The Duke's Son

by V.E. Shearman

To the people of the kingdom of Floroth, where magic is a normal part of life and fantastic creatures inhabit the surrounding lands, harpies are seen as an evil race. But when a Duke near the border of Floroth discovers a baby harpy, abandoned for the crime of merely being male, his kindhearted daughter convinces him to spare the baby and adopt him. The boy’s true nature is hidden from everyone at first, including the harpy himself, but the web of secrets surrounding young Reyes must eventually unravel to reveal the truth. When it does and Reyes discovers his true identity, will he revert to his unscrupulous harpy nature, or stay true to his human upbringing? The answer will determine the fate of Floroth as elves prepare to invade the kingdom.

Genres: Fantasy

588 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 4, 2013

Reviews

[Kayla · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Duke's Son tells the story of a young harpy who, after the destruction of his village, is adopted into the family of Duke Damothe, a duke on the edge of the human kingdom of Floroth. Since most humans consider harpies evil and are generally killed on sight, the young harpy's true race is concealed from everyone outside the Duke's family by use of an enchanted amulet. Reyes, as the Duke's adopted son is named, is also kept unaware of his origin. As he grows up, Reyes is hidden away whenever the royal family visits, as the king travels with mages who would be able to detect the magic of the amulet and have Reyes executed if it was revealed that he is a harpy. Eventually, though, the secret comes out in a very public way and the king sentences Reyes to death. His adopted family helps him escape across the border to the elven city of Golespon. The city is home to all sorts of creatures--not only elves, but harpies, minotaurs, goblins, and humans, many of which are enslaved. Upon entering the city, Reyes quickly meets a female harpy named Gaggara who is also without a village and falls in love with her. He does not, however, tell her of his loyalty to his human family, as that would get him in trouble with the elves, who are enemies of Floroth.

One thing I liked about the book was the devotion of the Duke's family to Reyes even though he is adopted and not even human. Jenni, the only daughter, was the one who convinced the Duke to let the baby harpy live when they found him, and by the time the cat (or harpy, in this case) is let out of the bag, the whole family would do anything to save him from the king's twisted idea of "justice." I also enjoyed seeing Reyes reject amoral harpy ideals in favor of the morals taught to him by his human family. The world needs more people who are willing to stand up for what they believe in.

If you start reading this book, you need to know that The Duke's Son is the first book in a trilogy, so don't expect the story to be wrapped up when you get to the end. Also keep in mind that reading this book may be a serious time investment--it's pretty long. But I think the length is deserved, as there a lot of little nuances to the plot that keep it interesting.

Overall, I think The Duke's Son is a book for fans of epic fantasy. It has romance, secrets, magic, and action, and the world building is excellent. 4/5 stars!

*Note: I received a free copy of this book to review, but this did not influence my opinions on the book.

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a gem! I grabbed this up for free on a kindle special, and boy am I glad! I fell in love with the setting, the characters, the story. Wonderfully imaginative and endlessly entertaining. I thoroughly enjoyed it. A few editing issues, but overall a wonderful read. I can't wait to start the next one!