Radiance
(Wraith Kings #1)
By Grace Draven
THE PRINCE OF NO VALUEBrishen Khaskem, prince of the Kai, has lived content as the nonessential spare heir to a throne secured many times over. A trade and political alliance between the human kingdom of Gaur and the Kai kingdom of Bast-Haradis requires that he marry a Gauri woman to seal the treaty. Always a dutiful son, Brishen agrees to the marriage and discovers his bride is as ugly as he expected and more beautiful than he could have imagined.THE NOBLEWOMAN OF NO IMPORTANCEIldiko, niece of the Gauri king, has always known her only worth to the royal family lay in a strategic marriage. Resigned to her fate, she is horrified to learn that her intended groom isn’t just a foreign aristocrat but the younger prince of a people neither familiar nor human. Bound to her new husband, Ildiko will leave behind all she’s known to embrace a man shrouded in darkness but with a soul forged by light.Two people brought together by the trappings of duty and politics will discover they are destined for each other, even as the powers of a hostile kingdom scheme to tear them apart.
My Review:
I picked this book up on a whim and I was happily surprised by how much it captured my attention! Pure and unadulterated fantasy isn't a genre I usually pick up. I find it fascinating but I usually have a hard time getting into it fully. Even though that was also the case with this story, the writing pulled me in to a degree that obligated me to finish it!
Both main characters were so well written and interesting to get to know. They come from different cultures but find that they have humor in common which become the launchpad for how their relationship eventually evolves throughout the story. The secondary characters were also very present with very big personalities and complex troubles of their own.
With fantasy, I usually like to have some sort of map of the land the characters are in. I kind of missed that in this novel. Everyone spoke of these far off lands with very different and convoluted names which I couldn't commit to memory and found myself second-guessing how to pronounce every time they came up.
I've said it before and I'll say it again: The writing was so good! There was something about it that sunk its teeth into me and didn't let go. The ending for what happened to Brishen was heartbreaking. I was fully anticipating a cliffhanger and I'm glad it never came to pass. The epilogue kicked things into high gear for the second novel of this series. I'm intrigued enough that I'll probably give the next book a chance.
My Favorite Quotes:
"Blood ties do not always make a family."
"Loneliness is an empty void. We look for that friend in the light."
My Rating:
Glad to hear you enjoyed this one! I only started reading Grace Draven this year and this is one of her novels I'd like to read really soon.
ReplyDeleteThis was the first book I've ever picked up by Grace Draven and it was amazing! I would definitely recommend this novel :)
DeleteBeautiful cover on this one! Glad it was good.
ReplyDeleteI always like a map in a fantasy novel too. :)
The funny thing is that in the reviews on Goodreads for this book so many people were mentioning how much they dislike this cover. I agree with you though, it's a beautiful cover and it goes with the story very nicely! Maps in fantasy novels are wonderful :)
DeleteGreat review, Mikky.
ReplyDeleteGrave Draven has been on my radar for a number of years since she wrote a novella in a compilation with Elizabeth Hunter but I haven't bought Radiance because I feel the same way as you about full fantasy.
Thanks! You should definitely give it a try! Like me, you may be surprised. Though just for the sake of money not growing on trees, maybe get it from a library and then decide if you want to go full steam ahead on the series or not :)
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