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Sons of Destiny #5
The Cat
Amara is wary of mages, they chased her out of her homeland. Yet there is something about the mage Trevan of Nightfall that Amara can't resist. But can he be trusted with her most fiercely guarded secret? Courting such a pretty yet prickly outlander won't be easy, but Trevan is determined to try. She may be fierce, proud, and from a different culture, but after all, he is the Cat, and none but the most fascinating and challenging of women could satisfy him?
361 pages, Trade Paperback
First published June 3, 2008
43 people are currently reading
853 people want to read
About the author
Jean Johnson
51 books820 followersBerkley/Jove Authors Bio
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name.
(1)romance author, science fiction author
Jean Johnson currently lives in the Pacific Northwest, has played in the SCA for 25 years, sings a lot, and argues with her cat about territorial rights to her office chair. She loves hearing from her readers, and has a distinct sense of humor. Right now she's living in a home with zone heating & decent plumbing, but hopes to some day put turrets and ramparts on it so that it looks like a castle.
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name.
(1)romance author, science fiction author
Jean Johnson currently lives in the Pacific Northwest, has played in the SCA for 25 years, sings a lot, and argues with her cat about territorial rights to her office chair. She loves hearing from her readers, and has a distinct sense of humor. Right now she's living in a home with zone heating & decent plumbing, but hopes to some day put turrets and ramparts on it so that it looks like a castle.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 84 reviews
May 31, 2008
I'm a big fan of the Sons of Destiny series by Joan Johnson and her latest offering "The Cat", certainly hasn't changed my mind.
A quick summary. These novels are about 8 brothers (4 sets of twins) who are mages and were banished to a deserted island because of a prophesy. I really don't want to get into details, but every book recounts the tale of one of the brothers who finds his other half in a very unusual way. I picked up the first book "The Sword" and was hooked. "The Cat" is book #5 and I'm still hooked.
Trevan is a mage who, among other things, can change his shape. His verse of the prophesy reads "...Before you in the woods she flees, Catch her quick and hold her fast, The Cat will find his Home at last." And Trevan will need all of his skills and abilities to hold on to the woman for him.
These books have a fairly good heat index on the sex scale, magic, mystery, suspense, and some have magic battles to boot. One of the things I liked about this book was the lack of a life-and-death struggle. Most of the earlier books have at least one of these, and I was glad to see at least one of the brothers have a 'relatively' danger-free courtship. In each book, I learn something new about the mages, their world, and their abilities. I'll definately be waiting for the next books, "The Storm" in Sep08, and "The Flame" in Dec08.
And the hunks on the covers ain't too shabby either!!
A quick summary. These novels are about 8 brothers (4 sets of twins) who are mages and were banished to a deserted island because of a prophesy. I really don't want to get into details, but every book recounts the tale of one of the brothers who finds his other half in a very unusual way. I picked up the first book "The Sword" and was hooked. "The Cat" is book #5 and I'm still hooked.
Trevan is a mage who, among other things, can change his shape. His verse of the prophesy reads "...Before you in the woods she flees, Catch her quick and hold her fast, The Cat will find his Home at last." And Trevan will need all of his skills and abilities to hold on to the woman for him.
These books have a fairly good heat index on the sex scale, magic, mystery, suspense, and some have magic battles to boot. One of the things I liked about this book was the lack of a life-and-death struggle. Most of the earlier books have at least one of these, and I was glad to see at least one of the brothers have a 'relatively' danger-free courtship. In each book, I learn something new about the mages, their world, and their abilities. I'll definately be waiting for the next books, "The Storm" in Sep08, and "The Flame" in Dec08.
And the hunks on the covers ain't too shabby either!!
August 19, 2011
I liked this one the least so far. Amara is a stuck up self centered bitch. I don't like anything about her. She has a major chip on her shoulder. She's not likeable for me. She needs a major attitude adjustment, more than Dominor needed his. In the end, yes it all worked out but still, it was very annoying when I wanted to give her a good spanking the entire book.
July 8, 2009
I think I am the only person that hated this book. When I first began reading "The Cat" I had high hopes. Unfortunately, the book did not reach my expectations. The writer spends an unnecessary amount of time explaining the most minute details to the point of exhaustion. The reader does not need every detail explained, sometimes it is better to let the reader form their own perception. The three days it took me to complete this book felt like a life-time. I found the hero reserved and boring while the heroine comes off as self absorbed and annoying.
October 7, 2011
Check out my reviews at http://thewindowseat13.blogspot.com/
One thing that you may notice about this book and the next is that the intros of the books mirror each other. That is because these two books mirror each other. These two books happen simultaneously and the fifth and sixth brother are destined to marry twin sisters. In the book, The Cat, the fifth born womanizing brother, Trevan, meets his match in the deposed princess, Amara.
As time has gone by on the island, Trevan is beyond ready for his destined bride to show up. Though Trevan gives the impression to his family that he is anxious for his bride just for the sex, the author tries very hard to make us believe differently than we have for the last four books. Trevan is not just a horny womanizer, he is a sensitive soul who just wants affection. Well, for me, that was a bit of a stretch, but I was willing to go with it. Until he and his brother start trying to create holograms of women who they can have sex with. So, it is the cuddling that you miss, but the first thing you do with the hologram is try to have sex? That was when Trevan started to come off as a bit too much of a contradiction.
That is also when Amara lands on the Isle of Nightfall. Amara is a deposed princess from the Shifting Plains. She is a natural shapeshifter, not a magical one, like Trevan. It is a part of her very nature, but since it is a rarity in women where she comes from, she is revered there as a princess. Unfortunately, since her twin sister is a bit of a magical anomaly and needs constant protection from evil mages willing to exploit her, Amara is forced to flee her beloved homeland and run off with her sister. Never can we forget throughout this book, Amara greatly resents her sister for that.
As Trevan discovers Amara, and her natural shapeshifting abilities, he becomes convinces that she is his destined bride and he begins to work to gain her trust. Of course he does this by NOT telling her that he regular shapeshifts into a cat, sleeps in her bed, listens to her tell secrets that she doesn't trust him with, and by going behind her back to her sister to find out, essentially, what her problem is. If anything, the surprise is not that she doesn't trust him but that she ever starts trusting him.
Of course, she is not that great a catch, either. I see very little reason for Trevan to fall for Amara other than the fact that she is a) his destined bride and b) she is there. That seems to be the only reason why he falls for her. In general, she is mean and nasty to him, haughty and distrustful to his family, and she is so ashamed of herself that she has created an alternate shapeshifting image because she readily admits she doesn't want to be as plain as her identical twin sister. Gee, thanks, Sis. You can shape shift so you don't have to be stuck in this ugly face that we were born with. The very thought of that attitude is off putting.
The strong personality of Amara naturally clashes with Queen Kelly. These two are classless shrews as they both fight to dominate an island that neither of them has any right to. It is actually a bit bizarre that either of them think they have any reason to be on the island, let alone to rule it. And these strong men? How do they react to the immature rantings of the woman? Essentially they ignore it. Except when they are bending to the ladies wishes. Yeah, that is easy to respect.
In general, I would say this is the end of the line for this series. By the fifth book, the books are hit and miss with some strong ones and some weak ones. The fifth book is just really weak. However, the next book is phenomenal and the fifth one, since it happens simultaneously, is really necessary to fully understand the sixth one. So, for the sake of the sixth book, work your way through this one, skimming when necessary, and move on to the best book of the series. :)
One thing that you may notice about this book and the next is that the intros of the books mirror each other. That is because these two books mirror each other. These two books happen simultaneously and the fifth and sixth brother are destined to marry twin sisters. In the book, The Cat, the fifth born womanizing brother, Trevan, meets his match in the deposed princess, Amara.
As time has gone by on the island, Trevan is beyond ready for his destined bride to show up. Though Trevan gives the impression to his family that he is anxious for his bride just for the sex, the author tries very hard to make us believe differently than we have for the last four books. Trevan is not just a horny womanizer, he is a sensitive soul who just wants affection. Well, for me, that was a bit of a stretch, but I was willing to go with it. Until he and his brother start trying to create holograms of women who they can have sex with. So, it is the cuddling that you miss, but the first thing you do with the hologram is try to have sex? That was when Trevan started to come off as a bit too much of a contradiction.
That is also when Amara lands on the Isle of Nightfall. Amara is a deposed princess from the Shifting Plains. She is a natural shapeshifter, not a magical one, like Trevan. It is a part of her very nature, but since it is a rarity in women where she comes from, she is revered there as a princess. Unfortunately, since her twin sister is a bit of a magical anomaly and needs constant protection from evil mages willing to exploit her, Amara is forced to flee her beloved homeland and run off with her sister. Never can we forget throughout this book, Amara greatly resents her sister for that.
As Trevan discovers Amara, and her natural shapeshifting abilities, he becomes convinces that she is his destined bride and he begins to work to gain her trust. Of course he does this by NOT telling her that he regular shapeshifts into a cat, sleeps in her bed, listens to her tell secrets that she doesn't trust him with, and by going behind her back to her sister to find out, essentially, what her problem is. If anything, the surprise is not that she doesn't trust him but that she ever starts trusting him.
Of course, she is not that great a catch, either. I see very little reason for Trevan to fall for Amara other than the fact that she is a) his destined bride and b) she is there. That seems to be the only reason why he falls for her. In general, she is mean and nasty to him, haughty and distrustful to his family, and she is so ashamed of herself that she has created an alternate shapeshifting image because she readily admits she doesn't want to be as plain as her identical twin sister. Gee, thanks, Sis. You can shape shift so you don't have to be stuck in this ugly face that we were born with. The very thought of that attitude is off putting.
The strong personality of Amara naturally clashes with Queen Kelly. These two are classless shrews as they both fight to dominate an island that neither of them has any right to. It is actually a bit bizarre that either of them think they have any reason to be on the island, let alone to rule it. And these strong men? How do they react to the immature rantings of the woman? Essentially they ignore it. Except when they are bending to the ladies wishes. Yeah, that is easy to respect.
In general, I would say this is the end of the line for this series. By the fifth book, the books are hit and miss with some strong ones and some weak ones. The fifth book is just really weak. However, the next book is phenomenal and the fifth one, since it happens simultaneously, is really necessary to fully understand the sixth one. So, for the sake of the sixth book, work your way through this one, skimming when necessary, and move on to the best book of the series. :)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 23, 2017
Plot: 3/5
Characterisation: 4/5
Prose: 4/5
How much I enjoyed it: 3/5
Characterisation: 4/5
Prose: 4/5
How much I enjoyed it: 3/5
July 9, 2009
Having never heard of Jean Johnson found in my hand a copy
of The Sword and from the very first book new I had to keep
on reading this fresh new series of 8 hunky mage brothers
with all the enchantments, magical elements, whimsy, great
romance and adventures all in a wonderful fantasy mix of
great individual stories. This is Trevan's story-he is determined
to try to win over pretty, prickly Amara of the Shifterai and
as a whole their story was humorous, a battle of wills and encompassed all the elements of their growing family. The only thing that I found slightly annoying and same old-same old was the beginning of the chapter which started the same as her sister's Arora where they are both surviving on a raft until the story splits again.
of The Sword and from the very first book new I had to keep
on reading this fresh new series of 8 hunky mage brothers
with all the enchantments, magical elements, whimsy, great
romance and adventures all in a wonderful fantasy mix of
great individual stories. This is Trevan's story-he is determined
to try to win over pretty, prickly Amara of the Shifterai and
as a whole their story was humorous, a battle of wills and encompassed all the elements of their growing family. The only thing that I found slightly annoying and same old-same old was the beginning of the chapter which started the same as her sister's Arora where they are both surviving on a raft until the story splits again.
July 13, 2020
I found this both amusing and well done. Amara is hilarious with her very proud, protectiveness and her quick temper. But she is also very intelligent, figures things out quickly and knows how to both bend and to apologize when she makes a mistake. Trevan is her match. He's just as intelligent, just as proud and probably just as flexible when it comes to life. They are from two very different cultures. Their families are the most important part of their lives. And they both have a very steep learning curve when it comes to making things work out. It is a fun, easy romp with a nice, calm story line. I wish I could find the first four books but I'm still looking.
September 24, 2017
Just okay. Would have been better except author kept shoving the fact the he was soooooo experienced and she wasn't in our face.
July 15, 2013
Trevan and his seventh brother Koranen are really feeling the lack of a woman of their own; especially now four of their brothers are happily living and loving their wives. Trevan was a real ladiesman before their exile, and he misses that. Trevan is a shapeshifter mage, and his speciality is crafting Artifacts. Objects than can be enchanted for a special purpose, and also look pretty. He is a real inventor, but his siblings don’t really appreciate his input all that much.
Of course Morganen knows his woman is coming, and sends Trevan off to go and look for her. His verse is telling him to find her in the woods, is it not? But Morganen also knows that there are two women coming at once, so he needs to do something about Rydan first, to make him more welcoming of his Destined Bride…
Amara has given up her birthright to become the next Queen of the Shifterai, to protect her twin sister Rora. Amara is a very powerful shapeshifter, a natural one, not a mage. And the woman who can hold the most shapes, is the Queen of the Shifterai. Rora has a powerful secret inside of her, and mages are willing to kill her to get control of all that power. And so they have fled their homeland, and have been shipwrecked. With Rora safe on a little float, and Amara shifted into some kind of sea creature, she is towing her sister to land, to hopefully a place where they can be safe.
Rora’s rare powers have indicated that they will be safe on this Island, and she truly beliefs that. Amara is not so trusting though, so when she is discovered, she denies the presence of someone else. And even though Trevan can read the tracks well enough to know she is lying, he wants to find out why, and not make her run off before he gets the chance to know her. Afteral, she is probably his destined Bride. And so Trevan takes her with him to the Castle, and gets her settled in. Unfortunately, she and Kelly totally rub each other the wrong way. Amara is proud, a real princess of her people, and she does not think Kelly, as a magicless outworlder, is worthy to be Queen. She has been training for it for years, and she had to give it all up to protect her sister. Of course she loves Rora, and would and will do anything to keep her safe, but it still hurts.
Amara makes everyone swear on a truth stone, that they will not harm her sister, or covet her secrets and power, without telling everyone about Rora of course. She needs to know if they will be safe her, after all, they are all mages! And her experiences with mages have only been bad so far.
But when Rora does not stay put as told by Amara, but manages to slip into Rydan’s lair, the sixth brother, Amara turns really defensive. He is not allowed to touch her sister! But Rora has had enough of her sister’s mannerless behaviour, it is her life to live after all, and she knows she will be safe here. Rora’s story is told in the sixth book, so this review will focus on Trevan and Amara.
It takes a few days for Amara to become more civil and trusting to the Nightfallers, and she does bump heads with Kelly more than once, but Trevan understands her. It is not easy to give up your birthright, and your culture and to know you can never go back home. Amara loved the management of the only City the Shifterai had, as they are a nomadic people, and so her skills are highly appreciated in planning the new city. And so finally Amara and Kelly get a little bit closer in their joined interest and appreciation of hard work.
It was fun to see how Trevan courts his lady, using her own courting practices, while Amara is finally ready for some more physical contact (which is forbidden to Shifterai Maidens). And how he sneaks into her bedroom and her arms in his disguise as a housecat. Of course all the others know about his Cat form, and conspire not to reveal it to Amara and Rora. Trevan is Kelly’s Vizier, or spymaster, after all, and they need to know about the secrets Amara is hiding.
I liked Amara, although she really is prickly and ungrateful to be welcomed to Nightfall Isle so easily. She is overprotective of her twinsister, but that is also understandable after having that job for over a decade, and having to flee their homeland together. Still, she slowly finds her own niche at Nightfall, and of course she falls for Trevan. He is interested in her as a woman, and not in her political power or status as a Shifterai Princess and future Queen. He wants to know her thoughts and feelings, and shares his own with her, which is really nice.
Of course their courtship is not easy, and she keeps running away from their problems, but Trevan always manages to find and catch her again.
I did not think Trevan could be so patient in courting his lady; after all he has a certain reputation amongst his brothers. He is happy that his Bride is also a shape shifter, as he enjoys flying, and his second brother Wolfer is afraid of heights, and prefers the Wolf shape, while Trevan is of course the Cat. But Trevan is strong and a capable mage and I liked how Amara defended him against his own brothers. They make a great couple together, I could believe in their courting and falling in love, even though it is of course Destined and Prophesied.
The world in this series keeps building upon itself, more cultures and countries are mentioned with every new bride, and Nightfall Island keeps developing and growing as well. I do love the interaction between all the brothers and their wives and how they work together, building a future. As always, hot love scenes, lots of magic and a very original story make this book one of my favourites.
The Fifth Son shall seek the sign:
Prowl the woods and through the trees
Before you in the woods she flees
Catch her quick and hold her fast
The Cat will find his Home at last.
9 stars.
Full review on my blog, www.boeklogboek.blogspot.com
Of course Morganen knows his woman is coming, and sends Trevan off to go and look for her. His verse is telling him to find her in the woods, is it not? But Morganen also knows that there are two women coming at once, so he needs to do something about Rydan first, to make him more welcoming of his Destined Bride…
Amara has given up her birthright to become the next Queen of the Shifterai, to protect her twin sister Rora. Amara is a very powerful shapeshifter, a natural one, not a mage. And the woman who can hold the most shapes, is the Queen of the Shifterai. Rora has a powerful secret inside of her, and mages are willing to kill her to get control of all that power. And so they have fled their homeland, and have been shipwrecked. With Rora safe on a little float, and Amara shifted into some kind of sea creature, she is towing her sister to land, to hopefully a place where they can be safe.
Rora’s rare powers have indicated that they will be safe on this Island, and she truly beliefs that. Amara is not so trusting though, so when she is discovered, she denies the presence of someone else. And even though Trevan can read the tracks well enough to know she is lying, he wants to find out why, and not make her run off before he gets the chance to know her. Afteral, she is probably his destined Bride. And so Trevan takes her with him to the Castle, and gets her settled in. Unfortunately, she and Kelly totally rub each other the wrong way. Amara is proud, a real princess of her people, and she does not think Kelly, as a magicless outworlder, is worthy to be Queen. She has been training for it for years, and she had to give it all up to protect her sister. Of course she loves Rora, and would and will do anything to keep her safe, but it still hurts.
Amara makes everyone swear on a truth stone, that they will not harm her sister, or covet her secrets and power, without telling everyone about Rora of course. She needs to know if they will be safe her, after all, they are all mages! And her experiences with mages have only been bad so far.
But when Rora does not stay put as told by Amara, but manages to slip into Rydan’s lair, the sixth brother, Amara turns really defensive. He is not allowed to touch her sister! But Rora has had enough of her sister’s mannerless behaviour, it is her life to live after all, and she knows she will be safe here. Rora’s story is told in the sixth book, so this review will focus on Trevan and Amara.
It takes a few days for Amara to become more civil and trusting to the Nightfallers, and she does bump heads with Kelly more than once, but Trevan understands her. It is not easy to give up your birthright, and your culture and to know you can never go back home. Amara loved the management of the only City the Shifterai had, as they are a nomadic people, and so her skills are highly appreciated in planning the new city. And so finally Amara and Kelly get a little bit closer in their joined interest and appreciation of hard work.
It was fun to see how Trevan courts his lady, using her own courting practices, while Amara is finally ready for some more physical contact (which is forbidden to Shifterai Maidens). And how he sneaks into her bedroom and her arms in his disguise as a housecat. Of course all the others know about his Cat form, and conspire not to reveal it to Amara and Rora. Trevan is Kelly’s Vizier, or spymaster, after all, and they need to know about the secrets Amara is hiding.
I liked Amara, although she really is prickly and ungrateful to be welcomed to Nightfall Isle so easily. She is overprotective of her twinsister, but that is also understandable after having that job for over a decade, and having to flee their homeland together. Still, she slowly finds her own niche at Nightfall, and of course she falls for Trevan. He is interested in her as a woman, and not in her political power or status as a Shifterai Princess and future Queen. He wants to know her thoughts and feelings, and shares his own with her, which is really nice.
Of course their courtship is not easy, and she keeps running away from their problems, but Trevan always manages to find and catch her again.
I did not think Trevan could be so patient in courting his lady; after all he has a certain reputation amongst his brothers. He is happy that his Bride is also a shape shifter, as he enjoys flying, and his second brother Wolfer is afraid of heights, and prefers the Wolf shape, while Trevan is of course the Cat. But Trevan is strong and a capable mage and I liked how Amara defended him against his own brothers. They make a great couple together, I could believe in their courting and falling in love, even though it is of course Destined and Prophesied.
The world in this series keeps building upon itself, more cultures and countries are mentioned with every new bride, and Nightfall Island keeps developing and growing as well. I do love the interaction between all the brothers and their wives and how they work together, building a future. As always, hot love scenes, lots of magic and a very original story make this book one of my favourites.
The Fifth Son shall seek the sign:
Prowl the woods and through the trees
Before you in the woods she flees
Catch her quick and hold her fast
The Cat will find his Home at last.
9 stars.
© 2013 Reviews by Aurian
Full review on my blog, www.boeklogboek.blogspot.com
March 25, 2020
Interesting. A much more complexly woven plot than the series' covers would convey. Well-written, and the story pulls you in with its mystery, magic and world-building. I started at the fifth book in the series, but am inclined to find the others and complete the series. Although I am not usually a fan of anything 'magic' or 'occult' oriented, this book has more of a fantasy feeling about it (in the traditional sense), and for that reason I was able to enjoy it. If you're a fan of both the fantasy and historical romance genre, this one will fit nicely into your collection.
June 11, 2021
Oh. My. Gosh. The farther down the list of brothers we get the less I seemed interested in them, except Rydan, I. Cannot. Wait. But let me tell you, Trev, round of applause. You sir. 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥 You really know how a woman works. 🥵
I didn’t love Amara though. I have a strong dislike for Kelly. I loathe her. Amara though, I like you way way less than Kelly. She is so whiny and it’s all about her self and it was all about her. I’m glad I didn’t put it down a few pages in when I wanted too or I would have missed Trevan. Definitely wade through the Amara pity party to get to the food stuff.
I didn’t love Amara though. I have a strong dislike for Kelly. I loathe her. Amara though, I like you way way less than Kelly. She is so whiny and it’s all about her self and it was all about her. I’m glad I didn’t put it down a few pages in when I wanted too or I would have missed Trevan. Definitely wade through the Amara pity party to get to the food stuff.
October 1, 2018
It was ok, but way too much detail all at once. She started in the middle of an action instead of walking you through the last portion of what happened before needing to flee, so it's like you're catching up while she's explaining everything at the same time.
She's obsessed with twins siblings and fate/destiny. It's not something I would read over and over again; it held my attention toward the middle, however.
She's obsessed with twins siblings and fate/destiny. It's not something I would read over and over again; it held my attention toward the middle, however.
July 18, 2021
I didn't finish this book. It was really quite strange to me that everyone was very openly hostile to a woman who gave up her entire life for her sister. They consistently reminded her she was no longer a princess, demanded she behave like she wasn't one, etc. It really rubbed me the wrong way. I was mainly interested in the heroines sister and her brooding boyfriend. I found some of the interactions between the heroine and her hero as really gross and uncomfortable.
January 15, 2025
Meh.
Trevian was a little bland as heroes go, and Amara the heroine was a judgy, self-important, unlikeable heroine.
I just couldn't get on board with them. There was a LOT of detailed descriptions about buildings and furnishings etc, which bored me a bit too.
I will still read on in the series, because I hope the next books will be about the more interesting siblings.
This book contains descriptive love scenes (though I didn't care enough to read them).
Trevian was a little bland as heroes go, and Amara the heroine was a judgy, self-important, unlikeable heroine.
I just couldn't get on board with them. There was a LOT of detailed descriptions about buildings and furnishings etc, which bored me a bit too.
I will still read on in the series, because I hope the next books will be about the more interesting siblings.
This book contains descriptive love scenes (though I didn't care enough to read them).
February 10, 2025
Book 5 in the Sons of Destiny series. Another great read! This one is about Trevan, the lover, and a Shifterai princess, Amara, who fled the Plains of the shattered Aiar with her twin (Arora). Both Trevan are Amara are shapeshifters (though different kinds) which brings a lot of new and unique aspects. Takes place at about the same time as book 6, about Trevan’s twin Rydan and Amara’s twin, Arora.
September 18, 2018
Enjoyable read. Female lead has a chip on her shoulder and has a reason for not trusting anyone, but it does seem to go a bit far. She seems to think the brothers owe her something and has trouble being part of a group instead of the entitled leader of one. She does turn around, but it seems to take a very long time.
December 12, 2017
so far my least favorite of these books
August 7, 2018
Reread. Not my fave, but still fun. I prefer the one before and the one after.
February 5, 2019
I'm a little bored but I want to see how the series ends. I think I stopped reading this one at 40% and I'm going to skip the next two and go to the last one. The ebooks are too expensive.
June 27, 2020
Love it
April 2, 2023
❤️❤️❤️❤️
April 2, 2011
"The fifth Son shall seek the sign:
Prowl the woods and through the trees
Before you in the woods she flees
Catch her quick and hold her fast
The Cat will find his home at last"
Eight brothers, born in four sets of twins, two years apart to the day – they fulfill the Curse of the Eight Prophecies. Though no longer trapped in exile, their growing family faces new problems. For the fifthborn son, it is getting his Destined Bride to trust him…
Watching his older brothers fall in love one by one, Trevan realizes that he cannot avoid his destiny nor does he want to. Unlike his eccentric twin Rydan, Trevan is more than ready to meet and court his destined bride. He misses the company of a lovely lady, after all he was the womanizer in the family before they got exiled. So when Amara finally arrives at Nightfall he can’t wait to start his courtship, except there is one problem, she does not trust mages. Courting a woman who is arrogant, haughty, bad-tempered and a natural shapeshifter is not easy, especially when she constantly changes her shape and flees. However, Trevan is determined to unravel all her secrets for she is his destined bride. He is not called the Cat for nothing and the Cat likes a good challenge…
Amara of the Shifterai is tired of being on the run for mages who are after her sister’s powers. To protect her sister they have left their homeland and their lives behind them. Her sister has led them to Nightfall, claiming they will be save there but Amara is not so sure for
the isle is heaped with mages. The people of Nightfall seem nice but Amara has been protecting her sister for so long that she is on her guard. Trevan catches her eye but their cultural differences confuse her, still she feels drawn to him. Can she truly trust him with her most shielded secret?
Yes! Once more we travel back to the Isle of Nightfall to meet those sexy warriors again and to witness how Trevan fares with catching his bride. Jean Johnson knows how to grab your attention, the moment you open the book you return to the same sentiment of the former parts that is so characteristic for the Sons of Destiny series. This special vibe alone compels you to read on and on.
Only this time not one but two women, Amara and Arora, arrive on the isle. Matchmaker of the family, Morganen, cleverly intervenes to make sure that Rydan, who is determined to fight his destiny all the way, does not meet his destined bride before Trevan does. Rydan’s story will be told next in The Storm, it takes place at the same time as this one.
Trevan’s intended bride Amara is not a very likeable person at the beginning. She has been on the run for so long that she does not trust anyone but herself and her sister. Back home she was a princess and she has a hard time accepting that she can never return to her homeland and claim her rightful place. She lashes out at everyone, even her sister, for she feels she had to sacrifice a lot to keep her sister safe.
Trevan is not always rated at his true value by his family. He is good with wood and his brothers turn to him for advice when it concerns women, but he is also good in creating new artifacts and that is often overlooked. He and his younger brother Koranen are rather frustrated over the lack of female companionship and he feels that his happily-married-brothers could be a little more understanding towards him and his brother about this.
Like in the previous parts of the series the world-building is extensive. For example, we get a lengthy description of the Shifterai, Amara’s world and its culture. This makes it easier to understand the cultural clash between Amara and Trevan, it supplies the reader with several, hilarious incidents. As for the storylines of The Cat, you could say the main focus is on Trevan and Amara, then we have the progress on Nightfall as an incipient kingdom and of course the mysterious actions of Rydan and Morganen. The plot thickens more and more with each part.
But what does it for me every time in this series are the highly amusing interactions between all the characters and the curt bickering between the brothers. These interactions counter-balance the extensive (but not tedious) world-building, they are easy and fast-paced to read and they are a key-element in your craving for wanting to flip the pages swift as an arrow.
Koranen and Morganen:
“Gods in Hell! Does anyone mind if I just drown myself, right here, right now? Because I would be a lot less frustrated if I were dead!” Morganen slapped the back of his twin’s head. “Knock it off, Brother! And watch your language. Your woman is coming, I promise you that.”
With The Cat Jean Johnson has delivered once more an original, magical and scintillatingly tale full of delicious twins! She left me yearning for more, fortunately we have three more stories to look forward to. The Sons of Destiny series gets better and better with each part!
Prowl the woods and through the trees
Before you in the woods she flees
Catch her quick and hold her fast
The Cat will find his home at last"
Eight brothers, born in four sets of twins, two years apart to the day – they fulfill the Curse of the Eight Prophecies. Though no longer trapped in exile, their growing family faces new problems. For the fifthborn son, it is getting his Destined Bride to trust him…
Watching his older brothers fall in love one by one, Trevan realizes that he cannot avoid his destiny nor does he want to. Unlike his eccentric twin Rydan, Trevan is more than ready to meet and court his destined bride. He misses the company of a lovely lady, after all he was the womanizer in the family before they got exiled. So when Amara finally arrives at Nightfall he can’t wait to start his courtship, except there is one problem, she does not trust mages. Courting a woman who is arrogant, haughty, bad-tempered and a natural shapeshifter is not easy, especially when she constantly changes her shape and flees. However, Trevan is determined to unravel all her secrets for she is his destined bride. He is not called the Cat for nothing and the Cat likes a good challenge…
Amara of the Shifterai is tired of being on the run for mages who are after her sister’s powers. To protect her sister they have left their homeland and their lives behind them. Her sister has led them to Nightfall, claiming they will be save there but Amara is not so sure for
the isle is heaped with mages. The people of Nightfall seem nice but Amara has been protecting her sister for so long that she is on her guard. Trevan catches her eye but their cultural differences confuse her, still she feels drawn to him. Can she truly trust him with her most shielded secret?
Yes! Once more we travel back to the Isle of Nightfall to meet those sexy warriors again and to witness how Trevan fares with catching his bride. Jean Johnson knows how to grab your attention, the moment you open the book you return to the same sentiment of the former parts that is so characteristic for the Sons of Destiny series. This special vibe alone compels you to read on and on.
Only this time not one but two women, Amara and Arora, arrive on the isle. Matchmaker of the family, Morganen, cleverly intervenes to make sure that Rydan, who is determined to fight his destiny all the way, does not meet his destined bride before Trevan does. Rydan’s story will be told next in The Storm, it takes place at the same time as this one.
Trevan’s intended bride Amara is not a very likeable person at the beginning. She has been on the run for so long that she does not trust anyone but herself and her sister. Back home she was a princess and she has a hard time accepting that she can never return to her homeland and claim her rightful place. She lashes out at everyone, even her sister, for she feels she had to sacrifice a lot to keep her sister safe.
Trevan is not always rated at his true value by his family. He is good with wood and his brothers turn to him for advice when it concerns women, but he is also good in creating new artifacts and that is often overlooked. He and his younger brother Koranen are rather frustrated over the lack of female companionship and he feels that his happily-married-brothers could be a little more understanding towards him and his brother about this.
Like in the previous parts of the series the world-building is extensive. For example, we get a lengthy description of the Shifterai, Amara’s world and its culture. This makes it easier to understand the cultural clash between Amara and Trevan, it supplies the reader with several, hilarious incidents. As for the storylines of The Cat, you could say the main focus is on Trevan and Amara, then we have the progress on Nightfall as an incipient kingdom and of course the mysterious actions of Rydan and Morganen. The plot thickens more and more with each part.
But what does it for me every time in this series are the highly amusing interactions between all the characters and the curt bickering between the brothers. These interactions counter-balance the extensive (but not tedious) world-building, they are easy and fast-paced to read and they are a key-element in your craving for wanting to flip the pages swift as an arrow.
Koranen and Morganen:
“Gods in Hell! Does anyone mind if I just drown myself, right here, right now? Because I would be a lot less frustrated if I were dead!” Morganen slapped the back of his twin’s head. “Knock it off, Brother! And watch your language. Your woman is coming, I promise you that.”
With The Cat Jean Johnson has delivered once more an original, magical and scintillatingly tale full of delicious twins! She left me yearning for more, fortunately we have three more stories to look forward to. The Sons of Destiny series gets better and better with each part!
September 11, 2010
3.5 stars!
Trevan is the charming women-expert of the Sons Of Destiny and he's is getting frustrated with his forced abstinence, certainly now that four of his brothers have found and married their Destined Brides. He and Koranen have tried to come up with a solution for their celibacy but are failing at it. When their brothers offer no support Trevan starts feeling more and more resentment at their happiness.
But when his Destiny finally arrives Nightfall he discovers that the frustration over his abstinence is not solved with her arrival.
Amara is a Shifterai shape-shifter with a huge chip on her shoulder. She is on the run with her sister from mages who covet what she protects. What she's given up her future for to protect. She doesn't trust mages as far as she can throw them so earning her trust is hard work for Trevan. Besides that, her people’s way of courting is very different from Trevan’s.
Though they seem very different at first glance, they do have a lot in common and that is what brings them together. They both want to protect the ones they care about and they both want to be loved for who they are, not for what they can do.
Trevan is the one who never had any problems with women and charming them, but now he has to deal with a prickly, resentful, stubborn woman who will not make it easy for him to embrace his Destiny. But he has enough determination to make it work.
Amara is a practical, apprehensive and no nonsense kind of woman, she is cautious and protective, especially of the ones dear to her.
Her bitterness comes from not being able to fulfill the purpose she was supposed to. The purpose she spent her whole life preparing for. This inability comes from forces outside her power and that frustrates her to a point where she chafes at everything and everyone. When she finds a new purpose on Nightfall she softens a bit and her better traits come to the surface. Even if she isn't very likable in the first half of the book I did understand where her animosity came from and the love for her sister always seeped through the annoyance and resentment she often felt.
With THE CAT I embarked on the third set of twins in this series and I enjoyed going back to Nightfall and getting reacquainted with Saber, Wolfer, Dominor, Evanor and their wives.
I learned about the ways and habits of Amara's people and loved seeing Kelly meet her match in Amara when it comes to willpower. Neither of them gives an inch and tries to establish their own supremacy. There was only thing I could think of when reading their scenes: "catfight"
Like in the previous books I was taken deep into this magical world where ordinary and known concepts like central heating and house building are cleverly imbedded into an imaginary world. Jean Johnson makes normal and practical things seem magical and does this in a very fascinating way.
Her world building and characters are great and she knows how to make a magical fantasy world come to life with her writing skills. She also manages to keep secondary characters interesting without taking the focus away from the main characters. The supporting characters have important and crucial roles in the plots but never take the attention of the couple at hand.
Both Amara and Trevan were characters I enjoyed reading but the rest of the book was a bit too descriptive for me. Too many scenes on how to plan cities, how to build houses, how to set up central heating and not enough sparkling sensuality between Trevan and Mara. Their love story got lost in the building of the new Kingdom of Nightfall and that was something that had its influence on my opinion of the book. The development of Nightfall as a new Kingdom and with it, the problems that arise takes up a big chunk of the plot, leaving little room for an intensive courtship between Trevan and Amara.
My hopes were high because knowing Trevan was the womanizing twin I expected lots of romance. But unfortunately these expectations weren't met entirely. Only the second half of the book came close to what I expected Trevan's story would be like. For me the second half was also much better because that's when Amara became more aware of her ill behavior towards the people on Nightfall and Trevan in particular. That's when the real courting began and that's where I started getting what I wanted in the first place.
But even if my expectations weren't met all the way, I still enjoyed this fifth installment in the series and without it this series wouldn't be complete.
All Sons of Destiny will always have a place on my keeper-shelf, representing the fantasy genre.
Trevan is the charming women-expert of the Sons Of Destiny and he's is getting frustrated with his forced abstinence, certainly now that four of his brothers have found and married their Destined Brides. He and Koranen have tried to come up with a solution for their celibacy but are failing at it. When their brothers offer no support Trevan starts feeling more and more resentment at their happiness.
But when his Destiny finally arrives Nightfall he discovers that the frustration over his abstinence is not solved with her arrival.
Amara is a Shifterai shape-shifter with a huge chip on her shoulder. She is on the run with her sister from mages who covet what she protects. What she's given up her future for to protect. She doesn't trust mages as far as she can throw them so earning her trust is hard work for Trevan. Besides that, her people’s way of courting is very different from Trevan’s.
Though they seem very different at first glance, they do have a lot in common and that is what brings them together. They both want to protect the ones they care about and they both want to be loved for who they are, not for what they can do.
Trevan is the one who never had any problems with women and charming them, but now he has to deal with a prickly, resentful, stubborn woman who will not make it easy for him to embrace his Destiny. But he has enough determination to make it work.
Amara is a practical, apprehensive and no nonsense kind of woman, she is cautious and protective, especially of the ones dear to her.
Her bitterness comes from not being able to fulfill the purpose she was supposed to. The purpose she spent her whole life preparing for. This inability comes from forces outside her power and that frustrates her to a point where she chafes at everything and everyone. When she finds a new purpose on Nightfall she softens a bit and her better traits come to the surface. Even if she isn't very likable in the first half of the book I did understand where her animosity came from and the love for her sister always seeped through the annoyance and resentment she often felt.
With THE CAT I embarked on the third set of twins in this series and I enjoyed going back to Nightfall and getting reacquainted with Saber, Wolfer, Dominor, Evanor and their wives.
I learned about the ways and habits of Amara's people and loved seeing Kelly meet her match in Amara when it comes to willpower. Neither of them gives an inch and tries to establish their own supremacy. There was only thing I could think of when reading their scenes: "catfight"
Like in the previous books I was taken deep into this magical world where ordinary and known concepts like central heating and house building are cleverly imbedded into an imaginary world. Jean Johnson makes normal and practical things seem magical and does this in a very fascinating way.
Her world building and characters are great and she knows how to make a magical fantasy world come to life with her writing skills. She also manages to keep secondary characters interesting without taking the focus away from the main characters. The supporting characters have important and crucial roles in the plots but never take the attention of the couple at hand.
Both Amara and Trevan were characters I enjoyed reading but the rest of the book was a bit too descriptive for me. Too many scenes on how to plan cities, how to build houses, how to set up central heating and not enough sparkling sensuality between Trevan and Mara. Their love story got lost in the building of the new Kingdom of Nightfall and that was something that had its influence on my opinion of the book. The development of Nightfall as a new Kingdom and with it, the problems that arise takes up a big chunk of the plot, leaving little room for an intensive courtship between Trevan and Amara.
My hopes were high because knowing Trevan was the womanizing twin I expected lots of romance. But unfortunately these expectations weren't met entirely. Only the second half of the book came close to what I expected Trevan's story would be like. For me the second half was also much better because that's when Amara became more aware of her ill behavior towards the people on Nightfall and Trevan in particular. That's when the real courting began and that's where I started getting what I wanted in the first place.
But even if my expectations weren't met all the way, I still enjoyed this fifth installment in the series and without it this series wouldn't be complete.
All Sons of Destiny will always have a place on my keeper-shelf, representing the fantasy genre.
October 14, 2013
Setting: Nightfall – the palace; guest room; bedroom; workroom; dock; newly built house; ocean;
Theme: destiny; falling in love; pride; change in expectations/plans; protection;
Characters:
Amara Fen Ziel, of Family Whitetail, Clan Deer of the Shifterai: Shifterai to Katan like China is to US – known, but not known; Amara a princess of her nomadic people, the strongest shifter of history (can shift in innumerable permeations); highly regulated courtship rules, many suitors; being mentored by current queen; protective of twin sister, who is not a shifter, but possesses extreme magic power; though identical twin to plainer looking sister, she has subconsciously altered her own appearance to be more exotic, dark haired, voluptuous; prideful, powerful;
Trevan, The Cat, of Nightfall, of family Corvis: mage shifter; his prophecy indicates he will chase his intended, and find home in her and vice versa; regular shifts to house cat – started in youth, when wanted to ferret out a woman’s secrets (many confided in cat they were cuddling); 3-1/2 years of celibacy has pushed him and younger brother into trying to create a magic surrogate sexual woman – so far failing, as don’t know how to ‘program’ female responses;
Arora Fen Ziel: Amara’s twin; she is a human magic fountain; when the few mages she came in contact with in Sifterai realize it, they covet her – wanting to possess her and her power, willing to kill to enslave her; goes on run with sister; they end up in Nightfall – Arora magic ‘feeling’ they will be safe there; left in a cave when first got to island, and went out exploring, getting through Rydan’s wards, and kissed by him when he thought she a part of his dream… the next story;
Morganen: ‘sees’ the sisters coming; helps that they slip under the wards; feels guilty when thinking that Rydan violated Arora (though Arora not upset by it);
Koranen: at first working with Trevan on a magical surrogate woman – both are desperate to have sex; Koranen still a virgin as his pyro nature makes sex too hot;
Rydan: accepts Arora into his sphere, talking with her, respecting her… next book to fully understand their relationship; he is keeper of magic fountain/portal, so understands its power better than rest;
Queen Kelly/Saber: exerting her queenship; she and Amara do not get along – but both are intelligent enough to see the value of the other;
Marcas/Augur: the first residents of their new country; he comes to be a ferry between the mainland and Nightfall, and he brings his male lover, hoping to find acceptance for their lifestyle (which they do)
Cari, Trenching Wrench: though brought to relieve Trevan and Koranen’s sexual tension (and to help create a magical courtesan), Kelly asks her to consider managing a house of prostitution – as any business, to serve a community need, and raise taxes.. hmmm
Summary:
Country wise, two plus three more citizens ‘sworn’ in; in filling Kelly’s ideal that their country would allow each to worship as want, they explore a ancient Shifterai role of sponsor of god/godess conclave – that ceremonially acknowledges all gods;
The courtship between Amara and Trevan… Trevan’s prophecy is of the chase… and though they do physically do so as birds, and as humans, it is more so of courtship and seduction… Trevan, the one who cultivated charm and seduction before exiled to Nightfall, is happy to chase Amara – to learn her, to learn her customs, to ease her into trusting him – both emotionally and physically; as touching is ‘taboo’, he ‘caresses’ her with his breath, pushing her into climax… and lets her control each faze (when to kiss, where to touch) etc – the Shifterai way – though she tries to take on more of his cultural freedom… and they explore without intercourse… until she offers her hand to him across the fire – and he leaps into marriage with her… ahhh
Memorable scenes:
Koranen and Trevan want to in some way measure the female’s sexual responses so as to ‘program’ their surrogate women – and embarrassedly bring it up after a meal… Kelly invites Cari, a prostitute who counseled Serena… humorous all around;
Theme: destiny; falling in love; pride; change in expectations/plans; protection;
Characters:
Amara Fen Ziel, of Family Whitetail, Clan Deer of the Shifterai: Shifterai to Katan like China is to US – known, but not known; Amara a princess of her nomadic people, the strongest shifter of history (can shift in innumerable permeations); highly regulated courtship rules, many suitors; being mentored by current queen; protective of twin sister, who is not a shifter, but possesses extreme magic power; though identical twin to plainer looking sister, she has subconsciously altered her own appearance to be more exotic, dark haired, voluptuous; prideful, powerful;
Trevan, The Cat, of Nightfall, of family Corvis: mage shifter; his prophecy indicates he will chase his intended, and find home in her and vice versa; regular shifts to house cat – started in youth, when wanted to ferret out a woman’s secrets (many confided in cat they were cuddling); 3-1/2 years of celibacy has pushed him and younger brother into trying to create a magic surrogate sexual woman – so far failing, as don’t know how to ‘program’ female responses;
Arora Fen Ziel: Amara’s twin; she is a human magic fountain; when the few mages she came in contact with in Sifterai realize it, they covet her – wanting to possess her and her power, willing to kill to enslave her; goes on run with sister; they end up in Nightfall – Arora magic ‘feeling’ they will be safe there; left in a cave when first got to island, and went out exploring, getting through Rydan’s wards, and kissed by him when he thought she a part of his dream… the next story;
Morganen: ‘sees’ the sisters coming; helps that they slip under the wards; feels guilty when thinking that Rydan violated Arora (though Arora not upset by it);
Koranen: at first working with Trevan on a magical surrogate woman – both are desperate to have sex; Koranen still a virgin as his pyro nature makes sex too hot;
Rydan: accepts Arora into his sphere, talking with her, respecting her… next book to fully understand their relationship; he is keeper of magic fountain/portal, so understands its power better than rest;
Queen Kelly/Saber: exerting her queenship; she and Amara do not get along – but both are intelligent enough to see the value of the other;
Marcas/Augur: the first residents of their new country; he comes to be a ferry between the mainland and Nightfall, and he brings his male lover, hoping to find acceptance for their lifestyle (which they do)
Cari, Trenching Wrench: though brought to relieve Trevan and Koranen’s sexual tension (and to help create a magical courtesan), Kelly asks her to consider managing a house of prostitution – as any business, to serve a community need, and raise taxes.. hmmm
Summary:
Country wise, two plus three more citizens ‘sworn’ in; in filling Kelly’s ideal that their country would allow each to worship as want, they explore a ancient Shifterai role of sponsor of god/godess conclave – that ceremonially acknowledges all gods;
The courtship between Amara and Trevan… Trevan’s prophecy is of the chase… and though they do physically do so as birds, and as humans, it is more so of courtship and seduction… Trevan, the one who cultivated charm and seduction before exiled to Nightfall, is happy to chase Amara – to learn her, to learn her customs, to ease her into trusting him – both emotionally and physically; as touching is ‘taboo’, he ‘caresses’ her with his breath, pushing her into climax… and lets her control each faze (when to kiss, where to touch) etc – the Shifterai way – though she tries to take on more of his cultural freedom… and they explore without intercourse… until she offers her hand to him across the fire – and he leaps into marriage with her… ahhh
Memorable scenes:
Koranen and Trevan want to in some way measure the female’s sexual responses so as to ‘program’ their surrogate women – and embarrassedly bring it up after a meal… Kelly invites Cari, a prostitute who counseled Serena… humorous all around;
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 22, 2020
Brother #5: Trevan’s story.
At the beginning the author tells us that this book and the next (Rydan’s) are parallel to each other in the same time frame. That’s because both of their fated mates wash ashore at the same time. Can’t wait to read the next and compare the two situation POV’s.
I loved this one. Revan is just perfect as a friend, lover and Cat. He’s so patient with her, but he’s also very sneaky.
Amara needs to listen to her sister and relax, I understand why she’s the way she is, but she’s rude and needed to be taken down several notches. Their shifter transformations are cool.
And the main storyline action is nicely continued. The artifice and ideas that were presented were a little too detailed but not too bad. The friction between Kelly and Amara was hilarious. I think they’re going to work well together now. I especially loved them during the dock scenes.
The main thing I didn’t like was the Trevan/Koraden illusionary female idea. I understand, but why now. It’s been 3 years. You’d think they could wait a little longer since their almost at their part of the prophecy. And Kelly’s solution was awkward, though it did get Cari there. (They do need other professions first though, you’d think.)
Then the ‘wedding’ at the end was so sweet. Just the right touch.
Footnote: 1) It was interesting reading about their using soap weed. I knew about it but googled it to find out more.
Fave scenes: Trevan giving her water, Rydan’s ‘violated’ declaration, the slap, catching the Cat, Amara & the tax collector.
At the beginning the author tells us that this book and the next (Rydan’s) are parallel to each other in the same time frame. That’s because both of their fated mates wash ashore at the same time. Can’t wait to read the next and compare the two situation POV’s.
I loved this one. Revan is just perfect as a friend, lover and Cat. He’s so patient with her, but he’s also very sneaky.
Amara needs to listen to her sister and relax, I understand why she’s the way she is, but she’s rude and needed to be taken down several notches. Their shifter transformations are cool.
And the main storyline action is nicely continued. The artifice and ideas that were presented were a little too detailed but not too bad. The friction between Kelly and Amara was hilarious. I think they’re going to work well together now. I especially loved them during the dock scenes.
The main thing I didn’t like was the Trevan/Koraden illusionary female idea. I understand, but why now. It’s been 3 years. You’d think they could wait a little longer since their almost at their part of the prophecy. And Kelly’s solution was awkward, though it did get Cari there. (They do need other professions first though, you’d think.)
Then the ‘wedding’ at the end was so sweet. Just the right touch.
Footnote: 1) It was interesting reading about their using soap weed. I knew about it but googled it to find out more.
Fave scenes: Trevan giving her water, Rydan’s ‘violated’ declaration, the slap, catching the Cat, Amara & the tax collector.
September 24, 2013
The fifth book in this series is about Trevan the fifth son of Destiny. Trevan I would call a flirt a serious woman lover and a mage who can change shapes into a bird or a cat. It is destiny to meet his love next. When his youngest brother Morganen wakes from a deep sleep and sees in his scrying mirror a floating raft being pulled by a creature after his alarms that are set go off to warn him. When he uses a spell to look at the creature closer he sees that it is a woman and on the raft is another one, they are twins. So Morganen knows that Trevan and Rydan women's have come to the island together. Oh how sweet, now to make sure that the two of them meet their women and hopefuly destiny takes over from there.
Amara of the Shifterai is a princess, who was destined to be a queen. She is on the run from with her sister from powerful mages because her sister has a powerful guarded secret. Then the ship she is on is wrecked and her sister and her are the only ones that survive. They make there way to an island. Now they are on an island full of mages, but they seem to be friendly and trustworthy. And Amara finds herself drawn to Trevan the mage who can turn himself into a bird. But she doesn't trust them enough to disclose her sister's secret.
This book was good, but not as good as the others.
Amara of the Shifterai is a princess, who was destined to be a queen. She is on the run from with her sister from powerful mages because her sister has a powerful guarded secret. Then the ship she is on is wrecked and her sister and her are the only ones that survive. They make there way to an island. Now they are on an island full of mages, but they seem to be friendly and trustworthy. And Amara finds herself drawn to Trevan the mage who can turn himself into a bird. But she doesn't trust them enough to disclose her sister's secret.
This book was good, but not as good as the others.
March 14, 2012
This is a fantasy romance involving Mages and magic! Jean Johnson continues her Sons of Destiny series with this fifth book about the fifth son of eight, Trevon, who has waited years for his turn to find his prophesied bride. All brothers are Mages, each with their own special magical gifts. Trevon uses magic to shift into animals and one of his favorites is the cat. His intended bride turns out to be none other than a "natural" Shifter who with her sister escapes capture and is on the run from evil Mages who want her sister for the strong, unique magic that she possesses. The two sisters land on the isle that is the home of Trevon, his brothers, and their wives. The chase and adventure is on!
Trevon's story is fun to read, although some of his brothers' stories have been better in terms of the romance. While Trevon seems just too good to be true, his intended bride is frankly not very likeable and this continues to hold true until the end of the story for me. My lack of much compassion for the bride left a taste of disappointment in my mouth and affected the quality of the romance. This was a quick read though and change of pace. I had fun with the fantasy/magical side of the story and will still read the next in the series eventually.
Trevon's story is fun to read, although some of his brothers' stories have been better in terms of the romance. While Trevon seems just too good to be true, his intended bride is frankly not very likeable and this continues to hold true until the end of the story for me. My lack of much compassion for the bride left a taste of disappointment in my mouth and affected the quality of the romance. This was a quick read though and change of pace. I had fun with the fantasy/magical side of the story and will still read the next in the series eventually.
December 14, 2021
This is an incredible series!
My Review:
This book is a continuation on the Sons of Destiny and I am loving how the world is coming together. We get to see Trevan's romance unfold with Amara at the same time that we see this new little country start to establish itself and grow.
I really love the attention to detail and the explanations of architecture and sewing as well as the things you wouldn't think about. The author really put a lot of thought and time into these books, making sure that she brought the modern world we live in to this new land and gave technology that we have here a new magical look. It was fascinating and fun to read!
Pros:
Great Attention to Detail
Amazing Character Development
Fascinating World building
Intriguing dialogue
A touching love story
Cons:
the main female character might annoy you a bit, but I think that was the point.
It is not on audiobook :(
Overall Score: I would totally recommend this book to anyone who loves fantasy and romance. This is truly a hidden gem in the fantasy world!
My Review:
This book is a continuation on the Sons of Destiny and I am loving how the world is coming together. We get to see Trevan's romance unfold with Amara at the same time that we see this new little country start to establish itself and grow.
I really love the attention to detail and the explanations of architecture and sewing as well as the things you wouldn't think about. The author really put a lot of thought and time into these books, making sure that she brought the modern world we live in to this new land and gave technology that we have here a new magical look. It was fascinating and fun to read!
Pros:
Great Attention to Detail
Amazing Character Development
Fascinating World building
Intriguing dialogue
A touching love story
Cons:
the main female character might annoy you a bit, but I think that was the point.
It is not on audiobook :(
Overall Score: I would totally recommend this book to anyone who loves fantasy and romance. This is truly a hidden gem in the fantasy world!
August 3, 2011
When I first started reading I immediately thought I had made a mistake by purchasing this book, but as the story progressed it got better and better, I found that I could not put this down and stop reading. I really loved Trevan as the main male character in this, he was patient with Amara and he was adorable with how enthusiastic he was whenever he spoke of creating something or discovering something new, a new idea. I wasn’t keen on Amara however, I found her controlling with regards to her sister and vicious at times, complaining and having issues with everything, acting spoilt, though towards to end she wasn’t as bad and she grew on me. Even though she wasn’t the female lead in the story I did find myself liking Arora more as a character. I am very interested and looking forward to reading her book with Rydan. Overall this was an interesting book to read with fresh ideas and plot, slow to get into at the start but a pleasure to read.
December 29, 2011
See my review of The Song for my feelings about the repetitive language in the Sons of Destiny series. The Cat lost a star from me because I really didn't like the heroine, Amara, but in all fairness, I wasn't really supposed to. Johnson writes her as very arrogant and abrasive & part of Amara's character arc is overcoming the negative aspects of those traits. So Johnson did exactly what she set put to do, but I still didn't grow to like Amara. There is also a lot of literal world-building taking place in this book as Amara was trained as a city-builder and much of what she does in the book concerns designing the community that Nightfall will become. It was interesting seeing how they adapted various construction techniques and how they planned for future city growth, but it wasn't exactly heart-pounding action either. I'm moving onto The Storm next, but, so far, I feel like you could skip The Cat with little difficulty.
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