Sixteen-year-old Linnet has been given a grave task. If she succeeds, it could end her life. If she fails, it could destroy her people.
She must kill a prince.
But first, she must marry him.
Prince Rajak of the Badi, son of the tyrannical desert king, has given Linnet’s Highland kingdom of Hilrigard an ultimatum: give him a princess for his bride, or be slaughtered. Linnet’s older sister is his first choice, but when she begs not to be sent, Linnet volunteers, to save her people.
Her mother, however, sees an opportunity. She secretly instructs Linnet to gain Rajak’s trust and then assassinate him, before he discovers the legendary chamber that will resurrect the Badi’s greatest king. Linnet is united with Rajak and goes to his court determined to obey her mother’s command, though repulsed by the strange customs and bizarre foods. But the more she learns of the prince, the more she realizes that his brooding exterior conceals a good heart. And the more she learns of the chamber, the more she suspects that the legend is not what it seems.
But time runs short when Linnet’s mother sets the coup in motion, and Linnet is faced with a heart-rending choice—for the one sent to kill the prince is now the only one who can save him.
You don’t have to be afraid when you read my books. Well—you might be terrified for the hero, because his arch-nemesis has him at gunpoint with his back to the river Thames, demanding that he hand over the code that could spell the downfall of Europe… But you’ll never have to squint, worrying that the romantic scene is about to get FAR too steamy—or that, in a tirade, someone is about to spew a stream of obscenities that will make you want to shut the book and go take a shower. I don’t write sexual scenes in my books. EVER. And I do not use profanity. EVER. And yes, God lives in my stories. He is the deep foundation—you can FEEL Him. Yet, I can prove without a shadow of a doubt that WITHOUT ANYTHING risqué, you can still have the adventure of a lifetime between these pages. You’ll hold your breath, you’ll laugh, you’ll sit on the edge of your chair, you’ll stay up till two in the morning pinned to the page—and you might even cry. In fact, I’ll bet on that. And I HATE it when writers are lazy and tacky and beat you over the head with some philosophical or theological point they’re trying to make, instead of just TELLING THE STORY. So, I avoid that at all costs. Still not sold? Well, give one of these books a try. Go ahead—any of them! Whether we’re speeding through space, breaking through the ice on a frozen river, galloping on a chariot across the desert or running up the Asbru bridge chased by wolves…you’re still safe with me.
Linnet and the Prince is a fantasy romance that was a surprisingly enjoyable read and one of those gems you occasionally find and wonder why more people haven't read it and it was free on Amazon. It is surprisingly well written and easy to get into and I didn't realise it was YA until I finished - the main character was so levelheaded. The main reason YA books annoy me is because the girl is always obsessing about boys, which can interfere with the flow of the storyline.
Linnet is not a soft princess and is aware of the danger around her from the strangers she lives with, who are her enemies. She doesn't let the anger and hatred rule her which allows her to see the goodness in them, doesn't hesitate when it's time to act and she does the right thing despite the consequences.
Rajak is so much more than the tyrant he initially seems, trapped in expectations and shadow of a despot - his father - he attempts to limit the damage around him and hates what his people have become. He wants so much more for them.
The romance is a slow buildup and there aren't any steamy scenes, this is the book I would love my teenager to read, really enjoyed myself and would recommend to others. If you love romance with a light fantasy element the this would definitely be your thing. Try it while it's still free, though I would of gladly paid for it.
Loved this book!! I rarely give books 5 stars, but sometimes I do feel generous. This is not one of those times. This book earned every one of the 5!
I purchased it because the description reminded me somewhat of the story of Ester from the Bible (which is one of my favorites). Granted, this is not a biblical telling, but there are some similarities of character. Linnet is a young, strong (in body & mind), tom-boy, yet she can still be beautiful and feminine. She gets caught up in some over-whelming circumstances and the writer does an incredible job in allowing us to experience those things with her. I felt her anger, fear, courage, helplessness, uncertainty, sadness, jealousy, joy, love, and determination! And how could any girl with any sense at all not fall in love with Rajak?!
To sum it up….this was a great book with great characters written by a talented author. I absolutely had to force myself to put it down! There are several books I’ve read during which I’ve had to make myself stop reading in order to live in the real world for a while, but very few have been this difficult to put down. I couldn’t get enough and was sad when it was over! Needless to say, this one will go on my short list of books that are worth reading again.
This was an extremely good little fantasy. There were a few spots that I thought could use some polishing and although I hate, hate, hate deus ex machina endings, I must have really loved this book to be able to forgive it. I loved the gutsy heroine a most unusual and original character, as well as the sad hero. An origin and compelling tale.
Absolutely enchanting. An adventure story with engaging characters, riveting action, exquisite bits of beauty, and horrifying slices of malice. This book took me on an emotional roller coaster ride. This. This is why I read.
Violence, no sex, mild language, themes of war, captives, slaves, and spousal abuse, but still suitable for middle grade readers
It was cute. A bit fast, though, and some things I didn't like (relationship and romance wise, but it is rather Hades and Persephone like). But I enjoyed it overall. Alydia Rackham is really great with her stories. And I particularly liked the aspect of the assassination plot...
Linnet and Rajak’s Story is a captivating blend of fantasy and romance, weaving a tale of adventure, courage, and the transformative power of love.
The novel was very well described, so that I could see everything coming from my mind to life. I think this is a book I could read again or better hear the fairytale as an audiobook, if it’s available!
I picked this up as one of the shorter books on my kindle. I did a cover judge and thought there was a good chance I wouldn't make it far.
I made it until just shy of 4am this morning when I hit the final page. I couldn't put this down. I devoured it. I was totally entranced to the point the house could've burnt down and I wouldn't have noticed.
I wish Rajak had been less entranced by appearances. His comments on Linnet's sister and the one wine village girl(plus his reactions to her) made him seem way to focused on outer beauty. I wish he'd found some nicer things to say about how Linnet (who was beautiful if not at their level) looked.
I wish there was a second book to continue their story with Rajak continuing to heal and learn to trust. I mean the guy has a brutal and savage history and his "friends" betrayed him during the story. He has to be messed up!!!
I wanted to see their rule and see how they changed the world. How did they restore things? How did their country and those around them heal?
Like I want a second book soooo much to see things that came after.
The only thing besides less physical fixation I'd like to have seen in THIS book though was Linnet apologizing to Rajak for asking "What did you do..." after she found out that not only was he NOT the one who did but what had been done in front of him by someone else. Like major apology needed for not only assuming the worst about him but also about such a thing. She didn't know the what but once she did she should've realized what she'd implied was something he'd done and dredged up horrible memories.
This was... intense. It was savage. It was beautiful. It was pain. It held sorrow and love. Trust and fear. It was a beautiful story that managed to make me feel for the prince of a nation who'd caused so much hurt. It was a romance that shined in a way that few do.
It kept me up all night!!! Like really. Need I say more?
This has, by far, been one of the most excruciating books I have ever read...and I mean that in a good way.
Linnet and the Prince by Alydia Rackham is what I would describe as a diamond in the rough. When I purchased this story I was expecting a simple, quick, cheap read that I would get lost in for about an hour and then forget about the moment I finished. Instead what I got was a jewel of a tale full of wonder, adventure, and suspense.
Rackham writes a tale that sucks you in at the beginning and doesn't let you go until the very end. Her writing draws extreme emotions out of her readers that I have never come across before. My heart is still racing! (Hence my initial statement).
However, it isn't without it's flaws, hence the deduction of one star. Unfortunately I found a few of her characters to be rather stiff. I never knew how any of the characters were feeling because Rackham never elaborated on it. I was just left to guess how all these dramatic events made the characters feel.
I also felt that there were some puzzles that were left unanswered. A lot of mysteries are entwined through the story but Rackham never came full circle and resolved those issues,
Lastly, the romance in this tale builds very slowly. I was never fully convinced that the characters truly loved each other. One moment they disliked each other and the next they're pronouncing their love. I never saw that transition between hate to love.
Although it isn't perfect, it's still a ridiculously good story. I was on pins and needles the entire time and my heart raced more than once. What emotion I didn't get from the characters was definitely coming from me!
I'll most assuredly be looking into more stories by this author.
Got this book as a free kindle offer and never thought, that it would be so good! I really loved it und could not put it down. It's definitely one of my must reads of this year!
The story and the characters are well written. It's like you are reading a oriental fairy tale. The growing love between Linnet and Rajak is well build and the end... I just say, that there is a moment where you'll be horrified. I could only thought "No!" (Really.. I was nearly crying). The end is very emotional.
It's okay, but I really don't like that the prince says that if her sister had come instead, he would indeed have forced himself upon her because "she's more beautiful." And then also him saying that he will take a few mistresses instead of having an actual harem if she won't give him a child.
Both of these things are extremely gross and made me too disturbed to like the prince. How am I supposed to read about a love interest who would rape a woman if she's beautiful enough? Impossible, sorry.
Some books are enjoyable to read. Some books, like this one, are more. The author writes this magical story of a princess who is to be an assasin to her husband and a prince who is not like his father. The descriptions of this world, the gradual love of the main characters, and the ‘prophecy encompassing it all are beautiful.
If you like a good medieval type story with a strong female character, then read book! It has plenty of twists and turns and mystery and romance and I'll read this one again! 😊
Great descriptions. I felt like I was immersed in the scenes.
My favorite part: I felt his protection as surely as I would have felt a shield in my hand. And I knew he was constantly deflecting invisible arrows from Thanatos, and from his father.
This book had such enormous good reviews that I decided to read it. At first I was a bit taken aback because the story seemed so childish. But as Linnet just turned 16 and is a girl living in a happy environment in a kingdom of peace and prosperity in hindsight that seems a logical start.
But soon stormclouds rise on the horizon. Her fathers army is slaughtered and invaders from the desert conquer her land. The son of the king of the invaders offers to keep the people alive if the princess of the realm marries him. He had the famous beauty that is her sister in mind but tomboy Linnet steps up as she thinks she will be able to stand more then her sister can.
So she has to travel with that prince to his desert underground keep and marry him. But there are rumours that his father hopes to rise a famous king of the past from the death the moment he solves the riddle of an inscription. Linnet's mother is hoping for revenge before that will happen and urges her daughter to kill the prince as soon as he comes to her bed alone.
The thing is very lonely Linnet and that prince surprisingly become friends. And the marriage is one in name only. So Linnet starts to dread her obligation to kill him. But her mother is on the move. Someone wants to kill her. A lady wants to have the prince for herself. The terrible king is on his way home. And what about the riddle?
There are two moments of intense loss in the book. While the first is just sad, the second had me in tears. Exactly like the writer predicted.
"You’ll hold your breath, you’ll laugh, you’ll sit on the edge of your chair, you’ll stay up till two in the morning pinned to the page—and you might even cry. In fact, I’ll bet on that."
The writer states that with her books
"you’ll never have to squint, worrying that the romantic scene is about to get FAR too steamy—or that, in a tirade, someone is about to spew a stream of obscenities that will make you want to shut the book and go take a shower. I don’t write sexual scenes in my books. EVER. And I do not use profanity. EVER."
The book is set in a fantasy world but seems to be influenced a lot by Moghul / Indian culture and a medieval European one.
I felt that this book was much better than I'd expected. The world and the characters were really interesting and well-written.
I found myself able to empathise with Linnet pretty much straight away. She was an interesting, well-rounded character and I felt that her reactions to things came across as as really realistic.
I particularly liked all of the culture shock going on as well. The author did a really good job of showing how different things were for Linnet. The foreshadowing worked really well, too. I thought it all worked really well.
I really did like how Linnet's and Rajak's relationship developed. It came across as really easy and natural. I could really believe in it.
I did like a lot of the other characters as well, but there weren't any redeeming qualities to Niro - and I find villains more interesting when they're more well-rounded.
I did notice quite a few errors in the book, but they didn't really detract from the story itself. I definitely intend to check out more stories by this author in the future.
I don't give fives easily, but this book is one of the few that actually deserves one. Beautifully written and stunningly put together, this is now one of my favorite books. Although it was a bit short and I read it within an hour or two,it will always remain a favorite. I love how, at the beginning, you hate the Badi, think they're emotionless brutes, along with Linnet, but, as the story progresses, the anger begins to fade and morph into love as you see that Rajak is inarguably not his father. I love his simple goodness and his willingness to stand up for His and as well as the wives of......less deserving men.
Although there is always a nit-picking thing I can find wrong with a book, for ones as good as this one, I choose to overlook them. This is no doubt a mostly well-written, thrilling, great read. I highly recommend if you're looking for a clean romance that will hold your attention.
Another great read from Alydia Rackham. She writes with such ease; the place and characters just came to life beautifully. Really enjoyed this adventure!
Fabulous journey that reeks of war, ancient lands, tradition and folklore and serves as a backdrop for a slow kindling romance between a prince and a princess of his enemy.
One of the few books that I reread on a regular basis. Interesting characters and plot, with an enemies to lovers tale that is believable and well written.