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Exchanged
Aubriel has always admired the paladin Elston, but when it comes time for him to choose between her and the treasure she unwittingly leads him to, he chooses the treasure. Elston's betrayal puts Aubriel in the path of a powerful fey lord whose invasion of her dreams assures Aubriel that he has plans for her. But she refuses to be used again. Unable to return home with the possibility of facing Elston there, Aubriel follows Lord Callannon Thray to a realm of great magic and even greater danger. When Callannon arrives to defend his treasure, he's surprised to find a beautiful elven woman already defending it for him. Aubriel is everything he's wanted but failed to find in a fey woman-but there's one problem: she's mortal. When she agrees to go with him to the fey realm, Callannon has no choice but to hide her mortality to protect her from those who would use her against him. The captain of the king's guard is one such person, and she won't rest until she sees Callannon stripped of everything he has.
- GenresFantasy RomanceFantasy
230 pages, Hardcover
Published January 30, 2017
2 people are currently reading
209 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
May 30, 2017
My rating 3.4
The book Exchanged by Dante Silva and Vanessa Mozes begins with an interesting fantasy story but in the end, it transforms into a love story in the fantasy world. Elf Aubriel leads the paladin Elston to the place where there is a hidden powerful artifact. Elston has a map he took from the thief and says Aubriel that he was given the task of hiding the artifact in a new secret location. Aubriel believes in the truthfulness of his words because he is still paladin and respected in her community. When they arrive at the destination and find the artifact, Elston shows his real reasons, and that's to steal the artifact just for himself. But when he wants to take the artifact, the magical Fey Callannon appears from another dimension and Elston disappears in front of Aubriel's eyes. Fey tells Aubriel that she will not hurt her because she tried to protect the artifact and soon Aubrielin's life would go in the completely different direction. Soon through dreamscapes, she and the Fey became romantically involved and made the exchange. This book is, in the first instance, romance novel, but housed in a fantasy world. If you expect similar stories as in a fantasy you will not get it. You will get a romantic story and places in a story with lots of erotic content. The writers find us a fantastic world of mortal elves and immortal Fays, the world of greenery and Fay's homes. The story is solid and lovers of love romances will love it.
"I received a free copy from the author without an obligation to review."
The book Exchanged by Dante Silva and Vanessa Mozes begins with an interesting fantasy story but in the end, it transforms into a love story in the fantasy world. Elf Aubriel leads the paladin Elston to the place where there is a hidden powerful artifact. Elston has a map he took from the thief and says Aubriel that he was given the task of hiding the artifact in a new secret location. Aubriel believes in the truthfulness of his words because he is still paladin and respected in her community. When they arrive at the destination and find the artifact, Elston shows his real reasons, and that's to steal the artifact just for himself. But when he wants to take the artifact, the magical Fey Callannon appears from another dimension and Elston disappears in front of Aubriel's eyes. Fey tells Aubriel that she will not hurt her because she tried to protect the artifact and soon Aubrielin's life would go in the completely different direction. Soon through dreamscapes, she and the Fey became romantically involved and made the exchange. This book is, in the first instance, romance novel, but housed in a fantasy world. If you expect similar stories as in a fantasy you will not get it. You will get a romantic story and places in a story with lots of erotic content. The writers find us a fantastic world of mortal elves and immortal Fays, the world of greenery and Fay's homes. The story is solid and lovers of love romances will love it.
"I received a free copy from the author without an obligation to review."
March 21, 2017
I love discovering new authors, especially when they are in the Fantasy Romance genre, and enjoyed reading Exchanged. This book was written by two people – Dante Silva and Vanessa Mozes – but the writing flowed as though written by a single person.
Our Heroine in Exchanged is Aubriel, an elven huntswoman. In the beginning, she is guiding Elston, paladin who was trusted among her village and people, through the forest toward a temple where he hopes he find an artifact. Unfortunately, Aubriel is a little too taken in by him, and he plays upon that infatuation. This reveals a more gullible, weak side of her. However, when she felt something wasn’t right, she spoke up and stood her ground. We see this through the book. She is a woman of honor, and deception is not something she stands for.
Then we have Callannon, the Summer Fey King’s Royal Advisor. He is such a sweet man from the moment he saves Aubriel, but if you cross him, be prepared to suffer the consequences. He’s extraordinarily loyal.
There are other characters, such as Queen Titania and King Oberon as well as the Deepwood King and Queen, Jekob and Ginette, that I was interested in. But it was Titania I sympathized with. I don’t want to give too much away, but I felt for her.
The descriptions of the world are beautiful, and as I mentioned, the book flowed as though written by one person rather than two separate voices. I kept waiting for Elston to pop back up somewhere, but he never did. This book also ends with a kind of cliff-hanger that makes it appear as though there will be another book to follow (Don’t want to give away the reasons as it would spoil what happens in the book) My only criticism is that I felt like they fell in love too quickly rather than having a slow build. Overall, this was a good debut for Dante and Vanessa! I hope to see more from them.
Our Heroine in Exchanged is Aubriel, an elven huntswoman. In the beginning, she is guiding Elston, paladin who was trusted among her village and people, through the forest toward a temple where he hopes he find an artifact. Unfortunately, Aubriel is a little too taken in by him, and he plays upon that infatuation. This reveals a more gullible, weak side of her. However, when she felt something wasn’t right, she spoke up and stood her ground. We see this through the book. She is a woman of honor, and deception is not something she stands for.
Then we have Callannon, the Summer Fey King’s Royal Advisor. He is such a sweet man from the moment he saves Aubriel, but if you cross him, be prepared to suffer the consequences. He’s extraordinarily loyal.
There are other characters, such as Queen Titania and King Oberon as well as the Deepwood King and Queen, Jekob and Ginette, that I was interested in. But it was Titania I sympathized with. I don’t want to give too much away, but I felt for her.
The descriptions of the world are beautiful, and as I mentioned, the book flowed as though written by one person rather than two separate voices. I kept waiting for Elston to pop back up somewhere, but he never did. This book also ends with a kind of cliff-hanger that makes it appear as though there will be another book to follow (Don’t want to give away the reasons as it would spoil what happens in the book) My only criticism is that I felt like they fell in love too quickly rather than having a slow build. Overall, this was a good debut for Dante and Vanessa! I hope to see more from them.
March 13, 2017
This book was a little over a hundred pages and so I thought it was going to be a smooth breeze through…I found the story a little tough to follow, I tried real hard to follow it. Actually, I tried figuring out the title and the fact that I was reviewing it in an 18+ review group, yes it has adult content but it would be more suitable in an “Out of this word” review group or a general group.
I did enjoy the adult scenes but had some difficulty appreciating the world that the book displayed. The writing style was good, I must give them credit for a well written book.
From the first page and most pages throughout the pdf copy I got to review, the author had “Review Copy for Garfield Whyte”, I found that annoying and a bit distrusting that I would be voluntarily reviewing a book and the authors seem so distrusting of me. (This had nothing to do with my rating)
I did enjoy the adult scenes but had some difficulty appreciating the world that the book displayed. The writing style was good, I must give them credit for a well written book.
From the first page and most pages throughout the pdf copy I got to review, the author had “Review Copy for Garfield Whyte”, I found that annoying and a bit distrusting that I would be voluntarily reviewing a book and the authors seem so distrusting of me. (This had nothing to do with my rating)
March 13, 2017
"Exchanged" will keep you reading this book from beginning to end, and throughly engrossed at all points in between. This book is a real gem. It definitely has the 'Wow!' factor. It's extremely carefully crafted. Every detail is in it's correct place and order. The meticulous writing is absolutely excellent. The beginning enthralls the reader, and the intricately successful storyline heavily entertains throughout the rest of the book.
The elf and fey are the fantasy characters that are portrayed in this story. They have very human characteristics such as loyalty, honesty, trickery, and struggles. The same characters portray characteristics of fantasy characters such as dreamscapes, precious artifacts, and quests. The authors used their fantastic writing talents to combine all of these elements into a super interesting book. It's a very fascinating read!
Disclaimer - I received a free copy of this book.
The elf and fey are the fantasy characters that are portrayed in this story. They have very human characteristics such as loyalty, honesty, trickery, and struggles. The same characters portray characteristics of fantasy characters such as dreamscapes, precious artifacts, and quests. The authors used their fantastic writing talents to combine all of these elements into a super interesting book. It's a very fascinating read!
Disclaimer - I received a free copy of this book.
March 18, 2017
"Exchanged" will keep you reading this book from beginning to end, and throughly engrossed at all points in between. This book is a real gem. It definitely has the 'Wow!' factor. It's extremely carefully crafted. Every detail is in it's correct place and order. The meticulous writing is absolutely excellent. The beginning enthralls the reader, and the intricately successful storyline heavily entertains throughout the rest of the book.
The elf and fey are the fantasy characters that are portrayed in this story. They have very human characteristics such as loyalty, honesty, trickery, and struggles. The same characters portray characteristics of fantasy characters such as dreamscapes, precious artifacts, and quests. The authors used their fantastic writing talents to combine all of these elements into a super interesting book. It's a very fascinating read!
Disclaimer - I received a free copy of this book.
The elf and fey are the fantasy characters that are portrayed in this story. They have very human characteristics such as loyalty, honesty, trickery, and struggles. The same characters portray characteristics of fantasy characters such as dreamscapes, precious artifacts, and quests. The authors used their fantastic writing talents to combine all of these elements into a super interesting book. It's a very fascinating read!
Disclaimer - I received a free copy of this book.
May 11, 2017
Fairies and elves in fantasy romance.
‘Bree’s heart skipped, but her trepidation spiked. He was good. he almost made her believe that he had no ulterior motive, but she was determined not to be fooled again.’
Aubriel is a hunter and guide in the forests around her home in Viget. She is chosen by that village’s famous son Elston, a Paladin of Rabek, to guide him through the forest. She fancies him like mad but he is not interested in her, only in the treasure she helps him to access. But the treasure is the property of a gorgeous elven Lord, Callannon Thray and he forges a magical bond with Aubriel that she distrusts as much as she distrusts his kind behaviour, because Elston had proved false so she fears Callannon would also. First they can only meet through dreams, but the dangers of Oberon’s Court await and challenges which will test Aubriel’s skill as a diplomat.
This is a romance which uses a fantasy setting to tell its tale. It has a very naive heroine who needs to learn to trust and fall in love. It has magic and fey and a cute sentient fox. It has naive romance and full on sex scenes. It has intrigue and dangers and a mysterious past event which casts a shadow over Aubriel and Callannon.
“Sometimes we have to go through trials before getting our reward, don’t we?”
This is a fairly well written story which is fairly well plotted with interesting shifts of intrigue and a good degree of consistency which keeps the reader engaged. The world-building is a bit too vague, with no real reference for how the Seelie courts exist in relation to the mortal realm or any exploration of the different races either realm. The pace is maintained pretty well with the odd touch of tension and emotional catharsis for the main characters. I particularly enjoyed the clever way the authors show how a single betrayal can taint the lives of those it touches over years and decades.One of the strengths of the book is in the characters, who are well drawn and believable. Most have deep and sometimes traumatic pasts and as their motivations are exposed, it makes them seem very real. We learn about a major past event and how it has influenced them individually and as a group.
Sadly, there is one notable exception: Aubriel herself. She springs fully formed from the first page with her pink hair, but no family: no parents, no siblings and no close friends. Whilst I am all for minimising back-story, this utter absence is too much of a void. It makes her more of a cypher than a real individual. She is presented as being as naive as a child, with her innermost thoughts being those of a teenager, although we are told she is fifty and a full adult and has been for many years. Against that backdrop of such naivety, her sudden ability to be a top-notch diplomat loses credibility for me.
‘Even if she might fool everyone else, she couldn’t fool herself.’
And then there is her name. In the book I found the way Aubriel thought of herself as both Bree and Aubriel, apparently at random really weird and distracting. It took me a while to realise the same character was thinking of herself by two different names. It would have made sense if she thought of herself as Bree, but was called Aubriel in a formal setting - but there was no consistency to it. I think part of this was caused by that lack of background, lack of those friends and family in Viget who would have called her Bree, meaning we only had her own self-appellation to run with - and that was usually ‘Aubriel’ but suddenly, now and then, ‘Bree’.
Overall, it was very difficult for me to remain immersed in the book when the main character had such a huge gap between how she thought and behaved and how she was apparently perceived.
But all that said, I enjoyed the story and if you like romance with sex scenes, wrapped around with a bit of political intrigue and a fantasy world, then this is a book you should be adding to your collection without delay and it finishes well set up for a sequel so if you do enjoy it there will probably be more to come!
‘Bree’s heart skipped, but her trepidation spiked. He was good. he almost made her believe that he had no ulterior motive, but she was determined not to be fooled again.’
Aubriel is a hunter and guide in the forests around her home in Viget. She is chosen by that village’s famous son Elston, a Paladin of Rabek, to guide him through the forest. She fancies him like mad but he is not interested in her, only in the treasure she helps him to access. But the treasure is the property of a gorgeous elven Lord, Callannon Thray and he forges a magical bond with Aubriel that she distrusts as much as she distrusts his kind behaviour, because Elston had proved false so she fears Callannon would also. First they can only meet through dreams, but the dangers of Oberon’s Court await and challenges which will test Aubriel’s skill as a diplomat.
This is a romance which uses a fantasy setting to tell its tale. It has a very naive heroine who needs to learn to trust and fall in love. It has magic and fey and a cute sentient fox. It has naive romance and full on sex scenes. It has intrigue and dangers and a mysterious past event which casts a shadow over Aubriel and Callannon.
“Sometimes we have to go through trials before getting our reward, don’t we?”
This is a fairly well written story which is fairly well plotted with interesting shifts of intrigue and a good degree of consistency which keeps the reader engaged. The world-building is a bit too vague, with no real reference for how the Seelie courts exist in relation to the mortal realm or any exploration of the different races either realm. The pace is maintained pretty well with the odd touch of tension and emotional catharsis for the main characters. I particularly enjoyed the clever way the authors show how a single betrayal can taint the lives of those it touches over years and decades.One of the strengths of the book is in the characters, who are well drawn and believable. Most have deep and sometimes traumatic pasts and as their motivations are exposed, it makes them seem very real. We learn about a major past event and how it has influenced them individually and as a group.
Sadly, there is one notable exception: Aubriel herself. She springs fully formed from the first page with her pink hair, but no family: no parents, no siblings and no close friends. Whilst I am all for minimising back-story, this utter absence is too much of a void. It makes her more of a cypher than a real individual. She is presented as being as naive as a child, with her innermost thoughts being those of a teenager, although we are told she is fifty and a full adult and has been for many years. Against that backdrop of such naivety, her sudden ability to be a top-notch diplomat loses credibility for me.
‘Even if she might fool everyone else, she couldn’t fool herself.’
And then there is her name. In the book I found the way Aubriel thought of herself as both Bree and Aubriel, apparently at random really weird and distracting. It took me a while to realise the same character was thinking of herself by two different names. It would have made sense if she thought of herself as Bree, but was called Aubriel in a formal setting - but there was no consistency to it. I think part of this was caused by that lack of background, lack of those friends and family in Viget who would have called her Bree, meaning we only had her own self-appellation to run with - and that was usually ‘Aubriel’ but suddenly, now and then, ‘Bree’.
Overall, it was very difficult for me to remain immersed in the book when the main character had such a huge gap between how she thought and behaved and how she was apparently perceived.
But all that said, I enjoyed the story and if you like romance with sex scenes, wrapped around with a bit of political intrigue and a fantasy world, then this is a book you should be adding to your collection without delay and it finishes well set up for a sequel so if you do enjoy it there will probably be more to come!
February 25, 2018
As a fan of both fantasy and romance and someone whose perfect book is when they come together, I was excited about Exchanged. The promise of a mortal-fey love story playing out amidst political intrigue sounded like my perfect scenario. I was also intrigued by the idea of two authors and curious to see how they would manage a cohesive story.
The result was mediocre and I found myself walking away from it several times before I was able to finish.
I’m not a fan of insta-love and the entire romance between Bree and Callannon hinged on one illogical decision on his part. Seriously, bonding to someone just because they kept one asshole from stealing your stuff is extreme, no matter how pretty she is. The exchanged thing was finally explained, and the idea was more complex than I expected, but it was interesting and the steamy encounters led to were almost worth the otherwise lackluster story. Mr. Silva and Ms. Mozes do seem to have a talent for writing mature content in a way that really gets the readers attention.
Aubriel/Bree was introduced as a fully-formed character, and thus showed zero development or growth. There just wasn’t room for it. It was also rather convenient that she had no family, no close friends, nothing to tie her to the mortal realm or give her pause about becoming involved with the fey. She expressed a token resistance at first, but it was almost instantly abandoned. Callannon was a little better, in that his motivations were slowly uncovered, and his character had evident reasons for doing what he did. His interactions with the other members of his court were telling and provided a nice dash of tension to the story. I definitely liked him more than anyone else. Elston was laughable and it was beyond obvious that he was a complete dick as opposed to some virtuous religious soldier. And Captain Salda? She was just an unapologetic, one-dimensional bitch.
The world-building was minimal, and we’re given little-to-no background on the courts, races, the mortal realm, or really anything that would act as a point of reference for the plot. It was disappointing, because there was so much potential for a rich setting, but as nothing was explained or filled in, this story seemed to take place in a vacuum. I will say that, for a book written by two separate people, the style was pretty consistent, and I didn’t find many typos.
Bottom line: I had high hopes for this book, but I was ultimately disappointed. There was too little development of one of the main characters and too few points of reference for understanding the setting. The ending was sorta cute and HEA’s are always nice, but with the sheer number of fantasy romances out there, I really can’t recommend this one.
Review first appears on Red Hot Books
The result was mediocre and I found myself walking away from it several times before I was able to finish.
I’m not a fan of insta-love and the entire romance between Bree and Callannon hinged on one illogical decision on his part. Seriously, bonding to someone just because they kept one asshole from stealing your stuff is extreme, no matter how pretty she is. The exchanged thing was finally explained, and the idea was more complex than I expected, but it was interesting and the steamy encounters led to were almost worth the otherwise lackluster story. Mr. Silva and Ms. Mozes do seem to have a talent for writing mature content in a way that really gets the readers attention.
Aubriel/Bree was introduced as a fully-formed character, and thus showed zero development or growth. There just wasn’t room for it. It was also rather convenient that she had no family, no close friends, nothing to tie her to the mortal realm or give her pause about becoming involved with the fey. She expressed a token resistance at first, but it was almost instantly abandoned. Callannon was a little better, in that his motivations were slowly uncovered, and his character had evident reasons for doing what he did. His interactions with the other members of his court were telling and provided a nice dash of tension to the story. I definitely liked him more than anyone else. Elston was laughable and it was beyond obvious that he was a complete dick as opposed to some virtuous religious soldier. And Captain Salda? She was just an unapologetic, one-dimensional bitch.
The world-building was minimal, and we’re given little-to-no background on the courts, races, the mortal realm, or really anything that would act as a point of reference for the plot. It was disappointing, because there was so much potential for a rich setting, but as nothing was explained or filled in, this story seemed to take place in a vacuum. I will say that, for a book written by two separate people, the style was pretty consistent, and I didn’t find many typos.
Bottom line: I had high hopes for this book, but I was ultimately disappointed. There was too little development of one of the main characters and too few points of reference for understanding the setting. The ending was sorta cute and HEA’s are always nice, but with the sheer number of fantasy romances out there, I really can’t recommend this one.
Review first appears on Red Hot Books
June 1, 2017
Exchanged, by Dante Silva & Vanessa Mozes, is a novel that blends fantasy with romance. Aubriel ("Bree") is an elf huntress living in the forest village of Viget. We first meet her as she guides Elton, a paladin, towards a mapped treasure that she believes he will help protect. Instead, she learns Elton has not only deceived her about his intentions & lied about how he gained the map, but also that he has no qualms about hurting her. A mysterious fey Lord, Callannon, appears and comes to Bree's aid, sending Elton far away & healing her wounds. Their romantic connection instantly felt, he forms a magical bond with her so that he may reappear to her in her dreams. Their romance deepens as they meet in these "dreamscapes," (where she learns that Callannon is Advisor to the fey King) always ending with Bree waking in her tent in the forest, where she has taken refuge alone, afraid to return to her village without the famed Elton. Fans of both fantasy and romance will enjoy reading this sensual tale, and literary fans won't miss the direct nod to Shakespeare in the characters of Oberon & Titania, King & Queen of the fey land of Summer Kingdom. Exchanged is a successful blending of two genres with interesting characters that both enchants & entertains.
May 18, 2017
Aubriel (or Bree, nickname?) a mortal Elf is a skilled tracker and hunter with bow and arrow. She’s conscripted by a respected male of her village (who she seems to like) that says he has a map and is hunting a treasure he will keep safe. Not. After a perilous journey, she leads him to it, then learns he means to keep it for himself instead. When she realizes she been part of his plan all along, she tries to stop him. Which doesn’t end well for her. But a magical Fey appears from another realm, who is tied to the treasure. He rescues her and sends the bad guy far, far away. Through dreamscapes, she and the Fey become romantically involved. He takes her to his world where he is the advisor to the king, in a court filled to the brim with intrigue. But they are star-crossed lovers as Fey and Elf are not destined to be together. If her true identity is discovered, he could lose everything. After much secrecy, scheming, and many magical spells, the truth emerges. An understanding is reached and she is accepted, becoming a cause célèbre throughout the realm and an emissary for change.
September 29, 2017
This book took me on an adventure! While I did see many overlooked details and some things felt unexplained, I enjoyed this, especially during the second half when I had to fight to put it down and get back to work.
Aubriel and Callannon's relationship felt rushed in the start, but once it came together, they worked in a way that complemented one another's skill-set as each helped open the other to new possibilities. Their relationship was tender and honest, something neither of them had achieved before, and the way they cared for each other showed.
I was expecting Elston to appear for a final battle, and I wish that Acorn had received a little more page time -- perhaps as he defeated Elston in the final battle? :o -- but I didn't like the ending any less despite my expectations as Aubriel stood up for herself and became an important piece of the future she deserved. :)
A solid 3.5 stars for a solid debut novel.
Aubriel and Callannon's relationship felt rushed in the start, but once it came together, they worked in a way that complemented one another's skill-set as each helped open the other to new possibilities. Their relationship was tender and honest, something neither of them had achieved before, and the way they cared for each other showed.
I was expecting Elston to appear for a final battle, and I wish that Acorn had received a little more page time -- perhaps as he defeated Elston in the final battle? :o -- but I didn't like the ending any less despite my expectations as Aubriel stood up for herself and became an important piece of the future she deserved. :)
A solid 3.5 stars for a solid debut novel.
July 18, 2017
I enjoyed this book but wish it had a little more substance. It's been set up to continue and I hope it will.
March 12, 2017
If you love the Forgotten Realms you have to read this book!
Dante and Vanessa’s first take on fantasy romance knocks it out of the park. I absolutely loved the way they combined magic with whimsy and created a world filled with intrigue and illusion. The book sucks you right into a beautiful world filled with danger and enchantment.
Aubriel and Callannon were both written beautifully. The sweet and sexy love story between these strong, well-developed characters will touch you in ways you won’t realize. It was so easy for me to lose myself in their compelling story. The passion between these two sizzled, and went so much deeper than I thought possible.
I’m so looking forward to the second story from Aubriel and Callannon! Definitely worth the read!
Dante and Vanessa’s first take on fantasy romance knocks it out of the park. I absolutely loved the way they combined magic with whimsy and created a world filled with intrigue and illusion. The book sucks you right into a beautiful world filled with danger and enchantment.
Aubriel and Callannon were both written beautifully. The sweet and sexy love story between these strong, well-developed characters will touch you in ways you won’t realize. It was so easy for me to lose myself in their compelling story. The passion between these two sizzled, and went so much deeper than I thought possible.
I’m so looking forward to the second story from Aubriel and Callannon! Definitely worth the read!
February 27, 2017
Find full review here: https://malloryreadsblog.wordpress.co...
Favourite Quote
"This was his favourite part. Reveling in the afterglow, where it felt more like they were one body than two"
This book was not at all what I was expecting, but it was honestly great. The blurb didn't give away that it was going to be an erotic book, but even though there were some steamy scenes, they were limited and not too detailed. The book was more about their struggles and romance, which kept me intrigued throughout.
Aubriel, an Elf from a village where Elston is worshipped, has been given the task to bring Elston to a precious artifact. What she doesn't find out until she is there is that Elston has a secret agenda and was never ordered by the temple to collect the artifact. As Aubriel realises what is going on, she protects the artifact from Elston. As Elston beats her down a handsome Fey comes to the rescue. That night Aubriel finds herself in the dreams of the Fey, Lord Callanon Thray. As she falls asleep every night she finds herself looking forward to meeting Callanon every night and finding out more about him and his beautiful dreamscape. Still struggling to trust him as she has been betrayed by someone she trusted with all her heart, she finds herself stuck between admitting her attraction to Callanon and not speaking to him again. But there is no denying that Callanon seems an honest man and she falls in love with him. Now, they both want more than simply being together in the dreamscape, they want to be together. Callanon offers to take her to the summer kingdom, where he is advisor to the king. The problem is that Aubriel is an elf, and so a mortal, who are looked down upon the kingdom. With magic, Callanon makes her appear Fey, but will this be enough?
This book had its ups and downs in my opinion. I struggled to get into this book as I really hated Elston, he was a d*ck, pardon my French, but he was. I know this is what the authors were going for, but god did I want to punch him in the face. I felt a little confused in the beginning as I felt there wasn't enough introduction into the background of Aubriel or the setting itself. Aubriel was constantly doubting herself and all she was concerned about was pleasing Elston, with his character being so annoying that didn't really catch on for me.
Once Callanon came into the book though I was sold, it suddenly became extremely interesting and I couldn't put the book down. From here on the characters were written extremely well, I loved the story between Callanon and Aubriel. The setting of the dreamscape was described so well I found myself picturing it and dying to go there.
Favourite Quote
"This was his favourite part. Reveling in the afterglow, where it felt more like they were one body than two"
This book was not at all what I was expecting, but it was honestly great. The blurb didn't give away that it was going to be an erotic book, but even though there were some steamy scenes, they were limited and not too detailed. The book was more about their struggles and romance, which kept me intrigued throughout.
Aubriel, an Elf from a village where Elston is worshipped, has been given the task to bring Elston to a precious artifact. What she doesn't find out until she is there is that Elston has a secret agenda and was never ordered by the temple to collect the artifact. As Aubriel realises what is going on, she protects the artifact from Elston. As Elston beats her down a handsome Fey comes to the rescue. That night Aubriel finds herself in the dreams of the Fey, Lord Callanon Thray. As she falls asleep every night she finds herself looking forward to meeting Callanon every night and finding out more about him and his beautiful dreamscape. Still struggling to trust him as she has been betrayed by someone she trusted with all her heart, she finds herself stuck between admitting her attraction to Callanon and not speaking to him again. But there is no denying that Callanon seems an honest man and she falls in love with him. Now, they both want more than simply being together in the dreamscape, they want to be together. Callanon offers to take her to the summer kingdom, where he is advisor to the king. The problem is that Aubriel is an elf, and so a mortal, who are looked down upon the kingdom. With magic, Callanon makes her appear Fey, but will this be enough?
This book had its ups and downs in my opinion. I struggled to get into this book as I really hated Elston, he was a d*ck, pardon my French, but he was. I know this is what the authors were going for, but god did I want to punch him in the face. I felt a little confused in the beginning as I felt there wasn't enough introduction into the background of Aubriel or the setting itself. Aubriel was constantly doubting herself and all she was concerned about was pleasing Elston, with his character being so annoying that didn't really catch on for me.
Once Callanon came into the book though I was sold, it suddenly became extremely interesting and I couldn't put the book down. From here on the characters were written extremely well, I loved the story between Callanon and Aubriel. The setting of the dreamscape was described so well I found myself picturing it and dying to go there.
February 9, 2017
Disclaimer that I personally know the authors, which is how I encountered the book. It does not influence the honesty of my review, however! Fantasy is not usually my genre—I think I have one series of it in my extensive home library—which makes it even more remarkable that I *loved* Exchanged. The characters are richly developed, the plot well thought out and engaging, and the world the authors build is authentic and believable, and I greatly enjoyed reading this novel. I found myself pondering the story throughout my day, anxious to get back home or finish the dishes or whatever I was doing, to keep reading. If that's not the mark of a good novel, I don't know what is. Recommend!
February 2, 2017
(Please let it be known that I personally know the authors of this book, which is how I happened upon it in the first place.) Fantasy and romance are not really my chosen genres of reading, but when I found that Dante Silva and Vanessa Mozes had written their first book together, I jumped at the chance to read it! Following the character Aubriel as she begins life in a new realm, there is more to this story than just a romance. While the heart of the book is indeed a love story between Aubriel and Callannon, we get to see events from the perspective of other characters too, which I particularly enjoyed. Getting to learn about a new-to-me world full of characters and beings I'd never heard of before was a real treat. I think the authors did a great job of pulling readers into the story and making them feel a part of it. In fact, I found myself so invested in the goings-on that by the time I was finished reading the book I wanted more! For a first novel I think the authors did a stand-up job and I anxiously await the next one!
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