Review: Secrets Galore!
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 12 27, 2013
This book is full of secrets! Ayianna finds out she's betrothed to Desmond, the handsome nephew of a lord and a merchant. As she and her father are traveling to meet Desmond's uncle, Lord Ramiro, her father asks her to keep her heritage a secret (she's half-elf, half-human). She also learns that her father is guarding a secret. They're attacked by men who want her killed and her father taken alive, but he jumps in front of the sword meant for her and his dying words are for her to go to her brother and tell him the sun has set and the morning star is forever locked in stone. When she finds her brother, she is met with another surprise and more secrets.She meets Kael, her brother's best friend, and they end up taking a trip with Vain, a prince, and Desmond, her betrothed. They don't all get along which makes for some humorous discussions among them. There is lots of adventure and life-threatening situations. They do look out for each other, though, and yes, they are all keeping secrets from each other. Ayianna makes a big decision at the end and I'm looking forward to reading more!I like Ayianna overall, though at times she's frustrating. She seems to fluctuate between being wimpy and strong but I think some of her wimpiness comes from losing her family so suddenly and not knowing who to trust. Desmond doesn't seem right for her. He seems like a nice enough guy to her and she feels that she needs to trust that her parents saw something in him that she has yet to discover. His secret is a doozy, so it will be interesting to see what happens when that one is exposed.Kael is awesome! He lets her in on some of his secrets towards the end and she is confused by what she feels for him. He's closed his heart to love but will Ayianna help him open it back up again? Vain, the prince, is actually the one we know the least about. Hopefully we will learn more about him in future books.I read The Tales of Nalu before I read Secrets Kept and I thought it helped with background, especially with Semine, the powerful sorceress they're up against. It also helped me get a feel for the world I was about to discover. I would recommend reading those as well. If you enjoy fantasy, this is the beginning of a great series and I'm personally looking forward to reading the next book!I received a copy of this book to review. My opinion is 100% my own.