What do you think?
Rate this book
After Exile #1
An Emperor for the Eclipse
He was expendable. He was a sacrifice. He was the emperor.
Raothan Ga'ardahn wants to take his own life. Twelve years in exile have a way of beating a man down, and the shameful secrets of his past, no matter how far buried, weigh enough to keep him that way. The last thing standing between him and oblivion is a sign from the gods. That, and a unit of Imperial Guard trooping onto his farm one late summer's afternoon.
Across the continent, the Taunai heed the warnings of their dead: act to correct an unforeseen fracture in the Pattern of events, or face annihilation. Niquel, their bravest Questioner, accepts the challenge to descend into the dangerous lowlander capital for the good of her people. A journey alone away from her snowy mountain home awaits. Any worry about the strange man in her dreams will have to come later.
When the paths of the two outsiders cross on the steps of the imperial palace at Protreo, the fate of the empire shifts. One the Novamneans call 'exile', the other they call 'witch'. Neither will ever be the same.
Eris Adderly transports you to a complex world of ancient empires, impossible alliances, politics, and mystery. Fate and free will do a murderous dance across the page, and suspicious second chances forge enemies and lovers at every turn.
Note: After Exile is a dark romantic fantasy where the action does not fade to black. An Emperor for the Eclipse contains explicit descriptions of sexual acts, including both M/F and F/F couples, light BDSM, and more. For mature readers only.
Raothan Ga'ardahn wants to take his own life. Twelve years in exile have a way of beating a man down, and the shameful secrets of his past, no matter how far buried, weigh enough to keep him that way. The last thing standing between him and oblivion is a sign from the gods. That, and a unit of Imperial Guard trooping onto his farm one late summer's afternoon.
Across the continent, the Taunai heed the warnings of their dead: act to correct an unforeseen fracture in the Pattern of events, or face annihilation. Niquel, their bravest Questioner, accepts the challenge to descend into the dangerous lowlander capital for the good of her people. A journey alone away from her snowy mountain home awaits. Any worry about the strange man in her dreams will have to come later.
When the paths of the two outsiders cross on the steps of the imperial palace at Protreo, the fate of the empire shifts. One the Novamneans call 'exile', the other they call 'witch'. Neither will ever be the same.
Eris Adderly transports you to a complex world of ancient empires, impossible alliances, politics, and mystery. Fate and free will do a murderous dance across the page, and suspicious second chances forge enemies and lovers at every turn.
Note: After Exile is a dark romantic fantasy where the action does not fade to black. An Emperor for the Eclipse contains explicit descriptions of sexual acts, including both M/F and F/F couples, light BDSM, and more. For mature readers only.
Kindle Edition
First published March 21, 2017
55 people are currently reading
129 people want to read
About the author
Eris Adderly
21 books574 followersEris writes dark, escape-from-reality romance full of criminals and outcasts. Her stories are the stomping grounds for bada** heroines, untameable alphas, a spectrum of sexuality, and a serious disregard for convention. Expect the decadent and filthy, the crude and sublime, sometimes all at once. Pick a safeword and grab a towel before reading. She is a complete nerd and possible crazy cat lady. She will annoy you with puns.
Eris posts updates with information about her latest works in progress and more on her facebook page and on her website.
Eris posts updates with information about her latest works in progress and more on her facebook page and on her website.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
July 9, 2020
A Different World
Edit: *reread and changed to 5 stars
This author has a wonderful imagination. This book was interesting, however I skimmed a bit as some of the plot seemed disjointed to me. We have a multitude of characters yet they don’t have the level of depth that other Adderly books develop. I am reading everything by this author. This romance is sweet. I like the pragmatism of the heroine. The hero is a real gentleman. It’s an interesting premise, but didn’t hold my interest quite as much as some of her other novels.
Edit: *reread and changed to 5 stars
This author has a wonderful imagination. This book was interesting, however I skimmed a bit as some of the plot seemed disjointed to me. We have a multitude of characters yet they don’t have the level of depth that other Adderly books develop. I am reading everything by this author. This romance is sweet. I like the pragmatism of the heroine. The hero is a real gentleman. It’s an interesting premise, but didn’t hold my interest quite as much as some of her other novels.
March 27, 2022
Ho, I found this book beyond frustrating. Because I almost loved it. I would have loved it, except the sex! Now, before anyone calls me a prude and asks me why I'm reading sexy fantasy if I don't like sex in my books, let me say I have no problem with sex. I read quite a lot of it. Outside of the rapes (which I do generally try to avoid in the books I read for fun and sometimes get pissy about), I don't even have a problem with any single element of the sex in this book. It's just that the sex the book contains doesn't AT ALL fit the story the book is telling.
The first one is full on m/f master/slave kink play with spanking, anal pegging and anal sex. Involving a character we'd just met long enough to have a work conversation going home to have sex with his wife, who is only introduced for the purposes of him having sex with her (and she basically isn't in the book in any meaningful way after). Nothing in the book, up until that point, was even remotely erotic. The scene literally came out of nowhere. I spent that whole VERY LONG sex scene (12 pages) wondering what the point of it was. The characters were not important ones. The reader wasn't invested in them or their relationship. The sex wasn't stitched into the plot. The whole thing was jarring and out of place.
The second scene was a m/f gang rape. The third was coerced f/f sex, in which one was straight and the other basically owned her. The fourth was (m/f) forced fellatio, so rape. The fifth was another f/f scene, in which the previously straight woman ostensibly entered willingly, but only because she was told someone would kill her nieces if she didn't seduce the other woman—so, basically another coerced scene. And the last was finally a sweet, gently love scene between the main characters (the only sex scene between the main characters).
The point I'm making is that the main couple basically have a very sweet VERY LOW STEAM romance and then the author shoved all this jarring, unpleasant sex into the plot with other characters. They didn't fit together even a little bit. It's not even that they were badly written. They weren't. It just felt like the author took the sex scenes she wrote for an entirely different book and shoehorned them into this one in order to make it steamier and IT RUINED THE BOOK.
I can't even reason that maybe she was trying to create a purposeful contradiction because nothing in the story or plot supports it. So, I'm just left scratching my head and super frustrated.
Outside of the ruinous sex, I really enjoyed this book. I liked the characters. The world is complex and multilayered. There's some humor. The writing and editing is good. I would have 5 stared this book if the author hadn't forced it from fantasy romance into erotic fantasy. (Not erotica necessarily. The sex isn't the point of the plot. But definitely a higher erotic rating that the story needed or, more importantly, supported.)
The first one is full on m/f master/slave kink play with spanking, anal pegging and anal sex. Involving a character we'd just met long enough to have a work conversation going home to have sex with his wife, who is only introduced for the purposes of him having sex with her (and she basically isn't in the book in any meaningful way after). Nothing in the book, up until that point, was even remotely erotic. The scene literally came out of nowhere. I spent that whole VERY LONG sex scene (12 pages) wondering what the point of it was. The characters were not important ones. The reader wasn't invested in them or their relationship. The sex wasn't stitched into the plot. The whole thing was jarring and out of place.
The second scene was a m/f gang rape. The third was coerced f/f sex, in which one was straight and the other basically owned her. The fourth was (m/f) forced fellatio, so rape. The fifth was another f/f scene, in which the previously straight woman ostensibly entered willingly, but only because she was told someone would kill her nieces if she didn't seduce the other woman—so, basically another coerced scene. And the last was finally a sweet, gently love scene between the main characters (the only sex scene between the main characters).
The point I'm making is that the main couple basically have a very sweet VERY LOW STEAM romance and then the author shoved all this jarring, unpleasant sex into the plot with other characters. They didn't fit together even a little bit. It's not even that they were badly written. They weren't. It just felt like the author took the sex scenes she wrote for an entirely different book and shoehorned them into this one in order to make it steamier and IT RUINED THE BOOK.
I can't even reason that maybe she was trying to create a purposeful contradiction because nothing in the story or plot supports it. So, I'm just left scratching my head and super frustrated.
Outside of the ruinous sex, I really enjoyed this book. I liked the characters. The world is complex and multilayered. There's some humor. The writing and editing is good. I would have 5 stared this book if the author hadn't forced it from fantasy romance into erotic fantasy. (Not erotica necessarily. The sex isn't the point of the plot. But definitely a higher erotic rating that the story needed or, more importantly, supported.)
March 21, 2017
I found this to be a HIGHLY engaging read, one of the best fantasy novels I've read this year.
Make no mistake: I'm not real big on sex/erotica in novels, and this had it in spades. Perhaps a tad too much focus on the sex and all for my tastes, without as much focus on the story.
But the world is bright, colorful, engaging, and well-described, with vivid details that make it an absolutely enthralling read. The backstories are interesting, and I was so disappointed that I didn't get to find out more about the antagonists and protagonists. Thankfully, there will be two more books for me to get more details on what's going on.
If you like fantasy and erotica, this is a book you'll definitely enjoy!
Make no mistake: I'm not real big on sex/erotica in novels, and this had it in spades. Perhaps a tad too much focus on the sex and all for my tastes, without as much focus on the story.
But the world is bright, colorful, engaging, and well-described, with vivid details that make it an absolutely enthralling read. The backstories are interesting, and I was so disappointed that I didn't get to find out more about the antagonists and protagonists. Thankfully, there will be two more books for me to get more details on what's going on.
If you like fantasy and erotica, this is a book you'll definitely enjoy!
Want to read
May 3, 2020🎁 FREE on Amazon today (5/3/2020)! 🎁
May 10, 2020
very interesting story. i want the next story in the series now! so i can get the answers to questions left unanswered. great story telling in this story along with world and character building. it was interesting to see how all the characters interacted with each other and trying to discover who exactly are the villains in this story. the author did a very good job of hiding who and what their end goal is. lots of mysteries and secrets going on in this book and i want to know them all.
I wish the glossary had been at the beginning of the book instead of at the end so i would have known how to say all the strange names in the book and i would have understood the meaning of them better instead of trying to piece it together from how it was used in the sentence.
I wish the glossary had been at the beginning of the book instead of at the end so i would have known how to say all the strange names in the book and i would have understood the meaning of them better instead of trying to piece it together from how it was used in the sentence.
September 3, 2018
Fantasy as a genre, in general, is not really my go-to for reading material. I have read enough of it to know that while there is some that has appealed to me greatly, by and large I have not found it to be a style that I gravitate towards. Notable exceptions would be works by authors such as Jacqueline Carey (Kushiel / Imreil series), or Patrick Rothfuss (The Kingkiller Chronicle series). Author Eris Adderly’s An Emperor for the Eclipse easily fits with both of the aforementioned authors in terms of both the quality of the writing, and the excellence of the story she has written. It is listed as a ‘dark romance fantasy’, and while that is a fair description, I found it to be much more a deeply compelling romantic fantasy, with any darkness to be found within to be minor. This is a novel that any fantasy or romance reader will be glad that they picked up and read, as it will appeal to both groups.
The protagonist here is a warrior-poet named Raothan, who through a series of events comes to make a life-changing decision at a crossroads in his life. As timing would have it, his choice leads him to be chosen for a ‘king for a day’ type scenario, of which, while qualified for beyond some’s recognition, is not a position he either desires or wants. However, holding true to the choice he has made, he allows the events to take place as they unfold without questioning. As these events come to pass he comes into contact with the cast of characters which surround him in the court within which he finds himself; Ptyverias, a councilor of the court, Doxolemy, a court scribe, Ayzhus, an army general, and most importantly for the story, Niquel, a woman sent to recover something from the court in help insure the safety of her people. The interactions of all of these people, and a supporting cast of others that, is so well written, and the story plays out so intricately, without suffering from being overwhelming complex (yes, Geo. R.R. Martin, I’m looking at you!), that it is delightful to read. There is enough extremely well-designed world-building here that any serious fantasy reader will be completely happy with the novel, and yet enough flirtation, passion, and intrigue to satisfy the romance reader such as I. The situation that Raothan finds himself in is interesting enough in itself to drive a novel forward, and how the author handles this is superbly done. There was a chance here for this story arc to be addressed in a ham-handed manner, which I have seen done similarly in other novels. The author avoids that entirely, and takes a very measured, practical approach in describing how all of the characters come to terms with what is happening within the court and kingdom, and how they deal with the situations as they arise. There is little to no melodrama here, which as a reader I found very refreshing. It all too easily could have gone into that sort of ‘high drama’ territory, and that the author decided to not take that avenue was truly appreciated. It allowed the interactions of all of the characters to become the main focus, and that is what really made this story shine. Additionally, there is little of the overly pompous language / dialogue which can burden a fantasy novel such as this. The language is kept approachable, with enough seriousness where appropriate, and yet colorful and colloquial in parts where it was appreciated by this reader. On top of this, there was an overall sense of humor that tempered even those times when the story had to deal with serious subjects, and this really made the novel very accommodating to the reader without falling into that pompous territory other novels fall victim to, as already mentioned.
The romance which builds between Raothan and Niquel is slow, but so very interesting to see unfold. The sub-plot relationship between General Ayzhus and Bellora is also very interesting to watch as it takes its course. These are two very different affairs, and yet each is compelling enough on its own to keep you engaged, and wondering how and where each is going to go. The other more typical fantasy story arc was compelling, but it really was the two romantic story arcs which kept me reading page after page. In fact, in a sense it was the major romantic story arc which leads me to one complaint I have about this novel, and it is this:
The relationship between Raothan and Niquel was so beautiful, and one could finally see it coming to fruition, and then the author drags it out one step further (even requiring a late entry character to come into play to provide a final ‘push’, so to speak), and it was this reader’s opinion that it was one step too far. It is well established that Raothan is a truly noble character. Too noble for his own good. His pulling back at the last moment was so frustrating and came at a moment which seemed so perfect for the two to come together, that I actually groaned when it resolved itself the way it did. I will say that it did allow for a very wonderful moment later for Niquel to provide an important dialogue about allowing a person to decide for themselves what they wish to allow for themselves and their life (a plot point I will not go into too much detail here, as it really should be read in context to enjoy the wonder and joy of it), but it was maddening to have the resolution drawn out as long as it did, especially considering that the novel comes to its conclusion so quickly after this.
There is only one other complaint I have with the novel, and it is the story arc which was introduced early in the novel between Doxolemy and his wife Janeva. There is an absolutely beautiful scene between these two characters that seems to establish them as potentially major characters within the overall scope of the novel, and yet then shortly after this scene they slip into the background, only to have Janeva reappear at the very end of the novel, and in such a way as to leave the reader with more questions than answers. While I understand the need to build up excitement and suspense as to what is going to happen in the next novel, the sheer charm of the first scene early on was a bit disconcerting as the novel went on, because I was honestly confused as to why so much time had been spent describing their relationship, to only have it fade into the background.
Neither of these two complaints is in any way detrimental to the story overall and should in no way stop any reader from picking up this novel. They are simply two instances where this reader was left with a ‘Huh?’ moment, and then a ‘Oh, no! No, no, no! He can’t do this!’ moment. One could actually make the argument that in the case of the latter this is a sign of just how good the writing of this story is. That you are so caught up in the characters that when they don’t do something that you want them to do you have an emotional reaction to it. In this case it is my opinion that the drawing out of this could have been shorter, but I will admit that it definitely did keep me in knots, and I spent a good solid evening not putting the book down until the situation was ultimately resolved.
Final fair warning; this book is supposed to be the first in a possible duo or trilogy, but to date it is the only book that is available. Much like the long-awaited third book in Patrick Rothfuss’ Kingkiller Chronicles, at this time readers are still left waiting to find out what happens to Raothan, Niquel, Gen. Azyhus, Bellora, and all the others. One can only hope the author will have the next novel made available soon. Until then, do read this novel, and enjoy the incredibly rich and romantic story that it is.
The protagonist here is a warrior-poet named Raothan, who through a series of events comes to make a life-changing decision at a crossroads in his life. As timing would have it, his choice leads him to be chosen for a ‘king for a day’ type scenario, of which, while qualified for beyond some’s recognition, is not a position he either desires or wants. However, holding true to the choice he has made, he allows the events to take place as they unfold without questioning. As these events come to pass he comes into contact with the cast of characters which surround him in the court within which he finds himself; Ptyverias, a councilor of the court, Doxolemy, a court scribe, Ayzhus, an army general, and most importantly for the story, Niquel, a woman sent to recover something from the court in help insure the safety of her people. The interactions of all of these people, and a supporting cast of others that, is so well written, and the story plays out so intricately, without suffering from being overwhelming complex (yes, Geo. R.R. Martin, I’m looking at you!), that it is delightful to read. There is enough extremely well-designed world-building here that any serious fantasy reader will be completely happy with the novel, and yet enough flirtation, passion, and intrigue to satisfy the romance reader such as I. The situation that Raothan finds himself in is interesting enough in itself to drive a novel forward, and how the author handles this is superbly done. There was a chance here for this story arc to be addressed in a ham-handed manner, which I have seen done similarly in other novels. The author avoids that entirely, and takes a very measured, practical approach in describing how all of the characters come to terms with what is happening within the court and kingdom, and how they deal with the situations as they arise. There is little to no melodrama here, which as a reader I found very refreshing. It all too easily could have gone into that sort of ‘high drama’ territory, and that the author decided to not take that avenue was truly appreciated. It allowed the interactions of all of the characters to become the main focus, and that is what really made this story shine. Additionally, there is little of the overly pompous language / dialogue which can burden a fantasy novel such as this. The language is kept approachable, with enough seriousness where appropriate, and yet colorful and colloquial in parts where it was appreciated by this reader. On top of this, there was an overall sense of humor that tempered even those times when the story had to deal with serious subjects, and this really made the novel very accommodating to the reader without falling into that pompous territory other novels fall victim to, as already mentioned.
The romance which builds between Raothan and Niquel is slow, but so very interesting to see unfold. The sub-plot relationship between General Ayzhus and Bellora is also very interesting to watch as it takes its course. These are two very different affairs, and yet each is compelling enough on its own to keep you engaged, and wondering how and where each is going to go. The other more typical fantasy story arc was compelling, but it really was the two romantic story arcs which kept me reading page after page. In fact, in a sense it was the major romantic story arc which leads me to one complaint I have about this novel, and it is this:
The relationship between Raothan and Niquel was so beautiful, and one could finally see it coming to fruition, and then the author drags it out one step further (even requiring a late entry character to come into play to provide a final ‘push’, so to speak), and it was this reader’s opinion that it was one step too far. It is well established that Raothan is a truly noble character. Too noble for his own good. His pulling back at the last moment was so frustrating and came at a moment which seemed so perfect for the two to come together, that I actually groaned when it resolved itself the way it did. I will say that it did allow for a very wonderful moment later for Niquel to provide an important dialogue about allowing a person to decide for themselves what they wish to allow for themselves and their life (a plot point I will not go into too much detail here, as it really should be read in context to enjoy the wonder and joy of it), but it was maddening to have the resolution drawn out as long as it did, especially considering that the novel comes to its conclusion so quickly after this.
There is only one other complaint I have with the novel, and it is the story arc which was introduced early in the novel between Doxolemy and his wife Janeva. There is an absolutely beautiful scene between these two characters that seems to establish them as potentially major characters within the overall scope of the novel, and yet then shortly after this scene they slip into the background, only to have Janeva reappear at the very end of the novel, and in such a way as to leave the reader with more questions than answers. While I understand the need to build up excitement and suspense as to what is going to happen in the next novel, the sheer charm of the first scene early on was a bit disconcerting as the novel went on, because I was honestly confused as to why so much time had been spent describing their relationship, to only have it fade into the background.
Neither of these two complaints is in any way detrimental to the story overall and should in no way stop any reader from picking up this novel. They are simply two instances where this reader was left with a ‘Huh?’ moment, and then a ‘Oh, no! No, no, no! He can’t do this!’ moment. One could actually make the argument that in the case of the latter this is a sign of just how good the writing of this story is. That you are so caught up in the characters that when they don’t do something that you want them to do you have an emotional reaction to it. In this case it is my opinion that the drawing out of this could have been shorter, but I will admit that it definitely did keep me in knots, and I spent a good solid evening not putting the book down until the situation was ultimately resolved.
Final fair warning; this book is supposed to be the first in a possible duo or trilogy, but to date it is the only book that is available. Much like the long-awaited third book in Patrick Rothfuss’ Kingkiller Chronicles, at this time readers are still left waiting to find out what happens to Raothan, Niquel, Gen. Azyhus, Bellora, and all the others. One can only hope the author will have the next novel made available soon. Until then, do read this novel, and enjoy the incredibly rich and romantic story that it is.
January 4, 2021
This was a scorcher. Apparently Eris has many genres she writes from since I went from contemporary to Vampire fantasy to Other Worlds fantasy.
And as I struggled with the names and language (I eventually got it so its not that hard), it seemed like everyone but the 2 main characters were getting action. Warning to some: pretty intense F/F scenes (like more than 1) and the others are M/F.
I liked the world, the different people, but some things were a little vague. Like- how did we get to 2 weeks until the eclipse and then we were at 2 days? The timelines did not add up very well at the end.
Who in the world is Fish and why didn't we see much interaction with him the next day? Instead he randomly pops in.
And man, I was so disappointed to learn it was not a stand alone book. It ended well enough tying up some loose ends but I would have had Bellora come clean about the blackmail and get that little issue solved. Unless she didn't WANT too...hmmm
I think it was written in 2017? So not sure if I should hold out for the series to continue. Oh well.
And as I struggled with the names and language (I eventually got it so its not that hard), it seemed like everyone but the 2 main characters were getting action. Warning to some: pretty intense F/F scenes (like more than 1) and the others are M/F.
I liked the world, the different people, but some things were a little vague. Like- how did we get to 2 weeks until the eclipse and then we were at 2 days? The timelines did not add up very well at the end.
Who in the world is Fish and why didn't we see much interaction with him the next day? Instead he randomly pops in.
And man, I was so disappointed to learn it was not a stand alone book. It ended well enough tying up some loose ends but I would have had Bellora come clean about the blackmail and get that little issue solved. Unless she didn't WANT too...hmmm
I think it was written in 2017? So not sure if I should hold out for the series to continue. Oh well.
December 28, 2017
The world building in this is gorgeous, complex, and explained very well. The sexy scenes are HOT. The characters draw you in. It's a bit of a slow build but by the time you start wondering if anything's going to happen, all of the sudden everything starts kicking into high gear as the pieces begin to move and draw together in unexpected and fascinating ways.
My only complaint - WHERE THE HECK IS BOOK 2?!
My only complaint - WHERE THE HECK IS BOOK 2?!
November 9, 2017
I enjoyed this book, but there were some holes or things that didn't make sense in the book. Really pulled me out of the story in some instances. It ended on a serious cliffhanger! Wish I'd known before I started reading. I'll read future installments of this story. Not sure how many there'll be. I may wait until they're all done.
3.5 stars
recommended with cliffhanger caveat.
3.5 stars
recommended with cliffhanger caveat.
April 1, 2017
Rape of female main character. - Events post rape/character herself seemed unaffected. Why have the event occur?
Coercion of another female main character.
Hero (?) has lost everyone he cares about including those me met post Exile.
Coercion of another female main character.
Hero (?) has lost everyone he cares about including those me met post Exile.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 14, 2021
Love all her other stuff so was disappointed by this one. Had to flip through many many pages to find some dialogue between the two characters I thought were the hero and heroine of the story.
August 26, 2024
I love Adderly’s books so I was curious about this one because it’s a very early work and she said in an online forum that she would write the book very differently today.
You do see the beginnings of Adderly’s ability to tell addictive stories of all kinds: contemporary, sci fi, fantasy, and monster romances.
But I found the last half to be a slog and thought the level of on-page degradation to be too excessive to help the story along.
It’s interesting to read to see where Adderly came from as a writer.
You do see the beginnings of Adderly’s ability to tell addictive stories of all kinds: contemporary, sci fi, fantasy, and monster romances.
But I found the last half to be a slog and thought the level of on-page degradation to be too excessive to help the story along.
It’s interesting to read to see where Adderly came from as a writer.
June 19, 2020
Emperor with a difference..
This is the first time I’ve read from this author and wow the detail in this book is awesome....
I’ve enjoyed getting to really know the characters backgrounds and their own stories to how they end up together to make this saga.
This does start out quite detailed and a bit long winded but definitely worth it as the story picks up quite quickly with suspense that leaves you wanting to know more.
This is the first time I’ve read from this author and wow the detail in this book is awesome....
I’ve enjoyed getting to really know the characters backgrounds and their own stories to how they end up together to make this saga.
This does start out quite detailed and a bit long winded but definitely worth it as the story picks up quite quickly with suspense that leaves you wanting to know more.
June 14, 2022
Once again, the intellectual, dark and tactical workings of Eris Adderly bore into our brain mass, and give us a piece of literary art, by the name of An Emperor for the Eclipse.
As one who has read Adderly’s other calculated and creative writings, I found my interest at the highest level throughout this book. It is a romance, mainly in the way of a soldier, disgraced, having to work towards loving himself once more.
There are an eclectic group of supporting characters, that help place us in a fantasy that is ancient and mystical. And there is a female (actually more than one) who becomes a beacon to the heart of this story.
This author is a thinking woman’s dream writer!
As one who has read Adderly’s other calculated and creative writings, I found my interest at the highest level throughout this book. It is a romance, mainly in the way of a soldier, disgraced, having to work towards loving himself once more.
There are an eclectic group of supporting characters, that help place us in a fantasy that is ancient and mystical. And there is a female (actually more than one) who becomes a beacon to the heart of this story.
This author is a thinking woman’s dream writer!
March 5, 2019
A journey
Wasn't sure about this book to start with but stayed with it. I am glad I did as it rolled into an intriguing storyline and some steamy romance. I wish more was told about the boy, feel as though an important chunk of why Raothan stayed and was then able to leave (trying not to give any spoilers) was missing. Other than that a really good read.
Wasn't sure about this book to start with but stayed with it. I am glad I did as it rolled into an intriguing storyline and some steamy romance. I wish more was told about the boy, feel as though an important chunk of why Raothan stayed and was then able to leave (trying not to give any spoilers) was missing. Other than that a really good read.
August 16, 2020
Eris kept me guessing from start to finish on what was going to happen in the story. She was able to seamlessly write from several different characters POV and I was never confused on who it was or what was going on. I hope that one day she gets to finish the next part of the story. I would say that this book ends with a happy for now.
June 28, 2022
This story is a bit long and convoluted compared to what I usually read. I’m not sure I’d really call it a romance since that doesn’t seem to be the focus of the story, and we get bits from two different couples. It’s left on a cliffhanger with a lot of things unresolved, so I’m curious to see what happens after this. It’s interesting and the world building is intricate enough to pull you in.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 30, 2025
Dnf at 66
This has such beautiful writing and complex characters and world building. And I quite liked both mcs. My only problem is that the focus and scenes between mcs was so little I lost interest eventually
This has such beautiful writing and complex characters and world building. And I quite liked both mcs. My only problem is that the focus and scenes between mcs was so little I lost interest eventually
not-interested
March 3, 2019Cliffhanger ending without a sequel.
May 14, 2020
5 stars
This is, hands down, one of the best books I've read in a long time. I couldn't put it down. I need more!!!
This is, hands down, one of the best books I've read in a long time. I couldn't put it down. I need more!!!
December 13, 2020
This ends on a cliffhanger
But if you like fantasy and political intrigue you’ll enjoy this. It reminds me a bit of the Witcher and GOT but with some well written spicy scenes.
But if you like fantasy and political intrigue you’ll enjoy this. It reminds me a bit of the Witcher and GOT but with some well written spicy scenes.
December 4, 2021
this gave me dreams about the general and they were very good dreams
April 18, 2023
DNF at 54%
There are a ton of characters and a lot going on. The story is dragging as multiple sub-plots are established. I don't feel the forward momentum of the overall story.
There are a ton of characters and a lot going on. The story is dragging as multiple sub-plots are established. I don't feel the forward momentum of the overall story.
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews