My Rating: 4 out of 5
Synopsis:
I noticed his eyes. They were blue, sharp and intense. Despite the youthful glows of his suntanned face, his eyes were cold and unfriendly, suggesting he had great experience in the world and was now expecting the worst.
In her seventeenth year, Princess Alera of Hytanica faces one duty: to marry the man who will be king. But her father's choice of suitor fills her with despair.
When the palace guard captures and intruder—a boy her age with steel-blue eyes, hailing from her kingdom's greatest enemy—Alera is alarmed…and intrigued. But she could not have guessed that their clandestine meetings would unveil the dark legacy shadowing both their lands.
In this mystical world of court conspiracies and blood magic, loyalties will be tested. Courage won't be enough. And as the battle begins for everything Alera holds dear, love may be the downfall of a kingdom.
Review:
I'm a sucker for the princess story. I love to read about all the sumptious silk, satin and brocade gowns and sparkly tiaras and jewellery. Add a few princes (of sorts) to bring a little spicy romance, plus an unwanted royal wedding and this book had everything I wanted.
I was surprised to read a few bad reviews for Legacy. I understand it isn't to everyones taste but if you like being immersed into a story with lots of descriptives and direction then you will enjoy this one. The writing tone is very mature and typical with adult historical romances (Philippa Gregory, for instance), the descriptions of clothing, scenery, and back story are indepth but for me this was perfect as some authors tend to be a little vague when writing so I enjoyed imagining exactly what the author wanted me to.
The characters are really, really good and Kluver did an excellent job of portraying Steldor as the chauvanistic would-be-king. His attitude whenever he was in vicinity of Alera set my teeth on edge, his friends weren't much better, making me feel sorry for her predicament. Her selfish, weak, and demanding father, who happens to be the King of Hytanica, has put Alera into a position where she doesn't have an alternative to marrying Steldor, and a woman cannot rule Hytanica so Alera must marry a man worthy of being King. Her father's sees no other choice more worthy than Steldor.
When Narian/Kyenn comes into her life she falls for him, but as his life has been enemy Cokyrian, and most of the Palace won't trust him Alera finds ways to meet in secret. The war outside the palace walls is getting nearer and more and more depends on finding a new King for Hytanica, and fast.
Alera, as a character, was lovely. I wanted her to have a bit more attitude at times, but I had to keep remembering that she's been brought up with no responsibilities other than wear a nice gown and look pretty. Every now and then I saw a spark that she'd break away from Palace rules but her upbringing got in the way every time.
And the ending? The book didn't end on a high, and certainly leads straight into the next book. Alera is at her lowest point and has obeyed all protocols but what happens next? And will Narian rescue her? We shall have to wait and find out!
You can reach Cayla Kluver here:
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