Praserian

by Kaydrie Tolbert

Allene Amena, princess of Valteria, looks like the enemy. Her eyes, her hair, the very blood in her veins, is hated.
When King of Valteria, Allene's father, dies unexpectedly, Allene is left alone to deal with her secret Praserian heritage. Allene is thrown into a whirlwind of conflict as political strife arises between her kingdom and Praseria.
A surprise attack on Valteria ignites an unexpected turn of events. Allene ends up in enemy territory, afraid, lost, and confused. Her unique dark hair and blue eyed appearance keeps her protected as she quickly becomes a guest in the Praserian castle, going undetected as an enemy Valterian.
Allene encounters danger, betrayal, war, and love. Every misstep along the way helps Allene on a path to understand who she is, and more importantly, who she is meant to become.

458 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 2020

Reviews

[Thais • tata.lifepages • · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

Praserian was a delightful, romantic and exciting read! At the beginning I thought Damien would be the love interest, but the story takes a complete different turn of events the moment that she is taken to Praseria. I couldn't put the book down and kept reading into the night!

The moment that Aleron was introduced I was already rooting for their relationship. It was somewhat predictable who he was, but that didn't alter the exhilarating feeling I had whenever he appeared. Charming and handsome, he had me swooning! Love triangles are my guilty pleasure and I enjoyed every moment of it.

The world building was easy to grasp and the characters were fun and intriguing, I loved Noni, Terri, Ezra, all of them! The story is very character driven and I grew found of every single one of them. I look forward to the next books by the author, where I hope to read more about this amazing and fun cast of characters who have found a place in my heart.

[(old.enough.for.fairytales) · Rating 4 out of 5]

What if he knew the truth? Would it change his admiration toward me? Would it change us? If he only knew...

This was such an enjoyable book! I'm always a fan of fantasy, especially when royalty is involved, so Praserian had just the right ingredients to make it my kind of book. Add in the star-crossed lovers narrative, and I was hooked! The world building was solid but not overly done, which I appreciated and the political climate of this fantasy world was easy to understand. The handful of plot twists were fun and while I did predict one of them, it didn't make me enjoy the revelation any less.

My only critiques are that Allene annoyed me sometimes with her lack of courage and inability to make the strong, courageous decision. I believe she'll have a chance to redeem herself in book two, but she certainly left herself room for growth in book one. My other critique is that the love story doesn't feel too believable. It definitely has insta-love vibes, which is my least favorite trope, but I also still found myself rooting for their relationship and invested in their love story.

All in all a really enjoyable read and certainly a series I plan to continue! There's a preview of book two, Valterian, at the end of the ebook and I can't wait to see where the story takes us from here!

Favorite Quote:
Love is Dangerous. It will blind you from reality. You believe that whoever you love is trustworthy and whoever says they love you is always truthful. It breaks you. When it's gone, you're empty, numb.

Thanks to the author for collabing with me for a review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Ambar Fernandez · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was given an Advanced Reading copy from the author of her book, and all I can say is: wow! I am going to try my best to not give off any spoilers in this review (I’ll likely fail, sorry in advance). From page one, I was immediately pulled into the book. The attention to detail was spectacular. I was able to visualize all of Praseria as well as Valteria perfectly. The characters were also so fun to watch develop throughout the story. The main character, Allene (a.k.a. Amelia) had a wonderful witty personality and seeing her fall in love and (spoiler alert) meeting her grandfather brought literal tears to my eyes. The scenes of her with her grandfather were pure and heartfelt. When it was revealed who he was, I literally cried. Again, I’m trying not to give off any spoilers so I will leave it here, but if you want to be instantly pulled into a new world, this is definitely the book! Adventure, love, heartache, and a wonderful plot twist! I can’t wait for the next book!

[The Lusty Literarians · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, just wow. How was this Tolbert's debut novel?! The world building is fantastic and intricate. The story is split between two different kingdom's, Praseria and Valteria. Both of which I could imagine right away. I also loved the characters. Allene and Damien and #friendgoals. This was a really good YA Fantasy novel and start to a new series. I look forward to where the next book may take us.

[Aymie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kaydrie!!! Debut book!

I really liked it! I was drawn into the story right away! It's not often I stay up past midnight just to see where the story is heading.

I loved the relationships Allene formed in Praseria! She felt more relaxed and in her element. The detail in which Kaydrie describes the scenes I feel like I'm there. Like on the beach "swoon" 😍

I want more information on the family tho! Maybe that will come in book two, we will have to see. And is the queen hiding something from her daughter's? I feel like there are so many secrets happening and I want answers!!

[Zeba · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have no idea how to review this book but you have to take my word for it and READ PRASERIAN!!! Aaaah!!! It’s soooo good!

It is the story of Allene Amena who looks like the enemy. After an unexpected turn of events, she ends up in the enemy’s kingdom.

Praserian is the first book in a series. The second book is Valterian which has not been released yet. The first two chapters of Valterian is available in the end of Praserian. I read them and now I want more.

The story was unpredictable so I get shocked when unexpected things happen. I love Allene and Aleron!!! They are soo cute!

[Aakriti · Rating 5 out of 5]

Synopsis: Allene Amena has never felt at home in Valteria, her own kingdom. Since her father died, she has now to deal with looking like a Praserian on her own. Praseria is the enemy kingdom to Valteria.⠀
⠀
While she is still dealing with the loss of her father and trying to find her moments of happiness there is an unexpected attack on Valteria. Amidst the chaos, Allene ends up in Praseria. ⠀
⠀
Her initial feelings of being lost and scared starts to change when she realizes that her looks are hugely accepted here and when she meets the love of her life. She is finally starting to feel at home learning about her Praserian heritage.⠀
⠀
But all that changes and Allene is left to make important and heartbreaking decisions. ⠀
⠀
Review: While the book does have a lot of romance, it's really not just about that. Allene's journey and the dilemmas she faces were what I loved the most about this book.⠀
⠀
Another absolutely amazing thing is how successfully and beautifully Kaydrie has managed to describe Praseria. It doesn't take you even a moment to start picturing the place and it is mesmerizing (adding it to the list of fantasy worlds I want to visit).⠀
⠀
And yes the rumors (which I started and only I talk about) are true. I am finally invested in a love story (the last was Wuthering Heights). The banter between Allene and the un-named guy (I want you to find out when you read) is adorable.⠀
⠀
This is also a story of friendship and sibling-love (even if not as detailed as other things).⠀
⠀
And at the end!!!! So good! I can't wait for the next book in this series.⠀

[Ilenia(farawaybooklands) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beta reader!I will post the review later!!

[Fifi’s Bookshelf · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely LOVED this book but the love triangle did bug me a bit because I’ve never really liked that trope. I don’t understand how Allene can swear undying love and loyalty to someone then so easily get feelings for someone else at the drop of a hat? That was extremely frustrating for me and it almost swayed me into giving this 4 stars but my love for fairytales and desire to support small indie fairytale authors surpassed that. Minus the love triangle, this book has been one of my absolute favorites and one that I will remember fondly. I loved (most) of the characters (aka all of them except Hassan who I really wanted to smack from annoyance), loved the story, loved the setting and world building, and loved that this was a true storybook fairytale. I truly do love a fairytale with kingdoms, princes, and princesses but without magic tied into the storyline; it feels more real and easier to connect with, partly because it sets itself apart as a FAIRYTALE and not fantasy. We need more fairytales like this! This is definitely an author to watch!

[Brandi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I cannot explain enough my love for this book! 📚

- friendship
- love
- betrayal
- found family
- broken hearts

It literally has everything! I love the relationship between Aleron and Allene/Amelia. The friendship between Allene and Damien. There sisterly bond with Allene and Risa. Even the undying loyalty Hassan has towards Allene! And EZRA! My heart both sings and cries for Ezra!❤❤💔

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Go get this book like.....yesterday! I CANNOT wait to start book 2: Valterian!

[Mhor · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF up to page 300 - the storyline was decent but the writing was quite clunky and almost amateurish. It kept pulling me from the story. I couldn’t continue.