What do you think?
Rate this book
Eden Court Saga #1
Ruling Eden
Growing up an orphan, Rachel always assumed she'd be alone in the world, until the night before her twenty-fifth birthday. Thrust into the magical realm of Eden's Court, she must overcome the most unique, frightening, and greatest challenge in two uniting seven warring races in order to prevent the destruction of earth.
But learning to rule is easier than facing her attraction to half-demon, half-angel Gabriel. Born of a forbidden love between mortal enemies, he is convinced he is a liability to Rachel. Once Rachel stops denying their chemistry, she must convince him to pursue their love. Together, they solve two murders, avert a war, and learn to accept their destiny.
But learning to rule is easier than facing her attraction to half-demon, half-angel Gabriel. Born of a forbidden love between mortal enemies, he is convinced he is a liability to Rachel. Once Rachel stops denying their chemistry, she must convince him to pursue their love. Together, they solve two murders, avert a war, and learn to accept their destiny.
- GenresFantasy
424 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2009
70 people want to read
About the author
Michelle Picard
12 books22 followersEver since I was a young girl and my fifth grade teacher read the class Peter S. Beagle’s novel THE LAST UNICORN, I have been fascinated with all things magical, mysterious and otherworldly. I wrote my first tragic fantasy novella in middle school, recruiting art-minded friends to draw pictures of the fantastical universes I created.
Taking the road frequently traveled (not quite as romantic as the less traveled variety), and getting a BA in political science and a Masters in social work, I settled in New England. Along the way I started a family and a collection of cats.
Finally, I grabbed the proverbial bull by its spiky protrusions and pursued my passion. I now write fantasy and urban fantasy, and admit to a fascination with gateways and portals, which seem to crop up in any story I write.
Taking the road frequently traveled (not quite as romantic as the less traveled variety), and getting a BA in political science and a Masters in social work, I settled in New England. Along the way I started a family and a collection of cats.
Finally, I grabbed the proverbial bull by its spiky protrusions and pursued my passion. I now write fantasy and urban fantasy, and admit to a fascination with gateways and portals, which seem to crop up in any story I write.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
November 2, 2009
This is Michelle Picard's debut novel. When she emailed me to ask if I would review it, the blurb caught my attention fortunately, because the cover did not, and I decided to take it on. I am very happy to say that I thoroughly enjoyed this book.
Rachel is turning twenty-five in just a short time but she is soon going to realize this will be no ordinary birthday. Unknown to her, she is the Mother Heir - the queen of all supernatural beings. She has just learned from Jack, a talking poodle (thankfully he plays a small role), that she is to come with him to the Garden of Eden, to assume leadership of all supernatural beings. Funny thing is, this is the first time she has heard of this - she lives in a world where magic is just pretend. Jack flips out - Rachel was born in Eden, and then fostered in the mortal world so she could become acquainted with the human race. She was suppose to be tutored by secret witches during this time so she would be ready on her birthday to take over - problem is, her guardian vanished when she was young, leaving Rachel to live from foster home to foster home and leaving Rachel with no idea who she really is.
Having a very short time before midnight hits, Jack fills her in on the world she is about to enter - the goddess Lillith created seven races called Kesayim to protect the mortal humans and now she must go back to Eden to rule now that is of age and her birth mother is deceased. When the clock strikes midnight and she starts shooting off magic haphazardly, she thinks two things - she has lost her mind, and why not follow the talking dog since she just made her briefcase fly through her apartment at break-neck speed.
In Eden she meets her mentor Morven, who has been ruling until Rachel reached maturity. Morven's personality is prickly at best, but she becomes a great ally in Rachel's court. She is assigned three guards, three very smexy guards - Sebastian, a shifter, Tarn, a fae, and Gabriel - part angel, part demon.
With her guards in tow Rachel learns all of her new responsibilities. First she must learn and master her magic. It is well known in Eden that she was not brought up with knowledge of this world, and the supernaturals are all on edge looking for a weakness. She knows she must assert herself from the beginning or they will run all over her.
She also learns that the mortal realm of Earth is failing - no one knows for sure why. The goddess has dictated that this is kept a secret from the supernaturals of Eden, leaving a heavy burden on Rachael's shoulders. With pressure to also find a consort, a man to start having children with soon, Rachel realizes her new life is one filled to the brim with anxiety. Although she forms a special relationship with Gabriel, she needs to convince him he is worthy of being loved and then she may just have a future to look forward to.
Ruling Eden started with two scenarios that usually make me cringe but in this book Michelle Picard makes them work. First a talking animal. Jack the poodle turned out to be a very minor character, one to just get her to go to Eden. He was actually funny, and I must admit made me laugh at one point.
Secondly, the protagonist grows into adulthood and all of a sudden is thrust into a magical realm with no knowledge that magic even exits. The big reveal, when the protagonist finds out - hey, I have magical powers - is hard to pull off. Michelle Picard does it in a great way. Of course first Rachel thinks she is losing her mind by talking to a dog (who talks back) - and she eventually bursts into hysterical giggles (which is so what I would do). There is such a tricky balance between having the character reject this new knowledge, but also have her move forward in her new life. What I loved most of all about Rachel is that once she is thrust into Eden, she accepts it! She doesn't spend half of the book fighting her new life, or not believing all of the supernatural things going on. I can't handle it when you are three-fourths through a book and the protagonist is still thinking they are moving back to main street and the supernatural will "magically" disappear.
Michelle Picard writes very engaging, deep characters and I can't say enough about how much they captured my attention and left me satisfied throughout the story. Rachel's guard trio are quite funny and have that kind of brotherly camaraderie I am fond of. Her guard gives each other a hard time, relentless in the teasing, yet one suspicious move from anyone in court, and they are armed and lethal.
Rachel herself is very outspoken and although she may not have the confidence deep down, she never backs down and makes sure everyone knows she is queen. The only thing that nagged me just a little is that Rachel enters Eden not having any control over her magic. When tensions rise and she is forced to use her magic on a couple of occasions, her magic always works. Not to say, at some points she wants to stun only two people who are fighting and she stuns half the court by accident. But she always prevails. You could bring up the argument that she is the Mother Heir so even though she doesn't have the training, she has the power to overcome. Yet, I would have liked to see her struggle just a little more with learning her powers.
Besides a string of murders, and figuring out how to save the world, Rachel has a very hot romance with Gabriel. I love how he is written - being half demon, he doesn't feel worthy of her love, and has had a very hard past, similar to Rachel. He is not accepted because of his mixed heritage. Although Morven chose him for the guard and he is trustworthy, at least to her, many ridicule him and talk about him behind their backs. Although his feelings are reciprocated, he shies away at the thought of being Rachel's consort because he doesn't want to bring shame and embarrassment to her.
Ruling Eden is a great tale of romance, mystery and just a wonderful, beautiful world Michelle Picard has created.
Rachel is turning twenty-five in just a short time but she is soon going to realize this will be no ordinary birthday. Unknown to her, she is the Mother Heir - the queen of all supernatural beings. She has just learned from Jack, a talking poodle (thankfully he plays a small role), that she is to come with him to the Garden of Eden, to assume leadership of all supernatural beings. Funny thing is, this is the first time she has heard of this - she lives in a world where magic is just pretend. Jack flips out - Rachel was born in Eden, and then fostered in the mortal world so she could become acquainted with the human race. She was suppose to be tutored by secret witches during this time so she would be ready on her birthday to take over - problem is, her guardian vanished when she was young, leaving Rachel to live from foster home to foster home and leaving Rachel with no idea who she really is.
Having a very short time before midnight hits, Jack fills her in on the world she is about to enter - the goddess Lillith created seven races called Kesayim to protect the mortal humans and now she must go back to Eden to rule now that is of age and her birth mother is deceased. When the clock strikes midnight and she starts shooting off magic haphazardly, she thinks two things - she has lost her mind, and why not follow the talking dog since she just made her briefcase fly through her apartment at break-neck speed.
In Eden she meets her mentor Morven, who has been ruling until Rachel reached maturity. Morven's personality is prickly at best, but she becomes a great ally in Rachel's court. She is assigned three guards, three very smexy guards - Sebastian, a shifter, Tarn, a fae, and Gabriel - part angel, part demon.
With her guards in tow Rachel learns all of her new responsibilities. First she must learn and master her magic. It is well known in Eden that she was not brought up with knowledge of this world, and the supernaturals are all on edge looking for a weakness. She knows she must assert herself from the beginning or they will run all over her.
She also learns that the mortal realm of Earth is failing - no one knows for sure why. The goddess has dictated that this is kept a secret from the supernaturals of Eden, leaving a heavy burden on Rachael's shoulders. With pressure to also find a consort, a man to start having children with soon, Rachel realizes her new life is one filled to the brim with anxiety. Although she forms a special relationship with Gabriel, she needs to convince him he is worthy of being loved and then she may just have a future to look forward to.
Ruling Eden started with two scenarios that usually make me cringe but in this book Michelle Picard makes them work. First a talking animal. Jack the poodle turned out to be a very minor character, one to just get her to go to Eden. He was actually funny, and I must admit made me laugh at one point.
Secondly, the protagonist grows into adulthood and all of a sudden is thrust into a magical realm with no knowledge that magic even exits. The big reveal, when the protagonist finds out - hey, I have magical powers - is hard to pull off. Michelle Picard does it in a great way. Of course first Rachel thinks she is losing her mind by talking to a dog (who talks back) - and she eventually bursts into hysterical giggles (which is so what I would do). There is such a tricky balance between having the character reject this new knowledge, but also have her move forward in her new life. What I loved most of all about Rachel is that once she is thrust into Eden, she accepts it! She doesn't spend half of the book fighting her new life, or not believing all of the supernatural things going on. I can't handle it when you are three-fourths through a book and the protagonist is still thinking they are moving back to main street and the supernatural will "magically" disappear.
Michelle Picard writes very engaging, deep characters and I can't say enough about how much they captured my attention and left me satisfied throughout the story. Rachel's guard trio are quite funny and have that kind of brotherly camaraderie I am fond of. Her guard gives each other a hard time, relentless in the teasing, yet one suspicious move from anyone in court, and they are armed and lethal.
Rachel herself is very outspoken and although she may not have the confidence deep down, she never backs down and makes sure everyone knows she is queen. The only thing that nagged me just a little is that Rachel enters Eden not having any control over her magic. When tensions rise and she is forced to use her magic on a couple of occasions, her magic always works. Not to say, at some points she wants to stun only two people who are fighting and she stuns half the court by accident. But she always prevails. You could bring up the argument that she is the Mother Heir so even though she doesn't have the training, she has the power to overcome. Yet, I would have liked to see her struggle just a little more with learning her powers.
Besides a string of murders, and figuring out how to save the world, Rachel has a very hot romance with Gabriel. I love how he is written - being half demon, he doesn't feel worthy of her love, and has had a very hard past, similar to Rachel. He is not accepted because of his mixed heritage. Although Morven chose him for the guard and he is trustworthy, at least to her, many ridicule him and talk about him behind their backs. Although his feelings are reciprocated, he shies away at the thought of being Rachel's consort because he doesn't want to bring shame and embarrassment to her.
Ruling Eden is a great tale of romance, mystery and just a wonderful, beautiful world Michelle Picard has created.
April 5, 2021
Fantastic Story
I am not usually a fantasy reader but this story quickly drew me in.
The interesting characters and the unfolding of the story had me staying up way too late several nights. I wanted to know more, devouring every page.
I loved that this was not a story of one bloodline or fantasy creature but of several, each with their own idiosyncrasies and abilities. The author made sure not to simply stick to the same tried and true facts about these creatures but made them her own.
I’m looking forward to the rest of the series. There are so many interesting possibilities and I wonder if my hunches about this world and its people will be true.
I am not usually a fantasy reader but this story quickly drew me in.
The interesting characters and the unfolding of the story had me staying up way too late several nights. I wanted to know more, devouring every page.
I loved that this was not a story of one bloodline or fantasy creature but of several, each with their own idiosyncrasies and abilities. The author made sure not to simply stick to the same tried and true facts about these creatures but made them her own.
I’m looking forward to the rest of the series. There are so many interesting possibilities and I wonder if my hunches about this world and its people will be true.
July 7, 2010
Michelle Picard- “Ruling Eden”
“Three cheers for 'Ruling Eden”! Rachel has lead a lonely life with no family living from foster home to foster home. This all changes when on the eve of Rachel's 25th birthday when she thrusted in the world of Eden and is now the Mother Heir to all of the realms in Eden. Follow Rachel in the exciting journey as she learns to become Mother Heir of Eden, deal with falling in love for the first time, and solving two murders.
This book is beautifully written and will hold your attention throughout the book. A must read for all Fantasy book lovers. I enjoyed reading this book so much, and I REALLY hope to read more of Michelle's books in the near future.
5 Fangs out of 5
Reviewed by: Raven Kelly- ParanormalRomance.ca
Click Here to Visit ParanormalRomance.ca
“Three cheers for 'Ruling Eden”! Rachel has lead a lonely life with no family living from foster home to foster home. This all changes when on the eve of Rachel's 25th birthday when she thrusted in the world of Eden and is now the Mother Heir to all of the realms in Eden. Follow Rachel in the exciting journey as she learns to become Mother Heir of Eden, deal with falling in love for the first time, and solving two murders.
This book is beautifully written and will hold your attention throughout the book. A must read for all Fantasy book lovers. I enjoyed reading this book so much, and I REALLY hope to read more of Michelle's books in the near future.
5 Fangs out of 5
Reviewed by: Raven Kelly- ParanormalRomance.ca
Click Here to Visit ParanormalRomance.ca
October 6, 2018
This is Michelle Picard's debut novel. I have one recommendation for the author straightaway: For the love of Eden, please hire someone else to do your cover art. There's that saying "don't judge a book by it's cover" and I was having a pretty hard time not doing that initially.
Anyway, onto the story. I thought that the world building and plot definitely has potential, but I felt that the main character was a little too much of a Mary-Sue, and the romance subplot almost felt shoved in. Of course, that could just be my own preferences -- I am not generally a fan of romance novels. If I could give it 2 1/2 stars I would, there's definitely potential here, and a good editor could polish this author's work greatly.
Anyway, onto the story. I thought that the world building and plot definitely has potential, but I felt that the main character was a little too much of a Mary-Sue, and the romance subplot almost felt shoved in. Of course, that could just be my own preferences -- I am not generally a fan of romance novels. If I could give it 2 1/2 stars I would, there's definitely potential here, and a good editor could polish this author's work greatly.
March 18, 2010
I won a free E-Book from the publisher and I got to choose any of their books. This book caught my attention the most and I am very glad I did! I loved this book. I just wish I had it in bound form so I could read it again easier. The world Michelle created is very original, lively, and fascinating. I highly recommend this book!
I'll give a little background into the story. Rachel, almost gets run down by a car on her way home from another stressful day at work, but is saved by a talking poodle. It only gets stranger from there as she is told she is 'Mother Heir' the ruler of all 7 supernatural races and must go to Eden to take up rein. There is murder, mystery, romance, and more.
I'll give a little background into the story. Rachel, almost gets run down by a car on her way home from another stressful day at work, but is saved by a talking poodle. It only gets stranger from there as she is told she is 'Mother Heir' the ruler of all 7 supernatural races and must go to Eden to take up rein. There is murder, mystery, romance, and more.
January 27, 2011
It took me a long time to read this book, mainly because I found the cover art to be so disturbing. I'm not sure that reading it changed my mind all that much. It was OK, but I found the story to be a little slow. The writing definitely had potential - maybe could use a stronger editor for future books.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews