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Deroes kan Ingan, the stubborn and strong-willed Margrave of Arcanis, has eluded all attempts to get him to marry, and never intends to fall in love, but then he meets…
…Elizabeth Sheffield.
Spoiled, beautiful and accustomed to getting her way with men, Elizabeth professes love for and weds Deroes, privately calculating the benefits of marrying the ruler of a galaxy. Unexpected obstacles derail her plan – most significantly, Deroes’ nephew (and former heir), Aric.
Taken from his mother at age twelve and raised as the heir to the Arcanian throne, Aric bitterly rebuffs Elizabeth’s overtures of friendship. Events take an unexpected turn when he falls in love with his uncle’s wife.
While Aric and Elizabeth begin a passionate affair, other forces in the kingdom are plotting rebellion and murder…
…using Aric as a less-than-innocent pawn.
…Elizabeth Sheffield.
Spoiled, beautiful and accustomed to getting her way with men, Elizabeth professes love for and weds Deroes, privately calculating the benefits of marrying the ruler of a galaxy. Unexpected obstacles derail her plan – most significantly, Deroes’ nephew (and former heir), Aric.
Taken from his mother at age twelve and raised as the heir to the Arcanian throne, Aric bitterly rebuffs Elizabeth’s overtures of friendship. Events take an unexpected turn when he falls in love with his uncle’s wife.
While Aric and Elizabeth begin a passionate affair, other forces in the kingdom are plotting rebellion and murder…
…using Aric as a less-than-innocent pawn.
ebook
First published January 1, 2009
About the author
Toni V. Sweeney
99 books45 followersToni V. Sweeney a.k.a. T.S. Snow , author: Tony-Paul de Vissage, and Savannah Scarborough
Toni V. Sweeney specializes in SF/fantasy stories, though she writes in other genres as well.
Her western novels NEBRASKA: Walk the Shadow Trail placed 1st in Historical Romance at the 2015 Paranormal Guild's Reviewers Choice awards and 2nd in Other Novels at the Preditors & Editors Readers Poll; NEBRASKA: Vengeance from Eden was a Top 10 finisher in the 2014 Preditors & Editors Readers Poll. She also placed in the Top 10 Authors for 2015 from that same poll.
In 2014, TUESDAY'S CHILD (by Icy Snow Blackstone) won 1st in Contemporary Romance at the Paranormal Romance Guild's Reviewer's Choice awards.
THE EARTHMAN'S BRIDE (writing as Icy Snow Blackstone), re-released by Class Act Books in May, 2012, placed first in Alternate Romance/SF Division in the Maryland Romance Writer's Contest "Reveal Your Inner Vixen in 2008. JERICHO ROAD (also authored as Icy Snow Blackstone), placed 7th in the National Writers Association's Novel Contest in 1997.
Writing as Tony-Paul de Vissage, Toni's novel THE NIGHTMAN'S ODYSSEY placed 3rd in Horror in the Critters Annual readers Poll for 2023, and PATH OF THE WOLF was second runner-up in Horror in the Critters Readers Poll in 2025.
Under her own name, Toni writes SciFi/fantasy and space opera and the occasional horror and romance novel. Writing as Icy Snow Blackstone, she authors romance novels, and as Tony-Paul de Vissage, she writes horror and paranormal. She has reviewed books for 2 Lips reviews and was on the review staff of the New York Journal of Books and the Paranormal Romance Guild until both sites closed. She was recently named a professional reader by netgalley.com.
Her trailers are featured on Youtube.com.
Toni V. Sweeney specializes in SF/fantasy stories, though she writes in other genres as well.
Her western novels NEBRASKA: Walk the Shadow Trail placed 1st in Historical Romance at the 2015 Paranormal Guild's Reviewers Choice awards and 2nd in Other Novels at the Preditors & Editors Readers Poll; NEBRASKA: Vengeance from Eden was a Top 10 finisher in the 2014 Preditors & Editors Readers Poll. She also placed in the Top 10 Authors for 2015 from that same poll.
In 2014, TUESDAY'S CHILD (by Icy Snow Blackstone) won 1st in Contemporary Romance at the Paranormal Romance Guild's Reviewer's Choice awards.
THE EARTHMAN'S BRIDE (writing as Icy Snow Blackstone), re-released by Class Act Books in May, 2012, placed first in Alternate Romance/SF Division in the Maryland Romance Writer's Contest "Reveal Your Inner Vixen in 2008. JERICHO ROAD (also authored as Icy Snow Blackstone), placed 7th in the National Writers Association's Novel Contest in 1997.
Writing as Tony-Paul de Vissage, Toni's novel THE NIGHTMAN'S ODYSSEY placed 3rd in Horror in the Critters Annual readers Poll for 2023, and PATH OF THE WOLF was second runner-up in Horror in the Critters Readers Poll in 2025.
Under her own name, Toni writes SciFi/fantasy and space opera and the occasional horror and romance novel. Writing as Icy Snow Blackstone, she authors romance novels, and as Tony-Paul de Vissage, she writes horror and paranormal. She has reviewed books for 2 Lips reviews and was on the review staff of the New York Journal of Books and the Paranormal Romance Guild until both sites closed. She was recently named a professional reader by netgalley.com.
Her trailers are featured on Youtube.com.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
April 9, 2012
Deroes kan Ingan is the Margrave of Arcanis, a self-proclaimed bachelor who plans to stay that way. Deroes has decided it’s time to undertake a diplomatic mission to the planet Terra. His advisors are not happy, but Deroes will not be swayed from his mission. How was Deroes ever to imagine that what seemed an innocent diplomatic mission, would lead to marriage, treason, and the loss of one of his own beloved family members.
While on Terra, Deroes meets young Elizabeth Sheffield, a southern belle who is a teaching assistant at the University of South Carolina. For Deroes, it is love at first sight, for Elizabeth it is a way off Terra and a way into a completely different life. Much to the dismay of Deroes’ council, Deroes decides to marry young Elizabeth and make her his queen.
Deroes’ nephew Aric, who Deroes had previously designated as his heir, is none too pleased about the current turn of events. Determined to dislike Elizabeth on principle alone, Aric goes out of his way to make life difficult for her, and makes no apology about how he feels about his uncle’s upcoming marriage.
Elizabeth and Aric are natural enemies from the first moment they meet. These feelings burn and fester as time passes. Imagine their utter surprise, when they actually fall in love with each other and begin to have an illicit affair. The stage is set for disaster. Is it possible for anyone to come out the winner in this battle of love and desire?
Ms. Sweeney takes us on a journey to a different time and place, and gives us a varied and interesting cast of characters to guide us on this journey. Written between, Deroes, Elizabeth and Aric’s point of views, we get different sides to the same story and get to see how the drama unfolds from all sides. All three of the main players in the story are richly fleshed out, and we get to know them so well that the world they live in seems real.
In most stories you have the good guy, the bad guy; the hero and villain, all of whom you recognize almost immediately. Ms. Sweeney has given us a story where the lines between good guy and bad, hero and villain are blurred and not easily discernible.
Deroes is a good leader; he understands his duties and follows them right up until it comes to his love of Elizabeth. I would go so far as to say he is obsessed with her, possibly to the determent of his country. There were times I liked him, times I felt sorry for him and times I felt he really just needed to look closely at this woman he has fallen so hard for.
Elizabeth – oh what to say about Elizabeth – she was spoiled, she wanted what she wanted, and didn’t mind doing whatever it took to get what she wanted. I had a hard time liking her and must admit, I never did truly warm up to her.
Aric was at times the bad guy, the way he treated Elizabeth in the beginning was unforgivable, and at other times I got the sense that he is truly a man that cares about his country, and only wants what is best for it and his family. Like Elizabeth and even Deroes to a certain extent, Aric could be self-centered and arrogant.
I enjoyed this book, but even through the end had a hard time warming up to the principle characters, which made my enjoyment in the story a little tainted. I’m assuming since the title of the book is Book One, that there is a sequel in the works and I’m a little stumped as to how Ms. Sweeney is going to bring together the issues from this book. We are left with a little bit of a cliffhanger, but it makes sense and didn’t leave me with the feeling that I was missing something and some cliffhangers often do.
There are a few unsettling graphic scenes where Aric’s family curse comes to the forefront, but they fit into the story. There are some love scenes, not too graphic, but enough detail is there that makes this most definitely not a YA book. Science fiction and fantasy lovers will enjoy this book, as well as anyone who just likes a good journey of love and political intrigue.
Reviewed as a Member of the Paranormal Romance Guild Dual Review Team
While on Terra, Deroes meets young Elizabeth Sheffield, a southern belle who is a teaching assistant at the University of South Carolina. For Deroes, it is love at first sight, for Elizabeth it is a way off Terra and a way into a completely different life. Much to the dismay of Deroes’ council, Deroes decides to marry young Elizabeth and make her his queen.
Deroes’ nephew Aric, who Deroes had previously designated as his heir, is none too pleased about the current turn of events. Determined to dislike Elizabeth on principle alone, Aric goes out of his way to make life difficult for her, and makes no apology about how he feels about his uncle’s upcoming marriage.
Elizabeth and Aric are natural enemies from the first moment they meet. These feelings burn and fester as time passes. Imagine their utter surprise, when they actually fall in love with each other and begin to have an illicit affair. The stage is set for disaster. Is it possible for anyone to come out the winner in this battle of love and desire?
Ms. Sweeney takes us on a journey to a different time and place, and gives us a varied and interesting cast of characters to guide us on this journey. Written between, Deroes, Elizabeth and Aric’s point of views, we get different sides to the same story and get to see how the drama unfolds from all sides. All three of the main players in the story are richly fleshed out, and we get to know them so well that the world they live in seems real.
In most stories you have the good guy, the bad guy; the hero and villain, all of whom you recognize almost immediately. Ms. Sweeney has given us a story where the lines between good guy and bad, hero and villain are blurred and not easily discernible.
Deroes is a good leader; he understands his duties and follows them right up until it comes to his love of Elizabeth. I would go so far as to say he is obsessed with her, possibly to the determent of his country. There were times I liked him, times I felt sorry for him and times I felt he really just needed to look closely at this woman he has fallen so hard for.
Elizabeth – oh what to say about Elizabeth – she was spoiled, she wanted what she wanted, and didn’t mind doing whatever it took to get what she wanted. I had a hard time liking her and must admit, I never did truly warm up to her.
Aric was at times the bad guy, the way he treated Elizabeth in the beginning was unforgivable, and at other times I got the sense that he is truly a man that cares about his country, and only wants what is best for it and his family. Like Elizabeth and even Deroes to a certain extent, Aric could be self-centered and arrogant.
I enjoyed this book, but even through the end had a hard time warming up to the principle characters, which made my enjoyment in the story a little tainted. I’m assuming since the title of the book is Book One, that there is a sequel in the works and I’m a little stumped as to how Ms. Sweeney is going to bring together the issues from this book. We are left with a little bit of a cliffhanger, but it makes sense and didn’t leave me with the feeling that I was missing something and some cliffhangers often do.
There are a few unsettling graphic scenes where Aric’s family curse comes to the forefront, but they fit into the story. There are some love scenes, not too graphic, but enough detail is there that makes this most definitely not a YA book. Science fiction and fantasy lovers will enjoy this book, as well as anyone who just likes a good journey of love and political intrigue.
Reviewed as a Member of the Paranormal Romance Guild Dual Review Team
April 10, 2012
First let me say, what a wonderful first entry for a new series. Toni V Sweeney, this is not the first book I have read of yours, and I like your style. I adored The Wizard’s Wife and Bride of the Beast immensely, so I looked forward to another story, to wit you did not disappoint.
Deroes kan Ingan is the Margrave of Archanis; a planet very far from Terra which simulates our Earth. In this story we are many centuries into the future. People of Terra are called Milkies to the Archanians, because we are from the Milky Way.
The kan Igan family has ruled over 3000 years and can trace their bloodline to the first kan Igan ruler. Archanis has a caste system, and looks down at planets that let people marry whom they want and do not hold their beliefs. Deroes travels to Terra on a mission to meet with the Terrans and innocently meets beautiful, spoiled Elizabeth Sheffield. He has already given up on having a partner and a family, and has named his young nephew Aric as his heir. This meeting changes all of their lives dramatically.
When Deroes invites a contingent to come to Archanis and nudges The Elders to add Elizabeth to the invitation, he swiftly courts her and asks for her hand in marriage. She is no fool, and although engaged to another, has no qualms by saying yes. Deroes is much older than she, although the kan Ingans age well.
She is introduced to Aric, who at the age of twelve, was snatched from his mother’s home to be groomed by The Elders as the next heir and Margrave. Aric is tall, handsome, arrogant, and carries himself as all the world is beneath him. Now is future has been snatched from him by this milkey. How would you feel?
Ms Sweeney has written a wonderful story of love, lies, deceit in all it’s ugly glory. The POV is handled with such skill between Deroes, Elizabeth and Aric.
I loved Deroes as a leader, he was kind and fair-minded, which I felt would do him in with the purists. The Elders would not wish to see him taint the kan Ingan bloodline and marry an outsider. It made me squirm when he became enthralled with Elizabeth to the point of obsession. Is that what happens when a 5o year old marries a 20 something???
I quite understood Aric’s behavior at meeting Elizabeth. Imagine you lost everything because your Uncle fell in love… I probably would not have been nice either. After all this time, having to decide what you would do with your life, now that the plan you've had for the future since you were 12 was taken off your plate, is hard to swallow. Elizabeth was something though. I did not like her, and my thoughts did not change throughout the book. She did not disappoint, although at one point, I did feel sorry for her.
As usual, Ms Sweeney has cast this story in a setting of fantasy / science fiction and yet it does not over power you. It really is all about the cast she has created to spin this exciting story. There are many other side characters you get to know, and some like the vicious Elders you wished you didn’t. Aric’s mother and boyhood friends Kimi and Eby were wonderful additions.
Since there is a sequel, and it is ready to be read, I am happy to pick up Exile. Hope you will as well…
Review by Gloria Lakritz
Review Chair and Sr Reviewer for the Paranormal Romance Guild
Deroes kan Ingan is the Margrave of Archanis; a planet very far from Terra which simulates our Earth. In this story we are many centuries into the future. People of Terra are called Milkies to the Archanians, because we are from the Milky Way.
The kan Igan family has ruled over 3000 years and can trace their bloodline to the first kan Igan ruler. Archanis has a caste system, and looks down at planets that let people marry whom they want and do not hold their beliefs. Deroes travels to Terra on a mission to meet with the Terrans and innocently meets beautiful, spoiled Elizabeth Sheffield. He has already given up on having a partner and a family, and has named his young nephew Aric as his heir. This meeting changes all of their lives dramatically.
When Deroes invites a contingent to come to Archanis and nudges The Elders to add Elizabeth to the invitation, he swiftly courts her and asks for her hand in marriage. She is no fool, and although engaged to another, has no qualms by saying yes. Deroes is much older than she, although the kan Ingans age well.
She is introduced to Aric, who at the age of twelve, was snatched from his mother’s home to be groomed by The Elders as the next heir and Margrave. Aric is tall, handsome, arrogant, and carries himself as all the world is beneath him. Now is future has been snatched from him by this milkey. How would you feel?
Ms Sweeney has written a wonderful story of love, lies, deceit in all it’s ugly glory. The POV is handled with such skill between Deroes, Elizabeth and Aric.
I loved Deroes as a leader, he was kind and fair-minded, which I felt would do him in with the purists. The Elders would not wish to see him taint the kan Ingan bloodline and marry an outsider. It made me squirm when he became enthralled with Elizabeth to the point of obsession. Is that what happens when a 5o year old marries a 20 something???
I quite understood Aric’s behavior at meeting Elizabeth. Imagine you lost everything because your Uncle fell in love… I probably would not have been nice either. After all this time, having to decide what you would do with your life, now that the plan you've had for the future since you were 12 was taken off your plate, is hard to swallow. Elizabeth was something though. I did not like her, and my thoughts did not change throughout the book. She did not disappoint, although at one point, I did feel sorry for her.
As usual, Ms Sweeney has cast this story in a setting of fantasy / science fiction and yet it does not over power you. It really is all about the cast she has created to spin this exciting story. There are many other side characters you get to know, and some like the vicious Elders you wished you didn’t. Aric’s mother and boyhood friends Kimi and Eby were wonderful additions.
Since there is a sequel, and it is ready to be read, I am happy to pick up Exile. Hope you will as well…
Review by Gloria Lakritz
Review Chair and Sr Reviewer for the Paranormal Romance Guild
November 27, 2012
If you have never read a Toni V. Sweeney book then this should be the one you start with. It has it all, love, murder, treason and betrayal not to mention tall sexy and handsome aliens.
Aric Kan Ingan is a spoiled Royal who at the age of twelve was taken from his mother to learn all about being a Margrave. The Margrave of Arcanis, Deroes Kan Ingan is determined to be a bachelor and his nephew Aric is the one he has chosen to be his successor upon his death. All that changes when Deroes goes to Earth and meets a beautiful young Terran, Elizabeth Sheffield. This chance meeting brings nothing but danger to Deroes and especially to Aric. Many on Arcanis want only a pure blooded Aranian to rule but that is not to be.
At first Aric's feelings toward Elizabeth are pure unadulterated hatred but when those feelings change it is the beginning of the end for him.
There are those on the council who wanted Aric to become the next Margrave but the birth of Elizabeth and Deroes' child puts an end to that.
There is so much more to this story besides a Margrave who has fallen madly in love with an alien or a spoiled young man who sees his dream of becoming a Margrave destroyed. Aric is a wonderful character whose rise and fall is followed not only in this book but in the books to come, I can't wait.
Aric Kan Ingan is a spoiled Royal who at the age of twelve was taken from his mother to learn all about being a Margrave. The Margrave of Arcanis, Deroes Kan Ingan is determined to be a bachelor and his nephew Aric is the one he has chosen to be his successor upon his death. All that changes when Deroes goes to Earth and meets a beautiful young Terran, Elizabeth Sheffield. This chance meeting brings nothing but danger to Deroes and especially to Aric. Many on Arcanis want only a pure blooded Aranian to rule but that is not to be.
At first Aric's feelings toward Elizabeth are pure unadulterated hatred but when those feelings change it is the beginning of the end for him.
There are those on the council who wanted Aric to become the next Margrave but the birth of Elizabeth and Deroes' child puts an end to that.
There is so much more to this story besides a Margrave who has fallen madly in love with an alien or a spoiled young man who sees his dream of becoming a Margrave destroyed. Aric is a wonderful character whose rise and fall is followed not only in this book but in the books to come, I can't wait.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews