Blurb
Lady Elanna is fiercely devoted to the king who raised her like a daughter. But when he dies under mysterious circumstances, Elanna is accused of his murder—and must flee for her life. Returning to the homeland of magical legends she has forsaken, Elanna is forced to reckon with her despised, estranged father, branded a traitor long ago. Feeling a strange, deep connection to the natural world, she also must face the truth about the forces she has always denied or disdained as superstition—powers that suddenly stir within her. But an all-too-human threat is drawing near, determined to exact vengeance. Now Elanna has no choice but to lead a rebellion against the kingdom to which she once gave her allegiance. Trapped between divided loyalties, she must summon the courage to confront a destiny that could tear her apart.
Review
I absolutely loved this! This is such unique and refreshing book. Any fan of Sarah J Maas' Throne of Glass series is going to want to read this. It has a few of the same elements. Kingdom taken over and magic banned, to practice it means witch hunters will come and take you to be executed or worse. There are power crazed soldiers who kills first and ask questions later. Lady Elanna is a child when she is taken by the king and raised in the palace. Her father is forced to watch the King take her away with a pistol pointed at her head. There is so much more to this book. I don't want to spoil it!
At about 85% I was on the edge of my seat. I just knew there was no time left in the book to do all the things that needed to be done. I love that nothing has felt rushed in this book or that it wasn't drawn out to make things last longer. I am in complete awe of this story. It's really nice to have a story go from beginning to end. Granted there could always be a second book. But its been so long since there has been a good standalone. This is one for that list. This is a top notch debut for Callie Bates. What's not to like about this? This is going to be a top read for 2017!