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In this beautifully crafted fantasy novel, a young woman wakes up in the wilderness with no memory of her former life. She soon discovers that she is Norah, princess (soon to be crowned queen) of the kingdom of Mercia, and she has been missing for three of the ten years that her country has been at war. With the aid of her grandmother, the regent, and Alexander, her trusted lord justice and childhood friend, she reluctantly accepts the crown and tries to learn how best to rule the land she does not remember. To her chagrin, the only answer to save her country from famine and endless war is to marry the king of an allied nation. On her way to meet and marry him, Norah unexpectedly ends up in the hands of the dreaded Shadow King, the enemy of her entire country. What is supposed to be a hostage situation turns into a complex dilemma as Norah learns more about the people of the Shadowlands and the truth behind the allegedly righteous war Mercia has been fighting.
The storyline combines the political intrigue of Outlander or Game of Thrones with the magic and thrills of A Court of Thorns and Roses. The clever writing frequently subverts well-worn fantasy tropes and creates new and delightfully complicated situations. The plot abounds with unexpected twists and turns that lead to fascinating and complex decisions from the characters. The characters themselves are realistic and well-rounded, and the romances that occur between them are electric, suspenseful, and entirely believable. A subtle and welcome humor helps lighten the darker scenes of action and drama throughout the text. As the first book in a trilogy, this tale introduces a magical and riveting fantasy world that will undoubtedly seduce readers into wanting more.
RECOMMENDED by the US Review