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The Zarryiostrom Series #2
Usurper
As spring gives way to summer’s heat
The drums of war will tap their beat
One King has fallen, two more will arise
But one to adore, the other despise. . .
After the disastrous events of the Convocation, the people of Illymar have found themselves bereft of allies and embroiled in the very war they had tried so desperately to forestall. Worse, in a single stroke their greatest enemy, King Madari Dhaerhan of Dakkadia, has deprived Illymar of its leadership, leaving the country deeply divided in its most desperate hour.
The heir to the Illymari Throne, Prince Ethan Illvanin, is weak and vain, completely unprepared to be King during a war for survival against their hated rivals. Opposing Ethan is his uncle, Ascham Illvanin, the Duke of Saerce, the most powerful man in Illymar, and the man best suited to command its armies. Ascham harbors no ambition to become King, but Ethan cannot afford the possibility that his uncle will claim the Crown for himself and plunge the country into civil war.
The fate of Illymar will be decided by the unlikeliest of people. Princess Tais Illvanna, the disgraced oldest daughter of King Orem of Illymar, harbors a bitter resentment toward her family for the roles they played in the deaths of her husband and her son, but she must choose between the two, and her decision will mean either peace under her hated brother’s rule, or open warfare between Ethan and Ascham.
Meanwhile, King Madari has troubles of his own. He has Illymar right where he wants it, but standing between him and his ambitions are two obstacles: the Teeth of Amhar, and the Mage High Council of Ithram. Unbeknownst to Illymar, one obstacle has already been neutralized, but eliminating the other will not be as simple, for Illymar enjoys a mutual defense treaty with Ithram and their army of Powerborn, and an attack on one is an attack on the other. Unless he can somehow find a way to break the treaty between Illymar and Ithram, or find a legitimate reason to invade the island, his ambition to conquer Illymar and claim the beguiling Princess Tais for himself will be all but impossible to achieve.
Finally, Princess Chesare Illvanna, the Powerborn daughter of King Orem, will be forced to choose between the laws of Ithram, or helping her family put an end to the approaching war. But as powerful as she is, she is still a child lacking in experience. If she intervenes, will her power do more harm than good?
The drums of war will tap their beat
One King has fallen, two more will arise
But one to adore, the other despise. . .
After the disastrous events of the Convocation, the people of Illymar have found themselves bereft of allies and embroiled in the very war they had tried so desperately to forestall. Worse, in a single stroke their greatest enemy, King Madari Dhaerhan of Dakkadia, has deprived Illymar of its leadership, leaving the country deeply divided in its most desperate hour.
The heir to the Illymari Throne, Prince Ethan Illvanin, is weak and vain, completely unprepared to be King during a war for survival against their hated rivals. Opposing Ethan is his uncle, Ascham Illvanin, the Duke of Saerce, the most powerful man in Illymar, and the man best suited to command its armies. Ascham harbors no ambition to become King, but Ethan cannot afford the possibility that his uncle will claim the Crown for himself and plunge the country into civil war.
The fate of Illymar will be decided by the unlikeliest of people. Princess Tais Illvanna, the disgraced oldest daughter of King Orem of Illymar, harbors a bitter resentment toward her family for the roles they played in the deaths of her husband and her son, but she must choose between the two, and her decision will mean either peace under her hated brother’s rule, or open warfare between Ethan and Ascham.
Meanwhile, King Madari has troubles of his own. He has Illymar right where he wants it, but standing between him and his ambitions are two obstacles: the Teeth of Amhar, and the Mage High Council of Ithram. Unbeknownst to Illymar, one obstacle has already been neutralized, but eliminating the other will not be as simple, for Illymar enjoys a mutual defense treaty with Ithram and their army of Powerborn, and an attack on one is an attack on the other. Unless he can somehow find a way to break the treaty between Illymar and Ithram, or find a legitimate reason to invade the island, his ambition to conquer Illymar and claim the beguiling Princess Tais for himself will be all but impossible to achieve.
Finally, Princess Chesare Illvanna, the Powerborn daughter of King Orem, will be forced to choose between the laws of Ithram, or helping her family put an end to the approaching war. But as powerful as she is, she is still a child lacking in experience. If she intervenes, will her power do more harm than good?
486 pages, Hardcover
First published August 8, 2012
3 people are currently reading
88 people want to read
About the author
Nene Thomas
15 books39 followersNene hase been drawing and painting for most of her life. She began her professional career in 1994 when she was approached by a company called Wizards of the Coast to contribute work to the popular Collectible Card Game called “Magic: the Gathering.”
She worked with WotC for a few years, as well as several other CCG companies, but eventually grew tired of working for other people and decided to try doing her own thing. In particular, she wanted to paint the characters from a story that she'd been working on since high school, and felt she needed to hone her skills to be able to truly ‘capture’ them.
It is called “The Zarryiostrom”, and will be a multi-part fantasy novel featuring many of the characters that Nene has painted over the years. Last year her husband started writing the first novel, and she started painting images to go with it. The first book, is entitled Powerborn
She worked with WotC for a few years, as well as several other CCG companies, but eventually grew tired of working for other people and decided to try doing her own thing. In particular, she wanted to paint the characters from a story that she'd been working on since high school, and felt she needed to hone her skills to be able to truly ‘capture’ them.
It is called “The Zarryiostrom”, and will be a multi-part fantasy novel featuring many of the characters that Nene has painted over the years. Last year her husband started writing the first novel, and she started painting images to go with it. The first book, is entitled Powerborn
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
October 19, 2012
Wow… So I just finished reading Usurper and all I can say is Wow. It makes me so happy and oddly proud to be able to help promote this fantastic series. Ok I know I am being all gushy but it is so delightful to find a book, let alone a series that captures my attention, makes me fall in love with characters, and has a phenomenal depth of intrigue and courtly politics. Not to mention the tears that came to my eyes as I read one section. (and no I will not spoil anything by telling you what happened there.) But let me get to the real review and past the wows and gushing.
Usurper is the second book in the Zarryiostrom (which is a heck of a word to spell LOL) series by Nene Thomas and Steven Plagman. This volume continues the stories of the noble houses of the kingdoms of Illymar and Dakkadia. The second book focuses on the civil war in Illymar between Ethan and his uncle Ascham. It also focuses much more on the young mage Chesare and her challenges being both a Princess and a mage.
This is a fantastic book. The story flows well, so much so that it is hard to put the book down and I often found my eyes drooping due to exhaustion more than an actual desire to put the story aside. The characters are extremely well written. Each character, main and secondary players, are vividly described and seem to leap off the page. The fight scenes are freaking awesome. If you listen closely while you read the scene between the Sovereign and the Trident you can hear the steel ringing against steel. And Tais’ time in the chapel is…emotionally stirring to put it mildly.
It is extremely hard to pick one character that I can say is my favorite. I adore Tais, her strength and resolve to help her kingdom even with it puts her at odds with part of her family is fantastic. Chesare and her power, combined with her childlike stupidity are a delight to read. Ascham and Vladimir are great, their banter is fun and funny. Then there is the other kingdom. I love Phaedron and Prudence their romance and relationship are fiery and sweet and strong. But honestly I think my favorite character in the story so far has to be Queen Aveliad. She is married to a bastard and a tyrant, but even though she has so many reasons to lose hope she perseveres and continues to be a strong and vibrantly beautiful woman. Though I would never suggest to stay in an abusive relationship, she is one hell of an example of what kind of adversity a woman can overcome if she sets her mind to it.
I was pleasantly surprised to find not one single editing or punctuation issue with the book either. As far as the format and the technical aspects of the book it is as close to perfect as I have ever seen. There is nothing in the wording, spelling or grammar that distracts from the story or jumps out as an error. It is actually great to not have a single glaring error to report.
Vibrant characters, vivid scenes and an engaging storyline that grabs the reader right through to the last page make Usurper yet another fantastic addition to this series.
Bravo Steven and Nene. Once again you have created a story that You Gotta Read!.
My only sadness is that I will have to wait until the next book is ready to find out what happens to my beloved kingdoms and characters. I guess that isn’t a bad thing, it means I have time to get other work done.
Usurper is the second book in the Zarryiostrom (which is a heck of a word to spell LOL) series by Nene Thomas and Steven Plagman. This volume continues the stories of the noble houses of the kingdoms of Illymar and Dakkadia. The second book focuses on the civil war in Illymar between Ethan and his uncle Ascham. It also focuses much more on the young mage Chesare and her challenges being both a Princess and a mage.
This is a fantastic book. The story flows well, so much so that it is hard to put the book down and I often found my eyes drooping due to exhaustion more than an actual desire to put the story aside. The characters are extremely well written. Each character, main and secondary players, are vividly described and seem to leap off the page. The fight scenes are freaking awesome. If you listen closely while you read the scene between the Sovereign and the Trident you can hear the steel ringing against steel. And Tais’ time in the chapel is…emotionally stirring to put it mildly.
It is extremely hard to pick one character that I can say is my favorite. I adore Tais, her strength and resolve to help her kingdom even with it puts her at odds with part of her family is fantastic. Chesare and her power, combined with her childlike stupidity are a delight to read. Ascham and Vladimir are great, their banter is fun and funny. Then there is the other kingdom. I love Phaedron and Prudence their romance and relationship are fiery and sweet and strong. But honestly I think my favorite character in the story so far has to be Queen Aveliad. She is married to a bastard and a tyrant, but even though she has so many reasons to lose hope she perseveres and continues to be a strong and vibrantly beautiful woman. Though I would never suggest to stay in an abusive relationship, she is one hell of an example of what kind of adversity a woman can overcome if she sets her mind to it.
I was pleasantly surprised to find not one single editing or punctuation issue with the book either. As far as the format and the technical aspects of the book it is as close to perfect as I have ever seen. There is nothing in the wording, spelling or grammar that distracts from the story or jumps out as an error. It is actually great to not have a single glaring error to report.
Vibrant characters, vivid scenes and an engaging storyline that grabs the reader right through to the last page make Usurper yet another fantastic addition to this series.
Bravo Steven and Nene. Once again you have created a story that You Gotta Read!.
My only sadness is that I will have to wait until the next book is ready to find out what happens to my beloved kingdoms and characters. I guess that isn’t a bad thing, it means I have time to get other work done.
September 14, 2012
Omg!!!! Soooo good, I love all the characters. Can't wait for the next book to see what happens! Definitely recommend, the art work is amazing and totally enhances the book. I don't want to put too much and give anything away for those who have not read it yet.
May 8, 2013
Dawwww I can't figure out who to root for!
February 19, 2021
The first book did such a good job setting everything up for the rest of the series. Book 2, while focused mainly on Illymar & Ithram, progressed well & the character development - for good or evil - was incredible to read. I'm so glad I ordered the next available books in this series already.
Also, Lyrahe is still a fckin ninny.
Also, Lyrahe is still a fckin ninny.
February 13, 2025
Plagman has crafted an engaging masterpiece. Thomas' artwork is STUNNING. I was immediately immersed into the drama. Twists and turns kept me turning the pages. This novel is hard to put down. I look forward to reading the next installment in this series.
Recommend to readers who enjoy epic fantasy.
I borrowed a copy from a friend. I have expressed my honest view.
Recommend to readers who enjoy epic fantasy.
I borrowed a copy from a friend. I have expressed my honest view.
February 14, 2017
I really enjoyed the first book of this series, but this one was even better! The writing style has become much tighter and more confident, there were way less typos/editing errors, and the story itself is clearly hitting its stride. Powerborn was all about the setup and courtly politics, but Usurper is all about consequences and action.
The focus of this novel is Illymar and its brutal civil war, kicked off by events that happened near the end of Powerborn. Definitely don't start here if you haven't read the first book - these need to be read in order or the story won't make much sense. Thankfully, the authors are fully aware of that and don't waste pages rehashing book one's plot. If you need a refresher, there are some key points covered in the character glossary at the end.
Ethan and Ascham's battle for the crown is obviously center stage, but there is so much more going on in this story. Corruption has rotted Illymar's government from the inside out, and both sides of the succession war try to deal with it. The Zarryiostrom investigates the King's assassination, and walks a political tightrope once they discover the answers. Ithram's reputation takes a hit after some major public blunders, and they struggle to save face and maintain control over the magical community. The uneasy "peace" in the Badlands is gradually unraveling. And, finally, looming over all of this is Dakkadia, mobilizing for war while patiently waiting for Illymar to tear itself apart. The Dragon Witches continue to be mysterious and mercurial, popping in and out of the lives of these 'lesser beings' as they see fit to influence history.
That's a lot of plot in the air, but the authors handle it beautifully. Every time the POV shifted, I was eager to see what was going on with that particular character. All of the characters continue to shine, growing deeper and more realistic with every chapter....I still can't pick just one favorite! No one is entirely good or evil, these are all flawed and believable people - even if some of them happen to be elves or half fae.
Unfortunately, this book's prologue is a bit of a dry slog to get through...it's meant to be an excerpt from a history text, and reads like it. Kind of an odd choice for a prologue, and it took me a bit to get through, but after that the story dives right back in where the first book left off. There is also a bit of awkwardness with some of the character transitions....for example, Tais views her brother as a selfish and cruel bastard for the entire first book of the series, and about the first half of this one, and then suddenly - in the span of a few pages - she decides that maybe he's not so bad after all. The sentiment is certainly believable, because we make those kinds of decisions about other people all the time, but it needed more than a page or two to really come across naturally. This type of abrupt change of heart happened with a few characters and I found it a little jarring, but with just a bit more polish the transitions would work just fine.
Overall, this was a good read for me and a great continuation of the series. The writing style still has some rough spots, but it's hugely improved from book one. Nene's artwork, of course, continues to be absolutely gorgeous! I'm curious to know what's been going on in Ferralin, as we didn't see much of them this time around. The Badlands are also really interesting, and I'm quite sure we're going to see more of them in the next book.
Now, I'm off to start reading Marionette!
The focus of this novel is Illymar and its brutal civil war, kicked off by events that happened near the end of Powerborn. Definitely don't start here if you haven't read the first book - these need to be read in order or the story won't make much sense. Thankfully, the authors are fully aware of that and don't waste pages rehashing book one's plot. If you need a refresher, there are some key points covered in the character glossary at the end.
Ethan and Ascham's battle for the crown is obviously center stage, but there is so much more going on in this story. Corruption has rotted Illymar's government from the inside out, and both sides of the succession war try to deal with it. The Zarryiostrom investigates the King's assassination, and walks a political tightrope once they discover the answers. Ithram's reputation takes a hit after some major public blunders, and they struggle to save face and maintain control over the magical community. The uneasy "peace" in the Badlands is gradually unraveling. And, finally, looming over all of this is Dakkadia, mobilizing for war while patiently waiting for Illymar to tear itself apart. The Dragon Witches continue to be mysterious and mercurial, popping in and out of the lives of these 'lesser beings' as they see fit to influence history.
That's a lot of plot in the air, but the authors handle it beautifully. Every time the POV shifted, I was eager to see what was going on with that particular character. All of the characters continue to shine, growing deeper and more realistic with every chapter....I still can't pick just one favorite! No one is entirely good or evil, these are all flawed and believable people - even if some of them happen to be elves or half fae.
Unfortunately, this book's prologue is a bit of a dry slog to get through...it's meant to be an excerpt from a history text, and reads like it. Kind of an odd choice for a prologue, and it took me a bit to get through, but after that the story dives right back in where the first book left off. There is also a bit of awkwardness with some of the character transitions....for example, Tais views her brother as a selfish and cruel bastard for the entire first book of the series, and about the first half of this one, and then suddenly - in the span of a few pages - she decides that maybe he's not so bad after all. The sentiment is certainly believable, because we make those kinds of decisions about other people all the time, but it needed more than a page or two to really come across naturally. This type of abrupt change of heart happened with a few characters and I found it a little jarring, but with just a bit more polish the transitions would work just fine.
Overall, this was a good read for me and a great continuation of the series. The writing style still has some rough spots, but it's hugely improved from book one. Nene's artwork, of course, continues to be absolutely gorgeous! I'm curious to know what's been going on in Ferralin, as we didn't see much of them this time around. The Badlands are also really interesting, and I'm quite sure we're going to see more of them in the next book.
Now, I'm off to start reading Marionette!
February 21, 2015
Now this was an amazing book! I always seem to enjoy the second book in a long series rather than the first. The info-dumps are over and I care about the characters now. There were so many possibilities of resolutions to the political strife...and so many ways it could go wrong. I shouldn't have been surprised....it is a ten book series and this is only the second one. I'm really starting to enjoy the Illvanna princesses -- except Lyrahe. I am hoping she dies since so many other more worthy characters die...I can only hope she joins them so I don't have to read about her anymore. Tais really shines in this book! Wow! So brilliant! And I end up really liking both Ethan and Ascham. None of these characters are completely evil -- at least on the human side. You can see good and bad. Means to an end is the downfall of many of the royals though. That's why honor plays such a big role. The dragon witches are getting more fascinating. And so far, Cedric DeVir is the only council mage I can stand. It would be nice if he could one day rule them.
November 8, 2012
Loved the 2nd book to the Zarriostrom - Usurper. Knowing the paintings of the characters, by Nene Thomas, adds to the whole mystery of the story. I can not wait to read the third, but as it is the last, I can wait, just so that I have longer before I finish the whole story lol! Such a good read and hard to put down. If you love fantasy and power plays you'll love this book.
September 11, 2020
Threw me for a lot of ringers. Another excellent book im the series.
If you liked Game of Thrones this is the book for you. There's more romance and its less raunchy but that doesnt detract at all from the unique and powerful story telling
If you liked Game of Thrones this is the book for you. There's more romance and its less raunchy but that doesnt detract at all from the unique and powerful story telling
May 14, 2014
Great book! I so love this series and the illustrations are fantastic. The third book in the series "Marionette" is out and answers a bunch of questions this book leaves.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews