What do you think?
Rate this book
Tales from Eviryia #2
The Varken
Her rival may be the only one she can trust
While the civil war has left people restless, the final battle showed Brielle, a young maid in Ailenor, a glimpse of what her future could the Varken of Ailenor. There is only one person standing in the way of her Hart, a young man the True King has already chosen to be Heath-Varken's successor.
But Brie isn’t one to give up easily.
When Brie is assigned as Hart’s new maid, she sees an opportunity to study her rival, determined to prove herself as his equal in the eyes of Heath-Varken. But as a new threat to the kingdom begins to brew and the search for the Keeper becomes more dire, Brie finds that Hart may be the only one she can trust to keep Eviryia from falling into chaos once more…
The Varken is a stand-alone young adult fantasy novel set five years after The Keeper. Follow Brie and Hart as they journey together to discover how to find purpose and identity when their dreams conflict with reality.
While the civil war has left people restless, the final battle showed Brielle, a young maid in Ailenor, a glimpse of what her future could the Varken of Ailenor. There is only one person standing in the way of her Hart, a young man the True King has already chosen to be Heath-Varken's successor.
But Brie isn’t one to give up easily.
When Brie is assigned as Hart’s new maid, she sees an opportunity to study her rival, determined to prove herself as his equal in the eyes of Heath-Varken. But as a new threat to the kingdom begins to brew and the search for the Keeper becomes more dire, Brie finds that Hart may be the only one she can trust to keep Eviryia from falling into chaos once more…
The Varken is a stand-alone young adult fantasy novel set five years after The Keeper. Follow Brie and Hart as they journey together to discover how to find purpose and identity when their dreams conflict with reality.
- GenresFantasy
488 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 17, 2017
23 people are currently reading
190 people want to read
About the author
Erin Phillips
12 books1,159 followersStories teach the heart to believe, and Erin tries to fill every second with stories, whether it’s an audiobook while on the go, a movie with her hubs, or just snuggling up with a good book. She is not afraid of a dark story, for the Light is often the most brilliant in the dead of night.
Erin graduated from the University of North Carolina School of the Arts with a B.F.A. in Costume Design & Technology, and lives in North Carolina with her husband, Jeremy, and their happy corgis, Parker and Fable.
Erin graduated from the University of North Carolina School of the Arts with a B.F.A. in Costume Design & Technology, and lives in North Carolina with her husband, Jeremy, and their happy corgis, Parker and Fable.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
January 5, 2023
NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR: These second editions have been a long time coming. When I first started out on this journey, I truly had not a single clue what I was doing, all I knew is that I had stories within me that I needed to let out into the world. As life ebbed and flowed, I found my way back to authorship with A Crown of Chains, looking forward to a professional career as an indie author.
But I never stopped looking back at my debut novels and wanting something better for them, something better for the girl who sat alone at a keyboard and typed out those stories, dreaming of little more than a book in her hands.
While these second editions have been given a second-over to correct typos and smooth out some of the prose, it remains almost completely unchanged. I was tempted at times to rewrite large chunks, updating the prose to reflect how I have grown as a storyteller over the years, but decided to do as little as possible, maintaining the original work as much as possible.
Thank you to all of you who have taken the time to read (and review!) THE VARKEN over the years! Brie and Hart are two of my favorite characters I’ve ever had the pleasure of adventuring with! It was such a joy to revisit these characters—they hold a dear place in my heart—and to even add a little extra bonus scene for the second edition!
The teaser at the end of the original edition for a third in this series has been omitted in the second edition; I hope to one day figure out the right way to share with you all what happens next for Marjolee and Atticus, but there are no solid plans to do so as of now.
But I never stopped looking back at my debut novels and wanting something better for them, something better for the girl who sat alone at a keyboard and typed out those stories, dreaming of little more than a book in her hands.
While these second editions have been given a second-over to correct typos and smooth out some of the prose, it remains almost completely unchanged. I was tempted at times to rewrite large chunks, updating the prose to reflect how I have grown as a storyteller over the years, but decided to do as little as possible, maintaining the original work as much as possible.
Thank you to all of you who have taken the time to read (and review!) THE VARKEN over the years! Brie and Hart are two of my favorite characters I’ve ever had the pleasure of adventuring with! It was such a joy to revisit these characters—they hold a dear place in my heart—and to even add a little extra bonus scene for the second edition!
The teaser at the end of the original edition for a third in this series has been omitted in the second edition; I hope to one day figure out the right way to share with you all what happens next for Marjolee and Atticus, but there are no solid plans to do so as of now.
June 26, 2023
Brie & Hart are hilariously adorable & just the cutest. Their journey from rivals to best friends to lovers was simply the best, and I adored their supportiveness for each other. The romance is so sweet & pure & precious.
Galen… ahh, he is just lovely as he was in book 1, but also, my heart hurts for him so much. Will say no more because *spoilers* and I don’t want to start crying yet again.
Every chapter is filled with action & adventure that will keep your heart pounding to the very last page. This duology was honestly such a refreshing bit of joy over the weekend—I will definitely be adding these books to my shelves!
Content note: some torture but it isn’t too graphic
Galen… ahh, he is just lovely as he was in book 1, but also, my heart hurts for him so much. Will say no more because *spoilers* and I don’t want to start crying yet again.
Every chapter is filled with action & adventure that will keep your heart pounding to the very last page. This duology was honestly such a refreshing bit of joy over the weekend—I will definitely be adding these books to my shelves!
Content note: some torture but it isn’t too graphic
April 6, 2020
I'm definitely biased since the author is my cousin, but I can objectively say that this book is a really good fantasy novel and a nice continuation from the first book! The ending was a bit abrupt and slightly confusing, but overall I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book! I heartily recommend it to anyone who loves the fantasy genre!
September 7, 2022
Great book! The lead guy is awesome! Definitely read The Keeper first. 😊
May 2, 2023
I really enjoyed “the Varken”!! I thought it was a great improvement from the first book in the series, “The Keeper”. The character development, storyline, and overall world-building was much more significant than the first book.
The way Brie matured from a selfish, demanding teen into a confident, assured woman was a beautiful demonstration of what can happen when you begin to trust other people (and God). There were some typos, but nothing significant. Also, it felt a bit long in the first 30% and some scenes could’ve been cut out. The overall plot turned out a lot different than I predicted, and it was a refreshing break from common feminism/secularism/etc agendas. I think a third book would round out this series very well!
The way Brie matured from a selfish, demanding teen into a confident, assured woman was a beautiful demonstration of what can happen when you begin to trust other people (and God). There were some typos, but nothing significant. Also, it felt a bit long in the first 30% and some scenes could’ve been cut out. The overall plot turned out a lot different than I predicted, and it was a refreshing break from common feminism/secularism/etc agendas. I think a third book would round out this series very well!
August 18, 2025
3.5 Stars.
The vibes:
- Book 2 in duology
- Rivals
- Romance
- Ya fantasy
- Closed door
My thoughts:
This is book two in the Tales from Eviryia. I wish I read it sooner - as soon as I finished book 1 - so people and places would have been fresher in my mind.
This was a slower paced book, and I felt like it was mostly character driven. I liked the little sprinkle of romance that we got. And I really liked the entire character development of Brie. At times the pacing maybe felt off, but I really liked where it landed with her and Hart.
There were some typos here and there, but I loved reading one of Erin’s older books. I’ve said it before, I’d read her grocery list at this point.
Note- closed door
The vibes:
- Book 2 in duology
- Rivals
- Romance
- Ya fantasy
- Closed door
My thoughts:
This is book two in the Tales from Eviryia. I wish I read it sooner - as soon as I finished book 1 - so people and places would have been fresher in my mind.
This was a slower paced book, and I felt like it was mostly character driven. I liked the little sprinkle of romance that we got. And I really liked the entire character development of Brie. At times the pacing maybe felt off, but I really liked where it landed with her and Hart.
There were some typos here and there, but I loved reading one of Erin’s older books. I’ve said it before, I’d read her grocery list at this point.
Note- closed door
Want to read
February 21, 2025SM
February 19, 2025
Definitely not where I thought the sequel to “The Keeper” would lead but still a terrific book (especially if you didn’t really read the blurb on the back before purchasing, lol). I like how the author shows growth in her characters that makes you appreciate them more, and as the story goes on you begin to see how everything fell into place to get the outcome.
July 7, 2024
I’ve so enjoyed spending time in Eviryia in this sequel book. There is even more growth and character development in this second novel, and I love it. The fantasy realm with a faith based story is all I need in a novel. Growing romance without the extra spice is also appreciated.
September 20, 2024
a wonderful second book to the keeper
This book was even better than the first and less typos. Once again such good story-telling and was nice to have more pages to develop the story.
This book was even better than the first and less typos. Once again such good story-telling and was nice to have more pages to develop the story.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews