Daughter of the Desert

Instanolde Chronicles #0.5

by Kaitlyn Carter Brown

Before the throne, before the curse, there was the desert and there were cardants--and Lystra would do anything to take part in the yearly racing events. She has trained her reptiles and assembled her team, but she is young and untested, and the races are not for the faint of heart. From the dangerous desert canyons to the gilded halls of the palace of Instanolde's new young king, Lystra must learn to navigate race politics and treacherous alliances as well as the hopes of her own heart.

Genres: Fantasy, Dragons

ebook

First published July 7, 2023

Reviews

[Micheline Ryckman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful little prequel, one that promises more beauty to come!

[Brigitte Cromey · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a prequel, you say? Nonsense, I say. This is a fully fledged story that stands on its own AND manages to set the stage (and what a stage!!) for a rich, vivid series with achingly human characters.

Plot-wise, we’re treated to a tale reminiscent of a classic ‘horse girl’ story (no complaints from me on that count), with a sharp, intelligent heroine and stakes that’ll make your heart pound. We meet pivotal characters for the future books, who manage to leave an impact after only a few pages of screen time. Finally, world building for non-western settings can get clunky really fast, especially when there are mythical creatures and lots of political moving parts. This novella manages to convey the details and vibrancy of the world without the reader feeling bogged down in exposition.

Even without knowing anything about the subsequent duology, I would reread this. In fact, I’ll probably reread multiple times.

[♥Milica♥ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I got the arc of the main book so when I was adding that to my tbr I realised there's also a prequel novella. Naturally, I had to read it first. It left me surprised at how fleshed out the world is and intrigued about what's to follow.

You could probably read this after book one, but (for now at least), I think it's good to read it before, so you get a taste of the world and characters, and spend a bit more time with them before things inevitably go wrong.

[Abigail McKenna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Intriguing world-building, fleshed-out characters, and a break-neck pace make for a fascinating fantasy read! I know this is technically a prequel, but it's such a full and complete story that I was utterly swept away. I can't wait to explore more of this world! Five stars!

[Bryn Shutt · Rating 5 out of 5]

An impossible-to-put-down peek into Carter-Brown's decadent Moroccan-inspired world filled with curses, seas of sand, rival houses, heartbreak, and the fiercest of heroines.

[Michelle Bruhn · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fantastic story! Kaitlyn Carter Brown's prose paints vivid pictures of a beautiful desert land filled with magnificent cardants (desert dragons!), colorful kaftans, sharp spices, and a young woman determined to prove her worth. I love Lystra's journey in this story, navigating the choices we all face as we chase our dreams—do we wait and wait for the right opportunity that feels like it might never come, or do we allow ourselves to sacrifice some principles in the pursuit of our goals? Not gonna lie—I cried once and teared up another time as I read it. A gem of a story—definitely check it out!
(currently free to her email newsletter subscribers here: https://subscribepage.io/g7o4t4)

[Laurel Burgess · Rating 5 out of 5]

*happy feelings* :) This awesome short story, a prequel to Queen of Shifting Sands, is available through the author's newsletter!

That was quite satisfying. Kaitlyn is a fantastic writer and I love this world and the characters.

A reviewer described it as a horse girl story and I agree. Fantasy horse girl story with a lil romance and a lot of heart.

I enjoyed it and am 100x more hyped for Queen of Shifting Sands.
*screams*

[Hannah completing_my_tbr · Rating 5 out of 5]

So so good!!
I am now twice as excited for Queen of Shifting Sands to come out! This was the perfect prequel novella. You really get to understand the characters in such a short time.
I cannot wait to read Queen of Shifting Sands and get to experience more of this world!

[Katie Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Daughter of the Desert is a fun, exciting prequel to Queen of Shifting Sands! I really enjoyed it and the world Kaitlyn created and am so excited for the actual book!

[Rae Graham · Rating 5 out of 5]

A vibrant introduction to the deserts of Istanolde! Gave me strong Scorpio Races meets Hidalgo vibes. But with dragons! Absolutely love Lystra's fierce determination as she fights for her dreams. And her arc as she learns to delay them for the sake of her values💛

[Rose Everille · Rating 4 out of 5]

This short little novella (under a 100 pages) was a great prequel and introduction to the world.

It does clearly feel more like backstory than a full story, but that works and makes me excited for QoSS!
The characters are intriguing and promising, and the plot is solid.
I enjoyed reading it and it was well worth my time!

[Ariana Copeland · Rating 4 out of 5]

A daring girl, a fast-paced race, a handsome king, and the chance to win the price of a greater future. This short story prequel is wonderfully compelling and really whets the appetite for Queen of Shifting Sands. Can’t wait to continue Lystra’s story!

[Lena · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lovely prequel that leaves you yearning for more of this beautiful world, and curious to follow these characters’ further stories in Queen of Shifting Sands. Just the right amount of action, secrets, and deeper desires!

[Mary E. Dipple · Rating 4 out of 5]

Do you like race stories with underdog characters set in beautiful deserts like Hidalgo? Then you’ll love Daughter of the Desert.

[Naomi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a gripping and exciting introduction to the world of Instanolde and the complex characters who bring it to life! I am excited to see how Lystra’s journey unfolds.

[Paige · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the prequel to the Queen of Shifting Sands. It’s a short story that has interesting insights to Lystra’s story before she becomes the queen. I like that her grandmother isn’t in it, thankfully she’s on vacation—it focuses on when Lystra started racing and started seeing the king.

BTW you can download this prequel on the author’s website.

[Dario Pacheco · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely devoured this prelude to The Queen of Shifting Sands. I’m already in love with this world Kaitlyn has created. The world is vivid, the characters relatable and the promise of glorious adventure awaits. On to the next one! Highly recommend.

[Stephanie P (Because My Mother Read) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun quick novella and I loved how it introduced me to the world and characters of the upcoming novel to get me more familiar and excited. I love a race storyline and especially a girl/woman defying the expectations and joining in. The last part of the book felt like it could have had a bit more to the race aspects but overall really enjoyable and did its job of exciting me for the novel.

[Nathan Keys · Rating 5 out of 5]

A grand introduction to Lystra, cardants, and the Kingdom of Istanolde. Everything you could possibly want in a prequel novella. Can't wait for Queen of Shifting Sands!

[Julia Garcia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a good introduction to the characters of this desert world.

After reading Queen of Desert Sands earlier this year, I was glad to return and read more of these characters.

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was really good, i enjoyed my time reading it and found our main character and world really interesting.
I'm never really sure how to rate short stories but it feels like it did everything it sent out to but i did still wish it was slightly longer rather than having the skips of time in the middle. So I think a solid 4 stars is fair.
Lystra was a really interesting main character to follow and i really enjoyed following her and getting a base knowledge of her life and what she wants. I didn't like who was set up to be the love interest in this one, and i was unsure if i was meant to or not, however having read the synopsis of book 1 and knowing he dies and the brother is the actual love interest i'm happy with this turn and the brother for the small amount we saw him seems interesting and i definitely want to know more!
We saw a small sliver of the world and from what we saw i really enjoyed, i feel like i understand how these main families work and interact and I also really enjoyed the races and at least Lystra's viewpoint on them, some of the racers were ass holes.
so yeah this has left me really excited to read book 1 and learn more!

[Delene · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lystra is the only noble daughter involved in cardant racing and is determined to make her mark in her first season. She and her team are ready to race, but can they gain a foothold in the complicated world of race politics against the other noble houses?

I absolutely adored this fun first peek into the kingdom of Instanolde. Lystra is fierce and determined and bravely faces up to the many challenges in order to realise her dream of racing and breeding her beloved cardants (desert dragon creatures). Daughter of the Desert has everything I enjoy about a fantasy world: intriguing politics, romance, action and fantastical creatures. I fell in love with this beautiful desert world and its fascinating people. Can't wait for the rest of the story.

[Nadezhda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this novella very much. It was great to see this background for Lystra, who she was before she was Cormek's bethroted and later Elerek's wife and Queen of Instanolde.
I love how strong she is, and how despite all the hindrance she faced, she still kept her head high and made herself a name in the racing circles. It was gained in a tough way, but she still prevailed. I love Lystra and this just showed me what she is made of.
Highly recommend you read this after you read the duet, because it makes more sense then (at least it did for me), despite this novella happening before the events of both books.

[Lena · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wish the romance had been a little more hashed out—this felt like it primarily focused on the racing. I know it’s a novella, but I think more time could’ve been put into the romance, especially with a proposal at the end. I suppose this is why I struggle a bit with novellas. On the other hand, I do believe that this was a good setup for the rest of the series and will enhance the reading experience of Queen of Shifting Sands

[Brittany Eden · Rating 5 out of 5]

This novella is a thrilling mix of adventure with a touch of romance. With a tough, clever, easy-to-root-for heroine, and as an introduction to this desert fantasy world, it's so perfect! I know it's a prequel, but it stands alone as a satisfying story! Read this story free by subscribing to Kaitlyn's email newsletter!

[Liz Koetsier · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved this! It's all fan-service fun, getting to see some behind-the-scenes for some of the characters from Queen Shifting Sands. Including getting a glimpse of Cormek! We get to see Lystra doing what she loves best, and cardants in their full racing glory.

[Jessica Tanner · Rating 4 out of 5]

The cardants are cool - kind of like a cross between a dragon and a horse. And Lystra, she's full of fire and courage and loyalty. I'm looking forward to reading what's next - Queen of the Shifting Sands.

[Tasha Corbett · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars - an action packed novella prequel with competitive racing and royals.

After being approved for an arc of queen of shifting sands I noticed there was a novella already published that can be downloaded for free after signing up to the authors newsletter.

I really enjoyed the story - more than I expected to as I wasn’t keen on the cover.

I think it gives a really good insight to the type of character Lystra will be and sets a little world building.

I absolutely loved Ghira and hope she is featured more in the main book.

[Kaitlyn Carter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hello, my name is Kaitlyn, author of audacious adventures for the undaunted and unafraid. In my stories, you'll find fierce characters who hope with their whole souls, who break and mend, and never give up. Stories of survival, of strength, to inspire the undaunted and unafraid. And, of course, you will find wonder amid fantastic new worlds with plenty of loyal comrades, valiant romances, and the struggle to live well when the days grow dark.

Daughter of the Desert is a story born out of longing, of courage, and having the wisdom to prioritize both values and dreams. This novella serves as a prequel tale to my fantasy romance duology Queen of Shifting Sands, and is free to read for newsletter subscribers.

Want to join my adventure? Subscribe here: subscribepage.io/g7o4t4

[Esther Wallace · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great opening to a great series! I particularly love the ending to this short story. As somewhat sad as it is, it makes the whole thing worth it! A superb read for any reader.