Publishing Date: December 2019
Genre: Fantasy
Rating: 3.7/5
Publisher’s Description: A gifted warrior consumed by revenge. An unstoppable enemy rampaging ever closer. A ravaged country in desperate need of a ruler. After a brutal and bloody invasion, a once powerful matriarchal nation is in chaos. Only the shy warrior Violya can pick up the pieces and save her broken country. But an old threat – for one thousand years suppressed – has awoken. Now unleashed, it’s hell-bent on destruction. To protect her people, Violya must cast aside her desire for vengeance, master her rare magic and find the courage to rule – and fast.
Time is running out as a prophecy is coming true. A formidable enemy is closing in to crush them all. Can Violya unite friend and foe to face the looming catastrophe before it’s too late?
She’s out for blood, but first she must master her own…
Review: I received this from the author in exchange for an honest review and NOT Netgalley i.e. the tramplers of First Amendment rights while licking the anus’ of publishers.
Once again this author takes a very daunting approach to writing as there is a lot going on. Big props for wending a tale steeped in a myriad of unconventional approaches. What is a consistent theme throughout the novel, no matter the Kingdom in which it resides, is that men suck and when not sucking they are beta males touting socialist rhetoric as an answer to a long abiding kleptocracy. The progressive message seeks to blend in with a the story line in a myriad of ways. Flexible belief systems and sexual orientations/species preferences are all on display in an attempt to embrace the collective “anything goes” mantra.
The characterization is what sets this novel apart from most in the genre. Violya is quite the ass-kicker with interesting abilities and a penchant for werewolf dick. Violya is a complex individual and you root for her success which is the outcome of a good writers ability of drawing the reader in. What mostly sucked was the not so believable transition of Princess Douche Baggery into a Valkyrie, assembling an entire army made up of only females (here we go again) to save her Kingdom from usurping jackasses.
The magic is spot on and develops with the story line. The scene descriptions are very accomplished and add a depth that is often needed when the bells of male denigration are rung. The sex scenes can be somewhat graphic but I like that fearlessness in writing.
I look forward to the next novel in this series to resolve some of the gaps that need filling.