Review: A great blend of magic and adventure
Rating: 3 out of 5
Date: 10 20, 2013
Severin, the only prince of Arcathia, is bound by duty to marry a princess of Oscia to end their nation's old feud. He buys Hayvn from the slave market and then frees him to become Ildar's apprentice. He is attracted to Hayvn but resists his desires because of Ildar's beliefs that wizards can't have sex since it may lessen their magical power. Once he confirms their mutual attraction, Severin and Hayvn become unbearably horny and then find all kinds of ways to have sex.I find Severin to be really immature. I can understand his rashness and recklessness in grief but not in other circumstances. He really puts his personal life before duty and the country's well-being. As the prince and heir to the throne, he should be more responsible and smarter in his decisions.I don't believe in their love relationship either. Severin seems to only see the sex. Hayvn seems to like Severin because he's his savior. They are not quite on an equal footing. Between Severin and Hayvn, I like Hayvn better. His fears and background as an ex-slave brought another level to his character.The best part of the book is the world-building and the Aldari, a magical race of people that disappeared from the world. The mystery behind the race and their magical powers is really interesting. All the major characters are related to the Aldari or are connected. Unfortunately, there are a lot of mixed signals regarding the Aldari and I feel like I missed the whole point or significance of the Aldari in the story. The Aldari princess was cold and transcendental while the Aldari priests were very welcoming. This part of the world-building is not really complete and leaves the reader guessing.The ending of the story was rushed and glossed over. The solution to every issue is to have the problematic people die. All the people related to any obstacles or ethical issues just died. The relationship between the princess and her husband is unclear and left as a cliffhanger.Overall, it's a great read that takes me to a magical land. I love the adventure the characters underwent, the sea journey, magical guides, and finding the damsel in distress (the Aldari princess). This part of the story reads like a fairy tale. If you love adventure and magical worlds, give this book a try.*received review copy in exchange for an honest review*