Inventor: Elven Alliance Collected Stories Volume Two

Elven Alliance #8 vol 2

by Tara Grayce

Also available in the full collection of Heart Bond (Elven Alliance Book 8). If you have already read Heart Bond, there is no need to also read this ebook.

Fan favorites find their happy endings in this second collection of Elven Alliance short stories and novellas!

If you've been waiting for Iyrinder and Miss Merrick's story, Lance and Illyna to finally meet, and glimpses of Farrendel and Essie's growing family, then you won't want to miss this story collection!

King of Escarland – When King Averett is shot on his coronation day, sparks fly between him and the captain’s daughter Paige.
The Guard and the Maid – Iyrinder is the perfect elven guard, but will he find his happily ever after with the human maid Miss Merrick? Or will a near tragedy cut their love story short?
Inventor – Machines have always made more sense to Lance Marion than people. But when the elf Illyna walks into his life, his inventions might not be enough to build a happily ever after.

This collection also includes the stories Birthdays, The Wager, Weapons Collection, Failures and Forgiveness, and Nightmares and Monsters.

Genres: Fantasy, Romance, Fantasy Romance, Steampunk, Elves, Short Stories, Royalty

305 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 28, 2023

About the author

Born and raised in Michigan, I enjoy traveling to new adventures that inspire my writing.

Growing up, I read just about every book I could get my hands on, especially fantasy. I currently write YA fantasy and romantic fantasy filled with lots of humor, spunky and tough leading ladies, and broken heroes.

When I am not writing, I enjoy spending time with my chocolate lab, Miss Kisses.

Reviews

[Sarah Ryder · Rating 5 out of 5]

Even more short stories and novellas about my favorite characters! Loved these so much!

King of Escarland: Loved seeing a story from Averett and Paige’s POVs—I only wish it had included a couple of chapters of them falling in love, that would have been so sweet!

Birthdays: Essie and Farrendel cuteness overload plus their families—of course I love this one! I grinned like an idiot the whole time, heehee. 🤭

The Guard and the Maid: I wasn’t ever invested in Iyrinder or Miss Merrick but now I totally am! They’re so cute and I love how patient he was with her. And them bonding with Essie and Farrendel was everything. 🥰

The Wager: Good to know Weylind has a “petty” streak too, lol!

Weapons Collection: Vriska falling even more in love with Julien over his weapons was both sweet and so her, lol.

Failures and Forgiveness: Seeing a bit of Melantha and Rharreth’s thoughts during and after some of the events in Shield Band was so good and the ending cracked me up.

Nightmares and Monsters: Essie and Farrendel being so cute and such good parents was the best. Could not stop smiling over this one!

Inventor: Lance and Illyna are so precious! I love these awkward, adorable beans! Also seeing Essie, Farrendel, and their kids was so sweet and wonderful, they are the best parents ever. 🥰


**Note: This used to be an ebook standalone but it is now bound up with the second ebook collection Peril in the 8th novel of the series Heart Bond. As long as you read Heart Bond you’ll read these stories, so no need to track down this edition!**


‼️Content (for all stories)‼️

TRIGGER WARNING: a character suffers from nightmares and PTSD

Violence: mentions of a past war and the loved ones lost in it; a character was tortured in the past (not detailed); fighting with weapons and magic (not detailed); injuries and blood (not detailed); an assassination attempt (not detailed); mention of a character having been imprisoned and tortured

Sexual: kissing (not detailed)

Other: magic; magical abilities and races; a character suffers from nightmares and PTSD; a character is illegitimate; death and grief

[M.H. Elrich · Rating 5 out of 5]

I adored this collection of short stories! It was fun to get some insight into everyone's lives, past and present.
My favorite short story was Iyrinder and Miss Merrick because it seemed the most developed of the romances and I could relate to Patience's hesistance.
A second favorite would definitely be the Wager, which made me laugh out loud multiple times.
I loved seeing Melantha and Rharreth again, and felt like some of the character arcs which were left a bit open-ended were resolved, too.
And of course, who doesn't love insights into Farrendell and Essie's growing family!
I must admit that although I enjoyed both Essie's eldest brother's love story and Lance and Ilyna's story, both left me a bit unsatisfied as they were rather short and condensed. But it makes sense that they are, considering this is a short story collection. However, they were not my favorites in this collection.
Overall, an enjoyable read for those who love the series and just want more!

[Grace Morris · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 Stars for the whole book.

"King of Ecscarland"
3 Stars
Mini Review:

Jumped around a lot. Disappointed that we didn't get to see more of their relationships when they were younger. Characters seemed out of character. I wanted to see more of Paige's and Avie's courtship. Good backstory though and the Mom was pretty cool.

"Birthdays"
5 Stars
Mini Review:

This was more the writing style I remember. Really cute and fun!!!

"The Guard and the Maid"
5 Stars
Mini Review:

Review to come!

"The Wager"
5 Stars
Mini Review:

Review to come!

"Weapons Collection"
5 Stars
Mini Review:

Review to come!

"Failures and Forgiveness"
4.5 Stars
Mini Review:

Review to come!

"Nightmares and Monsters"
5 Stars
Mini Review:

Review to come!

"Inventor"
5 Stars
Mini Review:

Review to come!

[Kysa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awwwww!!

I didn’t realize how much I needed this! 🩷 Perfection! I loved returning to these friends and seeing more of their lives!

[Smasher · Rating 4 out of 5]

Content:

Language: None.

Violence: Mild. One of the stories has a shooting, but it isn't graphically described.

Sexual: Mild. Mostly just hugs and some kisses, nothing steamy.



This is a book of collected Elven Alliance stories, and if you don't read the main series, this will make little to no sense to you and also spoil a lot, so fair warning.

King of Escarland: 3.5 out of 5
This is a story about Averett and Paige, though mostly about Averett and how he became King. It skips around and shows how he and Paige meet. I would've loved more of their courtship, but it does just the meet then the wedding day after all is said and done. It was cute.

Birthdays: 4 out of 5
A super cute double feature of Essie and Farrendel's birthday celebrations.

The Guard and the Maid: 4 out of 5
This was my favorite of the bunch of stories and I think the longest of them. It's about Iyrinder and Patience. I loved their courtship and seeing more of their characters and how they got through some of their own hang ups and difficulties to come together. Iyrinder especially made me smile. Very nice short romance.

The Wager: 4 out of 5
Very short little story about how Averett and Weylind decide to make some wagers. It made me snicker.

Weapons Collection: 3.5 out of 5
A short with Julien and Vriska, and I was just shaking my head at Vriska's weapons obsession. Julien is so cute about the whole thing and Vriska's attraction growing because of all the weapons cracked me up.

Failures and Forgiveness: 3 out of 5
This is about Melantha during the poisoning of Kostaria. And then about how she is trying to heal the breach with her siblings during Julien and Vriska's wedding celebrations. I don't care for Melantha much, but I love Rharreth, hence why I didn't care much for this short.

Nightmares and Monsters: 3.5 out of 5
This was a short with Essie and Farrendel and how they, as a family with Fieran, deal with his ongoing PTSD from...well...everything. It was sweet. I love seeing papa Farrendel.

Inventor: 3 out of 5
I thought I'd enjoy this one more. It's about Lance Marion, Farrendel's quirky inventor friend, and Illyna, the shampoo/conditioner maker who lost her hand in the war. I found it to be more of a story about disability and how to handle it, than two people who had a connection. There were lovely moments, but it had lots of 'teaching' moments that felt too in my face to truly enjoy it or give enough screen time to the character development or romance between them.

Overall the book was fun, I enjoyed visiting the characters again.

[Amber Gabriel · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fun, romantic vacation to a favorite world

This is an enjoyable collection of stories that allows us glimpses of some of our favorite characters while giving insight into those with supporting roles. The immersive world building extends to natural-sounding plant-related sayings and thoughts with fun details like preservation magic on wooden flour containers. Sardonic Elven humor pokes fun at everyone from college students to parliament.
Paige and Averett's story moved a little too fast for me, skipping the courtship entirely, but it does fit the theme that true love is worth sacrificing for. The Guard and the Maid and Inventor were everything I could wish for, with poignant moments, thought-provoking situations, and quotable lines.
Though I love romance, The Wager is probably my favorite story in this collection. It's so funny! Averett’s and Weylind’s opposite personalities complement each other as they eventually become friends. Highly recommend for fans of Elven Alliance.

[Katie Rew · Rating 5 out of 5]

How can these books just keep on getting better? Inventor was such a sweet collection of stories. I loved seeing the little backstories and scenes from a different perspective.

And Essie giving advice in Inventor and The Guard and the Maid is amazing. She is going to become a bubbly Leyleira, I just know it.

Seeing Essie and Farrendel as parents was so sweet. Especially dealing with the nightmares.

Weylind and Averett's friendship is so wholesome. I could stop grinning during The Wager. And yes, I absolutely want an elf ear mug.

I have to say that Inventor was undoubtedly my favorite. I love seeing people whose personalities are different interact and love each other. I suppose that's what I lived about Essie and Farrendel. I also appreciated that Illyna didn't hold any petty grudges over the prosthetic arm.

Definitely a 5 star read, but all of Tara Grayce's books are.

[Paula Dawes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Inventor is a collage of stories that “fill in the blanks” for the main characters from the Elven Alliance series and several of the supporting cast like
Lyrinder and Miss Merrick. Throughout the series we have seen glimpses of them but now we know how their relationship develops and and what their happily ever after looks like. I was also excited to see Illyna develop a relationship with Lance. He has always been nose deep in his inventions and she has had adverse reactions to her missing hand.

I was excited to read Inventor and if you haven’t read the Elven Alliance series what are you waiting for.

[Marcie Sewell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great, but I expected more

I love the Eleven Alliance series. One of my all time favorites. I order anything Tara Grace writes. I did not read what the nook was about. I saw the cover and name of book Inventor and assumed it was Lance and Illyna's story. I was a book of 5(I believe) stories of things that had happened in the previous books except for Lance and I'll that's story. I love these characters and would have liked to had most of these stories as books by themselves. That was my only disappointment and my fault for not reading more about the book.

[Em (Diversify Your Shelf) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an adorable series of short stories and a welcome entry back into this world!

However, I really want to emphasize how impressed I am with the discussions of disability in the titular story "Inventor." Tara Grace has done an excellent job (in my view) of discussing disabilities but how the discussion was framed within this short story was stellar. It managed to be honest without being harsh or leaning into #InspoP0rn and I wish more authors (and people in general) understood this as thoroughly.

[Kim Gregory · Rating 4 out of 5]

Four stars because this isn't my favorite way to read a book - several stories that fit within other stories - and this is several book series, so remembering what happened when in my old brain was difficult. The Inventor's story came at the end and was very quick, about as long as the other bits and bobs that were in the book. The writing is very good, as always, just not how I like to read a book.

[Shae · Rating 4 out of 5]

The title of the book is a little misleading as Inventor is the very last story in the collection. There are stories about all of your favorite characters including some of what happens to them after the original series. I liked these, but none of them blew me away. Inventor may have been my favorite or the set, but I also wanted it to be longer and more detailed. Still good though if you liked the rest of the series.

[Sharon Hughson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love this world and these characters

I would have preferred novella-length stories for the new romances, but this collection was a sweet visit into this fantastical world where elves, humans, and trolls learn to live together and sometimes even love each other.
Grayce says only one more book and she will be finished with this series. That makes me a bit sad.

[Natasha · Rating 5 out of 5]

great addition to the series!

I liked diving into little behind the scenes that span throughout the entire series. It’s well written, very engaging and truly a fun (and sometimes very thought provoking) read.
I do give 5 stars but I personally would’ve loved to read more about Avie and Paige. Their love story seemed lacking some development but still very sweet.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've spent the morning reading the book straight through
It was cool getting to see Illyna and Lance's story and what Lance built for her was very sweet. And the brief moment between Rharreth and Edmund was funny.
And I liked getting to see “Essie and Farrendel years later as their family grew

[Jeni Fehlberg · Rating 5 out of 5]

loved this book

I loved this book as it’s filled in a lot of blanks. So romantic and beautifully written. Lots of love without the extra unnecessary details. Can’t wait for the next book to be released.

[LaShunda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Shorts!

An excellent collection of micro stories to follow up on an excellent series. The shorts give me a glimpse into the happily ever afters I wanted for some of my favorite characters. I'm thrilled with how everything turns out. Excellent!

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Better

I love a good epilogue. Once a series ends its always frustrating that we don't get to see much of the happily ever after. So I'm thrilled whenever an author adds more epilogue to the series instead of only doing prequels. Although those can be nice too

[Tenna Chatman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really, really great stories

This was the perfect book! It gave more insight to the characters and their individual lives. I don't usually like short stories, but this collection was such great reading!

[Linda Roach · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very enjoyable read

Hope the writer will give us more adventures with the characters she has built in this world. This is a world I could visit every day for weeks. It gives one a much needed refreshing break.

[MissFaerieKaiti · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brace yourself for a bunch of happily-ever-afters with this book that delivers a whole handful of fun stories! My favorite was the one with the same title as the overall work.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed these stories.

Content: clean

[Melody · Rating 5 out of 5]

So good!!

I loved hearing the bacstory of all the side characters. I especially love how realistic Lance's love story was. Great!

[Hanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

So much fun. Would've loved to see a bit more of the courtship between Avie and Paige though.
Seeing Farrendel as "Daddy/Dacha" though, omg, *melting*

[Marlo Schalesky · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very enjoyable!!

[Iris · Rating 3 out of 5]

This world is fun to dive into.

no language, kissing only and mild violence.

[Raquel (Silver Valkyrie Reads) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nothing extraordinary in this one, but a pleasant read, and especially interesting to get to see more of the world from the perspective of non-royalty.

Expect the usual death, violence, and mental health struggles from the rest of the series, but no content concerns beyond that.

[Kezia · Rating 3 out of 5]

CONTENT
kissing, snuggling and hand holding, peril...

MESSAGES (some of them)
fears will hold you back - try talking honestly with your potentail wife or husband - royalty should be good at putting on smiles; it's useful

WRITING
Good! Most of these stories wouldn't be nearly as fun if we hadn't already come to love these charritures, and there are lots of spoilers for the main books.

CONCLUSION
Excellent as ever! I enjoyed the cute scenes and family relationships. (copied from my review of Heart Bond)