Rasel's Song

Akrad's Legacy #2

by Jeanette O'Hagan

A rebellious prince, a mysterious stranger, a realm in turmoil.

Prince Mannok fumes at his royal parents for exiling his half-sister. He rejects all their suggestions of a suitable bride, even though he knows securing the succession is vital to the stability of the realm. When would-be assassins are discovered poisoned in the palace cells, a train of events is put in motion which puts Prince Mannok and his friends in increasing danger.

Rasel is a young shapeshifter inpatient with the cautious warnings of her elders about the warrior Tamrin and the tragic events of the past. She longs to restore the peace so her Kin no longer need to live in the shadows. Rasel’s arrival in Tarka causes further turmoil and danger.

Will Mannok and Rasel bring peace to Tamra. Will the elusive assassin be unmasked before someone else dies?

Rasel’s Song is the exciting second book in the kingdom fantasy, the Akrad’s Legacy series.

Genres: Fantasy

484 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 5, 2021

About the author

Jeanette O'Hagan spun tales in the world of Nardva from the age of eight. She enjoys writing fantasy, sci-fi, poetry, and editing.

Her Nardvan stories span continents, millennia and cultures. Some involve shapeshifters and magic. Others include space stations, plasma rifles and cyborgs.

Jeanette is the 2024 Aurealias winner YA short story for "In a League of Her Own" in Rhiza Press' Stepping Sideways Anthology.

She has published over thirty stories and poems including the five books in her YA epic fanasty - Under the Mountain novella series -as well as Ruhanna's Flight and Other Stories, and Akrad's Children and Rasel's Song in the Akrad's Legacy series - a Young Adult secondary world fantasy with adventure, courtly intrigue and romantic elements.

Her stories and poems have also been published in over twenty anthologies - including Gods of Clay, Challenge Accepted and Tales of Magic and Destiny in 2019

Jeanette has practised medicine, studied communication, history, theology and a Master of Arts (Writing). She loves reading, painting, travel, catching up for coffee with friends, pondering the meaning of life and communicating God’s great love. She lives in Brisbane with her husband and children.

Reviews

[Chrissy Garwood · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The characters drew me in and I was captivated by their story. There was never any certainty about how any of the tense situations would resolve themselves and I was eager to find out what would happen next. Everything that I was looking for. I eagerly anticipate the next book in the series.

[Lynne Stringer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed Rasel's Song and appreciated how much it gave me from the point of view of some of my favourite characters from Akrad's Children, like Dinnis. It was great to see the growth he goes through in this story.
Some things in the story surprised me with it not always going the way I expected, but that's not exactly a problem. It's nice to be surprised and I found myself entertained throughout. Recommended for lovers of high fantasy, but make sure you read Akrad's Children first.

[Claire · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading from different character aspects and I thought the cultural differences were handled well. There is a massive wealth of information behind this story, you can tell its really been thought about. Dinnis remains my fav character. Interesting to see where the series will go from here.

[Adele Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rasel’s Song is the story of a rebellious prince and a pure-hearted young shapeshifter, and the unlikely interweaving of their lives. Prince Mannok, royal heir of the Tamrin people, is determined to seek action and adventure over finding a bride, despite his royal parents’ urgings to settle down and produce an heir. And find adventure, he does, on the battle front, only to nearly lose his life, except for the swift actions of agemate, Dinnis—who is unbeknownst to Mannok, his disowned half-brother. Mannok’s journeys bring him together with the beautiful shapeshifter, Rasel, who speaks with an honesty and idealism that immediately intrigues him, capturing his heart and making the contests of other young women in the palace pale into meaningless titter. Both fall for each other hard, crushing Dinnis’ secret hope of claiming Rasel for himself, and together send the palace into uproar when they openly declare their love, without approval from the Kapok or Kupanna and without proper ceremony. Below this drama simmers a sinister plot to usurp the leadership of the realm, and those embroiled in these underhanded plans seize on the opportunity to enact a fatal strike while there is division and wounded, vengeful hearts. The heart-stopping resolution of this dastardly set-up will keep readers breathless with anticipation as carefully disguised evil must be uncovered and dealt with, before loss of life or even the realm itself.

I am a regular Jeanette O’Hagan reader and familiar with her well-developed worldbuilding and storytelling skill, but Rasel’s Song (IMO) is her best work yet. Always encompassing a large cast, O’Hagan effortlessly directs her characters without losing the reader or lingering too much on introductions, whilst delivering masterful prose that leans towards the poetic with its descriptive nuance, without overburdening of the reader or detracting from the rapid-fire action that carries the reader from start to end. A must read.

[Anne Hamilton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Prince Mannok doesn't often get thwarted in life. So when he does, he's furious. He'd fallen in love with his half-sister, unknowing of their relationship. So when his parents solve the problem by exiling her, he reacts by rebelling against their every suggestion for a suitable bride. He still doesn't know Dinnis is his elder half-brother and his father is determined, for reasons of state, not to acknowledge the relationship or that he has a half-Nolmec son.

The contrast between Mannok and Dinnis grows less in some ways and greater in others. Mannok is a favoured prince whose experience of frustration is minimal; Dinnis has grown beyond the torment of abandonment by his royal father to be grateful for the small crumbs of hidden affection that occasionally come his way. Dinnis is under constant suspicion at court and becomes aware that his father protects him by being seen not to have anything to do with him. Those few who are aware of his identity would probably kill him if he were seen to be too highly favoured.

Mannok has a tendency to falls in love with the beautiful and unsuitable. Rasel is a shapeshifter who, in her own way, is as rebellious as Mannok. Ignoring the cautions of the elders of her people, she agrees to be Mannok's bride, hoping for a reconciliation between his people and hers.