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At nineteen, Ammey McKeaf is a golden-haired beauty that is beloved and protected, not only by her father, the most revered General in Azulland, but also by five elder brothers, all champions of the games that are held in the medieval island country. Her brothers have trained and challenged her all of her life, especially at swordsmanship, which will serve her well.
Trouble stirs when Marko Corin, the ambitious leader of Bellux-Abry, seeks to gain control of the country. His small bands of highly trained soldiers, known as ‘wolf packs,’ roam the country, reaping destruction and death. When a pack strikes close to the Forge, home to the McKeafs, Ammey is escorted to sanctuary—but sanctuary is a thing of the past. As violence reigns, Ammey is rescued and taken into the mystical Vihlae Forest, where she discovers strength she did not know she possessed, and learns the art of survival from one of her rescuers, sparking an undeniable passion. As Ammey travels from one end of Azulland to the other, battling to survive and protect those around her, she will be tried and tested beyond anything she could have imagined, but will her efforts be enough to save herself and those she loves? |
Epic - Romantic - Fantasy
Okay, my true rating for this is more like a 3.5, and it's for the audio version of the book.
Now, the plot was great, and I loved Ammey. I don't think everyone loved her for her looks, but for her heart and courage, her loyalty. She is an amazing character! I don't mind the love triangle, I'm very interested to see how things develop. I'm am solidly #TeamVincent. What got to me was the rape. I could never even pretend to care for someone who did that to me, and it continued to niggle in the back of my mind whenever she thought fondly of him and seemed to completely forget the horror of what happened to her. I know this is just fiction, and even in reality, I suppose some women could SOMEHOW get past it. But it really bothered me, and so it had to affect my rating. I wasn't really fond of the narrator at first, but I grew accustomed to her voice and actually quite like her now! Her tension doesn't always feel right for the scene, but in general, she was pretty good. One thing DID bother me, though. At one point she pronounces Amaris, "AM er iss", and another time, "uh MARE iss". And now I am confused lol. It's not a big thing, just one of those things that caught the attention of my weird brain and wouldn't let go. In general, I would recommend this to those who like fantasy with a strong female lead. I definitely will be continuing this series. Bob says: 3.5 Platypires |