2016, 351p, Clean YA Fantasy/Fairy Tale
My Rating=5 Stars
Source: Received a copy via eBooks for Review for an honest review
Seventeen-year-old Adrielle doesn’t believe in magic; she merely possesses it, though no one has ever mentioned that her unusual gifts—exceptional speed, a flair for fire, and an intimate knowledge of flora—aren’t things she was born with. When Adrielle starts a fire that burns down the family home, she must deal with both her grief and her siblings’ hurtful rejection.
While journeying to far away Tallinyne, in search of her older, estranged sister—the only relative who might take her in—Adrielle is separated from her escort when the carriage is beset by thieves. Alone, she is thrust into a dangerous and unfamiliar world where she encounters fairies and gypsies, a wild boar, a drunk cook, and an evil queen whose curse is sweeping death across the land. Adrielle also finds love, falling hard for a kind, funny, handsome—and completely unavailable prince.
From the glowing pearls tucked beneath her mattress and keeping her awake at night, to Queen Nadamaris’s curse that seems to thwart Adrielle’s every effort, Adrielle struggles to navigate a world of magic she never imagined, where people she knows and loves are not always what they appear to be. With the glowing pearls—and her fondest desire—within her grasp, she is forced to make a choice no girl should ever have to—satisfying her own heart or saving the kingdom.
I have loved every book I've read by this author and was excited to see that she was coming out with a new series! It's off to a great start! Adrielle is 17 years old. Tragedy strikes and she quickly finds herself on her own, without any family members willing to take her in. She takes off to find her older sister with high hopes for a joyful reunion. She is quickly immersed in a world of fairies, gypsies, magical pearls, a cook who is always drunk, an evil queen and a handsome prince, with so many unanswered questions. She was given little bits of information, which kept me eagerly turning pages so I could also learn what was going on.
I thought this was a great fairy tale mashup, with pieces from lots of different favorites, including Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty. Adrielle is such a sweet, caring, loving character that she's able to see the good in those that are trying to harm her. She forms some unlikely friendships because she shows compassion toward others. She's an easy character to love and cheer for. I enjoyed her story and each of the relationships she formed.
I loved this book from the beginning to the end! There were plenty of twists and turns to keep me on my toes trying to guess what would happen next. I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys fairy tales and a clean, fun read. I'm looking forward to the next book in the series to see what happens next!
Her first novel, COUNTING STARS (Covenant Communications 2007), won the 2007 Whitney Award for best romance. The sequel, a romantic suspense titled, ALL THE STARS IN HEAVEN (Covenant 2009), was a Whitney finalist, as was her first historical romance, CAPTIVE HEART (Covenant 2011). MY LUCKY STARS (Covenant 2012) completed the Stars series.
In October 2014 Michele launched the Hearthfire historical romance line with the publication of SAVING GRACE (Mirror Press 2014). The companion novel, LOVING HELEN (Mirror Press 2015) was released in February 2015. A third book about this same family, MARRYING CHRISTOPHER, will be published in summer 2015, with another historical to follow later this year.
Michele has been a member of the same critique group for over fifteen years and feels that joining a critique group is the single best thing an author can to do help improve his or her writing. She has been a member of RWA and URWA, LDStorymakers, and The League of Utah Writers. Michele enjoys both attending and teaching at conferences.
When not reading or writing romance, Michele is busy with her full time job as a wife and mother. She and her husband live in Utah with their five high maintenance children and a Shitzu that resembles a teddy bear, in a house with a wonderful view of the mountains.
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