Tagged: terah edun
Accession by Terah Edun
(Cover picture courtesy of Goodreads.)
Sixteen-year-old Katherine Thompson wasn’t trained to rule a coven. That was her sister – perfect, beautiful Rose. But when a mysterious plane crash kills off the heir presumptive of the Sandersville coven she has no choice.
After stepping in to fill her sister’s shoes, Katherine realizes she didn’t have a clue – faery wars, depressed trolls and angry unicorns are just the beginning.
For centuries, her family has served the high Queens on both sides of the Atlantic but it is a well-known rule that mid-level witches stay away from high-level Queens.
But when Katherine’s youngest cousin vanishes without a trace in the Atlanta court and no one wants to investigate, Katherine decides to step into the darkness on her own. She will soon discover that nothing, especially in a queen’s court, is as it seems.
[Full disclosure: I requested and received a free ebook through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.]
First off, as with all of Terah Edun’s work (especially her Courtlight series), I was really impressed with the world-building here. There are fairies, unicorns and trolls but they’re not really your typical fairies, unicorns and trolls. Not only that, there are new creatures like Gestap that we encounter that are totally unique to Accession. The politics between witches in different cities and towns was also interesting, even though we didn’t really see much of the inner workings of the courts in this first installment. Still, what we did see was interesting and I’m definitely interested in finding out more.
Katherine is not a bad character but she’s not exactly my favourite narrator ever. She’s more reactive than proactive as she comes into her new role as heir apparent to her mother, who rules the town as a Queen witch. I’ll admit that it would be hard to find your feet in such a crazy place when you’ve never cared to learn the subtleties of area politics, but I was a little disappointed that Katherine didn’t really come into her own in the story. She does grow stronger (I’ll admit) and grows as a character, but she really does have a long way to go.
The only thing I felt was actually lacking in Accession was the plot itself. It doesn’t seem to be having that greater, over-arching goal that gives the character a sort of purpose. Instead, we get bogged down in little subplots through the entire book before at the end we finally, finally get to the meat of the story before the cliffhanger ending. Sure, Katherine’s goal of finding her sister’s killer is always in the back of her mind, but she doesn’t really seem to care as much as you’d think she would. Katherine may have had her disagreements with her sister, but she really did love her and that’s why her lack of drive to find her killer struck me as odd. It made it feel like the story was lacking a coherent plot.
Still, I have faith in Terah Edun that this series will only improve as it continues, just like the Courtlight series. With that cliffhanger ending, I really can’t wait for the next installment to see whether Katherine truly matures or not.
I give this book 3.5/5 stars.
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Cover Reveal: Blades of Illusion by Terah Edun
Blades Of Illusion by Terah Edun (Crown Service #2)
Publication date: May 31st 2014
Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult
Synopsis:
The Young Adult Fantasy sequel to the Amazon Top 500 Bestseller, BLADES OF MAGIC, Book One in the Crown Services series. Releasing on May 31, 2014.
Sara Fairchild, duelist and combatant, is out for vengeance. Her father was betrayed. Her mother is dead. All she has left is her desire for revenge and a quest for answers.
Now a member of the Mercenary Guilds’ elite guard, she fights on the front lines of her empire’s first civil war. But Sara’s priority isn’t winning the war for the crown or empire. It’s finding out the true circumstances of her family’s downfall while keeping one mild-mannered curator alive.
As emotionally detached as she is from everyone around her, Sara can’t seem to shake the stubborn affection of her one friend. When she stumbles upon the secrets of not one but two Kade mages, she soon finds out that neither of their lives is worth anything to either side.
As she fights to outmaneuver a group of fiendish imperial assassins and win a war that grows more complicated by the day, Sara Fairchild knows that no matter what, the empire will never be the same.
Her favorite writers include Mercedes Lackey, Tamora Pierce, Kristin Cashore, Robin Hobb and Maria Snyder.
Check out Terah’s author website for more information about her books, find her online @TEdunWrites and subscribe to her newsletter to be notified of upcoming releases.
Sworn to Defiance by Terah Edun
(Cover picture courtesy of Terah Edun via email.)
Ciardis Weathervane returned to the imperial court of Sandrin to unite her foes. But her efforts hit a stumbling block. The imperial kind. She never thought that before rallying an empire, she’d have to fight the emperor himself.
An imposter sits the throne and the court she turned to for help is in turmoil. Ciardis hasn’t survived assassination attempts, torture and really bad luck to be taken down by her own ruler. So she devises a plan. But first she needs to get Sebastian and Thanar to agree. Each seems to love her in their own way. But neither is listening to her. Pushing them to put aside their differences, in an effort to ward off catastrophe, might be harder than displacing an emperor who would do anything to keep his throne.
Butting heads at court isn’t Ciardis’s only problem. With the princess heir’s threat looming she is forced to travel to the mythical city of Kifar, where it is up to her small group to stop the destruction of the entire city while heading a rebellion that could foment a revolution. It wouldn’t be the first revolution that Algardis has ever known. But with Ciardis Weathervane at its head—it would certainly be the last.
[Full disclosure: I received a free ebook copy of this novel from the author in exchange for an honest review.]
When I realized that this wasn’t the last book in the Courtlight series as I had believed it to be, I’ll admit I got a little nervous. After all, where could the story possibly go from here? It seemed like Terah Edun was wrapping things up already in Sworn to Secrecy, the fourth book. And when there were several pages of backstory right at the beginning I was even more skeptical about this fifth book.
As usual with Terah Edun, my skepticism and anxiousness was for nothing. After the initial info dump things quickly picked up and just wouldn’t let go. I had intended to only read a few chapters before bed but once I got past the exposition (which was important) I couldn’t stop and ended up finishing the book at one in the morning. Yes, the plot was that fast-paced and there were that many awesome twists. But first I’ll start with the thing that surprised me most: the characters.
Once again the characters surprised me. Ciardis is finally demanding respect from others and not caring what they think of her (unless they’re trying to kill her). She’s started to master the commanding air of her mother and is becoming knowledgeable about the intrigues of the Algardis court. And finally, finally she’s made up her mind about where she stands with Sebastien. I won’t tell you which way she decided, but let’s just say that I was both surprised and pleased with her stance until the little complication with Thanar was thrown in. Sebastien too has grown up, even though he’s only sixteen years old. He’s finally starting to take responsibility as the prince heir and is even more determined to save Algardis from the blutgott that’s threatening to destroy their entire world. He’ll do whatever it takes, even journey to a city that’s been sealed off from the rest of the world for 50 years.
Once again Terah Edun took the time to expand on her world-building just a little bit more. We finally learn more about the special connection Ciardis and Sebastien have as well as the rather unfortunate consequences of the Thanar complication coming into play. This is quite literally the most heart-wrenching, complicated and realistic love triangle you are ever going to see. I swear it’s not the typical love triangle, mainly because Ciardis is a woman that finally knows her mind but even she can’t control people like Thanar. I also liked how we finally learn that there may be a way to stop the blutgott but that it’s way more complicated and dangerous than you’d expect.
Basically, I got everything I could have wanted out of this fifth installment in the Courtlight series: romance, character development, a complicated plot and an expanded world. You really can’t ask for more in a series and after that insane cliffhanger I’m so anxious for Sworn to Ascension, book 6.
I give this book 5/5 stars.
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Blades of Magic by Terah Edun
(Cover picture courtesy of Terah Edun via email.)
It is not a peaceful time in the Algardis Empire. War is raging between the mages and seventeen-year-old Sara Fairchild will be right in the middle of it.
She just doesn’t know it yet.
Sara is the daughter of a disgraced imperial commander, executed for desertion. Sara is also the best duelist and hand-to-hand combatant in Sandrin. She lives quietly with her family’s shame but when challenged about her family’s honor, her opponent inevitably loses.
On the night she finds out her father’s true last actions, she takes the Mercenary Guilds’ vows to serve in the emperor’s army. Using her quick wits and fierce fighting skills, she earns a spot in the first division.
There she discovers secrets the mages on both sides would prefer stay hidden. Dark enemies hunt her and soon it’s not just Sara questioning the motivation behind this war.
While fighting mages, blackmailing merchants and discovering new friends, Sara comes across something she’s never had before – passion. The question is – can she fight for her empress against a mage who might unwittingly claim her heart?
This is year one of the Initiate Wars. Sara is hoping it doesn’t become the year she dies.
[Full disclosure: I received a free ebook copy from Terah Edun in exchange for an honest review.]
I was very excited to get started on Terah Edun’s Courtlight spin-off trilogy and I admit that I had very high expectations because of an excerpt I read from chapter one. Fortunately, the rest of the book turned out being just as good, sometimes even better.
Sara Fairchild kicks butt quite literally. She’s a battle mage, meaning that her fighting skills are unparalleled and she also has a certain magical advantage. That doesn’t mean she’s invincible because we learn soon enough that her powers can come at a very high price. I like how she balances revelling in her skills with being fearful of what they could lead to if not kept in check. It makes her more relatable than if she were just constantly kicking butt without any fear of consequences. Add in her emotional isolation and her need to clear her father’s name and you’ve got yourself a sympathetic, interesting and three dimensional main character.
The plot is very fast-paced; there’s almost no time when the reader can truly catch their breath. Which is, of course, how I ended up reading this book in one sitting despite my intentions only to read about 25% of it before going to bed. It was so good I couldn’t put it down because I just had to see what was going to happen next. There were plot twists all over the place and I love how even with Sara, our main character, things aren’t always what they seem. Even the bumbling Ezekiel Crane is more than he appears to be.
As usual, Terah Edun’s world-building was amazing. Even if you haven’t read the Courtlight series, you can enjoy this one because the two series aren’t dependent on one another. In this one we learn a lot more about the powerful mages that made the Initiate Wars so devastating. There’s a lot of political intrigue but it’s never so ridiculously complicated that the reader will get bogged down in the details. As I said earlier, not everything is as it seems in this book, even when it comes to the supposed rules of the world. With magic flying left, right and centre things in the Algardis Empire are constantly changing. It makes for a very unpredictable story.
Basically, Blades of Magic is a great kick-off to Terah Edun’s new trilogy. I can’t wait for the next book, Blades of Illusion!
I give this book 5/5 stars.
Cover Reveal: Sworn to Defiance by Terah Edun
Cover Reveal: Sworn To Defiance by Terah Edun
On Sale on Amazon, iTunes & Barnes & Noble April 25, 2014
Welcome to the Cover Reveal for
SWORN TO DEFIANCE (Courtlight #5). I knew I wanted a purple theme this time and a sassy young woman that wasn’t afraid to get her hair wet, shall we say. As you know each of my covers represents a different femme fatale in my Courtlight books.
Sworn To Raise – Ciardis Weathervane
Sworn To Transfer – Stephanie
Sworn To Conflict – Lady Serena
Sworn To Secrecy – Empress Teresa Athanos Algardis
Without further ado, I’d like you to meet the next fair lady to grace the stage of Courtlight covers. No, I’m not going to tell you who she is yet. But trust me, she packs a punch..
But first…did you know that all my newsletter subscribers got a sneak peak into this cover and a secret summer release in MARCH? If you didn’t, now’s the time to join the list and get the latest sales and release news for Courtlight and Crown Service.
Did you sign-up?.
Alright, alright. Really. Here is the next release in the Courtlight series!
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Coming Of Age
Ciardis Weathervane returned to the imperial court of Sandrin to unite her foes. But her efforts hit a stumbling block. The imperial kind. She never thought that before rallying an empire, she’d have to fight the emperor himself. An imposter sits the throne and the court she turned to for help is in turmoil. Ciardis hasn’t survived assassination attempts, torture and really bad luck to be taken down by her own ruler. So she devises a plan. But first she needs to get Sebastian and Thanar to agree. Each seems to love her in their own way. But neither are listening to her.
Pushing them to put aside their differences, in an effort to ward off catastrophe, might be harder than displacing an emperor who would do anything to keep his throne.
Butting heads at court isn’t Ciardis’s only problem. With the princess heir’s threat looming she is forced to travel to the mythical city of Baen, where it is up to her small group to stop the destruction of the entire city while heading a rebellion that could foment a revolution. It wouldn’t be the first revolution that Algardis has ever known. But with Ciardis Weathervane at its head—it would certainly be the last.
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