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Kingdoms Gone #4
Blame The Bearer
Vane has never turned away from an opportunity to seize power. He's spent his life manipulating others for his own gain. So when an ancient castle presents him with a magic ring and a legendary promise, he knows exactly what to do. Use the ring, find the Heir...and betray them at the first opportunity. Lidya is the middle child, neither lovely as her sister not physically able as her brother. She's lived in their shadows all her life and been happy enough there. But when a man called Vane shows up with a magic ring and an insane tale, Lidya's life changes. Before anyone can stop it, she's trapped in a contest that will drag them all on a quest, put one of them on an ancient throne, and could easily cost all of them their lives. A Kingdoms Gone fantasy fairy tale.
266 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 25, 2014
14 people want to read
About the author
Frances Pauli
140 books65 followersFrances Pauli writes books about animals, hybrids, aliens, shifters, and occasionally ordinary humans. She tends to cross genre boundaries, but hovers around fantasy and science fiction with romantic tendencies.
Her work has won four Leo awards, two Coyotl awards, and has been nominated for an Ursa Major award.
She lives in Washington State with her family, a small menagerie, and far too many houseplants.
Her work has won four Leo awards, two Coyotl awards, and has been nominated for an Ursa Major award.
She lives in Washington State with her family, a small menagerie, and far too many houseplants.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
August 17, 2015
Disclaimer: I know this author personally. That said, I approached this book as I would any other author I might read.
Okay, the good. Pauli does an excellent job of writing an engaging story. I found myself hooked from beginning to end, wanting to know what happened next. She also writes some of the most fascinating characters. One of my favorites from the previous books, Tal, is back, and he doesn't disappoint. She also introduces Lidya, a brilliant young woman who gives her all to take care of her family even though she was born with a crippling disfigurement. Since I have health problems of my own that affect my day to day life, I thought Pauli did a fantastic job showing how Lidya's condition could often hinder the things she wanted to do. Especially since her siblings tended to take her efforts to care for them for granted, yet she soldiered on, she quickly became my favorite character in the book. The nod to Forgotten at the end is a pretty nice touch. I also really liked the prologue since it gave some very good insight as to why Vane ended up the way he did.
Onto the not so good. I should have realized Pauli wouldn't be finished with Vane yet, but he still comes across as a somewhat unlikeable guy instead of a true villain. For the most part of the book, I felt like I had to like him since he was one of the protagonists, but while I didn't agree with his attitude or some of the decisions he made, I still kept thinking "anti-hero" to myself rather than "bad guy." I also didn't understand the position jump he made in the beginning. Last we saw of him, he'd made it to the castle. Now, all of a sudden, he's out in the rest of the world? Pauli gives some brief description as to what happened in the interim, but it didn't feel enough to me. It almost feels to me like there should have been a book in between to fill in that gap. (Hint, hint, Frances.) And without spoiling the end, the final sacrifice came out as more accidental than deliberate, which I thought cheapened the character's arc just a tiny bit. I understand the reason for it; I just don't agree with it.
The bottom line is that despite its faults, Blame the Bearer is a notable entry in the Kingdoms Gone series, and the cliffhanger ending almost had me tearing my hair out. Where does she plan to go from here? I'm not sure, but I'm definitely eager to find out.
Okay, the good. Pauli does an excellent job of writing an engaging story. I found myself hooked from beginning to end, wanting to know what happened next. She also writes some of the most fascinating characters. One of my favorites from the previous books, Tal, is back, and he doesn't disappoint. She also introduces Lidya, a brilliant young woman who gives her all to take care of her family even though she was born with a crippling disfigurement. Since I have health problems of my own that affect my day to day life, I thought Pauli did a fantastic job showing how Lidya's condition could often hinder the things she wanted to do. Especially since her siblings tended to take her efforts to care for them for granted, yet she soldiered on, she quickly became my favorite character in the book. The nod to Forgotten at the end is a pretty nice touch. I also really liked the prologue since it gave some very good insight as to why Vane ended up the way he did.
Onto the not so good. I should have realized Pauli wouldn't be finished with Vane yet, but he still comes across as a somewhat unlikeable guy instead of a true villain. For the most part of the book, I felt like I had to like him since he was one of the protagonists, but while I didn't agree with his attitude or some of the decisions he made, I still kept thinking "anti-hero" to myself rather than "bad guy." I also didn't understand the position jump he made in the beginning. Last we saw of him, he'd made it to the castle. Now, all of a sudden, he's out in the rest of the world? Pauli gives some brief description as to what happened in the interim, but it didn't feel enough to me. It almost feels to me like there should have been a book in between to fill in that gap. (Hint, hint, Frances.) And without spoiling the end, the final sacrifice came out as more accidental than deliberate, which I thought cheapened the character's arc just a tiny bit. I understand the reason for it; I just don't agree with it.
The bottom line is that despite its faults, Blame the Bearer is a notable entry in the Kingdoms Gone series, and the cliffhanger ending almost had me tearing my hair out. Where does she plan to go from here? I'm not sure, but I'm definitely eager to find out.
December 30, 2014
I received an electronic copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I found this book to be surprisingly good, considering that the mobi version is very poorly formatted. The format was a huge distraction from the story.
The plot is a bit scattered. A man who yearns for a throne searches for its heir so that he can usurp them. A small battered family is torn apart by trials. And magic doesn't play favorites but goes with whatever cards will win.
I found the main character to be captivating and her choices quite real. Her backdrop was made up of the original (which I liked) and the cardboard (which I did not like).
If it has a message, I'd say it's 'Be true to yourself, but don't hope for too much. Be grateful for simple pleasures.' A decent message.
I found this book to be surprisingly good, considering that the mobi version is very poorly formatted. The format was a huge distraction from the story.
The plot is a bit scattered. A man who yearns for a throne searches for its heir so that he can usurp them. A small battered family is torn apart by trials. And magic doesn't play favorites but goes with whatever cards will win.
I found the main character to be captivating and her choices quite real. Her backdrop was made up of the original (which I liked) and the cardboard (which I did not like).
If it has a message, I'd say it's 'Be true to yourself, but don't hope for too much. Be grateful for simple pleasures.' A decent message.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews