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Summary
Summary
A warrior princess must defend her throne is this haunting and romantic YA duology packed with action and romance from critically acclaimed author of the Defy trilogy, Sara B. Larson.On her eighteenth birthday, Princess Evelayn of Eadrolan, the Light Kingdom, can finally access the full range of her magical powers. The light looks brighter, the air is sharper, and the energy she can draw when fighting feels almost limitless. But while her mother, the queen, remains busy at the war front, in the Dark Kingdom of Dorjhalon, the corrupt king is plotting. King Bain wants control of both kingdoms, and his plan will fling Evelayn into the throne much sooner than she expected.In order to defeat Bain and his sons, Evelayn will quickly have to come into her ability to shapeshift, and rely on the alluring Lord Tanvir. But not everyone is what they seem, and the balance between the Light and Dark comes at a steep price.In the first book of a remarkable duology, Sara B. Larson sets the stage for her reimagining of Swan Lake -- a lush romance packed with betrayal, intrigue, magic, and adventure.
Author Notes
Sara B. Larson is the author of the acclaimed young adult fantasy Defy trilogy: Defy , Ignite , and Endure ; and Dark Breaks the Dawn , the first book of a duology. She can't remember a time when she didn't write books -- although she now uses a computer instead of a Little Mermaid notebook. Sara lives in Utah with her husband and their children. When she's not mothering or writing, you can often find her at the gym repenting of her sugar addiction. You can visit her online at SaraBLarson.com.
Reviews (4)
School Library Journal Review
Gr 8 Up-Evelayn is the princess of the Light Kingdom, Eadrolan, and when the story begins, readers learn that she is awaiting her 18th birthday in order to access her full range of magical powers. More than anything she is wishing for her mother, the Queen of Eadrolan, to come back from the war front to celebrate with her. It is soon apparent that Evelayn is a strong young woman, much like her mother the queen, and is expected to rule the Light Kingdom one day. Details of the Dark Kingdom are revealed through its powerful characters interacting with the citizens and soldiers of Eadrolan, and it is this growing conflict that will intrigue readers as the inevitable confrontation between the two kingdoms hits a crescendo. Adding to the intrigue is a budding romance with the mysterious Lord Tanvir. Whether or not the reader is familiar with the story of Swan Lake really has no impact on the appeal of this book. VERDICT The story will undoubtedly have listeners anticipating the sequel.-Sheila Acosta, San Antonio Public Library © Copyright 2017. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publisher's Weekly Review
Larson (the Defy trilogy) deftly weaves fantasy with the best parts of the Swan Lake ballet in this gripping first book of a duology. The kingdoms of the Éadrolan and the Dorjhalon have been engaged in a bitter war for 10 years, costing thousands of lives. Queen Ilaria now leads the forces of the Light, much to the dismay of her daughter, Evelayn. After Evelayn ascends to Éadrolan's throne unexpectedly early, following her mother's death, Evelayn grapples with learning how to control her newfound powers and how to be an effective wartime ruler. One of the powers inherent to royals is the ability to assume animal form, something Evelayn struggles with throughout, and her attempts to balance her personal and professional lives is mirrored in the give and take between the Éadrolan and Dorjhalon. Larson is especially effective in her portrait of Evelayn's need to summon maturity before she thought she would have to, a sweetly innocent romance underscores the bite of betrayal, and the cliffhanger ending will easily build anticipation for the second book. Ages 12-up. Agent: Josh Adams, Adams Literary. (May) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Kirkus Review
The tragedy of Swan Lake gets a fantasy reimagining in this fast-paced book for teens.Evelayn, a white teenager, is the crown princess of adrolan, a kingdom of light that is locked in an ancient battle with King Bain, who commands the dark powers of the rival kingdom Dorjhalon. Citizens of both realms possess supernatural powers, and Evelayn comes into her full strength while the queen is fighting in the war, though the ability to shape-shift into swan form eludes her. Evelayn must foil a plot to deprive her people of their gifts by murdering the queen who is the conduit of all the light's power. When the worst happens, Evelayn undertakes a perilous journey to seek aid from an ancient power in an effort to prevent Bain from extinguishing the power of light permanently. Larson's (Endure, 2016, etc.) latest novel contains many of the tropes found in modern fantasy adaptations: a feisty princess, dastardly villains, epic fights, and a love triangle. The worldbuilding is intriguing and the matrilineal conveyance of power is a neat twist, but the novel's fascinating premise is undermined by its too-fast pacing. Readers are not given enough time to really invest in Evelayn's struggles or the supporting characters' before the main adventure gets underway, resulting in Evelayn's lapse into caricature. An appealing if imperfect girl-power fantasy that ably sets the stage for its sequel. (Fantasy. 13-17) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
Evelayn has always known she will be queen, but she hopes it's a long way off; after all, she has only just come into her full power. As princess of the Light Kingdom, the magical abilities she inherits at age 18 are even stronger than those of her subjects. Evelayn's mother, the queen, fights on the front lines of a recently ignited war with the Dark Kingdom, led by a mad king who hungers for violence, and Evelayn worries every day that she will lose her only remaining parent to the war. As the dark king schemes, Evelayn struggles to master her powers especially the ability to shape-shift into a swan, which eludes her and finds herself reluctantly drawn to the mysterious Lord Tanvir. Despite a slow start and some incomplete world building, this reimagination of Swan Lake features a plucky heroine, a sinister, surprise villain in the wings, and plenty of battle action. As for that plot? It certainly picks up a clever cliff-hanger ending will have readers demanding the sequel.--Reagan, Maggie Copyright 2017 Booklist