#fantasy #adventure #romance
Blurb
He’s a fire mage who’s lived his entire life on the wrong side of the King’s law.
She’s a guard desperate to prove herself.
Together, they will enter the legendary Demon Forest.
Vethe Scarvian is a direct descendant of the man who almost destroyed humanity. And that plus a couple of coppers will buy him another beer.
When his aunt reveals the existence of a long-lost betrothal agreement hidden somewhere in the ruins of the Demon Forest, Vethe is only interested in how much money the noblewoman betrothed to him would be willing to pay to escape that contract.
He just has to find the contract first.
Lyria Guardia let her family down and got her heart broken. Gods help her, that will never happen again.
After a crushing betrayal by the man she’d built her life around, Lyria abandons her promising career with the Adventurer’s Guild and returns, humiliated and heartbroken, to the Guard’s Guild that her family has run for hundreds of years. Determined to regain her position and prove herself to her five brothers, Lyria is willing to accept any assignment.
Even if that means she has to drag some spoiled noble brat through the Demon Forest in search of a mysterious missing contract.
My Review
Superb Start to Fantasy Series! ~5 Stars
I literally inhaled this fantasy debut from author Meredith Wild – I was riveted from beginning to end. It contains adventure, romance, a quest (what fantasy novel would be complete without one?), magic and monsters . Once more the world building is just sublime.
Not only that but the main couple rock! – Lyria is a woman who knows how to look after herself and wield a sword, and Vethe has abilities far and above your average spoiled aristocrat, which Lyria initially thinks he is. Although the couple are just made for each other it is not immediately obvious to them. Indeed, their romance is a slow burn and so much the better for it. There are plenty of scenes of danger and suspense which afford the couple numerous opportunites to get to know each other better and also some humorous moments – the repartee between the couple and their inner dialogues are superb.
I enjoyed how their respective opinions of each other changes as they make their way through the Demon forest: Lyria comes to the realisation that Vethe has hidden talents and Vethe in turn discovers that Lyria is all woman beneath her Guard’s uniform and has a personality which draws her to him like no woman has ever before. When they do get it together it is well worth the wait and the flames ignite!
My heart went out to both main characters due to their backstories: Lyria is recovering from a broken heart and Vethe has an unhappy home life and an empty existence, concealing his ability to perform fire magic from the authorities.
I was on pins wondering whether they would survive the dangers of the Demon Forest and whether their quest would be a successful one. Yet Vethe is keeping secrets from Lyria and others appear to have an interest in what is hidden the forest, threatening their quest… Can Lyria survive another crushing betrayal and what future can there be for the couple when their destinies seem to point them on different paths?
I’m so looking forward to the next instalment of Lyria and Vethe’s adventures.
The read is perfect for lovers of fantasy who also enjoy romance with their magic and monsters.
Reviewed by Tina Williams
Please note that a copy of this book was given to me by the author for the purpose of a fair and honest review.
