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Theodoric Saga #1
The Crown of Anavrea
In a time when castles were the strongest...in a place where combat was face to face...Labren was on the run. He hid his true name and he admitted it freely.
In a time when slavery was legal...in a place where kings were all-powerful...Eve, a slave, appeared in the right place at the right time.
Eve saved his life. In return, he offered her the opportunity of freedom. She did not know what would happen to her if she chose to accept his proposal, but she did know the consequences of rejecting it.
In a time when slavery was legal...in a place where kings were all-powerful...Eve, a slave, appeared in the right place at the right time.
Eve saved his life. In return, he offered her the opportunity of freedom. She did not know what would happen to her if she chose to accept his proposal, but she did know the consequences of rejecting it.
170 pages, Paperback
First published October 20, 2004
20 people are currently reading
198 people want to read
About the author
Rachel Rossano
26 books454 followersRachel Rossano is a happily married mother of three children. She spends her days teaching, mothering, and keeping the chaos at bay. After the little ones are in bed, she immerses herself in the fantasy worlds of her books. Tales of romance, adventure, and virtue set in a medieval fantasy world are her preference, but she also writes speculative fantasy and a bit of science fiction.
She loves to read, discuss, and listen to comments on a wide variety of topics, both fiction and non-fiction.
She loves to read, discuss, and listen to comments on a wide variety of topics, both fiction and non-fiction.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews
January 12, 2010
Synopsis: A slave woman helps an outlaw escape capture and travels with him to the only place he knows he'll be safe. He gives her her freedom in exchange for her assistance.
My two cents: I loved this story! It was short at only 109 e-book pages (80 paperback) and every time I was forced to walk away from it, all I wanted to do was come back and finish it. I found the hero and heroine easy to like. Neither one was by any means perfect; they were both realistic and believable. The tale is fast-paced yet takes place over the course of many weeks. Any love scenes are completely vague, making this a suitable read for young adults.
Despite the novella length of this tale, the characters are well developed. I would have liked to have had more story, more detail in regard to their struggle, both internal and external. I wanted to spend more time with them.
*Review based on e-book provided free by the author.
My two cents: I loved this story! It was short at only 109 e-book pages (80 paperback) and every time I was forced to walk away from it, all I wanted to do was come back and finish it. I found the hero and heroine easy to like. Neither one was by any means perfect; they were both realistic and believable. The tale is fast-paced yet takes place over the course of many weeks. Any love scenes are completely vague, making this a suitable read for young adults.
Despite the novella length of this tale, the characters are well developed. I would have liked to have had more story, more detail in regard to their struggle, both internal and external. I wanted to spend more time with them.
*Review based on e-book provided free by the author.
March 18, 2020
This was such a sweet story. While not as polished or with the depth of the author's later works, it's still a wonderful book. I look forward to reading more.
September 10, 2012
2.5
Hmm, so this one was okay. I think I wanted to like it more than I did. I liked the characters and the overall story. I think it just needed to be developed a little more. There were just a few things that kept me from really getting into the story. Before I get into those, I will say that I did like it, it kept me reading. It just could have been better in my opinion. It's set in a fictional place, but has a very medieval feel to it, which I liked.
I got a little tired of Labren/Trahern being sick all the time. I’m not a big fan of sickbed storylines anyway, but this was just over-the-top and carried on throughout the entire story. When the book opens Eve is rescuing him and nursing him back to health. We eventually jump ahead a couple months when you think he would be better, but he is still sick with fevers, limping and totally dependent on Eve. I guess I got tired of the sickbed routine, oh and Eve would get sick now and then too. It was just a bit much. Since he wasn’t getting better it didn’t seem like things were really progressing. They supposedly have spent at least three months together, but I felt like we were still stuck at the beginning when he was first injured. Besides, it kind of made him come across weak and I like my heroes big and strong and immune to trivial little things like sword wounds.
Eve knows him as Labren, but everyone else calls him Trahern. I would have liked if we could have stuck with just one name. Going back and forth got confusing and seemed unnecessary.
The plot jumps around a bit. If the book were longer each sub-plot could have been developed more. Like her brother for example, what was the point of even bring him up. By time he leaves he has been living with them for months and he still doesn’t believe that Labren loves her? If we’re supposed to believe they are in love, shouldn’t her brother who is with them everyday believe it? There was no change of heart for him, even when he found out who Labren is; you think he’d be happy. I don’t know, I just thought it was weird.
There were a few instances of continuity that drove me a little crazy. I try and picture everything as I read and what they characters are doing, standing, etc. makes a big difference in how the story plays out in my head. I was constantly wondering about little things like that. For example, Eve and Labren would be in bed and then the next second she is being summoned and off she goes. Is she in her PJs or does she sleep in her clothes and is just ready to go?
Overall, it has a lot of potential, just needs to be developed more.
Content: Clean.
Hmm, so this one was okay. I think I wanted to like it more than I did. I liked the characters and the overall story. I think it just needed to be developed a little more. There were just a few things that kept me from really getting into the story. Before I get into those, I will say that I did like it, it kept me reading. It just could have been better in my opinion. It's set in a fictional place, but has a very medieval feel to it, which I liked.
I got a little tired of Labren/Trahern being sick all the time. I’m not a big fan of sickbed storylines anyway, but this was just over-the-top and carried on throughout the entire story. When the book opens Eve is rescuing him and nursing him back to health. We eventually jump ahead a couple months when you think he would be better, but he is still sick with fevers, limping and totally dependent on Eve. I guess I got tired of the sickbed routine, oh and Eve would get sick now and then too. It was just a bit much. Since he wasn’t getting better it didn’t seem like things were really progressing. They supposedly have spent at least three months together, but I felt like we were still stuck at the beginning when he was first injured. Besides, it kind of made him come across weak and I like my heroes big and strong and immune to trivial little things like sword wounds.
Eve knows him as Labren, but everyone else calls him Trahern. I would have liked if we could have stuck with just one name. Going back and forth got confusing and seemed unnecessary.
The plot jumps around a bit. If the book were longer each sub-plot could have been developed more. Like her brother for example, what was the point of even bring him up. By time he leaves he has been living with them for months and he still doesn’t believe that Labren loves her? If we’re supposed to believe they are in love, shouldn’t her brother who is with them everyday believe it? There was no change of heart for him, even when he found out who Labren is; you think he’d be happy. I don’t know, I just thought it was weird.
There were a few instances of continuity that drove me a little crazy. I try and picture everything as I read and what they characters are doing, standing, etc. makes a big difference in how the story plays out in my head. I was constantly wondering about little things like that. For example, Eve and Labren would be in bed and then the next second she is being summoned and off she goes. Is she in her PJs or does she sleep in her clothes and is just ready to go?
Overall, it has a lot of potential, just needs to be developed more.
Content: Clean.
September 3, 2021
I think I will review this whole series once I read them each, I really enjoyed them so much!
February 16, 2022
A sweet, simple, quick read that introduces readers to the world of Anavrea. I've been looking forward to this series, and was not disappointed!
January 30, 2012
This was an interesting read, full of twist and turns. However, with the quick plot changes I felt a bit lost at times. The author created a fantasy world, though without magic and wizards, that resembles medieval times, but with new places and people so that I felt like I was thrown into a new world that should make sense but didn't quite. The story of Labren and Eve itself was cute and sweet. I loved their romance and falling in love. It was everything else that seemed to distract rather than to build up the story. The side characters were well written and I enjoyed the interactions everyone had. I enjoyed the human aspect of this book, but the background information didn't pull me into the new world. I would have enjoyed more build up, but for a quick read it was fun and I would assume that more information may come in the next book of the saga.
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December 8, 2011
This is the first book in this series. Within the first chapter I was hooked and refused to put it down till I was finished. I felt a strong connection to Eve and felt bad for Labren. Ms. Rossano has a way with words that makes you feel like you are experencing everything right along with Eve and Labren. I liked that Ms. Russano did not have Eve trust Labren right away. I like that Eve had to work on her trust issues and her other old habits don't disappear over night. I also felt bad for Eve the fears she has to face. Lebren is a great hero and I loved when he let's Ulysses have it. This is a sweet romance with some adventure in the mix. This is an overall an awesome story. I am giddy to have discovered a new author. It is clean and no swearing. I can't wait to get my hands on book two THE THEODORIC SAGA The King of Anavrea.
July 30, 2016
I really like Rachel Rossano's stories. The only problem I have with them is they are not long enough. I get so caught up in the characters but then it's over much too soon.
July 16, 2018
Hmmm... I'm afraid this review is going to come across as more "what I didn't like," so I'll make sure to say right up front--I did enjoy this story. It's just that what I liked is a bit hard to define, while I can point to a couple of specific things that knocked my rating down a little. Just please note that even with the couple of problems I had, I still liked the story overall!
The plot didn't play out quite like I expected, which was interesting and refreshing. There wasn't nearly as much interpersonal drama as there could have been, which isn't a bad thing at all. I'm not sure why it surprised me so much, since I really liked the close relationships. Have I really come to expect half of a character's family, friends, and acquaintances to be jerks as a matter of course? Yikes!
I liked both of the main characters, but I never felt like I really got to know them that well. Somehow I never felt like I got past the level of their surface thoughts and feelings in order to understand who they really were. I liked the relationship they developed, but I didn't feel like I really got to see their feelings change and grow. I did like several of the secondary characters and found myself wondering about their futures.
Aside from not feeling especially connected to the characters, most of my complaints were little, nit-picky things that just sort of piled up over the course of the story. Certain details seemed a bit inconsistent in places, which is one of my personal pet peeves. A couple of the characters were called by two different names, and there was some inconsistency in how they were applied. For example, Han has been called that almost exclusively up until a certain chapter, when suddenly Labren begins calling him Atluer both in dialogue and in his thoughts with no explanation. Also, Eve is warned to use Trahern instead of Labren in front of his brother, and she does, but a bit later, his brother suddenly refers to him as Labren, which isn't a name he should have known. I was a bit confused on the slavery laws as well--Eve's marriage automatically freed her, but according to her story, her father was required to pay for her mother's freedom. Some of the details with Labren's wounds and the resulting sickness seemed a bit off at times, too. For example, if he wasn't healing like he should, he would never have come downstairs for two meals a day, even in a much later period. In one scene, Eve comes down to inform the others that he's fallen asleep, then a few minutes later, they decide they need to go see him to discuss affairs of state--and they proceed to do it immediately? Also, in one scene, he's so weak that two men are struggling to assist him to bed, and two days later, he's in a full-on playful wrestling match with no real consequences?
Honestly, I think the inconsistency issues and the fact that I didn't feel connected to the characters were the only things I didn't really like about this book. It was definitely a sweet and interesting story, and I do plan to continue the series, especially since it looks like the next book features Ireic, who I loved in this one. :)
Content--mentions of men keeping girls for entertainment; descriptions of a married couple sleeping together (no intimacy); a man flirts with and threatens to assault a married woman; very limited hints at the topic of intimacy between a married couple, always limited to remarks on having children
The plot didn't play out quite like I expected, which was interesting and refreshing. There wasn't nearly as much interpersonal drama as there could have been, which isn't a bad thing at all. I'm not sure why it surprised me so much, since I really liked the close relationships. Have I really come to expect half of a character's family, friends, and acquaintances to be jerks as a matter of course? Yikes!
I liked both of the main characters, but I never felt like I really got to know them that well. Somehow I never felt like I got past the level of their surface thoughts and feelings in order to understand who they really were. I liked the relationship they developed, but I didn't feel like I really got to see their feelings change and grow. I did like several of the secondary characters and found myself wondering about their futures.
Aside from not feeling especially connected to the characters, most of my complaints were little, nit-picky things that just sort of piled up over the course of the story. Certain details seemed a bit inconsistent in places, which is one of my personal pet peeves. A couple of the characters were called by two different names, and there was some inconsistency in how they were applied. For example, Han has been called that almost exclusively up until a certain chapter, when suddenly Labren begins calling him Atluer both in dialogue and in his thoughts with no explanation. Also, Eve is warned to use Trahern instead of Labren in front of his brother, and she does, but a bit later, his brother suddenly refers to him as Labren, which isn't a name he should have known. I was a bit confused on the slavery laws as well--Eve's marriage automatically freed her, but according to her story, her father was required to pay for her mother's freedom. Some of the details with Labren's wounds and the resulting sickness seemed a bit off at times, too. For example, if he wasn't healing like he should, he would never have come downstairs for two meals a day, even in a much later period. In one scene, Eve comes down to inform the others that he's fallen asleep, then a few minutes later, they decide they need to go see him to discuss affairs of state--and they proceed to do it immediately? Also, in one scene, he's so weak that two men are struggling to assist him to bed, and two days later, he's in a full-on playful wrestling match with no real consequences?
Honestly, I think the inconsistency issues and the fact that I didn't feel connected to the characters were the only things I didn't really like about this book. It was definitely a sweet and interesting story, and I do plan to continue the series, especially since it looks like the next book features Ireic, who I loved in this one. :)
Content--mentions of men keeping girls for entertainment; descriptions of a married couple sleeping together (no intimacy); a man flirts with and threatens to assault a married woman; very limited hints at the topic of intimacy between a married couple, always limited to remarks on having children
October 22, 2009
The moment I began reading, the Crown of Anavrea, I was hooked. The story begins with action and suspense, laced with danger and intrigue pulling the reader into the world of Labren and Eve, in the kingdom of Anavrea, a fantasy world where kings rule and slavery is legal.
It is the story of Labren, a man on the run, hunted and badly injured when he is found by Eve, a slave from birth. Eve risks her life to care for Labren and saves his life. In return, he offers her freedom in the form of marriage. As they journey to his land, these two strangers who were thrown together by circumstance, must come to trust one another as their story is unveiled. Not much is revealed about Eve’s background and why she has been a slave from birth. Labren’s true identity is revealed and the reason he is a hunted man.
There is so much promise in the first dozen pages that I had high expectations for this book. However, because this book is a novella, only 79 pages long, I felt I had just read a small part of a book. And I wanted to read more! Because the characters are interesting and the premise of the story good, I feel this book could have been expanded into a full-fledged 350-page novel, with the characters and plot more fully developed, as strong conflicts (expected from the reader because of the great beginning) were missing. As a result the danger, suspense and intrigue were short-lived. The enemy doesn’t turn out to be an enemy after all, and although reconciliation is an honourable end result, the struggle and journey to get there is what readers look forward to most.
Nonetheless, despite my disappointment, I enjoyed reading this book. I liked the author's style and her voice. She wastes no time with flowery descriptions, but instead has a talent for painting a vivid picture through her characters and their interactions, making me sorely wish I had a few more hundred pages to read so I could be immersed in their world a little longer.
It is the story of Labren, a man on the run, hunted and badly injured when he is found by Eve, a slave from birth. Eve risks her life to care for Labren and saves his life. In return, he offers her freedom in the form of marriage. As they journey to his land, these two strangers who were thrown together by circumstance, must come to trust one another as their story is unveiled. Not much is revealed about Eve’s background and why she has been a slave from birth. Labren’s true identity is revealed and the reason he is a hunted man.
There is so much promise in the first dozen pages that I had high expectations for this book. However, because this book is a novella, only 79 pages long, I felt I had just read a small part of a book. And I wanted to read more! Because the characters are interesting and the premise of the story good, I feel this book could have been expanded into a full-fledged 350-page novel, with the characters and plot more fully developed, as strong conflicts (expected from the reader because of the great beginning) were missing. As a result the danger, suspense and intrigue were short-lived. The enemy doesn’t turn out to be an enemy after all, and although reconciliation is an honourable end result, the struggle and journey to get there is what readers look forward to most.
Nonetheless, despite my disappointment, I enjoyed reading this book. I liked the author's style and her voice. She wastes no time with flowery descriptions, but instead has a talent for painting a vivid picture through her characters and their interactions, making me sorely wish I had a few more hundred pages to read so I could be immersed in their world a little longer.
November 19, 2011
I don't read much fantasy, but I enjoyed this one by Rachel Rosanno. A short, clean, very sweet romance with a bit of high paced adventure mixed in. And the tease at the end for the second book in the series, The King of Anavrea, has me eager for more.
June 14, 2015
Solid Rossano here- doing what she does well. Medieval style fantasy with likeable protagonists and enough plot curves to keep it interesting.
December 27, 2021
I congratulate myself on buying the whole series in one shot. I learned that lesson when I bought just book one of the Talented by Rachel Rossano. The moment I finished reading that I had to rush out and buy the next two books.
The characters are so alive with little quirks and personality traits. They react in truly human ways, surprising, familiar, and activating all the senses and emotions. These books are deeply good reads.
Tension comes from the circumstances and situations more than from "bad guys". There are unhappy people making the characters' lives difficult, but they are in the background. The most important aspect of the story is how the characters react and rise to the challenge.
I love reading about good humans - not the kind who get everything right, but they try and they look for the good in others. They are not conditioned to cynicism or sarcasm or criticism. This is really really refreshing!
Thank you Rachel, for writing another wonderful book series! Now please excuse me as I roll into book two!
The characters are so alive with little quirks and personality traits. They react in truly human ways, surprising, familiar, and activating all the senses and emotions. These books are deeply good reads.
Tension comes from the circumstances and situations more than from "bad guys". There are unhappy people making the characters' lives difficult, but they are in the background. The most important aspect of the story is how the characters react and rise to the challenge.
I love reading about good humans - not the kind who get everything right, but they try and they look for the good in others. They are not conditioned to cynicism or sarcasm or criticism. This is really really refreshing!
Thank you Rachel, for writing another wonderful book series! Now please excuse me as I roll into book two!
February 27, 2024
Nice story, slightly rushed
Loved the story and the sweet romance that develops between the two main characters.
However the book seemed rushed throughout.
In fact, I asked myself on several occasions if I was reading an abridged version.
I would be in the middle of a developing scene, when the next line in the book made me aware that it was now a different day. Or location. Just like that.
Other than that this is a romantic story with two likable main characters, come across one another during times of hardship. Can’t wait for the next one in the series.
Loved the story and the sweet romance that develops between the two main characters.
However the book seemed rushed throughout.
In fact, I asked myself on several occasions if I was reading an abridged version.
I would be in the middle of a developing scene, when the next line in the book made me aware that it was now a different day. Or location. Just like that.
Other than that this is a romantic story with two likable main characters, come across one another during times of hardship. Can’t wait for the next one in the series.
May 23, 2017
I have mixed feelings on this one. The story has good bones, but I think the author/story really could have used the help of an editor to fully develop the plot and characters as well as work on some of the transitions within a chapter (points of view or setting would change on a dime without any cues, which was a bit distracting to say the least). Overall, a decent, relatively quick read. Not going to make it into my list of favorites, but I'm interested enough to read the sequels.
June 22, 2017
This was a nice, clean story that kept me interested and now I am interested in reading more in the series. One reviewer said this was a short book but I wouldn't say it reads like a novella. It was long enough for the story to develop well. (I don't particularly like novellas.)
April 15, 2021
Enjoyed the story but the head popping was distracting.
June 28, 2021
Sweet read
A very quick, easy and great story. In love the characters and was glad the story was not drawn out. A great read!
A very quick, easy and great story. In love the characters and was glad the story was not drawn out. A great read!
February 25, 2015
I originally picked this book up last summer after reading Rachel Rossano’s books Duty and Wren.
Plot – Grade A
I enjoyed the plot. It was a good mix of sweet romance as Labren and Eve try to turn their marriage of convenience into something more and adventure with Labren being on the run. I also enjoyed the fact that the motive behind Labren’s fleeing from his home and the ultimate solution reached did not feel contrived or clichéd. It was reasonable and, more importantly, it made sense with the main characters’ previous actions, attitudes, and beliefs. In spite of the short length (109 pages from the Kindle version), I didn’t feel that the plot suffered from receiving too many cuts. Of course, there were a few places involving the last leg of the plot journey that could have been expanded on had the book itself been longer but plot stands well on its own while leaving the door cracked for continuing stories.
Content – Grade A
This is a sweet romance. There are kisses and at one point you guess that the marriage has been consummated but it was handled so tastefully that there’s nothing you’d be embarrassed to allow a younger teen to read. The most direct reference is that children were now a possibility after the change in Labren and Eve’s relationship.
Early on in the book, Eve is threatened by being told she’s been sold to an innkeeper who keeps girls to “entertain” the guests. Later an unscrupulous character leers at her and is said to make a highly inappropriate suggestion to her but she is able to escape. There is also a reference to a man’s wife liking his friend more than she liked her husband. But each instance is handled with delicacy and takes care not to stray into gratuitous detail.
There is some violence but most of it takes place off-screen. The most we see are a few punches. Language also takes place off-screen with one exception: A slave owner is referred to as “bastard.” Personally, I could have lived without that name being written out since it was a reference to the man’s character and not his being illegitimate. However, the word, and its single use, may not bother other Christians at all.
Technical – Grade A-
This book was very well-edited. It only had one case of a homophone swap: “accept” being used when it should have been “except” and one instance where it appeared that two words had been dropped but the sentence still made sense. The pacing was good if quick due to the novella-length. There was also one instance where Eve said she and Labren had been running for a month but everywhere else referred to it as being two months. There were a couple places where the more modern “Is he okay?” was used, which didn’t quite mesh with the medieval-esque atmosphere of this fantasy. And one instance where a princess of the kingdom was referred to as “Her majesty” when it should have been “Her highness,” but that probably won’t bother most readers.
Final Grade – A or Five Stars
Overall, this is a quick, enjoyable read that tells the story of Labren and Eve in a manner that makes me wish it wasn’t over already. I enjoyed the development of their story and how they supported each other and were concerned for each other even before their feelings became obvious. I am also glad to have the sequel ready for my reading pleasure as I look forward to exploring more of the world of Anavrea and getting to know certain secondary characters better. My sole complaint for this book is that I really wish it had been longer so I could spend more time with Labren and Eve. :) I would recommend this book to people who are looking for a quick, clean Christian fantasy and who enjoy fantasy novels set in a medieval-esque world. Recommended for ages 15 and up.
Plot – Grade A
I enjoyed the plot. It was a good mix of sweet romance as Labren and Eve try to turn their marriage of convenience into something more and adventure with Labren being on the run. I also enjoyed the fact that the motive behind Labren’s fleeing from his home and the ultimate solution reached did not feel contrived or clichéd. It was reasonable and, more importantly, it made sense with the main characters’ previous actions, attitudes, and beliefs. In spite of the short length (109 pages from the Kindle version), I didn’t feel that the plot suffered from receiving too many cuts. Of course, there were a few places involving the last leg of the plot journey that could have been expanded on had the book itself been longer but plot stands well on its own while leaving the door cracked for continuing stories.
Content – Grade A
This is a sweet romance. There are kisses and at one point you guess that the marriage has been consummated but it was handled so tastefully that there’s nothing you’d be embarrassed to allow a younger teen to read. The most direct reference is that children were now a possibility after the change in Labren and Eve’s relationship.
Early on in the book, Eve is threatened by being told she’s been sold to an innkeeper who keeps girls to “entertain” the guests. Later an unscrupulous character leers at her and is said to make a highly inappropriate suggestion to her but she is able to escape. There is also a reference to a man’s wife liking his friend more than she liked her husband. But each instance is handled with delicacy and takes care not to stray into gratuitous detail.
There is some violence but most of it takes place off-screen. The most we see are a few punches. Language also takes place off-screen with one exception: A slave owner is referred to as “bastard.” Personally, I could have lived without that name being written out since it was a reference to the man’s character and not his being illegitimate. However, the word, and its single use, may not bother other Christians at all.
Technical – Grade A-
This book was very well-edited. It only had one case of a homophone swap: “accept” being used when it should have been “except” and one instance where it appeared that two words had been dropped but the sentence still made sense. The pacing was good if quick due to the novella-length. There was also one instance where Eve said she and Labren had been running for a month but everywhere else referred to it as being two months. There were a couple places where the more modern “Is he okay?” was used, which didn’t quite mesh with the medieval-esque atmosphere of this fantasy. And one instance where a princess of the kingdom was referred to as “Her majesty” when it should have been “Her highness,” but that probably won’t bother most readers.
Final Grade – A or Five Stars
Overall, this is a quick, enjoyable read that tells the story of Labren and Eve in a manner that makes me wish it wasn’t over already. I enjoyed the development of their story and how they supported each other and were concerned for each other even before their feelings became obvious. I am also glad to have the sequel ready for my reading pleasure as I look forward to exploring more of the world of Anavrea and getting to know certain secondary characters better. My sole complaint for this book is that I really wish it had been longer so I could spend more time with Labren and Eve. :) I would recommend this book to people who are looking for a quick, clean Christian fantasy and who enjoy fantasy novels set in a medieval-esque world. Recommended for ages 15 and up.
May 22, 2011
¿Les ha sucedido alguna vez que leen un libro y al terminar, sienten una inusitada ternura? Eso mismo me sucedió cuando leí The Crown of Anavrea.
Eva y Labren me gustaron mucho, tanto como personajes individuales, como en pareja. Siendo una novela corta (actualmente se encuentra en proceso de reedición, por lo que la historia sin duda va a mejorar), tiene un muy buen ritmo, los personajes son creíbles y llenos de carisma.
La vida de ambos ha sido difícil, cada uno a su manera, en un tiempo donde la esclavitud era algo común y corriente. Labren tiene un sentido del honor que realmente salta a la vista con sus acciones. El amor entre ellos no nace de la imposición, ni del deber; sino de la convivencia mutua y del respeto.
Me gustaría mucho que hubiera sido una novela larga, y poder conocer mejor a los personajes, no digo que no estén bien desarrollados, creo que la señora Rossano hizo un trabajo fabuloso al crearlos, pero quería tener un acercamiento distinto a ellos, verlos luchar consigo mismos, encarar mejor sus dudas y miedos y sobre todo, ver la lucha que se desata en la historia, para tener un poco de mas acción.
No obstante, creo que The Crown of Anavrea, es una novela dulce y tierna, escrita con una prosa ligera y llena de matices, donde la lealtad y el amor te derriten el corazón. Una verdadera joya.
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Does it ever has been reading a book and at the end, you feel an unusual tenderness? That same thing happened when I read The Crown of Anavrea.
Eva and Labren I liked a lot, both as individual characters, as a couple. Being a short novel (currently in the process of reprinting, so that story will surely improve), has a very good pace, the characters are believable and full of charisma.
Their lives have been difficult, each in its own way, at a time when slavery was something ordinary. Labren has a sense of honor that really obvious by their actions. The love between them does not arise from the imposition, or duty, but of mutual coexistence and respect.
I would really like this had been a long novel, and learn more about the characters, I don't say they are not well developed, I believe that Mrs. Rossano did a terrific job to create them, but I wanted a different approach to them, see fighting with themselves, see more doubts and fears and, above all, to see the fight that breaks out in story, to have a little more action.
However, I think The Crown of Anavrea, is a sweet and tender novel, written with a light prose, and nuanced, where loyalty and love will melt your heart. A real gem.
Eva y Labren me gustaron mucho, tanto como personajes individuales, como en pareja. Siendo una novela corta (actualmente se encuentra en proceso de reedición, por lo que la historia sin duda va a mejorar), tiene un muy buen ritmo, los personajes son creíbles y llenos de carisma.
La vida de ambos ha sido difícil, cada uno a su manera, en un tiempo donde la esclavitud era algo común y corriente. Labren tiene un sentido del honor que realmente salta a la vista con sus acciones. El amor entre ellos no nace de la imposición, ni del deber; sino de la convivencia mutua y del respeto.
Me gustaría mucho que hubiera sido una novela larga, y poder conocer mejor a los personajes, no digo que no estén bien desarrollados, creo que la señora Rossano hizo un trabajo fabuloso al crearlos, pero quería tener un acercamiento distinto a ellos, verlos luchar consigo mismos, encarar mejor sus dudas y miedos y sobre todo, ver la lucha que se desata en la historia, para tener un poco de mas acción.
No obstante, creo que The Crown of Anavrea, es una novela dulce y tierna, escrita con una prosa ligera y llena de matices, donde la lealtad y el amor te derriten el corazón. Una verdadera joya.
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Does it ever has been reading a book and at the end, you feel an unusual tenderness? That same thing happened when I read The Crown of Anavrea.
Eva and Labren I liked a lot, both as individual characters, as a couple. Being a short novel (currently in the process of reprinting, so that story will surely improve), has a very good pace, the characters are believable and full of charisma.
Their lives have been difficult, each in its own way, at a time when slavery was something ordinary. Labren has a sense of honor that really obvious by their actions. The love between them does not arise from the imposition, or duty, but of mutual coexistence and respect.
I would really like this had been a long novel, and learn more about the characters, I don't say they are not well developed, I believe that Mrs. Rossano did a terrific job to create them, but I wanted a different approach to them, see fighting with themselves, see more doubts and fears and, above all, to see the fight that breaks out in story, to have a little more action.
However, I think The Crown of Anavrea, is a sweet and tender novel, written with a light prose, and nuanced, where loyalty and love will melt your heart. A real gem.
January 4, 2017
Although this was, in fact, the third book I have read by Rachel Rossano, its the first time I began by reading one of her series from the beginning. The other books were a standalone novella, and an Anthology of short stories which complement her Novels of Rhynan series.
Both the aforementioned, and the Theodoric Saga which this is part of are meant to be Medieval Fantasy series 'masquerading as Historical' as the endnote says. I must confess though, I did not like this one as much as her other books.
I understand it was her first novel, written several years before the Kindle Edition was published in 2011, hence her writing style was not as developed. It was rather too short to allow for a lot of character and plot development, and as a ersult seemed to to jump around rather a lot and seemed inconsistent in places. For all that though, its not bad for a first story. Better than a lot of things I would have written at that age.
The only other issue I have is that it didn't really feel Medieval to me. I like to be 'transported' back in time, and get a real feel for the past, or the ficional version of it when I read Historical Fiction or Fantasy. If there are details at odds with the setting, then I like them to fit in with the story as part of the World building.
The problem was there was no real sense of period in this one, as there is in Mrs Rossano's later novels. Many of the details are quite conspiciously modern, as is a lot of the langauge, and it did prove somewhat jarring. This is forgiveable however, for the reasons Highlighted above. It was her first book, and probably was not based on as much Historical Research.
Of course, I will read more by this author, and I hear the series gets better as it goes along. Its a a good introduction to the author's work and to the characters involved in the series.
Both the aforementioned, and the Theodoric Saga which this is part of are meant to be Medieval Fantasy series 'masquerading as Historical' as the endnote says. I must confess though, I did not like this one as much as her other books.
I understand it was her first novel, written several years before the Kindle Edition was published in 2011, hence her writing style was not as developed. It was rather too short to allow for a lot of character and plot development, and as a ersult seemed to to jump around rather a lot and seemed inconsistent in places. For all that though, its not bad for a first story. Better than a lot of things I would have written at that age.
The only other issue I have is that it didn't really feel Medieval to me. I like to be 'transported' back in time, and get a real feel for the past, or the ficional version of it when I read Historical Fiction or Fantasy. If there are details at odds with the setting, then I like them to fit in with the story as part of the World building.
The problem was there was no real sense of period in this one, as there is in Mrs Rossano's later novels. Many of the details are quite conspiciously modern, as is a lot of the langauge, and it did prove somewhat jarring. This is forgiveable however, for the reasons Highlighted above. It was her first book, and probably was not based on as much Historical Research.
Of course, I will read more by this author, and I hear the series gets better as it goes along. Its a a good introduction to the author's work and to the characters involved in the series.
October 31, 2014
Finished Oct. 27th.
I really enjoyed this book! I was captured right from the beginning, and fell in love with the two main characters instantly. The names were unique and very neat, throughout the book. The writing was easy to follow, clear and clean, and flowed very well which is always an excellent thing! I honestly had a hard time putting this one down – I read it in two days…mostly just one actually, since I started it in the evening. But yes, it was super good!
The only thing I wished for it was that it could have been longer (!) and maybe more detailed. It was a fast pacing story, which was great, I just would’ve loved some more detail, adding length and such to the book.
There was one swear-word spoken, but that was all – this book was not one you’d have to be really cautious about because of swear words or anything – it was otherwise very clean!
Other than that, I thoroughly enjoyed it and will definitely read it again. Eve and Lebron’s relationship was lovely, really. And romantic. Yes, I am rather a “hopeless romantic” as they go…this book definitely fed that for me. ^.^
I was sent both the first and second ebook of this series, and had every intention of reviewing the 2nd one (” The King of Anavrea”) as well, but my eyes are not fond of reading on my laptop and thus I was unable to finish the second at this time. Which really bummed me out hugely, because it is SO good!!! Both books are excellent, and I would definitely recommend them to others. I hope to be able to finish the 2nd book sometime in the future. It is not a story to be left unread. I’m just praying my eyes cooperate with me. :)
Thank you so much, Miss Rossano, for allowing me to read and review these lovely books!
I really enjoyed this book! I was captured right from the beginning, and fell in love with the two main characters instantly. The names were unique and very neat, throughout the book. The writing was easy to follow, clear and clean, and flowed very well which is always an excellent thing! I honestly had a hard time putting this one down – I read it in two days…mostly just one actually, since I started it in the evening. But yes, it was super good!
The only thing I wished for it was that it could have been longer (!) and maybe more detailed. It was a fast pacing story, which was great, I just would’ve loved some more detail, adding length and such to the book.
There was one swear-word spoken, but that was all – this book was not one you’d have to be really cautious about because of swear words or anything – it was otherwise very clean!
Other than that, I thoroughly enjoyed it and will definitely read it again. Eve and Lebron’s relationship was lovely, really. And romantic. Yes, I am rather a “hopeless romantic” as they go…this book definitely fed that for me. ^.^
I was sent both the first and second ebook of this series, and had every intention of reviewing the 2nd one (” The King of Anavrea”) as well, but my eyes are not fond of reading on my laptop and thus I was unable to finish the second at this time. Which really bummed me out hugely, because it is SO good!!! Both books are excellent, and I would definitely recommend them to others. I hope to be able to finish the 2nd book sometime in the future. It is not a story to be left unread. I’m just praying my eyes cooperate with me. :)
Thank you so much, Miss Rossano, for allowing me to read and review these lovely books!
November 11, 2017
I found myself torn with this story – I loved the plot but I was left wishing for just a little bit more to their story. The plot was excellent – full of adventure, suspense and just enough romance. We have a man who was rescued and cared for by a slave. Little did this slave woman know that he was a Prince on the run, with a bounty on his head by his Father. She cared and tended to him and in return he freed her from her slavery. It wasn’t until his wounds became more fatal that he was forced to seek help from trusted friends and have to tell her the truth. Eve took this with grace – she trusted Labren fully and would do anything for him.
I loved the plot line and the characters but I just would have loved to see a bit more depth in the character development or even a little bit more detail in the plot line. It seemed almost rushed at times. I still loved the story and can’t wait to read book two and three in this saga!
I loved the plot line and the characters but I just would have loved to see a bit more depth in the character development or even a little bit more detail in the plot line. It seemed almost rushed at times. I still loved the story and can’t wait to read book two and three in this saga!
November 7, 2011
Rachel writes exactly the kind of book I enjoy reading: a sweet romance with a bit of adventure mixed in. Labren, though injured, is clearly concerned with the welfare of Eve from the beginning even as Eve works to save his life. Labren would not have survived without Eve's help. She risks life and limb to take care of the injured man. Even though this story is set in an unknown world, it felt like a Medieval Romance, so anyone who likes clean historical romances would enjoy this book. I love the strong characters Rachel writes about, and I also love how clean the book is. There is some kissing, but nothing to make the mom in me squirm. This is a book I feel very comfortable handing over to my daughters. Well done, Rachel!
January 27, 2014
The Crown of Anavrea is a gripping story with greatly developed characters and a clean romance. Even though it is short enough to be an easy one or two day read, I definitely didn't want it to end! The Crown of Anavrea's plot explodes into complexity within the first couple of pages, and ends in a nicely tied-up and well rounded story. I enjoyed it very much and eagerly await the second book in the Theodoric Saga!
December 12, 2012
I really started out loving this book, in fact I thoroughly enjoyed the first half of it....but then if fell flat for me. I felt like the characters never really had the chance to fully develop and found myself waiting for "something" to happen. There ended up really not being much of a plot. I would be interested in reading book two though.
July 28, 2012
I enjoyed this book as it was a sweet read, I wish it had been longer! It was a nice romance story and a good set up for the books to follow it.
I liked the characters, they all have there own uniqueness that makes you want to read more about them.
Kindle edition.
I liked the characters, they all have there own uniqueness that makes you want to read more about them.
Kindle edition.
October 30, 2014
From a masterful storyteller and great creator of characters comes this Book One in a delightful series. This book kept me reading with anticipation until the end, to find out what happens to both Labren and Eve. I love the way this author writes and will always be ready to read her books!
October 27, 2012
It felt like a lot of the story was missing, such as both main character's initial motivation. Then the story kept jumping past their development on to other things.
January 27, 2013
What happens when a man with a price on his head meets a runaway slave? A little bit more running, some healing, and a whole lot of love.
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