{Release Day Blitz} MONSTERS & MIST

 

Title: Monsters & Mist

Author: Taylor Fenner

Genre: Standalone Upper YA High Fantasy

Release Date: March 19, 2021

Blurb

The Girl with Warrior Aspirations.

The Playboy Prince. 

The Ruthless Queen.

One will seek to enslave the world. One will lead the rebellion. And one will be the catalyst.

The Warrior General with a tragic past.

The Disgraced Bounty Hunter. 

The Girl with the Constellation on Her Face.

One will rise to the challenge. One will return what was once lost. And one will embrace their destiny. 

Six lives. One world borne anew.

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AUTHOR BIO

TAYLOR FENNER is the author of seven Young Adult and New Adult novels and several short stories. Her Young Adult Fantasy Retelling, CURSEBREAKER was shortlisted for the 2017 Ozma Award for Fantasy Fiction. 

Taylor is a twenty-something book junkie who devours books in most genres, although she has a soft spot for thrillers and horror novels and dreams of writing one someday. 

Taylor lives in Clintonville, Wisconsin with family and her two cats, Tiger and (the aptly named) Houdini. Besides writing, she loves horror movies - she says classic horror is the best - as well as cooking, Heath bar lattes, bullet journaling, and obsessively planning for Halloween starting in July (it’s never too early). You can follow Taylor on Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter.

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Book Review: Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas

Throne of Glass (Throne of Glass #1) by Sarah J. Maas

Blurb:

"Nothing is a coincidence. Everything has a purpose. You were meant to come to this castle, just as you were meant to be an assassin."

When magic has gone from the world, and a vicious king rules from his throne of glass, an assassin comes to the castle. She does not come to kill, but to win her freedom. If she can defeat twenty-three killers, thieves, and warriors in a competition to find the greatest assassin in the land, she will become the King's Champion and be released from prison.

Her name is Celaena Sardothien.

The Crown Prince will provoke her. The Captain of the Guard will protect her.

And a princess from a foreign land will become the one thing Celaena never thought she'd have again: a friend.

But something evil dwells in the castle—and it's there to kill. When her competitors start dying, horribly, one by one, Celaena's fight for freedom becomes a fight for survival—and a desperate quest to root out the source of the evil before it destroys her world.

My Review:

The first time I tried to read this book I had to put it down after 34 pages because I disliked Celaena. But as I mentioned in my recent review of The Assassin's Blade, I really think you have to read The Assassin's Blade before you even attempt Throne of Glass because you'll appreciate it more. 

I went from disliking Celaena (but loving her as Aelin in EOS because I have read that one) to understanding her and loving her cunning and fearless spirit in Throne of Glass. I also had a deeper appreciation of Dorian in TOG and met Chaol for the first time and enjoyed him. I loved his banter with Celaena. And Nehemia... ah sweet, wise Nehemia! She was possibly my favorite character. 

I liked the plotting and pace of this book and the vivid description of the Glass Castle. I thought the training and competition scenes as well as when the lesser Champions were killed off and the manner they were killed was well written, although I'm still fuzzy on the description of the ridderak. 

Overall this book has something for everyone. We already know Celaena is a badass female lead and there's plenty of action, adventure, political intrigue, and a dash of mystery and romance to balance everything out. I can honestly say I'm looking forward to reading Crown of Midnight to see what Celaena will get up to now that she's the King's Champion.

My Rating:
🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
5 of 5 Stars!

Book Review: Imber by Tyffany Hackett

Imber (The Thanatos Trilogy #1) by Tyffany Hackett

Blurb:

The locks are failing.

The keys are calling.

The Titans are waking.

Crowned before her time, nineteen-year-old Natylia is thrust into an unpleasant reality—her people don’t want her, her family doesn’t need her and, despite her best efforts, she can’t seem to shake an incorrigible suitor. But when rumors begin to swirl throughout her kingdom the young queen shifts her focus and realizes that the world she loves could be destroyed in an instant.

An ancient enemy, long thought gone, is trying to return.

Forgotten legends have resurfaced, stories that tell of three scepters: the keys to unleashing these foul beings. Across Araenna the hunt rages for this trio of formidable power—to command the keys is to hold the power of mortal gods.

Aided by her snarky elven bodyguard, an unassuming blacksmith, and a clever nature witch, Natylia races to correct the mistakes of the past… before they can destroy her people’s future.

My Review:

I've been excited to read Imber since I first heard about it and it was well worth the wait! 

19-year-old Natylia is about to ascend the throne of Thrais after petitioning the Council to let her take over for her sick mother who may not live the five years until Natylia is supposed to take over. Unfortunately, the people of Thrais think Natylia is stealing the throne from her mother, their beloved Queen - and they're not happy about it. 

When Natylia overhears her mother and Kathryn, the Queen of Wydus talking about mysterious scepters that have the ability to awaken and control Titans long thought gone and her mother is murdered mere days later, Natylia knows she has to find the scepter hidden somewhere within Thrais to save her people - even as accusations and unrest from subjects intensify.

After her mother's funeral, Natylia leaves the palace aided by her elven guard, Jyn, the palace witch, Meryn, and a blacksmith/Natylia's sparring teacher, Camion to enter the dark and forbidding forest where they believe the scepter is hidden.

Natylia will have to be strong and rely on her friends as she faces the dangers ahead if they have any hope of surviving their adventure...

This book is a definite must-read. I loved the characters and as mentioned before, the plotting, world building, and pacing are well-developed keeping the reader hooked on the story. I liked the slow-burn romance between Natylia and Camion, even though in the beginning I was sure Jyn had feelings for Natylia himself. The romance didn't overwhelm the story, it was just enough and I hope it's delved into a little more in the next book now that we know how Natylia and Camion feel about each other. I do foresee Lucian causing grief in books to come however...

I liked how this book ended, giving you a reprieve while at the same time setting up nicely for the next book and making you want to see what's going to happen next. Will Natylia find the next scepter before someone else does? Who are the Cloaked Shadows working for and why? Are the King and Queen of Kalum involved or is someone just making it look like they are? What if Natylia's true enemy is disguising themselves as an ally? So many questions and I can't wait to find out more in the next book! 

Overall, I highly recommend Imber. It's a fantastic debut novel. You'll love the characters and quickly become addicted to the story. Natylia reminded me slightly of Aurora in Roar by Cora Carmack, (a girl who felt unprepared to take over her kingdom who goes on a grand adventure). Fantasy lovers will also fall in love with the world of Araenna!

My Rating:

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

4.75 of 5 Stars!

"What I'm Reading" Wednesday #116

This "WIR"-Wednesday I'm finally reading a book I've wanted to read for so many months now and finally tracked down at a used bookstore..

An Enchantment of Ravens by Margaret Rogerson

Blurb:

A skilled painter must stand up to the ancient power of the faerie courts—even as she falls in love with a faerie prince—in this gorgeous debut novel.

Isobel is a prodigy portrait artist with a dangerous set of clients: the sinister fair folk, immortal creatures who cannot bake bread, weave cloth, or put a pen to paper without crumbling to dust. They crave human Craft with a terrible thirst, and Isobel’s paintings are highly prized. But when she receives her first royal patron—Rook, the autumn prince—she makes a terrible mistake. She paints mortal sorrow in his eyes—a weakness that could cost him his life.

Furious and devastated, Rook spirits her away to the autumnlands to stand trial for her crime. Waylaid by the Wild Hunt’s ghostly hounds, the tainted influence of the Alder King, and hideous monsters risen from barrow mounds, Isobel and Rook depend on one another for survival. Their alliance blossoms into trust, then love—and that love violates the fair folks’ ruthless laws. Now both of their lives are forfeit, unless Isobel can use her skill as an artist to fight the fairy courts. Because secretly, her Craft represents a threat the fair folk have never faced in all the millennia of their unchanging lives: for the first time, her portraits have the power to make them feel.

Why I Chose This Book | What I Think So Far:

I first heard about An Enchantment of Ravens from a fellow book blogger around the time of its' release last fall and fell instantly in cover love with Charlie Bowater's stunning cover! I was hoping for this book for Christmas but I didn't get it and it wasn't until I found a copy at Half Price Books a couple weeks ago that I actually got a copy - which actually turned out to be a signed copy at that! I started An Enchantment of Ravens yesterday and was immediately hooked, I didn't want to put it down! I may - dare I say it - like this book better than ACOTAR! 😲

"What I'm Reading" Wednesday #104

This "WIR"-Wednesday I've momentarily set aside By A Charm and A Curse so I could dive into a book I've been wanting to jump back into since last spring. This was the one book I was determined to read before the end of 2017...

The Great Pursuit (Eurona Duology #2) by Wendy Higgins

Blurb:

Lochlanach has traded the great beast for something far more terrible, a Lashed enemy veiled in beauty, deception, and a vengeance passed down through generations: Rozaria Rocato. And she’s offering the hunter Paxton Seabolt power and acceptance he could never receive in his homeland. Pax must decide how far he’s willing to go under her tutelage, knowing she is the opponent of Princess Aerity Lochson.

In a land where traditionalists dread change, the Lochlan throne must contend with mysterious foes and traitors, while attempting to keep revolt at bay. As dire circumstances strike the royal family, matters of the castle are left in Aerity’s hands. It's time to put aside her fears and grasp the reign, taking actions that have the potential to save or destroy her people.

One hunt has ended, but the pursuit for love and justice continue. In this sequel to The Great Hunt from New York Times bestselling author Wendy Higgins, political intrigue and romance intensify in another thrilling fantasy. Princess Aerity embraces a quest for identity and passion before making the ultimate sacrifice for her kingdom.

Why I Chose This Book | What I Think So Far:

I've been dying to read this book for months. I actually read the first chapter way back in May but then ACOWAR came out and I set it aside but now I've decided this is the one book I want to read before the end of 2017 if I can't get to any others. I adored The Great Hunt - I mean it was my introduction to YA High Fantasy, the book that made me fall in love with the genre and I was excited to see how the story would wrap up in The Great Pursuit. I'm just over 100 pages in and I'm loving this book! It's great seeing into the minds of most of the characters (not just Aerity and Paxton) and the story is moving along really well. I can't wait to see how it ends!

Book Review: Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo

Shadow and Bone (Grisha Trilogy #1) by Leigh Bardugo

Blurb:

Surrounded by enemies, the once-great nation of Ravka has been torn in two by the Shadow Fold, a swath of near impenetrable darkness crawling with monsters who feast on human flesh. Now its fate may rest on the shoulders of one lonely refugee.

Alina Starkov has never been good at anything. But when her regiment is attacked on the Fold and her best friend is brutally injured, Alina reveals a dormant power that saves his life—a power that could be the key to setting her war-ravaged country free. Wrenched from everything she knows, Alina is whisked away to the royal court to be trained as a member of the Grisha, the magical elite led by the mysterious Darkling.

Yet nothing in this lavish world is what it seems. With darkness looming and an entire kingdom depending on her untamed power, Alina will have to confront the secrets of the Grisha . . . and the secrets of her heart.

My Review:

I first started reading Shadow and Bone back in July. I'd heard a lot of things about the book at the time - both good and bad - and was curious to read it myself. The mistake I made at the time was to get the audiobook instead of the physical book. Now I have nothing against the audiobook, I liked the narrator and the story moved but my issue stems from a dislike for audiobooks in general. I don't like being read to and can't seem to focus on the story. 

And Shadow and Bone was definitely not a story I wanted to miss anything of! From the beginning, I was enthralled by the world-building. Yes, Ravka and the Grishaverse reminded me of Russia - from the names to the setting to the accent the narrator put on for the audiobook, which I know some people find issue with but I saw it merely as a stylized version. 

Alina was a little difficult to like in the beginning as I couldn't figure out why she had to make everything so difficult. I remember the part where the Darkling suggests she have a black kefta like his but she balks and prefers the blue and I couldn't help thinking "just take the damn robe-thing! You're supposed to stand out! You're unique!" But I supposed Ms. Bardugo did that as a way to show the character was humble and modest. However, I enjoyed watching Alina grow throughout the book and her loyalty to Mal was commendable although I still don't quite see the appeal. 

Sure, by the end of Shadow and Bone I liked Alina with Mal (sort of) but I don't give much credit to a character that doesn't realize he cares for a girl until he sees her with someone else. I don't think guys are quite that dumb. I also would have appreciated more of why Mal was such a good tracker - is there something special about him that makes him so?

But my favorite character in this book (until the end) was the Darkling. He makes a superb villain although I wish things would have worked out between him and Alina. There was so much potential there, so much passion. But the Darkling was corrupt and he wanted power and that ruined everything. Let's all mourn for what could have been. 

The Darkling slumped back in his chair. “Fine,” he said with a weary shrug. “Make me your villain.

Overall, I really enjoyed Shadow and Bone once I read the actual book (I'm officially done with audiobooks). The book itself is gorgeous, I love the map and the chapter headings but the story is wonderful as well. It moved fast and there wasn't anything forced about the storyline. I could definitely see myself reading this book again and devouring the other two books in the trilogy just as quickly.

My Rating:

🌟🌟🌟🌟1/2

4.5 of 5 Stars!

Book Review: A Court of Wings and Ruin by Sarah J. Maas

A Court of Wings and Ruin (A Court of Thorns and Roses #3) by Sarah J. Maas

Blurb:

Looming war threatens all Feyre holds dear in the third volume of the #1 New York Times bestselling A Court of Thorns and Roses series.

Feyre has returned to the Spring Court, determined to gather information on Tamlin's maneuverings and the invading king threatening to bring Prythian to its knees. But to do so she must play a deadly game of deceit-and one slip may spell doom not only for Feyre, but for her world as well.

As war bears down upon them all, Feyre must decide who to trust amongst the dazzling and lethal High Lords-and hunt for allies in unexpected places. 

In this thrilling third book in the #1 New York Times bestselling series from Sarah J. Maas, the earth will be painted red as mighty armies grapple for power over the one thing that could destroy them all.

My Review:
Have you ever seen a movie preview and it looks good, but then they really start promoting it and when you finally see the movie its not what you were expecting or hoping for?

That was ACOWAR for me. The ending of ACOMAF was agonizing - I wanted to find out what was going to happen so badly and then I had to wait a whole year for ACOWAR to come out, which was excruciating. But I let the excitement build, I bought into the hype, I preordered three different copies, and worst of all, I sped through other amazing books while waiting for ACOWAR to arrive in the mail.

And on May 3rd, the day after the release when I received two of my copies, I eagerly began reading. Now, two weeks later I just can't do it anymore and it makes me want to cry. I'm stopping at page 320.

Why, you ask? Because I am so unbelievably bored.

Let's start at the beginning (and I'll try not to be too spoilery):

Back in the Spring Court with Tamlin: 
I was expecting that Feyre would make Tamlin pay for what he'd done. I wanted her to torture him and make him suffer. Did I get that? No :( it was pretty unexciting. She turned his people against him. Big whoop. I mean I loved what she did Ianthe but Tamlin got off way too easy. And I also expected him to put up more of a fight. I never did see him reenter the story because I stopped before that.

Return to the Night Court, Rhys, and the Inner Circle:

Is it just me or is Rhys completely boring in this book? I know, I know.. you're hating me right about now. I'm hating myself. But he just wasn't as good in this book. He was kind of a pushover when it came to Feyre, just kind of... soft. Where was the cockiness and the swagger? I saw hints, but it wasn't the same.

Nesta & Cassian: Are they mates? I never got that far so I don't know but dammit I just wanted them to hop in the sack and put everyone else out of their misery.

Elain: Possibly the most depressing character of all. Seriously, someone get the girl some uppers! I felt so sorry for Lucien as Elain sat staring out a window whining that her human fiance wouldn't want her anymore. Hell, I wouldn't even have minded if she'd gotten with Azriel!

Ok, mini rant over... Basically what it boils down to is that I've read and loved three novels by SJM: ACOTAR, ACOMAF, and Empire of Storms (because I'm reading that series in reverse). SJM was a major contributor to me falling in love with the High Fantasy genre in the first place.

Maybe the excitement and the pacing of EOS ruined me but this book really seemed to drag. As far as I got, there were a few sections of action, but mostly it was stagnant and inactive. Instead of the story progressing it was repetitive: Feyre trains with Cassian, Feyre trains with Azriel, Feyre has fairly boring sex with Rhys (more on that later), Feyre coddles Elain and squabbles with Nesta. Yawn. Where was the action? Where was the adventure? Did SJM really cram all the epic battle scenes into the end and I just not get there?

Back to the sex scenes - I know a lot of people say SJM's scenes are too steamy but I disagree. For me they usually pack the perfect amount of heat - but hey, I'm 24 and I like it dirty. But in all honesty I found the sex scenes in ACOWAR to be rather dull and again repetitive. There was no heat for me.

Overall, I had so much excitement riding on this book and in the end I was left feeling let down and disappointed. Feeling like my fandom let me down. Will I read another SJM book in the future? Probably. I need to see how the TOG series ends. I just need a break after ACOWAR.


My Rating:
2.5 of 5 Stars

"What I'm Reading" Wednesday #74

This "WIR"-WEDNESDAY I'm not doing too much pleasure reading. That's not true, I'm enjoying what I'm reading but in truth I'm doing a final proofing of Through the Fog now that my editor has finished with it...

Through the Fog (Eternals Trilogy #3) by Taylor Fenner (me)

Blurb:

Two Souls

After Thierry traps Luke in a coma-like slumber with the help of a powerful Voodoo priestess, Lizette, Sam, Keiran, Finn, and Wes must leave New Orleans and journey through the fog to the mythical Garden of Eden.

One Unbreakable Binding

There Claudette tells them they must harvest the blood of a rare animal native only to the Garden of Eden which contains the only antidote to Luke’s curse. They’ll have to hurry back to deliver the antidote before the binding that merges Luke and Lizette’s powers kills Lizette from being so far away from Luke.

If One Dies, So Does the Other

Where is the Garden of Eden? How can they be so sure that it even exists? Lizette will need the help of all of her friends as they travel through war-torn countries and battle mythical creatures that guard the Garden of Eden and the mysteries trapped within to save the life of the man she loves.

It’s More Than a Hunt for the Antidote; It is a Fight for Survival.

Will they get the antidote to Luke in time? Or have they come across the one curse strong enough to destroy an Eternal? Find out in the stunning conclusion to the Eternals Trilogy.

Bonus: Included Exclusive Eternals Trilogy Novelette "Eternal Fire"

Two years before Out of Darkness, eighteen-year-old Finn Madigan is your average teenage guy. He has friends, cuts an obscene amount of class, and has hooked up with nearly every girl in the senior class. But Finn has a secret - he's an Elemental, a person capable of creating bursts of fire and spouts of water from thin air.

Finn just wants to bide his time in his hometown, Ishpeming, Michigan, until he graduates and can put as much distance between himself and the town, his parents, and his perfect brother as possible.

Then he meets a green-haired beauty named Arianthe and everything changes. Finally, Finn has someone who understands what he's going through and before he knows it he's falling in love.

But like William Shakespeare said, the course of true love never did run smooth. Can Finn hang on to Arianthe? Or will his brother Keiran steal her away?

How the proofing is going:

So far I'm just dealing with a few formatting issues which I will correct upon finishing reading but this is one of my favorite of my novels. This is actually the first time I've read it all the way through at once and if I as the writer am hooked, I know you will be too!

I'm also still reading...

A Court of Wings and Ruin (ACOTAR Series #3) by Sarah J. Mass

Blurb:

Feyre has returned to the Spring Court, determined to gather information on Tamlin's maneuverings and the invading king threatening to bring Prythian to its knees. But to do so she must play a deadly game of deceit-and one slip may spell doom not only for Feyre, but for her world as well.

As war bears down upon them all, Feyre must decide who to trust amongst the dazzling and lethal High Lords-and hunt for allies in unexpected places. 

In this thrilling third book in the #1 New York Times bestselling series from Sarah J. Maas, the earth will be painted red as mighty armies grapple for power over the one thing that could destroy them all.

What I Think So Far:

***Spoiler Free***

I was seriously excited for this book but so far it's not exactly what I was expecting. I can't even say why but it's kind of dragging for me. You know how sometimes you see a preview for a movie and think it sounds good but then they start really pushing it marketingwise then you see it and it isn't as good as you hoped? That's kind of ACOWAR for me. 

"What I'm Reading" Wednesday #73

Today's "WIR"-Wednesday is completely dependent on today's mail. I finished reading When It's Real by Erin Watt yesterday (more on that review later this month) and I don't want to start a new book because by tonight I am fully planning to dive into...

A Court of Wings and Ruin (A Court of Thorns and Roses #3) by Sarah J. Maas

Blurb:

Feyre has returned to the Spring Court, determined to gather information on Tamlin's maneuverings and the invading king threatening to bring Prythian to its knees. But to do so she must play a deadly game of deceit-and one slip may spell doom not only for Feyre, but for her world as well.

As war bears down upon them all, Feyre must decide who to trust amongst the dazzling and lethal High Lords-and hunt for allies in unexpected places. 

In this thrilling third book in the #1 New York Times bestselling series from Sarah J. Maas, the earth will be painted red as mighty armies grapple for power over the one thing that could destroy them all.

Why I Chose This As My Next Read:

Um, do I really need to explain this? It is my most anticipated read of the spring, possibly the year, and I've been dying to get my hands on it since I finished reading ACOMAF last May. This is a long time coming and I can't wait to dive in. I even put off reading The Great Pursuit by Wendy Higgins because I didn't want to be in the middle of a long book when I got ACOWAR. Will it live up to the hype? I hope so! Please - nobody spoil anything for me! 

The Great Pursuit Release Day Blitz

I am so excited that THE GREAT PURSUIT by Wendy Higgins is available now and that I get to share the news! I loved The Great Hunt and The Great Pursuit is one of my most anticipated reads this spring! 

If you haven’t yet heard about this amazing high fantasy novel by one of my favorite authors Wendy Higgins, be sure to check out all the details below.

This blitz also includes a giveaway for some amazing prizes! So if you’d like a chance to win, enter in the Rafflecopter at the bottom of this post.

***

Title: THE GREAT PURSUIT (Eurona Duology #2)

Author: Wendy Higgins

Pub. Date: March 7, 2017

Publisher: HarperTeen

Pages: 512

Formats: Hardcover, eBook, audiobook

Find it: Amazon, B&N, iBooks, Audible, Goodreads

In The Great Pursuit, the dramatic sequel to the New York Times bestselling The Great Hunt, Wendy Higgins delivers another thrilling fantasy filled with dangerous enemies, political intrigue, searing romance, and a princess who is willing to do everything to protect her kingdom. 

One hunt has ended, but the pursuit for love and justice continues.

The kingdom of Lochlanach has traded the great beast that once terrorized the realm of Eurona for something far more dangerous: the ire of powerful Lashed woman Rosaria Rocato. Rosaria demands that Eurona overturn the laws prohibiting magic, or an innocent will be killed each day.

Despite the king’s resistance, Princess Aerity believes they must make peace with the Lashed, and though she’s accepted a betrothal to the man who took down the beast, she cannot help thinking about Paxton, the Lashed man who stole her heart and disappeared.

Aerity soon discovers that Paxton has joined Rosaria’s army in the war against her family. Though her feelings for him are still strong, her duty to her kingdom and her family is stronger—especially when her parents are kidnapped and she has to step up to the throne and once again put aside what’s best for her in order to do what’s best for her people. Paxton and Princess Aerity must fight to see what is more powerful: their love or the impending war between the magical Lashed and the non-magic humans.

Grab the eBook 1 THE GREAT HUNT for just $1.99!

Amazon, B&N, iBooks

Excerpt

CHAPTER ONE

A new beast roamed the kingdom of Lochlanach, killing at will. A second unnatural monster created by the hands of Rozaria Rocato, granddaughter of the most infamous and hated Lashed One of all time. Princess Aerity Lochson’s mind was a blur of piled-up worries as she rushed from High Hall of the castle, away from the frightened commoners and guests who’d come for her betrothal ceremony, and toward the office of her father, King Charles. She turned at the sound of heavy footsteps behind her and found both her childhood friend Lieutenant Harrison Gillfin and her betrothed, Lord Lief Alvi, following. Lord Alvi looked every bit the hero—his broad stature striking, with elk furs about his shoulders and a black kilt to his knees above leather boots. His blue eyes were filled with bright passion and hunger, but those emotions were not for her. They were for the beast. The new hunt.

He had killed the first creature, thereby earning her hand in marriage. The thought twisted Aerity’s stomach with discomfort and turned her mind to the man who’d disappeared weeks before when the beast was killed—the Lashed man who’d taken her heart with him and would likely never return. She clenched her jaw. This was no time to think of Paxton Seabolt or her drowned desires. The kingdom was suffering again—rendering everything she’d sacrificed to have been in vain.

Her eyes shifted from Lord Alvi’s to Harrison’s and found a fierce, protective comfort there. Harrison stood tall, lean, and capable. Never faltering. The thought of her noble friend fighting yet another beast filled her with sharp fear. So many lives had already been lost, including Harrison’s cousin Breckon, who’d been the true love of Aerity’s cousin Wyneth. Half a year was all it had taken to trample the dreams and futures of so many.

Aerity gave the men a nod to follow her. She lifted her long white skirts and moved quickly down the tapestry-lined hallway to her father’s office. Guards and soldiers ran past, shouting orders, fully armed with bows, swords, and lines of throwing daggers strapped across their uniformed tunics.

She opened the door without knocking. No fewer than twenty faces shot toward her. She recognized the burgundy red hair of her mother, along with her aunts and uncles, military elite, and royal advisers. Her father invited them in with a quick flick of his fingers.

When the door closed he asked her, “What is the state of things in High Hall?”

“The people seemed to have calmed for the moment, Father,” Aerity said. “And supper is being served.”

“Your daughter gave a rousing speech,” Lord Alvi pro- claimed in his rumbling voice. “She is to thank for the calm.” Aerity’s face flushed with heat at the unexpected compliment. Then he put a heavy hand on her shoulder and pulled her close. Aerity fought the urge to shrug away. For the sake of the kingdom, she had made a commitment to become his bride, and she would follow through regardless of what her heart wanted, and regardless of the fact that she was certain feelings had grown between Lief and Wyneth.
“Did she?” The king’s eyes softened with pride, and her mother, Queen Leighlane, smiled at Aerity and Lief, no doubt thinking what a lovely couple they were. If she only knew.

Behind them Harrison cleared his throat. “Are we to begin hunting the creature, Your Majesty?”

King Charles nodded, his face lined with anxiety. “Aye. But most of the hunters have dispersed.” Or been killed, Aerity thought with sorrow, remembering the men who’d come from all over Eurona and even a huntress who’d lost her life.

“I can have a message sent to Tiern Seabolt,” Harrison said. “I’m certain he would return with haste.”

Aerity’s abdomen tightened. Tiern was Paxton’s younger brother. He’d nearly been killed by the first beast and had been saved by Paxton’s Lashed magic. It was the very reason Pax had fled the kingdom—using magic was illegal, even to heal. Aerity didn’t want Tiern to hunt again. She didn’t want Paxton’s sacrifice to have been a waste.

“And his older brother?” the king asked.

“Nay.” Harrison paused. “He disappeared after the hunt. We don’t know his whereabouts.”

“Must you call Tiern back?” Aerity asked. When her father’s eyebrows drew together she emended, “He’s . . . so young.”

“He’s the same age as you, Daughter,” the king reminded her. “Seventeen. A man who’s already proven himself in the hunt.” Aerity pressed her lips together and nodded. She could not keep Tiern safe any more than she could force Harrison to stay out of harm’s reach. Their heroic hearts would urge them forward.

“Can we send word to the Zandalee?” Aerity’s uncle Lord Wavecrest asked.

The king shook his head. “I’m afraid not this time. The letter from the Rocato woman stated that her creatures have now been released in all the lands of Eurona. The Zandalee will be needed to fight in their own drylands of Zorfina.”

A fearful silence fell over the room. Each kingdom was on its own with its own beasts to battle now. Lochlanach was a quaint kingdom of fishermen and crop villagers, farmers, that had enjoyed many years of peace. The people had risen together to fight the first beast, but how much more could the king expect from them? It was too much. To imagine this kind of horror inflicted on innocent people all over Eurona sickened Aerity.

“Perhaps another proclamation?” Lord Wavecrest suggested carefully. At this proposal from Aerity’s uncle, the men in the room glanced around at one another, and the hairs rose on the princess’s arms. The queen caught her daughter’s eyes, and they both went still.

The last proclamation had offered Aerity’s hand in marriage to whoever killed the beast. The only thing left to give was the second princess, Aerity’s fifteen-year-old sister, Vixie. Her father stared down at his desk.

“No.” Aerity stepped forward, out of Lord Alvi’s embrace, her body trembling. “You cannot offer Vixie’s hand.”

The king’s hazel eyes, filled with regret, rose to hers. “I have nothing left to give.” With Vixie’s hand would come her dowry of lands. Using Vixie as a prize would surely smother her soul. Aerity wouldn’t stand for it.

“And why should you oppose it?” her uncle Preston asked haughtily. “The first proclamation provided you with a fine match. It can do the same for Vixie.”

Aerity stilled, forcing back the torrent of words that flooded her mind: unfair, poor match, confinement, no joy, no love. She was to endure those things for her kingdom, but the thought of Vixie losing her freedom to choose her future . . . it gutted Aerity. She knew how it appeared to the world—that she’d landed a handsome, noble, brave lord—but the heart didn’t care about appearances. It wanted who it wanted.

“And then what?” Aerity asked. “Who shall we offer for the next beast, and the one after that? Your own Wyneth? Or perhaps six-year-old Merity?”

Lord Wavecrest scowled.

“Enough, Aerity,” Queen Leighlane said quietly. Aerity met her mother’s eyes and felt an understanding there. No one knew better than the two of them how this would crush Vixie’s spirit. These men couldn’t possibly understand.

“Vixie’s nearly sixteen,” Lord Wavecrest pressed. Aerity wanted to claw out his eyes and force him to stop speaking.

“A proclamation offering Vixie’s hand will be my very last resort,” King Charles said, standing taller. “It is my hope that the people will rise of their own free will to protect their families and lands as they did in the last hunt. I will not hinder them with further curfews.”

Lord Wavecrest shook his head and crossed his arms. Aerity breathed a temporary sigh of relief.

“Sire, we should address the other part of the Rocato woman’s letter.” This was from the king’s oldest adviser, Duke Gulfton. This duke had been the closest adviser to Aerity’s grandfather King Leon. His views on the Lashed were legendarily conservative and strict, and he was a proponent of keeping the Lashed lists up to date. All persons with Lashed capabilities and their families were notated in the records and checked regularly for markings.
The stooped man wore a sea-green robe around his shoulders and a perpetual serious frown on his face. He leaned on his cane. “We cannot do as the Rocato woman demands. We cannot burn our records of Lashed Ones in these lands, or give them rein to take over our kingdom.”

A few of the other older men murmured their agreement.

Harrison stepped forward. “What if we made a copy of the list? Then it wouldn’t matter if one was destroyed.”

“I’ve got scribes copying pages as we speak,” the king responded. “But the Rocato woman has called for the records to be burned by sundown. The copy won’t be complete. There are thousands of names.”

Thousands of persons with Lashed blood in Lochlanach. Amazing, Aerity thought. Only a small percentage of those on the list actually had magic, though. Paxton’s family was not on the list. Aerity wondered how many others of magical blood had been able to elude the system.

“How will the madwoman know the difference?” Duke Gulfton asked. “Burn papers to appease her, then kill her and her monsters once and for all. End of story.”

“Here, here!” a few men shouted, as if it were that simple. As if they wouldn’t have done it by now if they could.

The king’s jaw was set. “I have a terrible feeling this woman has eyes and ears everywhere.”

The room quieted and a sense of unease spread as heads turned and everyone eyed the others present. Her father’s council was a small group of family and a mere handful of wise advisers, all landowners, who’d been loyal to the kingdom since her grandfather ruled. She couldn’t imagine this group being compromised.

“With all due respect, gentlemen,” Lord Alvi said to the room, “we will find every beast and even Rocato herself, but we cannot guarantee immediate success. The last hunt took two months.”

“Aye,” Harrison added. “And she’s threatening to kill seven men each week.”

“You’ll have to work faster this time,” Duke Gulfton told them.

The room tensed. During the last hunt they’d had a hundred men. They’d sought the monster nearly ten hours a night and spent the days scouting and preparing. The lands of Lochlanach stretched far and wide. Yet people like Duke Gulfton were expecting a miracle of the sea.

Queen Leighlane cleared her throat. “The fact of the matter is that we’re going to have to at least put on a show of honoring her wishes. We need to buy time as we plan.”

Another elder, Duke Streamson, asked, “What are you proposing, Your Highness? Rocato is demanding that all Lashed be allowed to freely work magic.”

Magic that wasn’t all bad, Aerity thought. Magic that had saved Tiern and could save others. If only she could get them to embrace that.

“I have an idea.” Aerity’s brain whirred as all eyes turned to her. “What if we set up a public area just outside the royal lands and invited Lashed from throughout the kingdom to come, and any Unlashed who wishes to seek their healing can receive it?”

Duke Streamson made a choking sound. “Round up the people of Rocato to turn against us in one place? That’s precisely what she wants!”

Aerity rushed on. “I don’t believe all Lashed are ‘her people.’ The entire area would be heavily guarded so that if any Lashed got out of line, they could be dealt with immediately.” The old dukes scoffed at her.

One of the military advisers stepped forward. “Our numbers are not as large as they once were. Our troop sizes have been modest in the past fifty years. I’ve got to keep men patrolling the seas and borders, and we’ve lost many in the past months. I worry that a large-scale showing of the Lashed will bring crowds.”

The room broke out into fervent debate. Those who were against Aerity’s idea were adamant, passionate in their fears. Those in favor seemed on weak, shaky ground.

“Given permission to put their hands on innocent people, it could be a massacre!”

“What if the Lashed overwhelm our guards?”


“They’ll rise up throughout the lands!”


“. . . commoner revolts . . . war . . .”


Aerity felt a hand on her shoulder and turned to see Harrison, his light brown eyes showing the never-faltering respect he seemed to hold for her. She gave his hand a quick squeeze of gratitude before he released her. Aerity caught Lord Alvi watching the exchange with curiosity, so she turned her gaze forward again—she would let him think what he wanted.

“Enough!” King Charles’s voice silenced the room. “I will think on it. I must put safety first. I’m not ready to overturn our laws—” Aerity opened her mouth to argue that she wasn’t suggesting a complete overturn, but a one-time, enclosed, secure circumstance. Her father held up a hand to stop her. “This blasted parchment from Rozaria Rocato is bound to have our people in terror. If I take the stability of our rules away, it will cause chaos. Tonight on the lawn we will burn whatever pages my scribes have managed to copy, to keep Rozaria satisfied, but the original lists remain with us. I pray to the sea this works.”

He looked at the hunters. “Lord Alvi. Lieutenant Gillfin. Gather as many hunters as you can and begin hunting this new beast immediately.” They nodded and took their leave. Aerity watched them go, swallowing a dry lump in her throat. The king looked to his military advisers. “I want every soldier on duty, and round-the-clock patrolling of royal lands. I want Rozaria Rocato, dead or alive.” He turned to his top castle guard. “Send messengers to the other four lands to let them know of our new foe and to find out their circumstances.”

Without another word, the king swept from the room with Queen Leighlane and a line of advisers close behind.

Aerity felt the brush of velvet on her arm and peered

down at the old man beside her. It was Duke Gulfton, his eyes glistening. “I mean no disrespect, Princess, only a piece of advice. In times of fear and upheaval, absolute routine and stability in the law are called for. Any slight change can set the people off.”

“As I recall,” Aerity said steadily, “Mrs. Rathbrook healed your ailing heart last year.” Mrs. Rathbrook was the royal healer—the only Lashed allowed to work magic.

He grasped the top of his cane with both hands. “Aye.”

“Should we not allow the people of this land to benefit from magic as you have?”

He looked down at his hands, nodding solemnly. “Not all Lashed are as trustworthy as Mrs. Rathbrook. You saw the Rocato woman face-to-face. You know the evil of which she is capable.”

“I suppose everyone is capable of evil, Duke Gulfton. None of us is immune, Lashed or not. But I choose to believe the best in people until they show me otherwise.”

Duke Streamson, waiting in the doorway, cleared his throat. Duke Gulfton peered up at Aerity and patted her hand. “Once they show you otherwise, it is often too late. As a rule it is not safe to take such chances. Seas help Lochlanach in our time of need.”

As Duke Gulfton shuffled away, Aerity whispered in return. “Seas help us, indeed.”

About Wendy:

Wendy Higgins is the USA Today and NYT bestselling author of the Sweet Evil series from HarperTeen, the high fantasy duology The Great Hunt, and her independently published Irish fantasy, See Me. She is a former high school English teacher who now writes full time, and lives on the Eastern Shore of Virginia with her veterinarian husband, daughter, son, and doggie Rue.

Wendy earned a bachelor's in Creative Writing from George Mason University and a master's in Curriculum and Instruction from Radford University. She is represented by Jill Corcoran of the Jill Corcoran Literary Agency.

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