austin Alvar, is ordered by the Council of The Community and Members of the Elite to train her, but Austin carries secrets about his own past that he would rather remain as such, and he also knows that Jasteroth and the Black Magic Sorcerers are two quite separate entities. When Ariella’s home is infiltrated, and her mother is killed by the Sorcerers, she is assigned six warriors to protect her. With Ariella clearly targeted by a dangerous evil, it is up to Austin to protect her at all costs and convince others of the truth about Jasteroth and the Black Magic Sorcerers. But how can he convince them without revealing the truth about himself?
My Thoughts!
First off, I would like to thank S.L. Wyllie for providing me with a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review! This is the first time I have read a book as an ebook, which was interesting, however I think I will stick with physical copies, the page turning is much easier to control and the pages don't strain your eyes as much as a computer screen! This is also the first time I've read a book from a self published author!
Where do I even begin?! This book definitely is apart of the fantasy world, however it has some mysterious elements, some action elements, and of course one of those romances that makes you cheer when the two characters finally kiss! Austin was such a kind, emotion filled character which was really nice to see. And his interactions with Ariella were so adorable, the way he cares for Ariella, and vise versa.
The mystery comes in when there seems to be a misunderstanding regarding King Jasteroth and the Black Magic Sorcerers. There is even more mystery when it comes to Austin and his past. One of the biggest questions that occupied my mind while reading was "what is Austin hiding"! Not to mention, the encounter the queen experiences in the prologue creates even more mystery and was a very well done set up for the story.
As for the action scenes, they occur more towards the end, and they aren't complete war scenes but it's just enough to stir up some excitement which provides extra entertainment within the book. I find action scenes so interesting and captivating when they are kept short but still thorough.
Sometimes cliffhangers end off in really awkward situations, or they end off after a huge battle, but this book ends at a building point, where you know another climax event is going to happen next and it makes you instantly want to read the next book (which unfortunately won't be out until around December). There's something said for a book that just leaves you craving more.
The only thing bad thing about the book, is there was a lot of descriptive repetition which seemed to be a bit unnecessary to the story, as well as some "recaps" and reintroductions throughout the chapters that weren't really needed, at least in my opinion. However, once you move through those the book is so good!!! I cannot wait for the next one!