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Magic Reborn #1
Heiress of Light
A reverse harem fantasy
Book one of the Magic Reborn Duology
Born into a dying kingdom, Princess Elena of Garius is certain her intelligence and compassion would make her a better ruler than Prince Leonardo, the man her father insists she marry to rule in her stead… a man rumored to have a cruel streak as deep as his father’s pockets.
As Elena tries to find a way to protect herself and her kingdom, she learns she is the key to the rebirth of magic into the Kingdom of Light. And her five guards have been preordained to help her—with the touch of their bodies to hers.
Magic has been dead so long that most people believe it’s a myth. But there’s no denying the ache in Elena’s chest or the feelings that consume her whenever her guards are near. Wicked feelings no princess should feel for one man, let alone five.
The cure for this strange madness is days away. And while her guards have sworn to protect her—even to their deaths—Prince Leonardo isn’t so quick to let her go. Not when he believes Elena is the mother of magic.
And he wants to claim her as his own.
Book one of the Magic Reborn Duology
Born into a dying kingdom, Princess Elena of Garius is certain her intelligence and compassion would make her a better ruler than Prince Leonardo, the man her father insists she marry to rule in her stead… a man rumored to have a cruel streak as deep as his father’s pockets.
As Elena tries to find a way to protect herself and her kingdom, she learns she is the key to the rebirth of magic into the Kingdom of Light. And her five guards have been preordained to help her—with the touch of their bodies to hers.
Magic has been dead so long that most people believe it’s a myth. But there’s no denying the ache in Elena’s chest or the feelings that consume her whenever her guards are near. Wicked feelings no princess should feel for one man, let alone five.
The cure for this strange madness is days away. And while her guards have sworn to protect her—even to their deaths—Prince Leonardo isn’t so quick to let her go. Not when he believes Elena is the mother of magic.
And he wants to claim her as his own.
248 pages, Paperback
First published August 1, 2017
363 people are currently reading
623 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 70 reviews
October 17, 2017
To state it pretty bluntly, this book falls flat on its face. Not even its ass, its face. Why? Well, it's a badly crafted sell-out looking to cash in on the reverse harem and fantasy crazes that are in full swing right now. I like the ideas, but they're not even ORIGINAL at this point so I can't even praise the author for that. "Mother of Magic" with a white haired heroine on the cover (despite our heroine, Elena, being described as having blonde hair in the book) and a whole "you will be queen of the kingdom it's your birthright" screams "Daenerys rip-off." Like basically swap Danni's dragons with "magic" and give her a few more hot men to have sex with and you basically get Elena from Heiress of Light. I could spend a bit of time writing parallels but trust me, Elena is a not-so-fleshed-out attempt at capturing Daenerys.
But that's not even the extent of the flaws, it's just the one that gave itself away in the blurb.
I'm not especially keen on writing a super long review detailing the shortcomings, so here's a list. I tried to condense it but, there are A LOT of things to criticize so bear with me. I'm trying to show restraint.
• There’s no real romance. The author cops out by saying “oh yeah they all fell in love way before this story takes place.” Like I feel seriously cheated. There’s no time spent establishing ANYTHING the author literally just goes “yep they’re in love there’s a history please believe they’re deeply in love this is a love story.”
• The sex scenes are soulless and lacking. It’s literally “Elena is horny, guy is horny, Elena cries about how she’s a dirty slut, guy assures her she’s not and that he’s OK with sharing and loves her, Elena frees the guy’s erection then either gives a hand-job or a blow-job, guy rubs her clit or eats her out, they continue to stimulate each other’s genitals at the same time, they orgasm simultaneously thus completing the sex magic (?) that’s needed for Elena to become the mother of magic (or something idk I stopped caring).
• The characters aren’t developed; like each of the 5 guards were given 1 trait and I often didn’t have anything to establish them as different from each other except their names. Liam is the leader. Mathew is big. Finn is skeptical. Dax and Liam… honestly they blended together like I think Dax is blonde and Liam isn’t but all I remember about Liam is that he and Elena 69’d it.
• Elena is touted as being the kindest, sweetest, smartest girl on the planet but she’s not really given anything that makes her any kinder or sweeter or smarter than any other decent heroine character. In fact her number one trait in this story has nothing to do with any of that. 90% of the time she’s crying about how she’s a dirty, dirty slut and should just die and her feelings are evil and everyone should hate her. And she’s literally the only person in the book who is doing the slut-shaming. Plus, she never seems to GROW out of it. She never becomes more comfortable with her situation even after she took the lead to suck 3/5 dicks without prompting. The author clearly doesn’t understand how this is supposed to work. It’s unsatisfying to know the heroine is, in the end, filled with self-loathing and prejudice about the most developed point of the story.
• The world-building is superficial and lacking. The main villain (but is he though? like honestly Elena's self-slut-shaming is a bigger threat than Leonardo ever was) doesn’t even show up until the last 3% of the story and it’s literally for a fight scene. We spend far more time on a horse and listening to Elena internally call herself an evil slut that literally everything else, even the reason she’s always horny and needs to fuck five men, gets a very minimal amount of development and the LEAD IN TO BOOK 2 IS FUCKING PATHETIC. It’s literally “goddess descends to tell heroine she has a sister she must find to unite with so magic can be reborn and the sister is the true heir of darkness not the prince but he could also be (?)”
• Like the author puts so little into this that several times she contradicts her own minimal plot threads and to be quite honest I feel like she very quickly write this 200+ page book in the hopes of feeding off the success of authors like Jane Washington. The story was just waaaaaaaaaaaaay too short to develop any of the ideas or plots the way they needed to be. It felt incomplete and rushed and full of cop outs to excuse the author from doing any serious story crafting.
I wanna try to find some good but outside of the writing not being totally awful (though I did pluck out several grammar errors like missing words) I don't have anything good to say about this book. The heroine was off-putting because the whole time I just want her to have some love for herself. The times when the author tries to assert Elena's intelligence or independence or anything feel like hallow attempts to prove she's not a simpering idiot. Like what, did the author think we'd feel she's a "filthy whore" if Elena didn't constantly berate herself? We're reading a reverse harem like we came to this book hoping to read about a heroine participating in an intense orgy and being sexually liberated by it. We didn't come her for a girl that eagerly sucks five dicks then sits on a horse shaming herself for it. It feels worse for a repressed character to do the thing they hate and then spend the book feeling dirty for it than for them to just not do the thing.
Anyway clearly this book isn't winning any of my good graces so I will not be buying the second half (which also, side note, this story doesn't feel complete in the least yet book #2 is introducing a whole new heroine and POV and story to try to merge up yet this is a duology I believe so instead of having it accumulate in a third book after the sister has her time the author is mashing it up and honestly I'm tired and actually kinda disgusted at how shallow and pandering this author is) and I don't have anything that would inspire me to recommend it to anyone. It's not even FUN to point out its flaws.
Bleh.
But that's not even the extent of the flaws, it's just the one that gave itself away in the blurb.
I'm not especially keen on writing a super long review detailing the shortcomings, so here's a list. I tried to condense it but, there are A LOT of things to criticize so bear with me. I'm trying to show restraint.
• There’s no real romance. The author cops out by saying “oh yeah they all fell in love way before this story takes place.” Like I feel seriously cheated. There’s no time spent establishing ANYTHING the author literally just goes “yep they’re in love there’s a history please believe they’re deeply in love this is a love story.”
• The sex scenes are soulless and lacking. It’s literally “Elena is horny, guy is horny, Elena cries about how she’s a dirty slut, guy assures her she’s not and that he’s OK with sharing and loves her, Elena frees the guy’s erection then either gives a hand-job or a blow-job, guy rubs her clit or eats her out, they continue to stimulate each other’s genitals at the same time, they orgasm simultaneously thus completing the sex magic (?) that’s needed for Elena to become the mother of magic (or something idk I stopped caring).
• The characters aren’t developed; like each of the 5 guards were given 1 trait and I often didn’t have anything to establish them as different from each other except their names. Liam is the leader. Mathew is big. Finn is skeptical. Dax and Liam… honestly they blended together like I think Dax is blonde and Liam isn’t but all I remember about Liam is that he and Elena 69’d it.
• Elena is touted as being the kindest, sweetest, smartest girl on the planet but she’s not really given anything that makes her any kinder or sweeter or smarter than any other decent heroine character. In fact her number one trait in this story has nothing to do with any of that. 90% of the time she’s crying about how she’s a dirty, dirty slut and should just die and her feelings are evil and everyone should hate her. And she’s literally the only person in the book who is doing the slut-shaming. Plus, she never seems to GROW out of it. She never becomes more comfortable with her situation even after she took the lead to suck 3/5 dicks without prompting. The author clearly doesn’t understand how this is supposed to work. It’s unsatisfying to know the heroine is, in the end, filled with self-loathing and prejudice about the most developed point of the story.
• The world-building is superficial and lacking. The main villain (but is he though? like honestly Elena's self-slut-shaming is a bigger threat than Leonardo ever was) doesn’t even show up until the last 3% of the story and it’s literally for a fight scene. We spend far more time on a horse and listening to Elena internally call herself an evil slut that literally everything else, even the reason she’s always horny and needs to fuck five men, gets a very minimal amount of development and the LEAD IN TO BOOK 2 IS FUCKING PATHETIC. It’s literally “goddess descends to tell heroine she has a sister she must find to unite with so magic can be reborn and the sister is the true heir of darkness not the prince but he could also be (?)”
• Like the author puts so little into this that several times she contradicts her own minimal plot threads and to be quite honest I feel like she very quickly write this 200+ page book in the hopes of feeding off the success of authors like Jane Washington. The story was just waaaaaaaaaaaaay too short to develop any of the ideas or plots the way they needed to be. It felt incomplete and rushed and full of cop outs to excuse the author from doing any serious story crafting.
I wanna try to find some good but outside of the writing not being totally awful (though I did pluck out several grammar errors like missing words) I don't have anything good to say about this book. The heroine was off-putting because the whole time I just want her to have some love for herself. The times when the author tries to assert Elena's intelligence or independence or anything feel like hallow attempts to prove she's not a simpering idiot. Like what, did the author think we'd feel she's a "filthy whore" if Elena didn't constantly berate herself? We're reading a reverse harem like we came to this book hoping to read about a heroine participating in an intense orgy and being sexually liberated by it. We didn't come her for a girl that eagerly sucks five dicks then sits on a horse shaming herself for it. It feels worse for a repressed character to do the thing they hate and then spend the book feeling dirty for it than for them to just not do the thing.
Anyway clearly this book isn't winning any of my good graces so I will not be buying the second half (which also, side note, this story doesn't feel complete in the least yet book #2 is introducing a whole new heroine and POV and story to try to merge up yet this is a duology I believe so instead of having it accumulate in a third book after the sister has her time the author is mashing it up and honestly I'm tired and actually kinda disgusted at how shallow and pandering this author is) and I don't have anything that would inspire me to recommend it to anyone. It's not even FUN to point out its flaws.
Bleh.
December 15, 2017
This was awesome!!!! I NEED more RH Fantasy like this in my life!!!! On to book 2!
August 2, 2017
Lame
That is not the way to a kickin reverse harem novel. I'm just sayin. Character development, let's get some. There is only,like, one scene of any notable non-lust based emotion. The non-bedroom action scenes were ok, but most of the novel was just filler between bedroom time. :/
That is not the way to a kickin reverse harem novel. I'm just sayin. Character development, let's get some. There is only,like, one scene of any notable non-lust based emotion. The non-bedroom action scenes were ok, but most of the novel was just filler between bedroom time. :/
January 5, 2021
I really enjoyed this fantasy RH! Elena is a princess betrothed to an evil prince and after something happens at their village's local temple, she feels something inside her that's awakened. She's told that it's her magic and suddenly she's drawn to her 5 guards and they're drawn to her (more so than natural attraction which was already there). The group goes on the run to protect Elena from her father and her betrothed and to try and figure out what's happening.
Multiple-person relationships are not the norm in this kingdom and magic is more myth at this point in the story than reality so it does take time for all parties to come on board with what's happening. I liked the characters, the plot, and the pacing of the story. There is some steam and a lot of action. I'll definitely be reading the 2nd part of this duet considering I enjoyed this one and this book ends with a discovery and lead-in to book 2.
Multiple-person relationships are not the norm in this kingdom and magic is more myth at this point in the story than reality so it does take time for all parties to come on board with what's happening. I liked the characters, the plot, and the pacing of the story. There is some steam and a lot of action. I'll definitely be reading the 2nd part of this duet considering I enjoyed this one and this book ends with a discovery and lead-in to book 2.
June 4, 2018
I almost purchased the audiobook because there really isn't a whole lot of RH options in audio but I am SO freaking glad I didn't pay money for this. It was terrible. There wasn't any romance really. All the men apparently fell in love with Elena when they were little but we don't get to see that. Nothin was explained! There was zero character development. There was zero world building. It was just not a good book.
October 29, 2017
Wow
Love Love love this book. Fantastic story flow. Perfect characters. I cannot wait to read the next book. A must read!
Love Love love this book. Fantastic story flow. Perfect characters. I cannot wait to read the next book. A must read!
June 4, 2020
Like a B movie
Do you like B movies? Rediculous plot with no emotional investment, overly dramatic bad acting, one dimensional characters? If the answer is yes, you will love this book.
I somehow managed to finish it but maybe just because it was a train wreck. The main character was a litany of ridiculousness. And while it said it was a reverse harem the male main characters could easily have been the same person for all the lack of character depth in any of them. In addition to the lack of character development there was a lack of and emotional investment in the plot as well.
There was strangely something endearing, between the sobbing flailing hysterics of the MFC, but I'd be hard pressed to tell you what it was exactly. Her level of immaturity was quite high for the duration of the book, which made her annoying. The crying and whining about being possessed by demons got old very quickly. She wasnt the most unlikable MFC I've read about but she certainly wasnt anything to write home about.
The male characters were basically all the same. They all spewed robotic declarations of love that felt forced and out of place. There was this strange unnatural emphasis on the requirement that they all love her and they stated that fact very bluntly. Then, on the complete opposite end of the spectrum, I found it crass when one of her guards said that he would rip off her dress and mount her like a bitch in heat. It was incredibly over the top and rude. Not to mention that that statement was not an indication of any super hot intimate scenes, those were all watered down and bland.
Speaking of bland, the whole plot was so thin there might as well not have been one. There was some lore, prophesy, history of the setting mentioned but not enough to make me care. Magic was gone but it didnt seem to matter. Magic was waiting to be reborn in a fair leader but why. We were never shown any real indication of poor leadership. We were never shown the detriment of failing magic. The core driving factors that would make the audience rally to the were not displayed in a way that made them believable. Elena took food to the poor but poverty was never illustrated. It seemed like she was on a sunday stroll, not that the people were in a dire situation.
I really dont know what I just read. Should I have finished it? I dont know. It was just a whole lot of nothing. I got it on KU though so I'm not even mad. I think the most frustrating thing about it was the book probably could have been good if it had been fleshed out and more of it was show, rather than tell (and hope the reader believes it. Spoiler: I didnt.) So in closing, 3 stars, I finished it, it wasnt the worst, fine grammar and spelling. decent idea, badly executed.
Do you like B movies? Rediculous plot with no emotional investment, overly dramatic bad acting, one dimensional characters? If the answer is yes, you will love this book.
I somehow managed to finish it but maybe just because it was a train wreck. The main character was a litany of ridiculousness. And while it said it was a reverse harem the male main characters could easily have been the same person for all the lack of character depth in any of them. In addition to the lack of character development there was a lack of and emotional investment in the plot as well.
There was strangely something endearing, between the sobbing flailing hysterics of the MFC, but I'd be hard pressed to tell you what it was exactly. Her level of immaturity was quite high for the duration of the book, which made her annoying. The crying and whining about being possessed by demons got old very quickly. She wasnt the most unlikable MFC I've read about but she certainly wasnt anything to write home about.
The male characters were basically all the same. They all spewed robotic declarations of love that felt forced and out of place. There was this strange unnatural emphasis on the requirement that they all love her and they stated that fact very bluntly. Then, on the complete opposite end of the spectrum, I found it crass when one of her guards said that he would rip off her dress and mount her like a bitch in heat. It was incredibly over the top and rude. Not to mention that that statement was not an indication of any super hot intimate scenes, those were all watered down and bland.
Speaking of bland, the whole plot was so thin there might as well not have been one. There was some lore, prophesy, history of the setting mentioned but not enough to make me care. Magic was gone but it didnt seem to matter. Magic was waiting to be reborn in a fair leader but why. We were never shown any real indication of poor leadership. We were never shown the detriment of failing magic. The core driving factors that would make the audience rally to the were not displayed in a way that made them believable. Elena took food to the poor but poverty was never illustrated. It seemed like she was on a sunday stroll, not that the people were in a dire situation.
I really dont know what I just read. Should I have finished it? I dont know. It was just a whole lot of nothing. I got it on KU though so I'm not even mad. I think the most frustrating thing about it was the book probably could have been good if it had been fleshed out and more of it was show, rather than tell (and hope the reader believes it. Spoiler: I didnt.) So in closing, 3 stars, I finished it, it wasnt the worst, fine grammar and spelling. decent idea, badly executed.
October 29, 2019
this was an "MEH" kind of book.
The premise seemed promising, however, once I started reading it I grew more and more disinterested. My inability to put a book down no matter how bad it is made me keep reading hoping it would get better. It did not.
The plot was solid. Not extraordinary but also not terrible.
The characters are the only reason I am giving this 3 star instead of 1. I thoroughly enjoyed them.
The grammar and inconsistent details was the worst of it.
At the end tho, the lack of a real climax was my main issue. The story progressed as any other book would but when it was time for the climax there really wasn't one.
Typical cliffhanger too. Which was also "MEH". Didn't really make me feel like reading the next one. But i did.
Books like these make me not want to read new books, but instead reread the ones i know and love.
Would not recommend this Duology.
The premise seemed promising, however, once I started reading it I grew more and more disinterested. My inability to put a book down no matter how bad it is made me keep reading hoping it would get better. It did not.
The plot was solid. Not extraordinary but also not terrible.
The characters are the only reason I am giving this 3 star instead of 1. I thoroughly enjoyed them.
The grammar and inconsistent details was the worst of it.
At the end tho, the lack of a real climax was my main issue. The story progressed as any other book would but when it was time for the climax there really wasn't one.
Typical cliffhanger too. Which was also "MEH". Didn't really make me feel like reading the next one. But i did.
Books like these make me not want to read new books, but instead reread the ones i know and love.
Would not recommend this Duology.
August 5, 2017
Heiress of Light is a reverse harem set in the world of kings and queens, royal guards, goddesses, mythical beasts, and now magic. Princess Elena of Garius is promised in marriage to Prince Leonardo of a nearby kingdom. He is a cruel, nasty man, but her father hopes this marriage will save their dying kingdom. Elena is kind and compassionate, but this marriage is more than she can agree to. When visiting her village to hand out food, a local priestess believes Elena is the ruler the prophecy of magic is talking about and unlocks "something/the magic" within her. Now Elena has to quickly reignite the magic within her with another or the magic will die and so will she. To unite the magic she must be with each of her 5 guards who have mysteries of their own. This is complicated and Prince Leonardo isn't one to give up what he wants. And he wants Elena's magic! The race is on to find answers, save Elena, and possibly return magic to the land.
I have reservations about this book. For much of the book Elena believes she is evil, possibly demon possessed, but even with her sense of shame, she starts getting closer to her guards. She is ruled by her lust over her conscience. Her guards, Liam, Matthew, Finn, Dax, and Tobias aren't exactly ideal matches during this time either. Although they have been friends since childhood, it doesn't seem that they know much about one another. They have never shared feelings. I definitely would have liked more character building and more of a sense of their shared past. Liam, the leader seems opposed to any physical relations for the majority of the book. Matthew, Tobias, and Dax are okay with everything, but seem lust driven. And Finn, her best friend is just awful. I wish that I had felt a true connection between Elena and the guys instead of only lust. I need to feel their friendship, loyalty, respect. The only one that came close was Liam.
I will read Heiress of Darkness. The general concept of magic coming back to life in the world and the merging of the Light and Dark Kingdoms has great potential. Hopefully the characters will become more defined and their connections to each other will strengthen.
I have reservations about this book. For much of the book Elena believes she is evil, possibly demon possessed, but even with her sense of shame, she starts getting closer to her guards. She is ruled by her lust over her conscience. Her guards, Liam, Matthew, Finn, Dax, and Tobias aren't exactly ideal matches during this time either. Although they have been friends since childhood, it doesn't seem that they know much about one another. They have never shared feelings. I definitely would have liked more character building and more of a sense of their shared past. Liam, the leader seems opposed to any physical relations for the majority of the book. Matthew, Tobias, and Dax are okay with everything, but seem lust driven. And Finn, her best friend is just awful. I wish that I had felt a true connection between Elena and the guys instead of only lust. I need to feel their friendship, loyalty, respect. The only one that came close was Liam.
I will read Heiress of Darkness. The general concept of magic coming back to life in the world and the merging of the Light and Dark Kingdoms has great potential. Hopefully the characters will become more defined and their connections to each other will strengthen.
April 28, 2018
Do you want a book that is compelling? A book to bring you deep into it's world and introduces characters that you'll get attached to?
If you answered yes, don't read this book good Lord.
So I came across this book that was free at the time and I read the first 3 pages like hell yeah a free book that I can actually read this seems interesting then just....no. I'm honestly astounded that this book has such raving reviews. *spoilers ahead*
After the beginning we get to the "OH I'm a princess but look at me with my normalcy everyone is just so shocked that I say completely normal things how can this but geez I'm a princess so shocking" tbh the most character building we got are two women in the beginning who never even come back for 90% of the novel and I'm just stumped. I can't even tell the guys apart except for key descriptive things. I never even was sure who she was talking about except for liam("captain" so surprised I was calling him "captain") and Matthew because he's a "mountain" and honestly I'm like I couldn't even remember that if they didn't both start with the letter m. one of them had blonde hair. Don't ask me who cause I have no idea. "OH ELENA WE HAVE LOVED YOU FOREVER" What? When? And the only reason I remember the (Oh so dirty,whorish,slutty) Elena is because 1) they declare their love for her so many times and 2) she talks about what a whore she is for so much of the novel which gets old cause uh....its the entire premise of the novel just give it up like why you gotta keep bringing this up there's a legit reason here that you just repeatedly make fall flat. The story just fell to a really disappointing level too. "OH NO THERE'S A MONST-" oh okay it's dead. Cause magic. That she "doesn't know how to possess"....except she does....sometimes? One star cause I actually finished the book though. Soooo...it is readable. Yay!
If you answered yes, don't read this book good Lord.
So I came across this book that was free at the time and I read the first 3 pages like hell yeah a free book that I can actually read this seems interesting then just....no. I'm honestly astounded that this book has such raving reviews. *spoilers ahead*
After the beginning we get to the "OH I'm a princess but look at me with my normalcy everyone is just so shocked that I say completely normal things how can this but geez I'm a princess so shocking" tbh the most character building we got are two women in the beginning who never even come back for 90% of the novel and I'm just stumped. I can't even tell the guys apart except for key descriptive things. I never even was sure who she was talking about except for liam("captain" so surprised I was calling him "captain") and Matthew because he's a "mountain" and honestly I'm like I couldn't even remember that if they didn't both start with the letter m. one of them had blonde hair. Don't ask me who cause I have no idea. "OH ELENA WE HAVE LOVED YOU FOREVER" What? When? And the only reason I remember the (Oh so dirty,whorish,slutty) Elena is because 1) they declare their love for her so many times and 2) she talks about what a whore she is for so much of the novel which gets old cause uh....its the entire premise of the novel just give it up like why you gotta keep bringing this up there's a legit reason here that you just repeatedly make fall flat. The story just fell to a really disappointing level too. "OH NO THERE'S A MONST-" oh okay it's dead. Cause magic. That she "doesn't know how to possess"....except she does....sometimes? One star cause I actually finished the book though. Soooo...it is readable. Yay!
August 4, 2017
Heiress of Light takes us back to the time of Kings, Queens and Royal Guards. Elena is a princess and her father has chosen her future husband. Elena wants none of it though. He's a cruel man and the more she learns about him, the more she worries for not only her future but the future of her Kingdom as well. Her upcoming marriage isn't the only thing going on though. Magic has been long dead in her world, believed to be myths and legends. The people believe in the prophecy though. After her encounter with a priestess, Elena has no choice but to become a believer too. With help from an unlikely source, she embarks on a journey with her guards to escape her future husband and figure out what is happening inside her. She's not the only one effected either. Something is going on with her guards as well. While most seem to embrace it, as they have vowed to protect her with their lives no matter what, not all of them can accept what's happening.
I enjoyed this book. It was well written and the story flowed smoothly. The relationships develop pretty rapidly but there's a reason for that. There was a good amount of drama outside of the relationships to build the story as well. Even though Elena is a princess, she's not whiny and helpless. She's thoughtful and caring yet strong and determined. This first book was about her and her guards and while the second book will tie back in to Elena, it seems to be about a new set of characters. There's a bit of a twist at the ending of this one.
I enjoyed this book. It was well written and the story flowed smoothly. The relationships develop pretty rapidly but there's a reason for that. There was a good amount of drama outside of the relationships to build the story as well. Even though Elena is a princess, she's not whiny and helpless. She's thoughtful and caring yet strong and determined. This first book was about her and her guards and while the second book will tie back in to Elena, it seems to be about a new set of characters. There's a bit of a twist at the ending of this one.
September 13, 2017
Book with Speed
I am really disappointed. This book really pulled me in, I mean look at that cover, that cover looks NiCe. I was actually waiting for this book to come out and it was just not worth it.
It seemed like this should have been two books. The story was very rushed and as a result everything happened extremely fast. The hasty writing impacted everything that makes a book good. There was very little character building and getting to know the main characters. There was little time to understand and appreciate the relationships between the main characters as well as why they stick together. Each character has their own history/background on why they do what they do and unfortunately the reader does not get to see that connection. The plot was rushed as well as the story building. They got to places so fast it seemed like they took a car to reach their destination.
I am really disappointed. This book really pulled me in, I mean look at that cover, that cover looks NiCe. I was actually waiting for this book to come out and it was just not worth it.
It seemed like this should have been two books. The story was very rushed and as a result everything happened extremely fast. The hasty writing impacted everything that makes a book good. There was very little character building and getting to know the main characters. There was little time to understand and appreciate the relationships between the main characters as well as why they stick together. Each character has their own history/background on why they do what they do and unfortunately the reader does not get to see that connection. The plot was rushed as well as the story building. They got to places so fast it seemed like they took a car to reach their destination.
April 29, 2023
Honestly I had low expectations for this and it hit those expectations so maybe I should rate it higher. I like the setting, I like the overall plot of a Princess of the People being destined to wake a long dormant magic for the kingdom. The spicy bits were fine, if a little bland.
The parts I really struggled with were the characters. With a reverse harem story involving five men who all have the same job, are roughly the same age, and have the same history with the female lead, it felt like there was only one love interest character split into five bodies. Yeah, Matt is really big and Liam is more lean. Finn and Liam were more skeptical than Matt and Tobias. And there’s a fifth one whose name I can’t remember because I already returned the book. None of them seemed to have solo interactions with Elena. None had specialties or hobbies beyond the trait they gained during the events of the book. I feel like this teenage girl could’ve had awkward sexual rumblings with two men vowed to her servitude. She could’ve panicked about wanting more than one person while dealing with one guy who doesn’t believe in magic and the story is unchanged.
I’m sure the second book could get more into their characterizations, but I don’t think I’ll seek it out.
The parts I really struggled with were the characters. With a reverse harem story involving five men who all have the same job, are roughly the same age, and have the same history with the female lead, it felt like there was only one love interest character split into five bodies. Yeah, Matt is really big and Liam is more lean. Finn and Liam were more skeptical than Matt and Tobias. And there’s a fifth one whose name I can’t remember because I already returned the book. None of them seemed to have solo interactions with Elena. None had specialties or hobbies beyond the trait they gained during the events of the book. I feel like this teenage girl could’ve had awkward sexual rumblings with two men vowed to her servitude. She could’ve panicked about wanting more than one person while dealing with one guy who doesn’t believe in magic and the story is unchanged.
I’m sure the second book could get more into their characterizations, but I don’t think I’ll seek it out.
August 5, 2017
Elena has a kind and loving father who cares deeply about her happiness.
“We all have our roles, our purpose in life. Yours is to strengthen your kingdom through marriage.”
“Feelings have nothing to do with marriage, Elena. And neither does love”
Yeah, okey, so he's a dick. Big surprise there.
In a middle of a quest called "How far are you willing to go to avoid getting married", Elena and her five guards find themselves in a middle of an ancient prophecy.
The book, overall, was okey. Yeah, it wasn't a mind blowing experience, but I can't say it was all that bad either. The writing was good and I like how the story progressed. But I did got kind of tired of Elena constantly saying that she's got a thing inside of her and that it needs.
There were things that I did not expect - like the involvement of the Gods and that revelation at the end, but it does makes me curious as to what the next book will bring and how it will all play out.
“We all have our roles, our purpose in life. Yours is to strengthen your kingdom through marriage.”
“Feelings have nothing to do with marriage, Elena. And neither does love”
Yeah, okey, so he's a dick. Big surprise there.
In a middle of a quest called "How far are you willing to go to avoid getting married", Elena and her five guards find themselves in a middle of an ancient prophecy.
The book, overall, was okey. Yeah, it wasn't a mind blowing experience, but I can't say it was all that bad either. The writing was good and I like how the story progressed. But I did got kind of tired of Elena constantly saying that she's got a thing inside of her and that it needs.
There were things that I did not expect - like the involvement of the Gods and that revelation at the end, but it does makes me curious as to what the next book will bring and how it will all play out.
September 3, 2017
3 stars
August 3, 2017
Fantastic fantasy of light and dark and magic!
OMG! I loved, loved ,loved this book! What a magical ride Ashlyn takes us on! Elena and her royal guard have been friends since they were children and are now more important to each other than they could have ever guessed. Elena is the key to bringing magic back to the world, but each of her five guards are equally important in making that happen. But can they accept the unconventional relationship it will entail?
This is a perfect reverse harem story of friends to lovers! I can't wait to read the second book "Heiress of Darkness"!!!
OMG! I loved, loved ,loved this book! What a magical ride Ashlyn takes us on! Elena and her royal guard have been friends since they were children and are now more important to each other than they could have ever guessed. Elena is the key to bringing magic back to the world, but each of her five guards are equally important in making that happen. But can they accept the unconventional relationship it will entail?
This is a perfect reverse harem story of friends to lovers! I can't wait to read the second book "Heiress of Darkness"!!!
August 19, 2017
I thoroughly enjoyed this book, Elena is a caring princess who is going to be forced to Marry leonardo to join their kingdoms together. She is quite wilful and does not want to marry him. She goes to town to visit he orphanage and to give the orphans food. Her guards decided to take her to the temple as they all have a bad feeling, and it looks like they were right
The priestess does something to Elena and her guards and it turns into a race against time to save Selena and avoid Leonardo
I love the chemistry between Elena and her Guards, I love the storyline and supporting cast.. I found it to be well written and a great read
The priestess does something to Elena and her guards and it turns into a race against time to save Selena and avoid Leonardo
I love the chemistry between Elena and her Guards, I love the storyline and supporting cast.. I found it to be well written and a great read
October 5, 2017
I found a new author!
When you randomly pick a new book based on the cover (yes, I judged this book by the cover, and I bought it!), and you end up reading it in one sitting because you just had to know what was going to happen, you know that you have found an author that you want to continue to read! The chemistry between the characters is off the charts! The flow of the story is fun and whimsical. There were parts in the book where I had tears flowing down my face, and other times that I was all smiling! I’m so glad that I found this book! I found a new author that I love!!
When you randomly pick a new book based on the cover (yes, I judged this book by the cover, and I bought it!), and you end up reading it in one sitting because you just had to know what was going to happen, you know that you have found an author that you want to continue to read! The chemistry between the characters is off the charts! The flow of the story is fun and whimsical. There were parts in the book where I had tears flowing down my face, and other times that I was all smiling! I’m so glad that I found this book! I found a new author that I love!!
August 4, 2017
Good book...(possible spoiler alert!)
While I will admit that I do like this story very much, Elena the Princess turned Queen of the Kingdom of Light, really started to get in my nerves after awhile. Her resistance to her magic and insistence that she "had a demon" in her got old quick. The story did pick up after she started to accept that she wasn't "evil". Closer to the end I kinda felt the storyline got a little bit rushed but not so much it made it bad. I did like the male characters quite a bit!
While I will admit that I do like this story very much, Elena the Princess turned Queen of the Kingdom of Light, really started to get in my nerves after awhile. Her resistance to her magic and insistence that she "had a demon" in her got old quick. The story did pick up after she started to accept that she wasn't "evil". Closer to the end I kinda felt the storyline got a little bit rushed but not so much it made it bad. I did like the male characters quite a bit!
March 5, 2018
Good idea that didn't translate well. Magic has gone from the land, the h is a bit spoiled, and is to be married to a person she dislikes. She has had a guard for years, and of course they are her harem and it easy to see that if she has sex with them, magic will return. But she resists the clues and omens, for much too long. Very annoying, then the innocent princess, works her men to keep her virginity. She knew all the right moves. This made the story uneven, and the characters needed more depth and polishing to help me connect to them - none of them were were likeable.
October 26, 2019
Meh, Mary Sue and the faceless men.
This book had so much potential but the author squandered it. Loose plot ends, no satisfying epilogue, Not bothering to make more than one of the men a real person, lack of description -- couldn't tell you what any of them looked like -- this is not what I like about this genre. This story has been done -- and better - by other authors.
Ending was meh. Evidently book 2 is about a completely different woman. I'll likely read it as it is Kindle Unlimited but I am not in love with this series.
I am lukewarm at best.
This book had so much potential but the author squandered it. Loose plot ends, no satisfying epilogue, Not bothering to make more than one of the men a real person, lack of description -- couldn't tell you what any of them looked like -- this is not what I like about this genre. This story has been done -- and better - by other authors.
Ending was meh. Evidently book 2 is about a completely different woman. I'll likely read it as it is Kindle Unlimited but I am not in love with this series.
I am lukewarm at best.
August 2, 2018
3/5 for originality
Overall I thought it was an okay read. The concept was interesting and has potential i just thought that the character relationships were a bit rushed and maybe a little forced. I really didn't like Elena in the beginning but she did get a bit more bearable as the book went on. For me the best characters were Finn and Matthew however I would like to see overall more character growth as the series continues.
Overall I thought it was an okay read. The concept was interesting and has potential i just thought that the character relationships were a bit rushed and maybe a little forced. I really didn't like Elena in the beginning but she did get a bit more bearable as the book went on. For me the best characters were Finn and Matthew however I would like to see overall more character growth as the series continues.
November 7, 2017
I enjoyed the read, but when she started to do all that whining and crying, it worked my last nerve. I wanted her to be a badass, instead she whined and kept putting herself in danger and then start crying!!!! Ugh!!!! If it wasn't for that it would have been a four or five star read. I think a two and a half is what I can do for this book. I hope the next book is better.
December 7, 2017
This book was brilliant!! The reverse harem was not the sole focus of the story, oh no. That extremely interesting aspect was woven into an amazing ancient-feeling royal tale. I could not put this down. Elena was such a bad ass! Not a damsel in sight. Such an intriguing and unstoppable story. Straight onto book 2!
October 19, 2020
Beautifully written
It kept me on my toes. The story is woven so perfectly I read it in one sitting. I am anxious to read the second. Nonstop action whether within the character group or fighting outside of it. In between new pieces of information arrive and the story is jolted further. I most definitely recommend!
It kept me on my toes. The story is woven so perfectly I read it in one sitting. I am anxious to read the second. Nonstop action whether within the character group or fighting outside of it. In between new pieces of information arrive and the story is jolted further. I most definitely recommend!
August 1, 2017
An enjoyable read
Very well written and such an interesting story! I loved the bravery of our heroine and the devotion of her guardsmen! I definitely recommend and I will be buying the next book in the series!
Very well written and such an interesting story! I loved the bravery of our heroine and the devotion of her guardsmen! I definitely recommend and I will be buying the next book in the series!
August 2, 2017
Yes
Not sure what to say other then just Read it. I enjoyed the characters and look foward to learning more about them. It did feel slightly rushed at the end for poor Finn and Liam.
Not sure what to say other then just Read it. I enjoyed the characters and look foward to learning more about them. It did feel slightly rushed at the end for poor Finn and Liam.
August 2, 2017
Infesting storyline
This book had an intriguing storyline, but the need for sex with the powers was too much. I love steam in my books, but in terms of using this as a plotline, I was not a huge fan.
This book had an intriguing storyline, but the need for sex with the powers was too much. I love steam in my books, but in terms of using this as a plotline, I was not a huge fan.
August 4, 2017
...Amazing...
This book was amazing. I caught myself laughing and crying. I have read a lot of RH books but this one was not the typical story. I did not put this book from start to finish. Can not wait to see what Ashlyn Allbrook does with the next book!!
This book was amazing. I caught myself laughing and crying. I have read a lot of RH books but this one was not the typical story. I did not put this book from start to finish. Can not wait to see what Ashlyn Allbrook does with the next book!!
August 13, 2017
Fun read
This book was fun, sexy and lots of adventure! I love a good polyandry read as much as the next open minded woman and this does not disappoint. Anxiously waiting for the next one!
This book was fun, sexy and lots of adventure! I love a good polyandry read as much as the next open minded woman and this does not disappoint. Anxiously waiting for the next one!
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