By: Krista D. Ball
Publish Date: May 10, 2015
Format: eARC
Genre: Fantasy
Series: 3rd in Tranquility trilogy; Book 1 ~ Tranquility's Blaze, Book 2 ~ Tranquility's Grief, Novella (short stories) ~ Interlude: Stories from Tranquility
First Glance Feel: Warriors have done things they regret, and will continue to have to do the things so others don't have too. The conclusion to Bethany's worries about magic, hers and in the world.
Synopsis:
As Lady Champion, Bethany has always made the big sacrifices, the ones that plague her with nightmares so that others can sleep. Trapped behind enemy lines and powerless to take down the barrier surrounding the Magi army, Bethany struggles to keep herself and her small team of soldiers alive – no matter the cost.
However, when Apexia’s daughters discover the true source of Magic, Bethany is forced to make the biggest sacrifice imaginable in the name of peace: the death of the Gentle Goddess herself.
First Sentence:
"She isn't dead," Arrago growled as he thrust a finger in Allric's direction.
Purchase At:
Amazon
/ Barnes & NobleMy Thoughts and Summary:
War is waiting for the magic barrier Sarissa has up, protecting her on her island, to drop. Arrago is king with the elves camped at his door, waiting to attack. They all have come to places in their lives that things are complicated and are trying to work through and past it as best they can when letters from Mother Aneese arrive. The letters from the late Aneese bring up strong feelings among our Tranquility crew, and are needed to work through pasts that haunt them all.
Krista has come full circle in this book with having me tear up at the beginning to crying in the end as well. I've felt a full range of emotions while reading this book; sadness, happiness, laughing at quick jokes, and worrying about the war and characters I love. War is war, and it hurts to see the results of it. But I am glad Krista didn't fill it with fake dreams in the end.
This book is a little different in it's telling. The first chapter will draw you in and make you curious to many different things with different characters. Then we will take a small step back in time to see what brought us to this point. I liked this. It gave me a feel of what is going on then how we got to it.
The world feels complicated for all in the beginning - war, royal bills, marriage, friends, love, spying, waiting, food, and so much more. It's a rough patch as winter comes to an end and war waits for her moment to strike.
Bethany is plagued by the nightmares. Nightmares of what she's done for others, the lives she's taken and all the blood she's spilled and seen spilled. But she's not alone in reliving her nightmares. The others who are with her in their duties remember too. And the one who took her power is having troubles with what Bethany's power knows and remembers. Bethany is also working hard to accept Arrago and his situation in Taftlin. Arrago is working hard at getting a kingdom turned around in their thinking of woman and slaves while being patient with Bethany coming to terms with his placement.
Lenhra, Bethany's little sister, is such an innocent, but she grows up in the face of war and is so important in the part she plays. We have all our favorites here when we read and they all steal their moments of bringing a smile to the readers face. But in the face of death I guess if you don't have something to laugh at you will lose yourself.
The letters from the late Mother Aneese... ah. These are precious and full of meaning for the characters and us. They help our favorite characters cope through things and conclude other things. These are very sentimental for me as well, after knowing these characters so well in the books of this series.
It is a bitter sweet read as it's the end of the trilogy. BUT! I have it on good authority there will be at least one more story (novella) that is to come. I do look forward to it!
