By: Celine Kiernan
Publisher: Orbit Books
Publish Date: April 2010
Genre: Fantasy
Format: Paperback, 475 pages
Series: 1st Book of The Moorehawke Trilogy
Recommendation: Do you enjoy fantasy reads of kingdoms with great wonders as to who has done wrong and why, and great character development? Then yes, you may enjoy this book.
Book Synopsis:
At the heart of the kingdom lies a secret.
A secret so deadly it could tear the realm in two.
Only Wynter Moorehawke can uncover the truth.
When young Wynter Moorehawke returns to court with her dying father, she finds her old home shadowed with fear. The king has become a violent despot, terrorizing those he once loved. His son and heir Alberon has fled into exile and now there are whispers everywhere of rebellion. Meanwhile, Alberon's half-brother Razi has been elevated to his throne. He struggles to meet his King's demands while remaining loyal to his beloved brother and to his friend Wynter.
Now she must choose - her father or her dreams, her friend or her king, her duty or her love.
First Sentence:
The sentry would not let them pass.
My Review and Summary:
Wynter, fifteen, and Lorcan, her father of age thirty-three but shaking like a man much older, have just returned from the five year station in the North helping King Jonathon with relations. Wynter is a female apprenticing her father and doing extremely well in a mans trade, carpentery. Once they are home and Wynter is wondering around, she learns things are rather stressed around the castle. Things are aloft here. There are creatures they are forbidden to talk to, the heir Alberon has left with no traces as to where he is, Razi the kings bastard-son and close friend to Wynter and Alberon has been named to take the beloved Alberon's place and the people are not happy. Then to add to the mix Wynter's father Lorcan is rather ill and is not to leave his bed to help, and is getting worse.
Thinking back to what caught my attention... There are the questions I had to the mysteries, and I am still thinking on. I am not sure what has truly happened to change things so much. Along with why beloved Heir, Prince Alberon, left as what seems unexpectedly and no sign of where he went. But it appears as something between him and his father King Jonathon to be the reason for his leaving, and an even bigger issue. 'The Bloody Machine.' I don't know what it is or what it does or why are they so worried about it. But along with the mysteries, I think the characters kept me coming back.
I love the character development and the relationships in this story. There are a few secondary creatures, which I did not expect to find, but loved them and found myself wanting to read more of them. I love all the characters; Wynter, Lorcan, Razi, Christopher, and all the secondary characters, and now I need to know what befalls them. I even get the feel the world we get to know is created from these characters. It seems the characters all know of different parts of the world being of different age ranges too, and as they tell of their experiences and knowledge you see the world through their eyes and what the world is that Celine has created. The situations the characters get into and out of, and the reactions they have to the different situations and each other when trying to protect each other made me love them even more.
I am not sure who is up to what or why. Of course I have my suspecions and ideas but I'm not really sure. But I felt the people where doing what they perceived to be the right thing, wheither good or bad, for themself or the people.
I am looking forward to the future installments of this trilogy. I am curious where Wynter will lead to. With the choose of staying with her dieing father to the end, following her friend who may need help, or finding the peoples beloved heir to the throne.
Celine has mentioned over at Obrit Books Blog site when the next two books will be out for purchas:;
The Crowded Shadows - July
The Rebel Prince - October
This book qualifies for my Speculated Fiction Challenge, at Book Chick City.
Great review, still on the fence on this one as I have way too many on the pile already but once I thin out the herd I may pick this one up.
ReplyDeleteYou are you great reviews, I keep adding books to my wish list everytime I come by. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteTyson - I hope you enjoy this if you get it. I really did enjoy it, and couldn't put it down. I guess I just wanted to know and really was pulled to the characters.
ReplyDeleteRyan - Thank you! Glad you like the reviews. I worry when I do them if they sound good or not. Hope you enjoy it if you get it. :)
I'm not big on fantasy but you make them sound so good!!
ReplyDeleteBy the way, I LOVE your new blog look!!
I saw this cover and was interested. Sounds like a great book. Btw, you need not worry. Your reviews are great! Thanks for another good review!
ReplyDeleteI've been looking forward to your review of this book every since you mentioned that you got it. It sounds like a great book and I'm definitely adding it to my list of books to read soon. Thanks for the great review!
ReplyDeleteI am excited to meet these characters!=)
ReplyDeleteThe blurb sounds great but your review gives me a deeper feel and I am excited!=)
Deb - Thank you! I am so glad you liked the reviews. Glad you love the new look too! :)
ReplyDeleteMelissa - Thank you. I'm glad you think the reviews are good. I always worry that there is not enough emotion, to much emotion, not enough information to back the book. All the things that run through my head while trying to pull these together. Thank you. :)
Simcha - I hope you enjoy the book when you get it. Thank you.
Chasity - Thank you! I loved the blurp I shared and I am glad you got a great feel of the characters here. I hope you enjoy it. :)
So, I can tell a couple of things by this review...how much you liked the story (by the number of times you used the word "love", lol) and how much you delved into the characters (by your usage if the word "befalls", *G*) This absolutely sounds like an interesting book based on your thoughts. I'm glad you liked it!
ReplyDeleteJackie - lol. When I do my reviews I just write, then I go back through to remove words like... love. I guess I missed those ones. lol. Like I was saying I struggled with this one a little bit. Thank you. Hope you had a great day. :)
ReplyDeleteHi Mel - nice review :)
ReplyDeleteFor me the book was totally about the characters - I loved the relationships between them.
I'm also very curious to find out what the 'bloody machine' is!
Hi Laura! Thank you for stopping by! This book was a great one for me. And kind of caught me off guard. I didn't expect to love it so much. And the second book is just better. :) The relationships are wonderfully done. The characters all click together nicely. Oh and that 'bloody machine' has me very very curious. Now I am wanting to work book three into the current books some how... hmm, I have to get these review books done first, I have to. Thank you!
ReplyDelete