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Seat of Magic #1
Trouble
There has been unrest among the people for over six hundred years. No one recalls what started the fighting, few recall the proper order of events. Everyone feels the effects of the unrest. Short lived queens and weak magic mean that any newcomer is viewed as a rival, that warriors must defend queens they can barely stand in order to protect the common people.
Aren knew when she begged to go that being finished at the palace was dangerous. Every lady is finished at court, no matter her rank or the worth of her title, and it was the opportunity to escape that Aren had been waiting for. Her plan was simple, keep her head down until her eighteenth birthday and then quietly slip away.
Av had spent almost a decade protecting Em, who he knows isn't good for his family or the people. But she's the only one who can hold the throne, a landscape magic which has become absolutely necessary for life to continue. Without a queen sitting the throne the land would fail and the common folk would suffer. With Em on the throne at least, a majority of the people live regular lives.
Despite her best attempts, Aren finds herself in Av's sights after she takes ill. The warrior's response to her is an instinctive reaction Aren hadn't counted on. Aren knows little about warriors, less about magic, and absolutely nothing about the throne.
She should have planned better.
Aren knew when she begged to go that being finished at the palace was dangerous. Every lady is finished at court, no matter her rank or the worth of her title, and it was the opportunity to escape that Aren had been waiting for. Her plan was simple, keep her head down until her eighteenth birthday and then quietly slip away.
Av had spent almost a decade protecting Em, who he knows isn't good for his family or the people. But she's the only one who can hold the throne, a landscape magic which has become absolutely necessary for life to continue. Without a queen sitting the throne the land would fail and the common folk would suffer. With Em on the throne at least, a majority of the people live regular lives.
Despite her best attempts, Aren finds herself in Av's sights after she takes ill. The warrior's response to her is an instinctive reaction Aren hadn't counted on. Aren knows little about warriors, less about magic, and absolutely nothing about the throne.
She should have planned better.
223 pages, ebook
First published April 29, 2014
44 people are currently reading
205 people want to read
About the author
R.J. Price
8 books15 followersRJ Price lives in Canada where she works and writes full time. When not doing either of those things she attempts to navigate social media and resists the urge to return to writing.
She has published novels in the fantasy genre and insists she is also a science fiction author, but has been too caught up in her Seat of Magic series to actually complete a science fiction novel for publishing.
She has published novels in the fantasy genre and insists she is also a science fiction author, but has been too caught up in her Seat of Magic series to actually complete a science fiction novel for publishing.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
September 28, 2016
Free on Amazon 4.5 stars
This was free on Amazon and what a coup. I find fantasy very hit and miss - I either like it or I don't, and I hate 'epic journey' tales. I read this pretty much in one sitting, ending up turning the light out at 1:44am...so this was all good for me.
Although the book did use the background of the usual medieval type atmosphere, it did have some very strong women in roles of power, so this included several types of issues which keeps you going and doesn't feel like a damsel in distress novel.
There are a lot of really strong characters that are clearly defined and have distinctive personalities and quirks which keeps the novel feeling fresh, with new characters introduced at various stages. The story is clear with power struggles and political intrigue that maintains that surge to keep on reading.
I've got the next book and am soldiering on.
This was free on Amazon and what a coup. I find fantasy very hit and miss - I either like it or I don't, and I hate 'epic journey' tales. I read this pretty much in one sitting, ending up turning the light out at 1:44am...so this was all good for me.
Although the book did use the background of the usual medieval type atmosphere, it did have some very strong women in roles of power, so this included several types of issues which keeps you going and doesn't feel like a damsel in distress novel.
There are a lot of really strong characters that are clearly defined and have distinctive personalities and quirks which keeps the novel feeling fresh, with new characters introduced at various stages. The story is clear with power struggles and political intrigue that maintains that surge to keep on reading.
I've got the next book and am soldiering on.
May 4, 2015
Trouble on July 25, 2014
Reading Trouble is like being dropped into a world where you know nothing, but all of the characters are of course well versed in everything. You are immersed into the world and characters and the more you read, the more you start to understand what kind of world you have been dropped into. I loved the character development, the humor, the characters, the world, everything. My favorite character is Aren because of her determination to get what she wants: a cottage by a lake. I got sucked so fast and hard into the story that when the end of the book happened, I literally gasped out loud. I crave the next book, I want to know what is going on!
Reading Trouble is like being dropped into a world where you know nothing, but all of the characters are of course well versed in everything. You are immersed into the world and characters and the more you read, the more you start to understand what kind of world you have been dropped into. I loved the character development, the humor, the characters, the world, everything. My favorite character is Aren because of her determination to get what she wants: a cottage by a lake. I got sucked so fast and hard into the story that when the end of the book happened, I literally gasped out loud. I crave the next book, I want to know what is going on!
May 4, 2015
Save a block of time to read this because you won't want to put it down! I have been following this author's path for many years and have to say that she is only getting better and better. Can't wait for Book 2!
February 23, 2017
Very captivating
It was hard to put down, looking forward to reading more about Aren and everyone that will be in the rest
It was hard to put down, looking forward to reading more about Aren and everyone that will be in the rest
July 9, 2015
It's amazing how quickly I found myself engrossed in this strange, yet familiar world Ms Price has created. Her characters are marvelously real, full of quirks and foibles, and prone to making the sort of mistakes I've found myself committing. It's refreshing to meet real people in books.
Aren is both clever and naive, looking only to find herself a refuge, a cottage by a lake. The last thing in the world she wants is to be noticed, and if she didn't have to be at court in order to give her younger sister the opportunity to attend court as well, Aren would have happily avoided the minefield that is Em's court.
Em is a mad queen, full of rage and fear in equal measures, and sees plots in every corner, Her caprice is tempered by her mate Jer, and his brother Av, but even these two can only do so much to control Em. Even Em's daughter is at risk from the wrath of the queen. Em is failing, and both men know it. While they dread Em's instability, there's no guarantee that the next queen to sit the throne will be any better.
Av barely notices Aren at first, to Aren's satisfaction. But when he does, it sets in motion a chain of events no one could have predicted. I'm not going to leave spoilers, but the twists and turns are superb, and kept me reading often later than I'd planned. I started out disliking Av, but he managed to redeem himself by the end of the book. Av's full of contradictions, and it just makes him that much more a flesh and blood person rather than a stock character.
This is the first book in a series, and I'm entirely delighted, because I really, really want more of Av and Aren, of Jer, and of Telm, not to mention Mar and Ervam. Oh, hells, I just want Ms Price to write more!
Aren is both clever and naive, looking only to find herself a refuge, a cottage by a lake. The last thing in the world she wants is to be noticed, and if she didn't have to be at court in order to give her younger sister the opportunity to attend court as well, Aren would have happily avoided the minefield that is Em's court.
Em is a mad queen, full of rage and fear in equal measures, and sees plots in every corner, Her caprice is tempered by her mate Jer, and his brother Av, but even these two can only do so much to control Em. Even Em's daughter is at risk from the wrath of the queen. Em is failing, and both men know it. While they dread Em's instability, there's no guarantee that the next queen to sit the throne will be any better.
Av barely notices Aren at first, to Aren's satisfaction. But when he does, it sets in motion a chain of events no one could have predicted. I'm not going to leave spoilers, but the twists and turns are superb, and kept me reading often later than I'd planned. I started out disliking Av, but he managed to redeem himself by the end of the book. Av's full of contradictions, and it just makes him that much more a flesh and blood person rather than a stock character.
This is the first book in a series, and I'm entirely delighted, because I really, really want more of Av and Aren, of Jer, and of Telm, not to mention Mar and Ervam. Oh, hells, I just want Ms Price to write more!
May 7, 2015
Aren just wants to live a quiet life, but trouble just seem to follow her. I really enjoyed this book. The world is really interesting. The character development is good. During the story you find out that not all is as it seemed in the beginning. It's also written from several POVs which allows us to see things from different angle. All in all it's an enjoyable read you can't quite make yourself put down. The only downside for me is a cliffhanger ending, which means I just can't wait to start the next book in the series :)
October 13, 2016
Great read!
You don't get a clear timeline or basic dating of time from R.J. in this story, but, I think that is what makes this so wonderful. You can imagine any time period you like, and just roll with the story. Can't wait to read the second, Sit Pretty.
You don't get a clear timeline or basic dating of time from R.J. in this story, but, I think that is what makes this so wonderful. You can imagine any time period you like, and just roll with the story. Can't wait to read the second, Sit Pretty.
November 20, 2016
The word building in this just doesn't make a whole lot of sense. And even if you get the whole thing to make sense in some way, the question is still, why? It's not even very interesting.
You know how in some books you run into all these conceptions and words that first don't mean anything to you, but as the story progresses they gain meaning through context and even add depth to the book?
This book tried to do that, and failed. The meaning was gained easily enough, but it just didn't support (even a) fantasy realistic world.
I felt myself frustrated with this. The whole dynamic between men and women, which I get it, is different in this world. But it is not interesting or fun to read about, in my humble opinion.
Read about 85% of this then quit. It says something that even at a point where a book is usually around its most exciting, I was able to put it down and not be bothered at all.
You know how in some books you run into all these conceptions and words that first don't mean anything to you, but as the story progresses they gain meaning through context and even add depth to the book?
This book tried to do that, and failed. The meaning was gained easily enough, but it just didn't support (even a) fantasy realistic world.
I felt myself frustrated with this. The whole dynamic between men and women, which I get it, is different in this world. But it is not interesting or fun to read about, in my humble opinion.
Read about 85% of this then quit. It says something that even at a point where a book is usually around its most exciting, I was able to put it down and not be bothered at all.
May 22, 2019
anyone else have trouble following this story?
So incredibly confusing. I have to give credit for the author having a good basic plot line, and for writing the story. But the culture of the world her characters inhabit is unknown to the reader and barely emerged in bits. it is a hard thing to do, to write a book and persevere through. which is what I tried to do persevere through to the end of the story, but halfway through I gave up. there are more pleasurable, less confusing books to read.
So incredibly confusing. I have to give credit for the author having a good basic plot line, and for writing the story. But the culture of the world her characters inhabit is unknown to the reader and barely emerged in bits. it is a hard thing to do, to write a book and persevere through. which is what I tried to do persevere through to the end of the story, but halfway through I gave up. there are more pleasurable, less confusing books to read.
December 21, 2017
I was enjoying this book as a guilty pleasure until just over halfway through. At this point the 'hero' hits the heroine, knocking her over, and a chapter or so later they are intimate for the first time (she is a virgin) in what reads like rape to me. Instant wallbanger.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 14, 2019
Who or what is Aren?
The simple story of a girl who wants nothing more than a cottage by a lake, this story is anything but simple. It will reel you in and tie you up, until you cannot help but read the next page, and the next.
The simple story of a girl who wants nothing more than a cottage by a lake, this story is anything but simple. It will reel you in and tie you up, until you cannot help but read the next page, and the next.
May 30, 2019
Interesting tale of magic and power.
The story was a little confusing, but I sat back and allowed it to take me where it lead. Very good first book in the series. Looking forward to reading the next book.
The story was a little confusing, but I sat back and allowed it to take me where it lead. Very good first book in the series. Looking forward to reading the next book.
August 3, 2025
I wanted to be excited about this book. I wanted this book to be good, but for me it was hard to follow and I could not finished it. I was very disappointed in this book. I really wanted to like it but it fell flat for me.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews