Veena’s review of The Pages Of The Mind (The Uncharted Realm, Book 1) by Jeffe Kennedy
Fantasy Romance published by Kensington 31 May 16
At a time when I was feeling somewhat jaded and itching for new reading adventures, I stumbled across Ms. Kennedy and her Twelve Kingdom series and became a fan. I am very pleased that she has more in store for her readers in this world. If you enjoy romantic fantasy and a well-told story, come venture with us into Ms. Kennedy’s Uncharted Realm.
Dafne Mailoux is a librarian used to fading into the background, a role she perfected after her family was killed, making her a ward of their murderer, the high king Uorsin. She’s in the right place at the right time to support his daughters, but now with Ursula crowned she’s ready to rest on her laurels. However, the author has more adventures in mind for her and will not permit her to fade away. A group of warriors from Ursula’s lover’s homeland bring tales of treasure and possible treachery in store for the new queen, causing Ursula to don her diplomatic hat and set out from her safe haven into the brave unknown.
Their journey involves some hair-raising moments with sea monsters and some very enlightening conversations between the three female companions. Journey’s end reads like something from Captain Cook’s journal as they are greeted by island people led by a very handsome king who eyes Dafne like she’s his next meal. She’s thrust into a ceremony she doesn’t understand and that apparently leaves her married to a man she can barely comprehend, even if he does make her virginal heart and female parts flutter. Poor Dafne is now torn in two between her loyalty and sworn oath to her queen and her developing feelings for this compelling and captivating island king.
Dragons, rain magic, and other strange and wondrous adventures befall Dafne while she succumbs to the attraction of her royal lover. The most wondrous part of her adventure is a library beyond compare at the king’s palace that tempts her almost as much as the king himself. The author paints beautiful word pictures of the natives, their dress, and the dragon whom she’s destined to save. Every Eden needs a serpent and there’s one of those as well, whom Dafne vanquishes.
To me this story, while enjoyable, is not as compelling as the original series. Ms. Kennedy does a great job of introducing the two protagonists of the next book in this series and their conflict already has me salivating to read how their story turns out.
Grade: B-
Summary:
An Orphan’s Throne
Magic has broken free over the Twelve Kingdoms. The population is beset by shapeshifters and portents, landscapes that migrate, uncanny allies who are not quite human…and enemies eager to take advantage of the chaos.
Dafne Mailloux is no adventurer–she’s a librarian. But the High Queen trusts Dafne’s ability with languages, her way of winnowing the useful facts from a dusty scroll, and even more important, the subtlety and guile that three decades under the thumb of a tyrant taught her.
Dafne never thought to need those skills again. But she accepts her duty. Until her journey drops her into the arms of a barbarian king. He speaks no tongue she knows but that of power, yet he recognizes his captive as a valuable pawn. Dafne must submit to a wedding of alliance, becoming a prisoner-queen in a court she does not understand. If she is to save herself and her country, she will have to learn to read the heart of a wild stranger. And there are more secrets written there than even Dafne could suspect…
No excerpt available.
Other books in this series:
