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Keeper
Aren is ruled by magic, a skill held by few and coveted by many. Magicians are powerless, however, without their Keepers – human conduits of power nearly hunted to extinction.
Amalia has managed to keep the truth of her rare Keeper ability a secret, despite serving one of the most power hungry, reviled lords of Aren. When a desperate bid for freedom is thwarted by none other than Lord Ilyas san Merin, the Right Hand to the Royal of Aren, Lia believes her luck has run out. The handsome yet deadly Lord Merin offers her a deal - help him track down a magical tome stolen from the Royal, and he will grant her asylum.
With no other choice, Lia accepts. Ilyas drags her across Aren in a frantic search to recover the ancient book, and in the process Lia learns she is not the only one harboring secrets. She is intrigued by the man and his mysterious methods, and before long Lia finds herself struggling to abide by the most important rule for Keepers who want to retain their freedom: remain untouched.
In uncovering a treacherous plot to launch Aren into civil war, Ilyas and Lia have little time to tread careful lines. Lia learns what it means to be a Keeper in a world rife with magic-hungry madness, and in the end she has to make a decision that not only will change her life, but also the entire world.
Amalia has managed to keep the truth of her rare Keeper ability a secret, despite serving one of the most power hungry, reviled lords of Aren. When a desperate bid for freedom is thwarted by none other than Lord Ilyas san Merin, the Right Hand to the Royal of Aren, Lia believes her luck has run out. The handsome yet deadly Lord Merin offers her a deal - help him track down a magical tome stolen from the Royal, and he will grant her asylum.
With no other choice, Lia accepts. Ilyas drags her across Aren in a frantic search to recover the ancient book, and in the process Lia learns she is not the only one harboring secrets. She is intrigued by the man and his mysterious methods, and before long Lia finds herself struggling to abide by the most important rule for Keepers who want to retain their freedom: remain untouched.
In uncovering a treacherous plot to launch Aren into civil war, Ilyas and Lia have little time to tread careful lines. Lia learns what it means to be a Keeper in a world rife with magic-hungry madness, and in the end she has to make a decision that not only will change her life, but also the entire world.
313 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 27, 2016
2 people are currently reading
69 people want to read
About the author
Amanda Ryan
1 book24 followersAmanda Ryan was born and raised in PA Dutch Country. She attended college in NYC for musical theatre and eventually moved back to Central PA with her husband and herd of guinea pigs.
By day she works as an administrator for a non-profit; by night, she dances, sings, reads and writes.
Amanda loves just about all things romance. She started out reading historicals and then branched into just about everything else, except Amish romance (which is ironic, since she lives in Amish Country). She has a particular fondness for fantasy and/or gothic fiction.
By day she works as an administrator for a non-profit; by night, she dances, sings, reads and writes.
Amanda loves just about all things romance. She started out reading historicals and then branched into just about everything else, except Amish romance (which is ironic, since she lives in Amish Country). She has a particular fondness for fantasy and/or gothic fiction.
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
October 6, 2016
I get nervous when someone I know - whether it be from twitter, or a blogger - writes their first book and asks me to review it. I've never met Amanda Ryan in person, but we do talk on twitter occasionally about books. When she emailed me with this review request, I got a little sweaty. But I thought - what the heck - if I don't like the book, I'll tell her and the world won't end.
But a crazy thing happened - I really liked it.
Our heroine is Lia and she is called a Keeper. In this world there are Magicians and Keepers - and the one needs the other:
Magic was not inherently bestowed to a magician, but instead channeled by a Keeper, a person trained in the art of runes and the history of magic. Keepers were the pool and Magicians were the siphon, and when a Keeper was bound to a Magician it was a partnership for life.
I will say, the weakest part of this book is this relationship. I needed a little more information or depth about both magicians and keepers. I got the concept, but I could have used more details. I understood the role of the keeper, but I didn't understand magicians as well. What their power was and how that affected the people around them - made me scratch my head a little bit. The head of the land, aka the head of the Keepers and magicians, is called The Royal, and she is all-powerful and a little crazy. We'll get back to her later.
Back to the set up, Lia was raised in a brothel and owned by a horrible man. She has been able to keep the secret that she is a powerful Keeper from this horrible man, but she knows that won't last forever. Her friends and her decide to escape and make a run for it. During their escape, they are caught by our hero, Ilyas. He is the Royal's Right Hand and assassin - and he tells Lia she has to turn around and go back to being a servant. Lia is stubborn and clever though and eventually bargains for her and two others to stay with Ilyas, and the rest are set free.
Ilyas isn't going to send her back to the horrible man, though. He needs help finding a magical book that was stolen from the Royal, and he wants Lia to help him. Ilyas eventually learns her secret and together they go on the hunt for the book, both slowly trusting the other and eventually caring for one another too.
I love the dynamic between Ilyas and Lia. Ilyas is intense, severe and a mystery. Lia fears him at first, as he is an assassin but she is no wilting flower. Growing up on her own in a brothel, she knows how to handle herself. She speaks up for herself and isn't afraid to challenge Ilyas. Told all in Lia's point of view, you can tell Ilyas is enchanted with her even though he won't admit it or show it. He comes off as controlling and assertive, to make sure she knows who is the boss. I love when authors do this. This author conveys so much meaning from Ilyas without ever hearing his thoughts. His aloofness yet secret lust came off so sexy.
I adored Lia too. She is a fighter and never gives up. Her slow journey to loving Ilyas is sweet. There is a lot of adventure and Ilyas and Lia go on the hunt for this missing book - I never felt the story slow down.
I do have a complaint - the very, very end of the book, Lia takes an action that disappointed me. There is 100% a HEA, but there was a bump at the end to get there and I didn't like that bump. I was so happy and smiling and then this bump happens and it put a damper on it. I still enjoyed this book a lot, just didn't like the bump! *kicks the bump*
This author has a really nice voice. If you are in the mood for a fantasy/paranormal romance, check this on out. It's also available on Kindle Unlimited.
Grade: B
But a crazy thing happened - I really liked it.
Our heroine is Lia and she is called a Keeper. In this world there are Magicians and Keepers - and the one needs the other:
Magic was not inherently bestowed to a magician, but instead channeled by a Keeper, a person trained in the art of runes and the history of magic. Keepers were the pool and Magicians were the siphon, and when a Keeper was bound to a Magician it was a partnership for life.
I will say, the weakest part of this book is this relationship. I needed a little more information or depth about both magicians and keepers. I got the concept, but I could have used more details. I understood the role of the keeper, but I didn't understand magicians as well. What their power was and how that affected the people around them - made me scratch my head a little bit. The head of the land, aka the head of the Keepers and magicians, is called The Royal, and she is all-powerful and a little crazy. We'll get back to her later.
Back to the set up, Lia was raised in a brothel and owned by a horrible man. She has been able to keep the secret that she is a powerful Keeper from this horrible man, but she knows that won't last forever. Her friends and her decide to escape and make a run for it. During their escape, they are caught by our hero, Ilyas. He is the Royal's Right Hand and assassin - and he tells Lia she has to turn around and go back to being a servant. Lia is stubborn and clever though and eventually bargains for her and two others to stay with Ilyas, and the rest are set free.
Ilyas isn't going to send her back to the horrible man, though. He needs help finding a magical book that was stolen from the Royal, and he wants Lia to help him. Ilyas eventually learns her secret and together they go on the hunt for the book, both slowly trusting the other and eventually caring for one another too.
I love the dynamic between Ilyas and Lia. Ilyas is intense, severe and a mystery. Lia fears him at first, as he is an assassin but she is no wilting flower. Growing up on her own in a brothel, she knows how to handle herself. She speaks up for herself and isn't afraid to challenge Ilyas. Told all in Lia's point of view, you can tell Ilyas is enchanted with her even though he won't admit it or show it. He comes off as controlling and assertive, to make sure she knows who is the boss. I love when authors do this. This author conveys so much meaning from Ilyas without ever hearing his thoughts. His aloofness yet secret lust came off so sexy.
I adored Lia too. She is a fighter and never gives up. Her slow journey to loving Ilyas is sweet. There is a lot of adventure and Ilyas and Lia go on the hunt for this missing book - I never felt the story slow down.
I do have a complaint - the very, very end of the book, Lia takes an action that disappointed me. There is 100% a HEA, but there was a bump at the end to get there and I didn't like that bump. I was so happy and smiling and then this bump happens and it put a damper on it. I still enjoyed this book a lot, just didn't like the bump! *kicks the bump*
This author has a really nice voice. If you are in the mood for a fantasy/paranormal romance, check this on out. It's also available on Kindle Unlimited.
Grade: B
October 27, 2016
Overall, Keeper is an okay read, and there are some good bits in it I really enjoyed, but as a whole it failed to engage.
We start with a good concept of Keepers who channel the flow of magic by being bound to a Magician who actually uses all this magic through the spells. The rest of the plot is fuzzy. Aren is ruled by Royal, who united the quarrelling Lords of the estates by acquiring lots of Keepers and wielding a lot of power. Okay, it's a model of medieval feudal state where the ruler is "primus inter pares" - first among equals. But what is Aren? How big is it? What is the state of technological advancement in this world?
Ilyas, the right hand of Royal, has great influence, but his duties (apart from killing discontents) are unclear. There is no mention of carriages, just wagons and horses, but there is a concept of precise timing (for example, a woman cooking says that dinner will be ready in 40 minutes). Amalia inquires if Ilyas travelled around the world, but if it is medieval world I don't see how he could have done it and still be in his early thirties. So, you see there were little anachronisms which needled me. I think the world-building needed to be developed more carefully.
Amalia and Ilyas are good characters while they bicker and work together as partners, but as a reader I didn't believe in their deep love for each other after only a little time together.
I also didn't like how we got so little information about Royal who was a huge part of Ilyas' decision-making. The ending was also pretty anticlimatic.
There were some beautiful descriptions of magical battles, clothes and Amalia's music, but the rest needed a good editor who would have driven the author to create a more cohesive, stronger story.
I believe the author has very good potential but needs more focus, and I wish her all the best in her future writing endeavours.
* * *
Так было очень всё средненько. В некоторые моменты читала я эту книгу с удовольствием, но в общем тяжело было переваривать авторский стиль.
Началась книга с хорошей идеи. Хранители направляют через себя поток магии, который связанный с ними Маг может превращать в заклинания с помощью рун. Амалия - не привязанный ни к кому Хранитель, которая держит свой талант в тайне, однако её секрет раскрывается когда правая рука Королевы приезжает в поместье, где она живёт в погоне за магическим томом.
Проблема, по большей части, у меня возникла с построением мира в этой книге. События происходят в Арене, о границах которого я не имею ни малейшего понятия. Страна управляеется Королевой, которая захватила власть с помощью магии, связав себя со многими Хранителями. Её окружают Лорды, живущие в поместьях. В общем, по ходу это феодальное государство с правителем по принципу "первый среди равных". О самой Королеве, истории Арена и статусе Илиаса - королевского ассассина и правой руки нет практически никакой информации. Вместо этого Илиас и Амалия охотятся вместе за магическим томом, убегают от Лордов, предавших Королеву, и друг на друга огрызаются, пока их неприязнь внезапно не превращается во влечение и влюблённость.
Я заметила пару нестыковок и анахронизмов, например, фразы "ужин будет готов через 40 минут" и "ты наверное объехал весь мир", что в рамки средневекового фэнтези не влезало. Видно, что у автора хороший потенциал, так как моменты с музыкой Амалии, магическими битвами и одеждой были яркими, однако Аманде Райан нужен хороший редактор, который бы помог ей подчистить две трети сюжета и отточить остальное. Так что, всех благ автору и удачи, однако скорее всего продолжать серию не буду.
We start with a good concept of Keepers who channel the flow of magic by being bound to a Magician who actually uses all this magic through the spells. The rest of the plot is fuzzy. Aren is ruled by Royal, who united the quarrelling Lords of the estates by acquiring lots of Keepers and wielding a lot of power. Okay, it's a model of medieval feudal state where the ruler is "primus inter pares" - first among equals. But what is Aren? How big is it? What is the state of technological advancement in this world?
Ilyas, the right hand of Royal, has great influence, but his duties (apart from killing discontents) are unclear. There is no mention of carriages, just wagons and horses, but there is a concept of precise timing (for example, a woman cooking says that dinner will be ready in 40 minutes). Amalia inquires if Ilyas travelled around the world, but if it is medieval world I don't see how he could have done it and still be in his early thirties. So, you see there were little anachronisms which needled me. I think the world-building needed to be developed more carefully.
Amalia and Ilyas are good characters while they bicker and work together as partners, but as a reader I didn't believe in their deep love for each other after only a little time together.
I also didn't like how we got so little information about Royal who was a huge part of Ilyas' decision-making. The ending was also pretty anticlimatic.
There were some beautiful descriptions of magical battles, clothes and Amalia's music, but the rest needed a good editor who would have driven the author to create a more cohesive, stronger story.
I believe the author has very good potential but needs more focus, and I wish her all the best in her future writing endeavours.
* * *
Так было очень всё средненько. В некоторые моменты читала я эту книгу с удовольствием, но в общем тяжело было переваривать авторский стиль.
Началась книга с хорошей идеи. Хранители направляют через себя поток магии, который связанный с ними Маг может превращать в заклинания с помощью рун. Амалия - не привязанный ни к кому Хранитель, которая держит свой талант в тайне, однако её секрет раскрывается когда правая рука Королевы приезжает в поместье, где она живёт в погоне за магическим томом.
Проблема, по большей части, у меня возникла с построением мира в этой книге. События происходят в Арене, о границах которого я не имею ни малейшего понятия. Страна управляеется Королевой, которая захватила власть с помощью магии, связав себя со многими Хранителями. Её окружают Лорды, живущие в поместьях. В общем, по ходу это феодальное государство с правителем по принципу "первый среди равных". О самой Королеве, истории Арена и статусе Илиаса - королевского ассассина и правой руки нет практически никакой информации. Вместо этого Илиас и Амалия охотятся вместе за магическим томом, убегают от Лордов, предавших Королеву, и друг на друга огрызаются, пока их неприязнь внезапно не превращается во влечение и влюблённость.
Я заметила пару нестыковок и анахронизмов, например, фразы "ужин будет готов через 40 минут" и "ты наверное объехал весь мир", что в рамки средневекового фэнтези не влезало. Видно, что у автора хороший потенциал, так как моменты с музыкой Амалии, магическими битвами и одеждой были яркими, однако Аманде Райан нужен хороший редактор, который бы помог ей подчистить две трети сюжета и отточить остальное. Так что, всех благ автору и удачи, однако скорее всего продолжать серию не буду.
November 18, 2016
Didn't really wow me. There were moments where I thought it was going to switch gears and go to high speed, but nothing ever really came of it and the story just kept chugging along. It was also a bit heavy handed with the romance tropes towards the end as well.
Overall though not a bad book. I generally liked the characters, the world and the plot, and it was written okay, but I just feel like it was missing something that could have made it much better.
Give it a go if you want a self contained fantasy romance but don't expect an epic saga.
Overall though not a bad book. I generally liked the characters, the world and the plot, and it was written okay, but I just feel like it was missing something that could have made it much better.
Give it a go if you want a self contained fantasy romance but don't expect an epic saga.
October 25, 2018
This was a cute, fun, easy, fantasy romance. I enjoyed it.
October 10, 2016
My god, what an amazing book. I think I re-read it at least 3 times this past weekend, not including going back to read some of my favorite scenes. This was such a well done fantasy with a slow burn romance happening in the background. I can't help but agree with another reviewer that the HEA was a tiny bit ruined for me because of one element.
I loved the writing, story and world building, and look forward to the rest in this series. I hope that we will also get a novella or a snippet into Lia and Ilyas' life sometime in the near future.
I loved the writing, story and world building, and look forward to the rest in this series. I hope that we will also get a novella or a snippet into Lia and Ilyas' life sometime in the near future.
October 4, 2016
5 stars!!!! fabulous book! Very holistic writing! Very lovely whole characters! Loved the book!!!
October 4, 2016
I truly enjoyed every aspect of "Keeper". Excited to read the next in the series.
June 13, 2018
I have been in a reading slump and this book was just what I needed to wake me up and out of it. I was swept up from page one and thoroughly enjoyed the adventure and romance along the way. The story is unique and most importantly it didn't drag, it was suspenseful, and it was worth taking the time to read. Some romance novels get boring with all the inner dialogue and turmoil and it seems like there's nothing moving the plot along, but this is not one of those novels. I really appreciated that it was a romance novel with a real story that I was interested in and that had some entertaining and witty dialogue. I'm looking forward to the second book which sounds like it will be quite a change of pace from this first one and that just makes it all that much more interesting. If you like fantasy and romance - take a chance on this book, it will be a fun and easy read.
July 26, 2017
Anxious for the next book!
December 10, 2018
Off the beaten path magic system. Romance is obvious but well handled. Heroine becomes overly powerful. Overall, good story and kept me entertained.
September 27, 2016
Amanda Ryan's first novel of the Dynasty Saga kept me glued to my kindle. The story of Ilyas and Amalia could have been a rote repeat of many fantasy romance stories, but Ryan takes her story and characters into such incredible new directions that it's easy to forget the time and get lost in the story. From Ilyas snark and exasperation to Lia's headstrong nature, the characters come alive and make you root for them not only as individuals, but as a team fighting for their world. The world that is Aren builds around the reader with such complexity and layers that it's easy to see that there are many stories that have yet to be revealed. This reader, for one, looks forward to more from the world of Aren and better still, more from author Amanda Ryan.
October 28, 2016
Actual rating is more like 3.5*
I really liked this book. Good world building, interesting characters, strong heroine, yummy hero (“the most dangerous man in the world”), best friends, magic, wizards gone rogue, jealous ex-lover, crazy queen, mystery and sex; a recipe for success!
What I didn’t like was that there is only one PoV. Uggh! In my opinion, one of the best and most interesting things about (most) fantasy romance novels is that we get to see the world from the H’s point of view as well. Not in the Keeper, though, which was beyond frustrating. I wanted to know more about Ilyas and what was going on in that pretty head of his. Sure, we see him through Amalia’s eyes and learn that he is not only an assassin but a wonderful man as well, but I am sure the story would have been even spicier and more entertaining if we’d had his thoughts as well. Besides, there was no one there to describe her for us. Other than her grey eyes, I have no idea what she is supposed to look like. See what I mean?! It’s very hard to create a movie in my head when I don’t have a face for the heroine.
Until about 90% into the book I was thinking that Lia is probably one of my favourite witchy heroines. She is strong, kind, fun, witty and speaks her mind, constantly challenging Lord Merin. Not too pushy, knows when to hold her tongue and when to ask the right questions and doesn't get herself into dangerous situations because of stubbornness like a lot of other fantasy heroines. She has grown up in a brothel so, although a virgin, has no problems with nakedness and intimacy. Towards the end she makes a decision that I didn’t fully understand and got on my nerves a bit, but all’s well that ends well, so I’m not going to hold it against her. She totally deserves her HEA.
All in all, a very entertaining read. I will probably buy the next book in the series.
I really liked this book. Good world building, interesting characters, strong heroine, yummy hero (“the most dangerous man in the world”), best friends, magic, wizards gone rogue, jealous ex-lover, crazy queen, mystery and sex; a recipe for success!
What I didn’t like was that there is only one PoV. Uggh! In my opinion, one of the best and most interesting things about (most) fantasy romance novels is that we get to see the world from the H’s point of view as well. Not in the Keeper, though, which was beyond frustrating. I wanted to know more about Ilyas and what was going on in that pretty head of his. Sure, we see him through Amalia’s eyes and learn that he is not only an assassin but a wonderful man as well, but I am sure the story would have been even spicier and more entertaining if we’d had his thoughts as well. Besides, there was no one there to describe her for us. Other than her grey eyes, I have no idea what she is supposed to look like. See what I mean?! It’s very hard to create a movie in my head when I don’t have a face for the heroine.
Until about 90% into the book I was thinking that Lia is probably one of my favourite witchy heroines. She is strong, kind, fun, witty and speaks her mind, constantly challenging Lord Merin. Not too pushy, knows when to hold her tongue and when to ask the right questions and doesn't get herself into dangerous situations because of stubbornness like a lot of other fantasy heroines. She has grown up in a brothel so, although a virgin, has no problems with nakedness and intimacy. Towards the end she makes a decision that I didn’t fully understand and got on my nerves a bit, but all’s well that ends well, so I’m not going to hold it against her. She totally deserves her HEA.
All in all, a very entertaining read. I will probably buy the next book in the series.
November 6, 2016
Very adventurous and captivating story. The concept of magic in this book was unique, unexpected and refreshing. I liked the development of romance along with the tale as well. The only thing I would say is, the ending flatlined for me and did not seem to match the main character's will to fight. The finale escalated by revealing new characters and forms of power and *spoilers* for no valid and out of character reason the main character ran away, leaving the plot lines untied and disengaging me as a reader. I was ready for her character to grow and was excited to see her and her lover explore their magical connections, especially her new power but instead she just ran away (and got pregnant even though she said she had a form of birth control? To which she wasn't even bothered by the pregnancy and her powers disappearing. wtf?) I also have to say that I think it's a shame when the woman is objectified and tied to gender norm, which I wish happened less in this book.
October 24, 2016
Saw this review from SmexyBooks and OMG, I LOVED this book. I loved Lia and Ilyas and it was just fabulous. There were a few issues here and there but 4 1/2 stars, for sure.
November 20, 2016
The magical world building doesn't go into great depth, but the romance between Lia and Ilyas was was so swoon-worthy
November 27, 2016
I loved this book. Loved the characters. Awesome!
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews