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The Royal Wizard
The kingdom of Wilderheim stands bastion between the world of humans and the Otherlands. It is ruled as much by people as it is by creatures Other and as such, it must always have a wizard at the right hand of its king. Nico has seen three generations of rulers sit the throne; he knows he will not see the fourth. Desperate to find a worthy apprentice, when Nia appears like a godsend in his path he wastes no time taking her under his wing as his last sworn duty to the young king Saeran.
But Nia and Saeran have many trials ahead of them. With destinies converging toward an inevitable battle for power, countless lives hang in the balance, including theirs. As love brings them together, so strife tears them apart and as the balance between justice and magic shifts, the royal wizard and her king get caught in a maelstrom of colliding forces. Nothing is ever as it seems with a trickster hiding in the shadows. When the gods begin to play, mortals tremble…
But Nia and Saeran have many trials ahead of them. With destinies converging toward an inevitable battle for power, countless lives hang in the balance, including theirs. As love brings them together, so strife tears them apart and as the balance between justice and magic shifts, the royal wizard and her king get caught in a maelstrom of colliding forces. Nothing is ever as it seems with a trickster hiding in the shadows. When the gods begin to play, mortals tremble…
341 pages, ebook
First published March 3, 2013
5 people are currently reading
116 people want to read
About the author
Alianne Donnelly
24 books108 followersAlianne Donnelly was a wordsmith long before she became a reader. Driven by an insatiable curiosity about everything from history and mythology to science and philosophy, she grew into a fiction writer who hates coloring inside the genre lines. Her books all have elements of romance, with different series sorted under paranormal, science fiction, fantasy, and erotic. And then there’s Wolfen…
Alianne lives in California, doing hard time in a corporate 9-5, while secretly scribbling away any chance she gets. She loves pizza, hiking, and avoiding small talk, and hopes to one day win the lottery jackpot. For more information about Alianne's books and writerly life, visit her website: aliannedonnelly.com
Alianne lives in California, doing hard time in a corporate 9-5, while secretly scribbling away any chance she gets. She loves pizza, hiking, and avoiding small talk, and hopes to one day win the lottery jackpot. For more information about Alianne's books and writerly life, visit her website: aliannedonnelly.com
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
February 4, 2015
Title: The Royal Wizard
Author: Alianne Donnelly
Genre: Fantasy Romance
Review Rating: Five Stars
Reviewer: Linda Hays-Gibbs
Fantastical Flight of Fancy
Nia is full of magic and trained to be a Royal Wizard by Nico. The old Wizard trains her carefully, so she can take his place beside the King of Wilderheim. She is gifted with magic but her true worth is her wisdom and goodness. The King is a handsome brave young man named Saeran. He is immediately struck by her beauty. She feels a similar pull toward the new King too.
They are a peculiar and magical pair to say the least. The problem is that the Royal Wizard is supposed to protect the King and the kingdom not get romantically evolved with the King.
Nia is frantic because Nico her teacher abandons her right after she is introduced to the King. She has no one to get advice from but she asks the wind and the earth and Others to help her. It is not the same as having Nico though and she is determined to be the best Royal Wizard she can be even if she is young and unsure.
Matters become worse when the King must honor a pledge to marry a woman from another kingdom so Nia decides she must leave. It was not a good idea.
If you love magic and fantasy plus a true romance. You will adore this book forever. I was swept away by the tides of it and caught up into the dream. It was engrossing and I highly recommend it. The characters have so many problems but they work hard through their struggles. The minor characters are so interesting and helpful too. A wolf that dies or a pendant from a God with an evil personality can alter the story in strange and magical ways.
I was totally enchanted. Thank you so much for the read. I gave this wonderful fantasy five stars! It's plot was so very different and interesting. I will not give it away with spoilers. I can only say it was a page turner. I can not wait for the sequel.
Linda Hays-Gibbs
Author: Alianne Donnelly
Genre: Fantasy Romance
Review Rating: Five Stars
Reviewer: Linda Hays-Gibbs
Fantastical Flight of Fancy
Nia is full of magic and trained to be a Royal Wizard by Nico. The old Wizard trains her carefully, so she can take his place beside the King of Wilderheim. She is gifted with magic but her true worth is her wisdom and goodness. The King is a handsome brave young man named Saeran. He is immediately struck by her beauty. She feels a similar pull toward the new King too.
They are a peculiar and magical pair to say the least. The problem is that the Royal Wizard is supposed to protect the King and the kingdom not get romantically evolved with the King.
Nia is frantic because Nico her teacher abandons her right after she is introduced to the King. She has no one to get advice from but she asks the wind and the earth and Others to help her. It is not the same as having Nico though and she is determined to be the best Royal Wizard she can be even if she is young and unsure.
Matters become worse when the King must honor a pledge to marry a woman from another kingdom so Nia decides she must leave. It was not a good idea.
If you love magic and fantasy plus a true romance. You will adore this book forever. I was swept away by the tides of it and caught up into the dream. It was engrossing and I highly recommend it. The characters have so many problems but they work hard through their struggles. The minor characters are so interesting and helpful too. A wolf that dies or a pendant from a God with an evil personality can alter the story in strange and magical ways.
I was totally enchanted. Thank you so much for the read. I gave this wonderful fantasy five stars! It's plot was so very different and interesting. I will not give it away with spoilers. I can only say it was a page turner. I can not wait for the sequel.
Linda Hays-Gibbs
November 21, 2014
Posted from my blog at http://lisamgreen.com/review-of-the-r...
Wizards, and dragons, and gods. Oh, my!
I have to admit that I'm a big fan of mythology. I've always loved the weaving interconnections between cultures and stories that exist because we, as humans, all have a shared history to some degree. Way, way back at least.
That's one of the main reasons I enjoyed this book. The author uses some basic elements of Norse mythology and creates a unique story that involves original characters who come into contact with some well-known major players from the ancient Norse tales.
And she doesn't shy away from showing both the light and dark sides to those characters and elements. I loved the way that ideas from several different types of stories were used in original ways. I loved the world she creates.
I only have two gripes, one being the relationship between the two main characters. The main characters, in my opinion, act ridiculous and silly when it comes to their relationship with one another, a fact that—when used sparingly—can lead to heightened suspense in the reader. However, in this case, it goes a bit overboard and becomes annoying. It didn't really ring true to me as a reader (and yes, I realize this is fantasy, but characters should still act according to some semblance of normal human behavior). But maybe that's just me.
My other issue is with the editing. Let me start by saying that it isn't terrible, and there aren't errors on every page. I've seen worse, and I've seen better. It can be distracting at times, though. I know that I can be a bit nit-picky because I am an editor (and an English teacher), but I'm pretty forgiving when written for style or effect. As an author myself, I know how successful these things can be when used properly, but that's not what I'm referring to here. When it's a small typo here and there, fine. There were quite a few blatant errors, many of which were repetitions of the same problems, something that could be fixed by an editor. I will say, though, that I've noticed more and more errors in TRADITIONALLY published books that would presumably have PROFESSIONAL, EXPERIENCED editors looking them over (it's scary at times). In those cases, I don't really blame the author, as it isn't their job to fix the problems, and they don't usually have a lot of say-so when they are contracted through a company. However, if you don't hire an editor (or you ignore what the editor tells you to fix), you have to own those mistakes yourself. So, I don't feel that this author is much different from popular authors in her writing ability (which is strong), but I do think she should take the time to make corrections.
In the end, though, the story is engrossing enough to keep you going. The ending made up for the slower beginning segments and answered many questions, leaving you with a clear sense of a satisfying ending to the story. I would be interested in reading the next book when it comes out, and I do have another of hers on hand to start soon. The Royal Wizard was worth the time and money spent, and I look forward to more of her work (and artwork, which she certainly has a gift for). I like her writing style and her ability to weave a great story, so I do recommend this book with a solid 3.5 stars.
Wizards, and dragons, and gods. Oh, my!
I have to admit that I'm a big fan of mythology. I've always loved the weaving interconnections between cultures and stories that exist because we, as humans, all have a shared history to some degree. Way, way back at least.
That's one of the main reasons I enjoyed this book. The author uses some basic elements of Norse mythology and creates a unique story that involves original characters who come into contact with some well-known major players from the ancient Norse tales.
And she doesn't shy away from showing both the light and dark sides to those characters and elements. I loved the way that ideas from several different types of stories were used in original ways. I loved the world she creates.
I only have two gripes, one being the relationship between the two main characters. The main characters, in my opinion, act ridiculous and silly when it comes to their relationship with one another, a fact that—when used sparingly—can lead to heightened suspense in the reader. However, in this case, it goes a bit overboard and becomes annoying. It didn't really ring true to me as a reader (and yes, I realize this is fantasy, but characters should still act according to some semblance of normal human behavior). But maybe that's just me.
My other issue is with the editing. Let me start by saying that it isn't terrible, and there aren't errors on every page. I've seen worse, and I've seen better. It can be distracting at times, though. I know that I can be a bit nit-picky because I am an editor (and an English teacher), but I'm pretty forgiving when written for style or effect. As an author myself, I know how successful these things can be when used properly, but that's not what I'm referring to here. When it's a small typo here and there, fine. There were quite a few blatant errors, many of which were repetitions of the same problems, something that could be fixed by an editor. I will say, though, that I've noticed more and more errors in TRADITIONALLY published books that would presumably have PROFESSIONAL, EXPERIENCED editors looking them over (it's scary at times). In those cases, I don't really blame the author, as it isn't their job to fix the problems, and they don't usually have a lot of say-so when they are contracted through a company. However, if you don't hire an editor (or you ignore what the editor tells you to fix), you have to own those mistakes yourself. So, I don't feel that this author is much different from popular authors in her writing ability (which is strong), but I do think she should take the time to make corrections.
In the end, though, the story is engrossing enough to keep you going. The ending made up for the slower beginning segments and answered many questions, leaving you with a clear sense of a satisfying ending to the story. I would be interested in reading the next book when it comes out, and I do have another of hers on hand to start soon. The Royal Wizard was worth the time and money spent, and I look forward to more of her work (and artwork, which she certainly has a gift for). I like her writing style and her ability to weave a great story, so I do recommend this book with a solid 3.5 stars.
August 23, 2013
http://bookbutterflyreviews.blogspot.ca
Right from the beginning, this book had everything going for it in my eyes. It was a fantasy/romance novel, and it contained both medieval and magical aspects. The story was a bit cliché, but in the good way that I love, and, most importantly, the female lead was a BAD ASS! So you can understand right now why I am giving this book a good review.
Character development throughout the story was steady and committed. Nothing is worse than a novel with the main characters going against what they are made out to me. No, here we have a prince-turned-King, Saeran, who is determined to do right by his country and the first and strongest Royal Wizard, Nia, the Kingdom has ever seen who is equally dedicated to do her best to assist and advice her King to make their country grow and prosper. The fact that they love each other? Although heart-breaking, they both know their Kingdom comes first and the sacrifices they need to make. While there were instances of a weakened will on both ends, they stayed true to their determined characters throughout the entire novel.
The Plot was mostly good. I found the prologue completely confusing and hard to get through, and I found that the story dragged on in certain areas, but over all wasn’t bad. My biggest complaint here was that I had no idea why the series is the “Dragonborn” series when there were no dragons until more than half way through the novel. No hints of dragons, no mention of dragons, the WORD dragon wasn’t even written until BAM, “by the way… we’re gunna throw some dragon action in now”. I was a little blind-sided. Actually, this was a frequent pattern when new information came up. While a little abrupt and confusing at first, the information did fit the story and furthered the plot, so I won’t complain about it too much.
Other than that, the only other complaint I have is that the whole romantic aspect came in really fast for me. I like my romances to be drawn out in a good book, make you completely crazy with all the pent up sexual frustration and energy until the love interests FINALLY get together and you realize that all that build up was worth the wait. Hell, I will settle for even a LITTLE build up… The Royal Wizard had no build up whatsoever. They meet and you know they will fall in love, they know they will fall in love, and everyone in between figures it out along the way. The only way Alianne Donnelly managed to redeem herself was to add a bit of ‘forbidden love’ to the mix… but even then, I was left unsatisfied.
Of course, don’t let that deter you. This was still a great story! Do you love all-powerful/ bad-ass magical heroines with a dash of sarcasm and sass? Do you love the idea of the times of Kings, and aristocracy, and a certain medieval appeal? Do you want to see magical battles, and dragons, and gods thrown into the mix? Like a little forbidden romance? This is the book for you. I definitely suggest to try it. For all its downfalls, it was still a great book and an enjoyable read. 7/10.
Right from the beginning, this book had everything going for it in my eyes. It was a fantasy/romance novel, and it contained both medieval and magical aspects. The story was a bit cliché, but in the good way that I love, and, most importantly, the female lead was a BAD ASS! So you can understand right now why I am giving this book a good review.
Character development throughout the story was steady and committed. Nothing is worse than a novel with the main characters going against what they are made out to me. No, here we have a prince-turned-King, Saeran, who is determined to do right by his country and the first and strongest Royal Wizard, Nia, the Kingdom has ever seen who is equally dedicated to do her best to assist and advice her King to make their country grow and prosper. The fact that they love each other? Although heart-breaking, they both know their Kingdom comes first and the sacrifices they need to make. While there were instances of a weakened will on both ends, they stayed true to their determined characters throughout the entire novel.
The Plot was mostly good. I found the prologue completely confusing and hard to get through, and I found that the story dragged on in certain areas, but over all wasn’t bad. My biggest complaint here was that I had no idea why the series is the “Dragonborn” series when there were no dragons until more than half way through the novel. No hints of dragons, no mention of dragons, the WORD dragon wasn’t even written until BAM, “by the way… we’re gunna throw some dragon action in now”. I was a little blind-sided. Actually, this was a frequent pattern when new information came up. While a little abrupt and confusing at first, the information did fit the story and furthered the plot, so I won’t complain about it too much.
Other than that, the only other complaint I have is that the whole romantic aspect came in really fast for me. I like my romances to be drawn out in a good book, make you completely crazy with all the pent up sexual frustration and energy until the love interests FINALLY get together and you realize that all that build up was worth the wait. Hell, I will settle for even a LITTLE build up… The Royal Wizard had no build up whatsoever. They meet and you know they will fall in love, they know they will fall in love, and everyone in between figures it out along the way. The only way Alianne Donnelly managed to redeem herself was to add a bit of ‘forbidden love’ to the mix… but even then, I was left unsatisfied.
Of course, don’t let that deter you. This was still a great story! Do you love all-powerful/ bad-ass magical heroines with a dash of sarcasm and sass? Do you love the idea of the times of Kings, and aristocracy, and a certain medieval appeal? Do you want to see magical battles, and dragons, and gods thrown into the mix? Like a little forbidden romance? This is the book for you. I definitely suggest to try it. For all its downfalls, it was still a great book and an enjoyable read. 7/10.
November 23, 2016
I received a review copy of “The Royal Wizard” in exchange for an honest review.
Some call it fate, others call it destiny, I call it an epic story from start to finish. We begin with young children not yet groomed for their future still stumbling as they move to make their mark on the world. Little did they know their futures were fraught with darkness, light and love. Alianne Donnelly has managed to weave a spellbinding novel of wizards,gods, humans and others into a captivating tale that holds the reader in place till the very end. Not a moment is left into what most would “filler text” every moment is important to the tale and even then the book is bursting at the seems. As I read and watched the pages thin into nothing all I could think was this can’t be it please I have so many questions. As the inevitably brilliant end came to pass Alianna gave us hope with the little Authors note at the very end, this “Stand alone novel” thanks to her curious friend and their many questions is now a series I cant wait to be mesmerized by. I highly recommend this book and am proud to say after reading “The Royal Wizard” Alianne Donnelly has bewitched herself into my favorite authors list. Thank you so much for keeping me captive in this magic filled world.
Some call it fate, others call it destiny, I call it an epic story from start to finish. We begin with young children not yet groomed for their future still stumbling as they move to make their mark on the world. Little did they know their futures were fraught with darkness, light and love. Alianne Donnelly has managed to weave a spellbinding novel of wizards,gods, humans and others into a captivating tale that holds the reader in place till the very end. Not a moment is left into what most would “filler text” every moment is important to the tale and even then the book is bursting at the seems. As I read and watched the pages thin into nothing all I could think was this can’t be it please I have so many questions. As the inevitably brilliant end came to pass Alianna gave us hope with the little Authors note at the very end, this “Stand alone novel” thanks to her curious friend and their many questions is now a series I cant wait to be mesmerized by. I highly recommend this book and am proud to say after reading “The Royal Wizard” Alianne Donnelly has bewitched herself into my favorite authors list. Thank you so much for keeping me captive in this magic filled world.
July 15, 2014
4.5/5.0
Borrowing snippets from Norse mythology and Arthurian legend, Ms. Donnelly has woven a glorious fantasy tale.
Read full review in the 2014 June/July Double Issue of InD’tale Magazine.
Borrowing snippets from Norse mythology and Arthurian legend, Ms. Donnelly has woven a glorious fantasy tale.
Read full review in the 2014 June/July Double Issue of InD’tale Magazine.
January 4, 2015
It wasn't bad at all. However, I am partical to books with mythological lore.
July 9, 2017
Pros: I really liked this book. It was a fun fantasy that I would definitely recommend. Lots of great details.
Cons: The use of "has" instead of "had" throughout the book was a little distracting, but the story was so good it wasn't a big deal.
Cons: The use of "has" instead of "had" throughout the book was a little distracting, but the story was so good it wasn't a big deal.
January 3, 2017
I was lucky enough to receive a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review and I'm so thankful! I loved this book from start to finish and really could use a few more stars since 5 doesn't really cover it. That said, I'm also glad that the author's friend has talked them into a sequel as I can't wait to read more of Nia's story and read about their children!!
The story begins as the Wizard Nico desperately searches for an apprentice that he can train to replace him. He has seen 3 generations of rulers oversee Wilderheim and he knows that he will not survive long enough to see the fourth. Because this city is the last sentry between the human world and the world of the Others, it is necessary to always have a wizard advising their King. He finds Nia as a young girl and takes her under his wing, teaching her everything that he knows so that she will be able to serve when he's gone.
I absolutely loved all the characters, especially Nia and Saeran! Even the villain was amazing, the perfect type to love to hate! I can really tell that Alianne did a lot of research because of the mythology she was able to incorporate. This was my first book by this author but it will definitely not be the last!!
The story begins as the Wizard Nico desperately searches for an apprentice that he can train to replace him. He has seen 3 generations of rulers oversee Wilderheim and he knows that he will not survive long enough to see the fourth. Because this city is the last sentry between the human world and the world of the Others, it is necessary to always have a wizard advising their King. He finds Nia as a young girl and takes her under his wing, teaching her everything that he knows so that she will be able to serve when he's gone.
I absolutely loved all the characters, especially Nia and Saeran! Even the villain was amazing, the perfect type to love to hate! I can really tell that Alianne did a lot of research because of the mythology she was able to incorporate. This was my first book by this author but it will definitely not be the last!!
January 30, 2014
The Royal Wizard is a fun, exciting, magical, emotional and memorable story that many fans of the genre will truly enjoy!
Found as a young child by the wizard Nico. Nia has been trained very well by him and is glad he is happy with his apprentice. Nia will serve his highness and complete the duties as a wizard better than any other. Well that's according to Nico. Nia on the other hand is scared to bits! Luckily she does not allow a bit of fear to stand in her way or she'd never know what she was truly capable of and she would never have built such an amazing relationship with Saeran...
I loved all of the characters, both good & bad. Loved the world the author created and deeply admire both Nia and Saeran (LOVE Saeran!) An excellent start to a new series that has me hooked! I will definitely be looking into more from this author in the very near future!
Found as a young child by the wizard Nico. Nia has been trained very well by him and is glad he is happy with his apprentice. Nia will serve his highness and complete the duties as a wizard better than any other. Well that's according to Nico. Nia on the other hand is scared to bits! Luckily she does not allow a bit of fear to stand in her way or she'd never know what she was truly capable of and she would never have built such an amazing relationship with Saeran...
I loved all of the characters, both good & bad. Loved the world the author created and deeply admire both Nia and Saeran (LOVE Saeran!) An excellent start to a new series that has me hooked! I will definitely be looking into more from this author in the very near future!
July 16, 2014
Okay I won’t lie, I was pretty sceptical of this book after the first few pages. The prologue was completely bewildering and I was really quite lost by the end of it. But I’m so glad I stuck to it because this a beautifully written book. The descriptions are intricately woven and I felt as if I was actually there, as if I was the one casting the spells, as if I could actually feel everything that Nia was feeling, physically and emotionally.
The story was well-paced, I loved the storyline and the world that Alianne Donnelly created (fantasy, royalty, romance – of course I’d love it, even if it has been done before), and the heroine was strong and powerful and just plain awesome. Definitely looking forward to more in this series!
The story was well-paced, I loved the storyline and the world that Alianne Donnelly created (fantasy, royalty, romance – of course I’d love it, even if it has been done before), and the heroine was strong and powerful and just plain awesome. Definitely looking forward to more in this series!
December 10, 2013
After hearing about this book on Facebook, I downloaded the free sample for my kindle. The first four chapters (part of the sample) told me everything I needed to know about this book -- that it was my kind of story and I was going to enjoy it. I was hooked already, so I bought a copy and I wasn't disappointed. It's a fast read with a fun character. Just the right amount of magic, romance, adventure and baddies. It has an old world feel and you can't help but love the heroine. There's nothing too serious about the story either - it's the ideal chill out read after a day at work
March 31, 2016
This is well written and I thoroughly enjoyed the read. However, while I actually love prologues, this prologue nearly had me abandoning the book – so glad I didn’t, for the rest is outstanding.
At the end, we are told this was meant to be a standalone book, but halfway through I thought to myself this will definitely be part of a series. Apparently it is, and thank heavens. Much still needs to happen before this tale is told!
Well done to the author. I am giving it four stars, but it deserves five, were it not for the prologue. I will definitely read the next book!
At the end, we are told this was meant to be a standalone book, but halfway through I thought to myself this will definitely be part of a series. Apparently it is, and thank heavens. Much still needs to happen before this tale is told!
Well done to the author. I am giving it four stars, but it deserves five, were it not for the prologue. I will definitely read the next book!
March 7, 2013
I primarily read historical and paranormal. This book reminded me why I love fantasy. The characters are dynamic, as a couple, the H&H have their ups and downs but you know, no matter how much they try to fight it, that they will end up together. I was also intrigued by the dragon. I wanted to know more about him. And Loki. Oh, Loki....
If you want to escape into another world for a while or like magic and Norse gods, this is the book for you!
If you want to escape into another world for a while or like magic and Norse gods, this is the book for you!
March 9, 2013
This book was pure fantasy heaven. Normally I am not into fantasy but The Royal Wizard just blew me away. The writing is phenomenal and the characters are intriguing. From the moment the king appoints (to dismay of others) a female as his wizard you know this story is going to be different and it is. I had a hard time putting this book down and look forward to the next book of this series.
October 18, 2019
The first couple of chapters were deceiving. I thought I was dealing with a too-stupid-to-live childish heroine and the hero was just as bad. I was about 4 chapters in when I got ready to throw in the towel and everything changed. It got real. I couldn't put it down after that. I will definitely revisit this world. I am not sure where the story goes based on the ending but the world seems vast enough to go in many directions. I could actually see the author introducing more heroes and heroines.
February 28, 2020
Based on the book blurb, I expected a court intrigue style swords and sorcery story with a slow burn romance. Instead, I got a pseudo-Norse fairy tale where the story oscillates between ridiculous levels of relationship drama and head-scratchingly odd/boring interludes with gods and fairies. And weirdly, a bunch of Arthurian knights on a quest for the holy grail, which really dragged on despite some initial humorous moments. Despite all the talk that ruling the kingdom is the most important duty they have, very little page time is devoted to it.
September 27, 2018
2 stars
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews