Some boundaries are meant to be pushed. Yern is a young noblewoman, secretly breaking the rules and going beyond the city walls. But one day as she returns from frolicking on the plains, she discovers a summons. She has been chosen to marry the king's son. But her love for the plains masks a deeper secret, one that is about to come calling...
L. Y. Levand is a socially awkward fantasy writer (and cat lover) trying to make (human) friends and sell self published books. Her interests include cooking, cake decorating, martial arts, and dancing.
This is a wonderful story of a girl figuring out where she belongs in the world. She is caught between two worlds, and two parts of herself. She must make a choice, but both would mean her life will dramatically change.
The story was slightly confusing at first, because I did not know this world very well. It picks up rather quickly though! I was caught up in Yern’s struggle to decide what she would do. I loved learning more and more about the world as I read.
I loved Larr and Yern’s relationship. I really felt that they had come to respect each other a great deal, even in the short time I saw them together. And I loved the ending! I would consider it a very realist happily-ever-after :) I would definitely recommend this for fantasy lovers.
L.Y. Levand has once again offered up a story rich with detail in a well-realized world.
Yern is a young noble girl , feeling trapped in a city that is closed to the world around it. Her spirit yearns to break free from the confines of a noble life in which she is expected to act in a certain way and do certain things. This includes being arranged to marry the prince of the city, Larr. Yern regularly sneaks out of the city and soon brings Larr along with her. It is during one of their outings that she learns a secret about her past that changes everything.
Once again, L.Y. Levand has created a realistic world with interesting characters. The aspects of the city and the land around it are well defined without bogging down the story with detail. Blended is well written and well edited. L.Y. Levand's writing is very impressive. There is a lot of story packed into a small package with Blended.
That brings me to the only downside. You can tell that a lot of thought went into Blended's world, but the story itself is closer to a short-story length. It just feels as if this could be a part of a much bigger story with the big ideas that are presented. Granted, this story is well worth the cost and definitely deserves the 5-star rating, but I would have loved to delve deeper into the ideas presented in the story.
Both Blended and Birth of the Guardians have proven that L.Y. Levand has a unique voice in fantasy and I look forward to her future works. Well done!