Bound by Firelight by Dana Swift (Wickery book 2)

 

SPOILER ALERT! If you haven’t read the first book in the series, Cast in Firelight, Stop! I don’t want to ruin the story for you.

“After a magical eruption devastates the kingdom of Belwar, royal heir Adraa is falsely accused of masterminding the destruction and forced to stand trial in front of her people, who see her as a monster. Adraa's punishment? Imprisonment in the Dome, an impenetrable, magic-infused fortress filled with Belwar’s nastiest criminals—many of whom Adraa put there herself. And they want her to pay.

Jatin, the royal heir to Naupure, has been Adraa’s betrothed, nemesis, and fellow masked vigilante... but now he’s just a boy waiting to ask her the biggest question of their lives. First, though, he’s going to have to do the impossible: break Adraa out of the Dome. And he won’t be able to do it without help from the unlikeliest of sources—a girl from his past with a secret that could put them all at risk.

Time is running out, and the horrors Adraa faces in the Dome are second only to the plot to destabilize and destroy their kingdoms. But Adraa and Jatin have saved the world once already... Now, can they save themselves?” - taken from Goodreads.

When Adraa is falsely accused of the Mount Gandhak eruption, she is sent to the Dome. Devastated, Jatin is determined to free her and prove her innocence. I usually don't like stories where our main characters are separated and trying to work their way back to each other but it works really well for the story. Adraa soon discovers that the Dome isn't what it seems and the problems facing her kingdom are larger than she ever thought possible. Even though the story is a duology, I would have liked to have read more of the story.

A Sorrow Fierce and Falling by Jessica Cluess (Kingdom on Fire book 3)

SPOILER ALERT! If you haven’t read the first two books in the series, A Shadow Bright and Burning, and A Poison Dark and Drowning, Stop! I don’t want to ruin the story for you.

“It’s time for war.

After suffering terrible losses, Henrietta and Lord Blackwood have led their warriors to Sorrow-Fell, a vast estate where only those invited by a Blackwood may enter–and the ideal place to plan a final assault against the Ancients.

It’s time for a wedding.

Henrietta nervously awaits her marriage to Blackwood, but when the ritual to become his bride reveals a dark secret, she realizes that Sorrow-Fell is not a safe haven; it’s a trap. Convincing the sorcerers of this, however, is not easy. So with Maria, the true chosen one, and Magnus, the young man who once stole her heart, at her side, Henrietta plots a dangerous journey straight into the enemy’s lair. Some will live. Some will die. All will be tested.

In this stunning conclusion to the Kingdom on Fire series, Henrietta must choose between the love from her past, the love from her present, and a love that could define her future. While battles rage, the fate of the kingdom rests on her decision: Will she fall or rise up to become the woman who saves the realm?

It’s time for Henrietta to make her stand” - taken from Goodreads.com

I almost didn’t finish reading this series but I’m glad that I changed my mind. It didn’t take me long to pick back up the storyline since the author did a great job recapping the previous books without dragging along the current plot. Several characters don’t make it to the end but they were totally necessary. The epilogue to the book was brilliantly written and provides an incredible end to Henrietta's story. 

Visit Jessica Cluess’ website.

A Poison Dark and Drowning by Jessica Cluess (Kingdom on Fire book 2)

SPOILER ALERT! If you haven’t read the first book in the series, A Shadow Bright and Burning, Stop! I don’t want to ruin the story for you.

“The magicians want her to lead. The sorcerers want her to lie. The demons want her blood. Henrietta wants to save the one she loves. But will his dark magic be her undoing?

Henrietta doesn’t need a prophecy to know that she’s in danger. She came to London to be named the chosen one, the first female sorcerer in centuries, the one who would defeat the bloodthirsty Ancients. Instead, she discovered a city ruled by secrets. And the biggest secret of all: Henrietta is not the chosen one.

Still, she must play the role in order to keep herself and Rook, her best friend and childhood love, safe. But can she truly save him? The poison in Rook’s system is transforming him into something monstrous as he begins to master dark powers of his own.

So when Henrietta finds a clue to the Ancients’ past that could turn the tide of the war, she persuades Blackwood, the mysterious Earl of Sorrow-Fell, to travel up the coast to seek out strange new weapons. And Magnus, the brave, reckless flirt who wants to win back her favor, is assigned to their mission. Together, they will face monsters, meet powerful new allies, and uncover the most devastating weapon of all: the truth. - taken from Goodreads.com

Once again, this book shows that this series is grossly underrated. Although I thoroughly enjoyed the first book Poison takes Henrietta's story and makes it so much better. Full of heartbreaking moments and shocking twists, a couple that I, unfortunately, saw coming,, This book sets up what will be an epic showdown that will leave no one unscathed 

The story will conclude in 2018 with A Sorrow Fierce and Falling.

Visit Jessica Cluess’ website.

A Shadow Bright and Burning by Jessica Cluess (Kingdom on Fire book 1)

“I am Henrietta Howel. The first female sorcerer. The prophesied one. Or am I?

Henrietta Howel can burst into flames. When she is brought to London to train with Her Majesty's sorcerers, she meets her fellow sorcerer trainees, young men eager to test her powers and her heart. One will challenge her. One will fight for her. One will betray her. As Henrietta discovers the secrets hiding behind the glamour of sorcerer life, she begins to doubt that she's the true prophesied one. With battle looming, how much will she risk to save the city--and the one she loves?” - taken from Goodreads.com

On this fantastical twist on Victorian England, the country is at war with the Ancients. Who they are, where and how they came to be is really unknown but sorcerers are unable to defeat them. They are barely able to protect the crown of England and the sorcerer families. Female magic or witchcraft is criminal and punishable by death since it is believed that a witch named Mary Willoughby brought the Ancients to the world. Henrietta Howel, an orphan and teacher at the Brimthorn School for Girls can call forth fire, a fact she tries to keep hidden except from her friend, Rook. Rook is one of the Unclean and feared by society. He bears the scars of being attacked by

Korozoth. When Cornelius Agrippa comes to Brimthorn to see if one of the girls there is the prophesied female sorcerer, Henrietta’s cover is blown when she and Rook are attacked by Familiars. Agrippa sees her burst into flames and attack the Familiars. Henrietta is brought to London by Agrippa to train and she convinces him to take Rook along as a servant.

In London, Henrietta is dropped into the world of high society and sorcerer training along with several boys, who have been training for a couple years already. She is more readily accepted by some but Lord Blackwell is reserving judgement. Unable to perform magic in the beginning, Henrietta begins to doubt herself when she learns of Lord Agrippa’s dead daughter Gwen. Many believed that Gwen was the prophesied one until her death. Now, Henrietta begins to doubt herself.

Is she the prophesied one? Where does Henrietta’s ability come from? Is she a sorcerer or a witch? Which boys will accept her? Does she get commended?

I loved this book which I compared to a female Harry Potter in a magical Victorian England. I cannot wait to see how this story continues.

Visit Jessica Cluess’ website.

The Immortal Heights by Sherry Thomas (The Elemental trilogy book 3)

SPOILER ALERT! If you haven’t read the first two books in the series, The Burning Sky and The Perilous Sea, Stop! I don’t want to ruin the series for you.

Please visit the Recaptains blog if you need a refresher on the first book in the series.
Check out Epic Reads if you need a recap of the series.

Only six months have passed since Prince Titus VII, Master of the Domain, and Iolanthe Seabourne, aka Archer Fairfax, a great elemental mage of her time, met when she summoned her first lightning bolt. The Bane, head of Atlantis, the mightiest empire in the mage world, is hunting Iolanthe in order to sacrifice her to “prolong his life and maintain his choke hold on power.” Picking up immediately where The Perilous Sea ended, Atlantis has Titus and Iolanthe trapped underneath a bell jar dome where she is unable to access her control over lightning. They came to three days earlier in the middle of the Sahara Desert, only knowing that they must not be captured by Atlantis. Now, they are in the fight for their very lives.

Since he has deployed the war phoenix, Titus now has seven days to report his location to Alectus, his regent. Alectus is also a puppet of Atlantis. If Titus doesn’t make himself known, then the regent assumes the crown. All Alectus would have to do is hand over the reins of government to Atlantis. It would take Titus many lives and years to reclaim the crown. Three days have already but Titus also has a seventy-two hour grace period. In total, the trio has a seven day window to succeed in killing the Bane. Titus and Iolanthe know that if they go to Atlantis, the prophecy states that Titus will die. When the Bane issues an ultimatum for Iolanthe’s surrender or the destruction of Titus’ people, Titus’ hand is forced to finally make the decisions he dreaded facing.

Can the Bane be killed before Titus must make his appearance known? Does the crown pass to the regent? Will Titus survive the trip to Atlantis, despite his mother’s vision? How accurate are Princess Ariadne’s visions? Who turns out to be The One from the prophecy? What part will Kashkari play in the mission? Can his visions be trusted or are they open to interpretation like he believes? Is the Bane successful in his attempt to complete the sacrifice? How will the story of Titus and Iolanthe end? What truths will they discover about their lives?

Visit Sherry Thomas’ website.

The Heir Chronicles by Cinda Williams Chima

The Warrior Heir - book one

Trinity, Ohio

Jack Swift has taken medication every morning of his life since he was an infant after he had life saving heart surgery. The day of soccer tryouts, he forgets to take it even after his mother, Becka, reminded him when his friend Will Childers picks him up for school. Not able to go home and take it nor does his mother answer her phone to bring it to him, he does without. The new girl at school, Ellen Stephenson, asks him if he wants to study after school but he unfortunately declines because of tryouts. He knows she won't ask again so the next move will have to come from him. At tryouts, his ex-girlfriend, Leesha, drapes herself all over him. Ellen as well as Leesha's new boyfriend, Garrett Lobeck, are watching. Ellen leaves and Lobeck takes out his aggression on Jack on the field. Jack steels himself for another cheap shot when the unexplainable happens. He raises his arms and a strange tingle takes over. Lobeck is thrown back into the goal and is momentarily dazed. He calls foul but Jack swears that he didn't touch him. Will backs him up and Coach Slansky calls it for the day.

On the way home, Jack notices a strange man with a long coat behind him. Jack shows Will the man and Will calls out to Nick Snowboard. When he steps out, Jack recognizes him as Nick but something about him is off. Everyone he sees on his way tells him to hurry home and take his medicine. Jack sometimes hates living in a small town. It seems everyone knows everyone else's business. Once there, he sees his mother crying at the kitchen table. She was worried by his message and had the neighbors out looking for him. Jack mentions Nick but she says that she hadn't talked to him. His mother tells him that his aunt Linda is coming for a visit and hands him his medicine. Jack takes it and has a strange feeling of loss. Back at the school, two strange men dressed in long coats enter Coach Slansky's office. He doesn't know them. They ask about a boy but he tells them he had around thirty boys for tryouts. The coach becomes suspicious but soon fear sets in. The older of the two ask if there was a release of power, maybe a fight. No fights, just some competitive plays and says that if he knew more information, he could help them better. The two take the coach's list of players and ask him to circle his top five. They will start there. The man touches him from his shoulder to his head and whispers something that he might have remembered hearing in Catholic school. The coach wakes up sometime later, not recalling what has happened.

After dinner, Jack crosses the driveway and heads up to the garage apartment where Nick lives. Linda found Nick as Jack’s caretaker for Becka. They share dessert and Nick starts in on Jack about taking his medicine. Nick then asks about tryouts. Jack tells him about Garrett flying through the air and how he never touched him. Nick asks how Garrett is and whether or not he might make a big deal of the situation. Nick hands him a metal charm that he claims to protect against evil. Just something to humor an old man. He also wants to know who saw what happened. Jack then comments on how his medicine makes him feel. He felt great during the day but now he feels a bit suffocated. Nick wants to know if he has discussed how he feels with his mother. She doesn't listen and thinks that Dr. Longbranch "is some kind of wizard." Nick chokes and spits out his tea. Nick suggests that maybe he needs to talk with his Aunt Linda about cutting back on his medicine. Jack tells Nick that she will be arriving tomorrow.

The next morning, Jack finds his mother and aunt in the kitchen talking. They stop when he walks in. His mother lets him know her good news. They will be spending the summer in England and she will be teaching at Oxford. Linda has come to do some genealogical research at a neighboring courthouse. Jack can invite his friends, Will and Harmon Fitch, to go with them. He finally agrees and she is ready leave right then. His mother reminds the two of school and Linda says they will head down afterwards. At school, Garrett and two of his friends confront Jack and Will. Jack cannot help but notice the man standing with Mr. Penworthy, the principal. He keeps looking at Jack. Garrett threatens Jack and somehow Jack stands up to him. The principal sees the exchange and Garrett's action. The two men come over and Garrett is assigned detention. Mr. Penworthy introduces the man as Mr. Hastings, the new assistant principal. He will be in charge of discipline. Mr Hastings states that he will also be developing programs for the "more gifted students." Penworthy is thrown and Jack gets some strong vibes of danger. Hastings asks the boys if any of them are on the soccer team. He plans on helping to coach the team as well. The bell rings and the boys head off to homeroom. Will and Fitch both get permission to go with Jack and Linda.

At home, Linda gives him a package from Mercedes. Inside is a grey vest. Jack doesn't want to wear it but Linda insists. He can wear it under a sweatshirt. He does. Linda drives at a high rate of speed to the courthouse. It's Friday night but Linda insists that the courthouse will be open. Walking down an alleyway, she checks to see if anyone is watching before descending down a staircase. The door at the bottom is open. Linda has the boys look for the death record of Jack's great, great grandmother. They find it and see that Susannah Downey died at a young age of an accident. Linda is disappointed that her grave site isn't mentioned. They start looking to see if she was buried on their farm when Jack hears a noise. Linda turns off the lights and tells them to run. She will meet them at the cafe in thirty minutes. As they attempt to leave, they see a strange man. Something fires and hits Jack in the back, knocking him down. Fitch and Will pick him up and they hide in some shrubs by the building. Fitch wants to know where the guy got his light saber and Jack looks at him questioningly. They tell him a light hit him in the back and that he should be hurt. Fitch sees that there is a hole in his sweatshirt and it falls apart when Jack takes it off. Remarkably, Jack is uninjured and the vest underneath is intact.

The boys go to the Bluebird Cafe to wait and see if Linda will show up. She does but is clearly rattled. She apologizes for bringing Will and Fitch along. Linda is looking for a family "heirloom" and the man will follow her to find it. She wants to take the boys back to the hotel and keep them out of danger. She will need Jack's help to recover the item. They need to lose the guy, it won't be good if he sees them together. Fitch and Will offer to help. If Linda is alone, the man will follow her. Jack doesn't like it. She tells him that he will be in danger too if he is seen with her. Jack wants to know how important it is that she wins. "Winning is everything" Linda says. Jack wonders how much this dangerous quest has to do with him. The group hatches their plan.

Why does Jack have to take his medicine daily? What really happened between he and Garrett during tryouts? Who were the men who visited Coach Slansky and who are they looking for? Why was everyone in town telling Jack to go home and take his medicine? Who is Mr. Hastings and why is he at the high school? Why is Linda looking for Susanah Downey's grave? Who is the man who found them at the courthouse? How did Jack survive the attack? What secrets are being kept from Jack?

The Warrior Heir - book two

Sixteen-year-old Seph McCauley doesn't really know what he is. Orphaned, he doesn't have anyone to help him with his powers. His foster mother knew, but she mostly kept him in the dark. After her death three years ago, he found out he had a sizable trust fund and a legal guardian. Seph's guardian won't tell him anything about his birth family. When he meets Alicia at a club, Seph thinks he has finally found someone who can help him. Unfortunately, she slips him something. Seph is unable to control his powers and tragedy strikes. In order for the charges to be dropped, Seph must leave Toronto. His lawyer has found a boarding school on Maine for him to attend. He just wants to find Alicia and get some answers.

The Havens is located in the middle of nowhere in Maine. When he meets the headmaster, Gregory Leicester, he thinks he has finally found a kindred spirit. As time goes on, Seph realizes that he just might be in over his head when it comes to his lack of knowledge, especially when Dr. Leicester makes demands that Seph won’t meet.

Even though new characters are introduced, the story comes full circle and heads back to some familiar faces back in Trinity.

The Dragon Heir - book three

Without giving too much away, the story comes with a familiar character and the introduction of a new one.

Dead To Me - short story bridging the first three books to the last two in this series. It can be found at http://www.cindachima.com/Enchanter_Heir/Dead%20To%20Me.pdf

The Enchanter Heir - book four

They called it the Thorn Hill Massacre—the brutal attack on a once-thriving Weir community. Though Jonah Kinlock lived through it, he did not emerge unscathed: like the other survivors, Jonah possesses unique magical gifts that set him apart from members of the mainline guilds. At seventeen, Jonah has become the deadliest assassin in Nightshade, a global network that hunts the undead. He is being groomed to succeed Gabriel Mandrake, the sorcerer, philanthropist, and ruthless music promoter who established the Thorn Hill Foundation, the public face of Nightshade. More and more, Jonah’s at odds with Gabriel’s tactics and choice of targets. Desperate to help his dying brother Kenzie, Jonah opens doors that Gabriel prefers to keep closed.

Emma Claire Greenwood grew up worlds away, raised by a grandfather who taught her music rather than magic. An unschooled wild child, she runs the streets until the night she finds her grandfather dying, gripping a note warning Emma that she might be in danger. The clue he leaves behind leads Emma into Jonah’s life—and a shared legacy of secrets and lingering questions.

Was Thorn Hill really a peaceful commune? Or was it, as the Wizard Guild claims, a hotbed of underguild terrorists? The Wizards’ suspicions grow when members of the mainline guilds start turning up dead. They blame Madison Moss and the Interguild Council, threatening the fragile peace brokered at Trinity.

Racing against time, Jonah and Emma work to uncover the truth about Thorn Hill, amid growing suspicion that whoever planned the Thorn Hill Massacre might strike again. - taken from Goodreads.com

A couple of years have passed since the events in The Dragon Heir. New characters are introduced but old favorites appear and the story is continued.

The Sorcerer Heir - book five

The delicate peace between Wizards and the underguilds (Warriors, Seers, Enchanters, and Sorcerers) still holds by the thinnest of threads, but powerful forces inside and outside the guilds threaten to sever it completely.

Old friends and foes return as new threats arise in this stunning and revelatory conclusion to the beloved and bestselling Heir Chronicles series. - taken from Goodreads.com

Visit Cinda Williams Chima’s website.

The Witch Hunter by Virginia Boecker

Nicholas Perevil is a wizard and the leader of the Reformists, a group of wizards and non-wizards who support magic. Their aim is to have the Thirteenth Tablet, the one outlining the the laws against magic and the penalties for those caught practicing, abolished, thus ending the witch burnings. Magic was legal until the plague came. Perevil had the ear of the king and was one of his most trusted advisors. He was the most powerful wizard in all of Anglia. He started the plague in an attempt to kill his enemies and place himself on the throne. He didn’t count on the king’s son Malcolm or Blackwell, his Inquisitor, surviving. Now he is in hiding and King Malcolm and Blackwell are burning suspected witches on a weekly basis.

Elizabeth Grey is hiding a secret that no one, including her friend and partner Caleb, know. Both witch hunters, they live at Ravenscourt to blend in with the king’s servants so as not to become Reformist targets. She has made numerous mistakes over the past month, losing focus, because of her return to Ravenscourt. When the two go to arrest five necromancers, Elizabeth loses focus and one necromancer is killed. Caleb covers for her with the guards who haul the prisoners to Fleet, the prison. The guards leave and Elizabeth tries for some levity but Caleb wants to know what happened. She will have to tell anyone who asks the same story Caleb offered to the guards. If it gets back to Blackwell, he warns her that she knows what will happen. If she is questioned by Blackwell, he will wear her down during questioning and she will confess everything. No one, not even Caleb can learn her secrets. The two head towards The World’s End pub to meet some friends but pass by protests over that morning’s witch burnings. In the pub, Elizabeth is disheartened to realize that Caleb pulled out a chair for himself. When the talk turns to Christmas masque, her hopes are further dashed to hear that he has been seen in the company of Katherine Willoughby, one of Queen Margaret’s ladies-in-waiting. When the boys stand to leave, Elizabeth doesn’t initially notice, lost in her thoughts over Caleb. He is worried when she decides to stay behind, drinking the horrible ale, but she needs to be alone.

She orders lunch and moves to sit by the fireplace. Elizabeth is shocked to see when the door opens, that it is dark outside. She has spent the whole day there. Standing to leave, she finds that she is unsteady on her feet. A man catches her before she can fall and eventually introduces himself as Peter. He goes to lead her outside to get some fresh air and the two come across Peter’s friend, George. George tells Peter that she is the one he is looking for. Even though she is drunk, Peter questions whether or not she is able to talk. George thinks that they need to get her some place more private. The two men offer to take her back to the palace. She notices that they take less traveled paths on their way. Peter begins to question her. Even though she is drunk, Elizabeth is able to stick to her cover story about being a scullery maid. The two are disappointed when they realize that she is just “ordinary”. Peter comments that Veda must have wanted them to find someone else. They get to the palace gates and Peter tells Elizabeth  that George will help her get safely inside. The guard unlocks the gate and lets them inside. George announces that they are home. Looking puzzled, he laughs at Elizabeth and finally tells her that he is King Malcolm’s new fool.

Elizabeth takes George through a hidden passageway and tells him how to get back to his room. He keeps talking with her and she just wishes he would leave. She almost blows her cover when she asks him to the masque. Maids aren’t allowed to attend, but he could take her as his guest. She is able to recover and excuses herself to her room. Elizabeth is shocked to find Caleb waiting for her at the end of the hall outside of her room. He has been worried about her and wants to know where she has been. Still hurt over his unknown rejection earlier, she snaps at him. Caleb comments that she hasn’t seemed herself lately. He tells her that she can come to him for anything. Elizabeth allows him to help her to her room. The two are shocked to see Richard, one of King Malcolm's guards, waiting outside the door. Caleb thinks Richard is there for him but he uncomfortably states he is there to... you know. Caleb wheels on Elizabeth to ask what is going on. Elizabeth is too horrified to speak and Caleb gets agitated, demanding to know what is going on. She begs Caleb to stop, dizziness over taking her. Richard states that she needs to come with him but Caleb isn’t about to let that happen. There is a brief scuffle in the hallway. Caleb pulls a handful of herbs from Elizabeth’s pocket. Caleb realizes that they are witches’ herbs to prevent a woman from having a baby and wants to know why she has them. Caleb asks why she is going to see the king at midnight. Caleb tries to buy Richard’s silence but he will have nothing to do with. Caleb proclaims that Elizabeth isn’t a witch but Richard places her in handcuffs and reads her her rights. Instead of taking her to prison, he will take her to Blackwell immediately. Caleb says that he will be awaiting her return. This is all just a misunderstanding.  

Standing before Blackwell, Elizabeth finally tells him of how the king sends a guard to her room so that she can be escorted to his chambers. Elizabeth tried to avoid the king’s written messages as long as she could. She only had the herbs on her because she doesn’t want to become pregnant with the king’s child and sent away. He wants to know how long she has known that she was a witch. She vehemently denies his accusations. Her behavior is unexpected, especially since she surprised him by living past the first week of training at Ravenscourt. Now she is one of his best witch hunters. Blackwell informs her that she broke the law by possessing the herbs and another by killing the necromancer. He sees her as a liability and she needs to be punished. He hands her a sheet of parchment and asks if she knows what a Bill of Attainder is. Knowing that it isn’t a pardon, Elizabeth is shocked to learn that she is being accused of witchcraft and her punishment is death. She denies his claim and begs. Blackwell doesn’t hear her and has his guards escort her to Fleet to await the pyre.

Caleb finds Elizabeth at the Fleet. He promises to get her out and wishes he had known about the king. He confesses that he hadn’t noticed that she was no longer a scrawny little girl and believes that Blackwell hasn’t seen her for the woman she has become either. Caleb reluctantly leaves her behind to go plead her case to Blackwell. As the days pass and there is no word from Caleb, Elizabeth knows that time is running out. She realizes that she is ill and may actually die from sickness before she is burned. Exhausted, she falls asleep only to be awoken by footsteps. Thinking it is Caleb, she calls out but a man dressed in a robe stands at her cell door. She knows that he is not a guard but she doesn’t know who he is either. Elizabeth realizes that he is a wizard and she pleads for him to leave before Caleb arrives. He disintegrates the door and comes into her cell. He realizes that she is sick and tells Elizabeth that they must hurry. It is Saturday and the guards will be coming soon to take her to the pyre. He was told to find her.  They first thought it was a mistake but now knows that it’s not. He begs her to leave with him. She will be helping him as much as he will be helping her. Elizabeth tries to escape but he thwarts her efforts. She swings a punch but her fist passes through him and then one wizard becomes two. Another swing and two are now four. He begs her to stop and come with him. He can help her, keep her safe. Elizabeth makes another run for it but a coughing fit stops her. The wizard comes to her and pleads again. She sees him as a way to prove her innocence to Blackwell and agrees. Elizabeth ends up collapsing and the wizard picks her up. Walking by the other cells, she is mystified when the prisoners don’t shout for the guards but instead act reverent toward the wizard. She asks who he is. He apologizes for not telling her sooner and introduces himself as Nicholas Perevil. They reach an opening to the sewer and Elizabeth plots her attack to take him down. They hear the guards coming and Nicholas urges her on. She is barely able to follow him through. He carries her through the sewer tunnels until they come to an opening where a horse waits for them. Nicholas helps her on and sits behind her. He promises to take care of her. Elizabeth wonders if Caleb will miss her when she dies.

Is Elizabeth really a witch? What was Blackwell’s reasons for proclaiming Elizabeth a witch? Why did Nicholas Perevil rescue her from the Fleet? Who asked him to and why? Where is he taking her? Why was Blackwell so quick to find her guilty? Who are Peter and George? Who did they think Elizabeth is? Will Caleb come looking for her? What happens when Nicholas discovers that Elizabeth Grey is a witch hunter?

Elizabeth Grey’s story will be continue with book two in the series expected out in 2016.

Visit Virginia Boecker’s website.

The Crimson Crown by Cinda Williams Chima (Seven Realms book 4)

SPOILER ALERT! If you haven't read the first three books in the series starting with The Demon King, Stop! I don't want to ruin one of my favorite series for you.

Raisa 'ana Marianna has ascended the throne as Queen of the Fells but the queendom is far from peaceful. Everyone wants to become Raisa'a consort, including the wizard Micah Bayar. Her father, Lord Averill Lightfoot Demonai hopes to make another clan match with Reid Nightwalker Demonai, his newly appointed heir. The new king of Arden, Gerard Montaigne, has the Fells in his sights as his newest conquest, whether it be by marriage or by force. Raisa's deepest wish is for the Fells to be at peace once again; no more fighting between the wizards, the clans and the Valefolk. Her other wish is to marry for love, not political gain. The former streetlord turned wizard, Hanson Alistair has stolen her heart.

Han Alistair finds himself in a situation he doesn't think he can win. Desperately wanting to be with Raisa as her equal, not as her "down low lover", Han is also busy trying to protect her life from whoever is trying to assassinate her. Discovering a secret that will bring peace to the Fells, Han soon is in a fight to save his own life as he attempts to bring new information to light. On a constant lookout for not only Raisa's safety but his own, Han finds himself in the midst of the battle to be named the new High Wizard against Micah Bayar. And when wizards start turning up dead in Ragmarket, all signs point to Han.

Who is killing the wizards in Ragmarket and why? Can the Fells once again be a peaceful queendom? Whose agenda will win out in the end? Will Han live to unveil the secret he discovered after it has been lost for the last thousand years? What is this secret? What impact will it have on the Fells? Can Raisa survive to be the queen she desperately wants to be? And will Raisa and Han have the happily ever after they deserve?

In this epic conclusion the the Seven Realms quartet, readers will be shocked and well rewarded with the ending to the story of the Fells.

Visit Cinda Williams Chima's website.

The Gray Wolf Throne by Cinda Williams Chima (Seven Realms series book 3)

SPOILER ALERT! If you haven’t read the first two books of the Seven Realms series, Stop! I don’t want to ruin one of my favorite series for you. A definite read.


Princess Raisa/Rebecca Morley is on her own since being kidnapped by Micah Bayar in Oden’s Ford and escaping during an attack by Gerard Montaigne. Soon things are looking up for her when Edon Byrne, captain of the Queen’s Guard, and his triple come to her rescue and accompany her home to claim her birthright. Unfortunately tragedy strikes as they attempt strikes as they attempt to cross back into the Fells. Mortally wounded, it seems that whoever is out to kill Raisa has succeeded until Han Alister stumbles onto the scene while searching for Rebecca. Realizing he has found Rebecca, Han races to get her help at the Marissa Pines Camp but a high cost to his own health. Upon their arrival at the camp under the effects of the poison, they are both treated.

For Han, finding and saving Rebecca, the one remaining person he truly cares for, is all that matters. His world comes crashing down when he discovers Rebecca’s true identity and that a future with the Queen of the Fells is impossible. Feeling hurt and betrayed, Han realizes he must honor his pledge to the Demonai clan and help Raisa ascend the throne. For Raisa, she realizes that she is in for the fight of her life with no one to trust and everyone wanting something from her. She has become the ultimate political pawn if she can survive to be queen.

Will Raisa survive to ascend the Gray Wolf Throne? Can Han put aside all of his mixed emotions and keep his promise to the Demonai? In this thrilling episode to the Seven Realms series, readers will eagerly devour Chima’s latest installment as she sets up for the thrilling conclusion in a as yet unnamed book four that she is currently working on.

Visit Cinda Williams Chima’s website.

The Seven Realms series by Cinda Williams Chima

Book One – The Demon King

Han Alister and his friend, Fire Dancer, are out in the early spring scavenging for what little can be found. At sixteen, most of the residents of Fellsmarch didn’t consider Han a man yet. Finding little, they decide to hunt for deer to provide some fresh meat for the table. When they locate a small herd of deer, the two boys also notice a weird colored fire. Missing the chance to shoot a deer, they take refuge behind a rocky outcrop to get out of the fire’s path. Soon three boys their age, dressed in fine clothes and riding horses, appear. Dancer realizes they are charmcasters or wizards and demands to know what they are doing on forbidden lands. The leader informs Dancer that his name is Micah Bayar and that they are on Queen Marianna’s orders to drive the deer to the valley below so that she and her daughters can hunt. Micah then questions Dancer if his real name is Hayden, which happens to be a wizard’s name. Words, blows and charms ensue between the two until Han draws his bow on Micah. Having the upper hand, Han orders the three young wizards to leave but not before commanding Micah to take off his powerful amulet. He clearly does not want to do it but sees no choice. Dancer wants to leave it behind but Han wraps it in a cloth for safekeeping.

Raisa, the princess heir to the throne of Fells, has spent the last three years of her life at the Demonai camp with her father’s clan. Now back at Fellsmarch Castle, she is hearing the whispering about her mother among the members of the court. The Queen is too close to the High Wizard, Lord Gavan Bayar who is Micah’s father. Raisa herself has entered a forbidden flirtation with Micah. But with the opportunity to hunt and ride, Raisa is chomping at the bit to go. Soon Raisa becomes uneasy but keeps her fears to herself until it is almost too late. The royal hunting party encounters Micah and his companions as the fire traps them in a canyon. Using the boys, Lord Bayar performs a chant that causes the fire to be put out.

Han, a former streetlord known as Cuffs Alister, has worn a pair of silver engraved wrist cuffs for as long as her can remember. They are clearly enchanted as he can never take them off and they grow with his body. His mother seems to not recall how they came to be. Han is trying to eek out a meager living for his mother and sister but his former gang life continues to follow him. Raisa begins to sense that not all is right in her world and unwanted and unexpected change looms on the horizon. Her mother’s queendom seems to be headed for disaster. Raisa desires to be a more powerful queen than her mother but the queen is more interested in a husband for her daughter.

What happens when Han and Raisa’s worlds unexpectedly collide and the long smoldering war between the wizards and the clans finally breaks out? The Demon King is the first book in the Seven Realms series. Readers will be hooked from the first page in this hard to put down fantasy read.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QEtfteO-9dU

Book Two – The Exiled Queen

SPOILER ALERT! Don’t read any further if you haven’t read The Demon King. Don’t want to ruin this incredible series for you!

All is not well in the Seven Realms. War continues amongst the brothers in Arden, each one jockeying to become king and the bloodshed seeps throughout. Princess Raisa, heir to the Gray Wolf throne, has fled the Fells with Amon Bryne and his triple after her narrow escape from a forced marriage to Micah Bayar on her naming day. Han Alister is reeling from not only the deaths of his mother and sister, but the discovery of his true identity. Both journey to Oden’s Ford to attend one of the various academies located there; Raisa, warrior school and Han the wizard school. But what happens when their paths cross once again? Will Raisa’s true identity be discovered? Is she cut out for military school? Will her broken heart be mended? Does Han have what it takes to become a wizard? And will the Bayar twins stand in his way?

Readers will be left gripping their books at the ending wondering where Raisa and Han’s paths will takes them.

The Seven Realms series continues with The Gray Wolf Throne on August 30, 2011.

Visit Cinda Williams Chima’s website.