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THE DARKNESS IS REVEALED

My mother sold her soul to the Goddess of Winter, and mine along with it.

Camille was one of four girls given the gift of elemental magic. When her arrogance and greed led her to bad choices, she paid for it with her life… and her daughter, Blanche’s.

Blanche Kingston Drygen would never be admired for her sweetness. Lusted after for her beauty, and desired for her wealth, the townsfolk of Starten thought of her as a cold-hearted business woman. They did not know the secrets the most predominant family in town hid. The Drygens owned everything and almost everyone, except their own fates.

If you are hoping for a sweet, cozy tale, I'm afraid the Silvers have the market on fairytales. While they reveled in the gifts bestowed upon them by the Goddess Danu, the Drygen family fell victim to the cruel Winter Goddess, Snowystra.

Blanche’s story is one of lost love and tortured lives. Sit back as she tells you the reality of her gift, and how the Drygens were cursed to never love.

370 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 8, 2019

1 person is currently reading
16 people want to read

About the author

Marnie Cate

26 books69 followers
Marnie Cate is a writer of coming of age and urban fantasy novels. Born in an Irish mining town in Montana, she always had a flair for the dramatic and a vivid imagination, and spent her childhood lost in the elaborate worlds she created with the help of her dolls.

One day Marnie Cate was struck by a powerful image in her mind. This seed created the world of Starten and the complicated world of goddesses and their touch on the mortal world.

Inspired by the actress Dame Judi Dench, she pursued her dream of sharing the stories that were brewing in her mind. With the urging of friends and family, she wrote in every spare moment she had.
After countless weekends spent at the local coffee shop typing away and people watching, Marnie finished her first novel, Remember: Protectors of the Elemental Magic. With the world of elemental magic and the humans they lived in released, the stories have just begun.

In addition to the Protectors series, Marnie has written her first women's literature books with A Broken Girl Collection. Chasing Caitlyn and Forgiving Ginger dives into the hard subject of how life's pain shapes us and how we can break the mold.

When not writing, Marnie enjoys reading, coffee and spending time with her family. She lives in Arizona.

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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
Profile Image for J.M. Northup.
Author 28 books130 followers
September 26, 2017
If you love fantasy, magic, fairies, and romance, then this is the story for you!

ENVY can be read as a standalone, but the series is fantastic, and I highly recommend it!

The town of Starten hides many secrets, but none so sinister as those of the Drygen's. After tragically losing her father and brothers, beautiful Blanche isn't just the sole heiress to the family's wealth and businesses, but she is also the unfortunate soul intended to pay for her another's sins. Greed and ego draw the attention of the wicked Winter Goddess, whose whims shape Blanche's future because of the bad choices of her mother, Camille. These whims sweep you along with Blanche as she faces decades of drama and heartbreak.

What I loved the best about this story was the humanity of Blanche. I loved her flaws, and even when she was cruel herself, I rooted for her, wishing things could be different. I think everyone of us can relate to being in a situation where we have no control. We can all relate to being involved in things we didn't consciously choose to be included in, things snowballed, or circumstances flung us into something completely unexpected. I also think we can all relate to Blanche's jealous admiration of her nemesis, Mae Silver. In another time and place, Mae and Blanche would have been friends, but Mae had the magical blessings of Danu while Blanche bore the darkness of the goddess, Snowystra.

I loved the characters and the magical world. The richness of the author's creation just seems to grow with each level of the tales told in this series. I am addicted, and I know you will be too!
Profile Image for Rose English.
Author 22 books183 followers
August 28, 2021
Enjoyable fairytale although a tad confusing at times.

I was lead to believe although this was part of a series it could be read as a standalone book. Maybe this is what caused my confusion in the latter part of the story, having not read the other books prior to this but who knows.?

There were moments I truly loved this it drew me in like an original fairy tale it even reminded me somewhat of the dark evil Snow Queen from folklore. Then I was lured into the present with privileged spoilt families whose thoughts were on business transactions, expanding railways and living in opulence.

This story has love and light but also a lot of darkness and anger. I liked how there was no use of bad language and no sexually explicit scenes making it suitable for teens. I did however find the physical abuse a little distressing at times.

I could not warm to some of the characters, but I loved how devoted the staff of the main characters were and some of the servants of the Winter Goddess especially those in the tunnels caring for and delivering the babies. A sad situation. Despite all this I kept turning the pages and I would say give it a go yourself but maybe try the previous books first.
Profile Image for J.M. Northup.
Author 28 books130 followers
August 3, 2022
If you love fantasy, magic, fairies, and romance, then this is the story for you!

ENVY can be read as a standalone, but the series is fantastic, and I highly recommend it!

The town of Starten hides many secrets, but none so sinister as those of the Drygen's. After tragically losing her father and brothers, beautiful Blanche isn't just the sole heiress to the family's wealth and businesses, but she is also the unfortunate soul intended to pay for her another's sins. Greed and ego draw the attention of the wicked Winter Goddess, whose whims shape Blanche's future because of the bad choices of her mother, Camille. These whims sweep you along with Blanche as she faces decades of drama and heartbreak.

What I loved the best about this story was the humanity of Blanche. I loved her flaws, and even when she was cruel herself, I rooted for her, wishing things could be different. I think everyone of us can relate to being in a situation where we have no control. We can all relate to being involved in things we didn't consciously choose to be included in, things snowballed, or circumstances flung us into something completely unexpected. I also think we can all relate to Blanche's jealous admiration of her nemesis, Mae Silver. In another time and place, Mae and Blanche would have been friends, but Mae had the magical blessings of Danu while Blanche bore the darkness of the goddess, Snowystra.

I loved the characters and the magical world. The richness of the author's creation just seems to grow with each level of the tales told in this series. I am addicted, and I know you will be too!
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews

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