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Nine Kingdoms #2
The Mage's Daughter
Lynn Kurland’s trilogy of love, intrigue, and fantastic destiny continues as a female mercenary fights for her life, her future, and the one man who can save her… Darkness in the kingdom…Neroche is under assault by a magic that has stripped its king of his powers and unleashed nightmarish creatures in a war of evil in which Morgan of Melksham is fighting for her life. Recovering from a near-fatal attack, Morgan realizes that she must decide between two that of being a simple shieldmaiden or accepting her heritage as an elven princess. If only she could ignore that she was the daughter of the perilous black mage of Ceangail… Magic in the blood… Duty bound to aid his king, Miach of Neroche is torn between what his responsibilities demand and what his heart desires. He is willing to risk his life to rescue Morgan from the darkness that haunts her, but he must do so at the peril of his realm. Forced to choose between love and the burden of his mantle, Miach sets out on his most deadly quest ever.
386 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 2, 2008
63 people are currently reading
2008 people want to read
About the author
Lynn Kurland
69 books1,568 followersLynn began her writing career at the tender age of five with a series of illustrated novellas entitled Clinton’s Troubles in which the compelling hero found himself in all sorts of . . . well, trouble. She was living in Hawaii at the time and the scope for her imagination (poisoned fish, tropical cliffs, large spiders) was great and poor Clinton bore the brunt of it. After returning to the mainland, her writing gave way to training in classical music and Clinton, who had been felled with arrows, eaten by fish and sent tumbling off cars, was put aside for operatic heroes in tights.
Somehow during high school, in between bouts of Verdi and Rossini, she managed to find time to submerge herself in equal parts Tolkien, Barbara Cartland and Mad Magazine. During college, a chance encounter with a large library stack of romances left her hooked, gave her the courage to put pen to paper herself, and finally satisfied that need for a little bit of fantasy with a whole lot of romance!
Somehow during high school, in between bouts of Verdi and Rossini, she managed to find time to submerge herself in equal parts Tolkien, Barbara Cartland and Mad Magazine. During college, a chance encounter with a large library stack of romances left her hooked, gave her the courage to put pen to paper herself, and finally satisfied that need for a little bit of fantasy with a whole lot of romance!
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 346 reviews
August 28, 2017
This is the second book in the first trilogy and I have to say I am disappointed.
First, there is a huge change of pace when you compare the first book and this one. In the first it's full of adventure and humor and just stuff happening. This one is focused mainly on romance (and don't get me wrong, I love romance), but there is too much of it here and almost none in the first book.
This one is simply boring. Nothing much happening through out the book.
Second, the heroine had a massive change of character. I get it, it would make sense considering all she found out about herself and whatever. But dammit she changed from badass, kickass warrior to a woman who spent literally 90% of her page time in this book crying.
I do like the author's writing style, the humor, the world-building and everything. Just the sudden change of pace from one book that is full of adventure to another which is dead as a door nail.
Hope the third one will be better balanced between their romance and something else actually happening.
First, there is a huge change of pace when you compare the first book and this one. In the first it's full of adventure and humor and just stuff happening. This one is focused mainly on romance (and don't get me wrong, I love romance), but there is too much of it here and almost none in the first book.
This one is simply boring. Nothing much happening through out the book.
Second, the heroine had a massive change of character. I get it, it would make sense considering all she found out about herself and whatever. But dammit she changed from badass, kickass warrior to a woman who spent literally 90% of her page time in this book crying.
I do like the author's writing style, the humor, the world-building and everything. Just the sudden change of pace from one book that is full of adventure to another which is dead as a door nail.
Hope the third one will be better balanced between their romance and something else actually happening.
February 11, 2017
It's official, I've fallen totally and completely in love with this series! Kurland writes with the perfect balance of romance and fantasy and it is absolutely spectacular. The world that she has created is beautifully magical and just so detailed, I've become enthralled by it. I love the growth we've seen in the characters from the first book to this one, it's really quite astonishing! The storyline is quite intricate and it really makes for an excellent story. There were so many twists and reveals that had my head spinning and wondering what could possibly happen next! This series is truly breathtaking and I cannot wait to continue my journey through the Nine Kingdoms!
March 17, 2008
In this second book, Morgan goes from a strong-willed, very capable sword-bearing girl to a conflicted weak-willed girl relying on others to lead her. I wasn't happy with how weak she was. She may have started the book physically close to death, but I don't think her character should have taken so long to bounce back emotionally. I hope in book three she regains her backbone and becomes a beautiful, strong-willed, elven princess instead of one racked by indecision and doubt.
March 25, 2017
What started out as a fluffy fantasy romance with a fierce, stubborn, sword-wielding heroine turned into a soggy romance with a blubbering, weak-kneed heroine. I lost count of the number of times that Morgan blinked away hot tears or realized her cheeks were wet, or dissolved into uncontrollable weeping, or felt like weeping but managed not to. She was a completely different person from the first book. I can understand that she had some difficult changes to become used to, but I would have expected her toughness in everything else to carry over into how she handled her more emotional crises.
It's unfortunate that the copious amount of tears got in the way of the rest of the story, because it was actually better than the first book in many ways. The world is more detailed, we learn more about the Nine Kingdoms, who populates it, and how the magic works.
I especially enjoyed learning more about the earning of Weger's mark and the way that Miach pursues Morgan. Miach becomes an even more interesting and humbly impressive hero now that we are able to get to know him more. Unfortunately the romance does stall the action for quite a while, though (coinciding with a lot of the weeping and talking and running away from issues). It took over too much for my liking, but once it came back to the actual plot I enjoyed it again.
Just like with the first book, this is merely an installment that does not stand on its own at all. It's a meandering building towards... something. Something that we've known was happening since the first page but have been blindly trying to understand. By the end of this book, we finally know what that is. And - that's where this ends, with the confrontation postponed until the next book.
I'm looking forward to reading more of Miach, but I hope Morgan gives me a reason to like her more in the last book. Hopefully, she will pull herself back together and become a worthy heroine who saves the world without drowning it in tears. She needs to toughen back up to take care of the evil she faces and not just hide her face in Miach's shoulder all the time.
It's unfortunate that the copious amount of tears got in the way of the rest of the story, because it was actually better than the first book in many ways. The world is more detailed, we learn more about the Nine Kingdoms, who populates it, and how the magic works.
I especially enjoyed learning more about the earning of Weger's mark and the way that Miach pursues Morgan. Miach becomes an even more interesting and humbly impressive hero now that we are able to get to know him more. Unfortunately the romance does stall the action for quite a while, though (coinciding with a lot of the weeping and talking and running away from issues). It took over too much for my liking, but once it came back to the actual plot I enjoyed it again.
Just like with the first book, this is merely an installment that does not stand on its own at all. It's a meandering building towards... something. Something that we've known was happening since the first page but have been blindly trying to understand. By the end of this book, we finally know what that is. And - that's where this ends, with the confrontation postponed until the next book.
I'm looking forward to reading more of Miach, but I hope Morgan gives me a reason to like her more in the last book. Hopefully, she will pull herself back together and become a worthy heroine who saves the world without drowning it in tears. She needs to toughen back up to take care of the evil she faces and not just hide her face in Miach's shoulder all the time.
August 2, 2016
Rating: 4.5 Stars
The Mage's Daughter is even better than its predecessor, to my surprise. Without a doubt, this is the most romantic novel of the trilogy. After Kurland's painful cliffhanger ending, wherein the entire realm as we knew it was in utter chaos, The Mage's Daughter is an emotional and difficult tale. Miach must repair the damage he has caused Morgan by concealing his true identity as the archmage of Tor Neroche, Morgan must face the truth about her past and true parentage, and the two must overcome impossible odds to restore the kingdom to peace.
Miach may have hard to work for Morgan's heart, but he had mine from the beginning. In a lot of ways, Lynn Kurland walks a fine line between Gary Stu and Miach, Mary Sue and Morgan. After all, both of these characters are beautiful, powerful, and deadly. Miach has an arsenal of spells at his disposal that he likely shouldn't know, Morgan has honed her fighting skills to the point where she is unbeatable, and they both claim lineages from famous mages and elves. But The Mage's Daughter excels simply because Kurland walks that fine line--and proves that Miach and Morgan are not cookie cutter characters.
Certainly, they are perfect in many ways. But they are also both terrified. Despite the fact that they have each other, the future is bleak and they are not above seeking comfort in each other and relying on the other's strength when their own fails them. Morgan, especially, has her entire life upturned in this novel. She is not who she thought she was, her parents are not who she thought they were, and her place in the Nine Kingdoms is not so insignificant after all. Her emotional upheaval was difficult to read, only because we care so deeply for Morgan at this point, but her resilience is what makes her her. I loved Miach for being there for her, constantly, and their relationship is such an exemplary one of respect, love, and understanding.
This story focuses mostly on Morgan and Miach--their journey, the confrontation of Morgan's past, and their plans to defeat the evil that is brewing. Once again, these two find themselves to be traveling companions but this time, the host of secondary characters is vastly expanded and I found myself enjoying witnessing different kingdoms, types of magic, and beings. The plot twists never end as Kurland keeps expanding this world and complicating matters. But, with Morgan and Miach, I am confident that the Nine Kingdoms is in a capable pair of hands. Until Princess of the Sword.
The Mage's Daughter is even better than its predecessor, to my surprise. Without a doubt, this is the most romantic novel of the trilogy. After Kurland's painful cliffhanger ending, wherein the entire realm as we knew it was in utter chaos, The Mage's Daughter is an emotional and difficult tale. Miach must repair the damage he has caused Morgan by concealing his true identity as the archmage of Tor Neroche, Morgan must face the truth about her past and true parentage, and the two must overcome impossible odds to restore the kingdom to peace.
Miach may have hard to work for Morgan's heart, but he had mine from the beginning. In a lot of ways, Lynn Kurland walks a fine line between Gary Stu and Miach, Mary Sue and Morgan. After all, both of these characters are beautiful, powerful, and deadly. Miach has an arsenal of spells at his disposal that he likely shouldn't know, Morgan has honed her fighting skills to the point where she is unbeatable, and they both claim lineages from famous mages and elves. But The Mage's Daughter excels simply because Kurland walks that fine line--and proves that Miach and Morgan are not cookie cutter characters.
Certainly, they are perfect in many ways. But they are also both terrified. Despite the fact that they have each other, the future is bleak and they are not above seeking comfort in each other and relying on the other's strength when their own fails them. Morgan, especially, has her entire life upturned in this novel. She is not who she thought she was, her parents are not who she thought they were, and her place in the Nine Kingdoms is not so insignificant after all. Her emotional upheaval was difficult to read, only because we care so deeply for Morgan at this point, but her resilience is what makes her her. I loved Miach for being there for her, constantly, and their relationship is such an exemplary one of respect, love, and understanding.
This story focuses mostly on Morgan and Miach--their journey, the confrontation of Morgan's past, and their plans to defeat the evil that is brewing. Once again, these two find themselves to be traveling companions but this time, the host of secondary characters is vastly expanded and I found myself enjoying witnessing different kingdoms, types of magic, and beings. The plot twists never end as Kurland keeps expanding this world and complicating matters. But, with Morgan and Miach, I am confident that the Nine Kingdoms is in a capable pair of hands. Until Princess of the Sword.
January 22, 2008
I had forgotten how into the first book in the Nine Kingdoms series I was until I got five pages into this second volume and instantly remembered. Oh, right. This story totally rocks. The first volume, Star of the Morning, ends in utter chaos. Nothing is resolved, everyone's in peril, and I remember closing the book in disbelief at the audacity of ending a book in such a way when the sequel would not be out for another year. I wasn't too upset, of course, because the book had been so dang enjoyable. I even wrote an email to Ms. Kurland asking if she had sat back and basked in evil glee after typing the last word. She responded and commiserated with me. She, too, was in utter despair after ending it that way and had to spend some good time recuperating before she could continue. That made me feel somewhat better.
Fortunately, The Mage's Daughter picks up right where its predecessor left off. The chapters alternate between Morgan of Melksham's story as she struggles to survive after destroying the Sword of Angesand and fleeing the Archmage of Neroche, and Miach of Neroche's story as he struggles to keep the realm intact and find Morgan at the same time. Morgan and Miach are both such sympathetic characters. You desperately want them to work out their differences and accept who they are because they deserve a measure of happiness after all they've been through. That and the fact that you want them to join their awesome forces to defeat the perfidious Lothar and figure out just what kind of ubercrap is creeping out of Bain's Well. I enjoyed this book so much I unconsciously dragged it out, savoring every chapter. It's terrifically entertaining and I love Lynn Kurland's writing style. Highly recommended to anyone who loves a good adventure. But make sure to grab Star of the Morning first!
Fortunately, The Mage's Daughter picks up right where its predecessor left off. The chapters alternate between Morgan of Melksham's story as she struggles to survive after destroying the Sword of Angesand and fleeing the Archmage of Neroche, and Miach of Neroche's story as he struggles to keep the realm intact and find Morgan at the same time. Morgan and Miach are both such sympathetic characters. You desperately want them to work out their differences and accept who they are because they deserve a measure of happiness after all they've been through. That and the fact that you want them to join their awesome forces to defeat the perfidious Lothar and figure out just what kind of ubercrap is creeping out of Bain's Well. I enjoyed this book so much I unconsciously dragged it out, savoring every chapter. It's terrifically entertaining and I love Lynn Kurland's writing style. Highly recommended to anyone who loves a good adventure. But make sure to grab Star of the Morning first!
September 23, 2016
If The Mage's Daughter was a first book in a series I would say 'The Nine Kingdom' series was not for me. It was too boring with too much character development and not enough adventure.
But let's hope it's just the usual second-book-in-series syndrome. And the fact that Miach's brother joined the quest gives me hope. I love sibling rivalry and banter. I missed Adhemar from first book so much in second one. (Just don't let Miach and Morgan hear me.)
Morgan also didn't help. She was lost, sad, confused and crying half the time. Nothing similar to hard, kick-ass heroine from the first book. Let's hope she gather her wits soon.
To sum it up, The Mage's Daughter gives us a lot of history and development for both main character and focuses much more on romance. Not bad but boring at times. Hopefully the next book will be back to the usual.
But let's hope it's just the usual second-book-in-series syndrome. And the fact that Miach's brother joined the quest gives me hope. I love sibling rivalry and banter. I missed Adhemar from first book so much in second one. (Just don't let Miach and Morgan hear me.)
Morgan also didn't help. She was lost, sad, confused and crying half the time. Nothing similar to hard, kick-ass heroine from the first book. Let's hope she gather her wits soon.
To sum it up, The Mage's Daughter gives us a lot of history and development for both main character and focuses much more on romance. Not bad but boring at times. Hopefully the next book will be back to the usual.
March 5, 2020
Second in the Nine Kingdoms historical fantasy series and revolving around Gair of Ceangail’s dead children. The focus is on Morgan of Melksham, er, Mhorghain of Ceangail, and Miach of Neroche.
My Take
There's a subtle humor running through the Nine Kingdoms, and in this case, it mostly centers on Sìle's treatment of Miach. There is no way Sìle will allow Miach close to his newly returned granddaughter. Of course, Sìle doesn't know his granddaughter, lol. I love how the women react *more laughter*.
The prose is a combination of straightforward and flowery — depending on who is speaking or the topic, with a story that is driven by its characters. It's their choices that result in the adventurous actions in a relatively slow pace.
I do like two of Miach's brothers, and I especially enjoyed their attitude about the wedding. And isn't it just like the boorish Adhemar to go too far for his wedding. It does sound like Adaira is his perfect match, *eye roll*
Kurland uses third person dual protagonist point-of-view from Miach's and Morgan's perspectives. Miach does a lot of apologizing. Well, he did hide who he was. He's not alone in this, as everyone is hiding something. There's a lot of theft going on as well. Seems that Miach steals spells right and left whenever he can. As for the lying... Okay, there are various forms of, um, misinformation. Legends and myths in which the facts are twisted, differing in each version. Holding back information. Or not realizing it could be important. Those journals turned out to be darned handy.
Wow. We learn a lot of Weger's back history, especially as it relates to Lothar. Nasty. Nasty. Nasty! Why Lothar is still alive, I do not know. There're also a few battles Weger fought that surprise the heck out of Morgan.
There's more back history as Kurland reveals a bit more about Sarait's actions at the well and how Gair's increasing paranoia drove her to it. As they say, pride goeth before a fall.
Another type of back history is what Morgan learns about herself. That she has magic. A dark magic that comes too easily to her. A family that died due to that dark magic. It's a lot to take in. Fortunately, she also realizes how Miach has changed her life for the better.
I love this story (this series) for Miach's care and thoughtfulness of Morgan, of the supportiveness of family and friend, and the casual approach to age and family...softly weird.
The Story
He's not a farmer. He's a mage. It's a betrayal so deep...
Miach will do what he must to win Morgan back, even endure the horror of Weger's keep.
The Characters
Morgan is an orphan who was raised at Lismòr and learned to use a sword under Weger, earning his mark. She stayed on as a swordmaster. Morgan’s mercenary companions include Paien of Allerdale, Glines of Balfour, who is a remarkable cheat, and Camid of Carr are still at Tor Neroche for the wedding.
The Kingdom of Neroche
The twenty-eight-year-old Prince Mochriadhemiach, a.k.a., Miach, has been the archmage of the kingdom for the past fourteen years, tasked with keeping the kingdom magically safe. Able to shift into a hawk or dragon, he's also the youngest of six boys. The oldest, Adhemar, is king and marrying Adaira of Penrhyn, the demanding eldest princess. The Sword of Neroche is supposed to be a powerful sword helping the king keep the kingdom safe. The Sword of Angeshand was forged with Camanaë, needed to protect the kingdom. Until Morgan broke it. The rest of the brothers include the trustworthy Cathar, the fashion-minded Rigaud, the gentle Nemed, and the twins, Mansourah, whom Miach would trust to convey a message, and Turah, whom he would trust with his back. Their parents, King Anghmar and the charming Queen Desdhemar, gave their lives to save Miach.
The palace of Chagailt is beautiful and a secondary base. King Stefan is a cousin whose land borders Riamh. Mehar of Angeshand forged the Sword of Angeshand, and probably with the help of Gilraehen the Fey, a former king of Neroche.
Beinn òrain is...
...where Buidseachd a great fortress-school of magic, is located. The garden of Gearrannan was a gift to the city by Tòrr Dòrainn.
Lismòr is...
...the university and orphans' home on the Island of Melksham created by Nicholas, lord of Lismòr, the former wizard king of Diarmailt (and a dragon shifter), and Morgan's uncle, named in honor of his wife, Lismòrian of Tòrr Dòrainn, Sarait’s sister. William is Nicholas' serving lad. Cook. Dominicus is the librarian.
Aherin is...
...the home of Hearn, the lord of Angesand, and his remarkable horses with their own language. Hearn's got some kinda hayloft as well... And Hearn loses a couple more horses to Miach and Morgan: Fleòd and Luath, respectively. Corbair was Hearn's great-great-grandfather, who taught Sosar a few words. Those two horses are a couple of gossips!
Gobhann is...
... a miserably cold magic sink and the home base of Scrymgeour Weger, a famed swordmaster who hates, hates, hates mages. Weger is also Lothar's grandson, many generations removed. Odo is the gatekeeper, and the first test. Stephen is Weger's page. Paul is the novices' mentor. Master John is something of a medic. Searbhe, Weger's cousin, is one of the students and hates Miach with a passion.
Tòrr Dòrainn is...
...an elven kingdom of which Sìle is king. His queen is Brèagha, the daughter of Beusach of An Cèin. Làidir and Sosar, the youngest, are their sons. Their daughters include Lismòrian and Sarait, who were both murdered by Gair; Ciatach, who is wed to Agur of Ainneamh; Sona, who is wed to a distant cousin, Dileabach; and, Alainne, who is wed to Murdoch of Meith. Màire of Meith is Miach's grandmother several generations removed — and Alainne's youngest daughter. Seanagarra is Sìle's palace. Dionadair is an elven soldier. Leabhrach is the testy librarian.
Ainneamh is...
...another elven kingdom. Draghail and Buaireil have been invited by Sìle to court Morgan.
Cruadal of Duibhreas is another potential suitor, who challenges Miach.
Riamh is...
...the land of the black mage, Lothar of Wychweald, who takes pleasure in the terror of his quarry. Symon of Wychweald is a descendant and was the first king of Neroche. Never marry into Lothar's family. You'll die. Yngerame is Lothar's father; his mother was one of Sìle's granddaughters.
Ceaghail is...
...Gair's home base. A very black mage, the son of Eulasaid of Camanaë and Sgath of Ainneamh, who had once been Nicholas' friend for centuries. He had fooled Sarait, the youngest of Sìle's daughters, into marrying him. They had six sons, including Keir, the eldest at twenty-eight, Rùnach, Brogach, Gille, Eglach, and Ruithneadh and a six-year-old daughter, Mhorghain. The sons conspired with their mother to take down Gair and protect Mhorghain.
Wehr of Wrekin is another black mage, supposedly stronger than Lothar, rumored to be dead. Wehr is/was Queen Desdhemar's grandfather.
The various magics include Camanaë; Fadaire is the magic of the elves of Tòrr Dòrainn; Olc is evil; Caochladh is of changing the essence of a thing and taught only by one mage; Wexham, quick and brutal, is the magic of Neroche; and, Croxteth.
The Cover and Title
The cover is icy blues and white. The cobalt blue of a cloudy sky is reflected in the mountain rising up to the author's name. Framing Morgan on either side are snow-laden evergreens with smaller, less snowy, trees behind her. Wearing an off-white medieval-style dress with tight upper sleeves and flared purple print lower sleeves, a deeper purple front bodice with a pointed apron bordered in a figured purple, and more of the purple print in two godets in the skirt, Morgan herself stands facing us, her long curly hair framing her face. Her right arm is raised to waist level, holding a glowing green stone. Her left hand rests on the hilt of her sword. At the very top is an info blurb in white. The author's name is below this in a purple outlined white, fancy serif font. Level and to the left of Morgan's thighs is a testimonial in white. The title starts at Morgan's knees in a lighter blue outlined in cobalt. Below the title is the series information in blue.
The title is Morgan's true identity, The Mage’s Daughter.
My Take
There's a subtle humor running through the Nine Kingdoms, and in this case, it mostly centers on Sìle's treatment of Miach. There is no way Sìle will allow Miach close to his newly returned granddaughter. Of course, Sìle doesn't know his granddaughter, lol. I love how the women react *more laughter*.
The prose is a combination of straightforward and flowery — depending on who is speaking or the topic, with a story that is driven by its characters. It's their choices that result in the adventurous actions in a relatively slow pace.
I do like two of Miach's brothers, and I especially enjoyed their attitude about the wedding. And isn't it just like the boorish Adhemar to go too far for his wedding. It does sound like Adaira is his perfect match, *eye roll*
Kurland uses third person dual protagonist point-of-view from Miach's and Morgan's perspectives. Miach does a lot of apologizing. Well, he did hide who he was. He's not alone in this, as everyone is hiding something. There's a lot of theft going on as well. Seems that Miach steals spells right and left whenever he can. As for the lying... Okay, there are various forms of, um, misinformation. Legends and myths in which the facts are twisted, differing in each version. Holding back information. Or not realizing it could be important. Those journals turned out to be darned handy.
Wow. We learn a lot of Weger's back history, especially as it relates to Lothar. Nasty. Nasty. Nasty! Why Lothar is still alive, I do not know. There're also a few battles Weger fought that surprise the heck out of Morgan.
There's more back history as Kurland reveals a bit more about Sarait's actions at the well and how Gair's increasing paranoia drove her to it. As they say, pride goeth before a fall.
Another type of back history is what Morgan learns about herself. That she has magic. A dark magic that comes too easily to her. A family that died due to that dark magic. It's a lot to take in. Fortunately, she also realizes how Miach has changed her life for the better.
"'Death is the final surprise."It's through Miach that Adhemar's idiocy is confirmed as well as Miach's reasons for being so impatient with him. Well, he had me at idiot, but the rest works too.
I love this story (this series) for Miach's care and thoughtfulness of Morgan, of the supportiveness of family and friend, and the casual approach to age and family...softly weird.
The Story
He's not a farmer. He's a mage. It's a betrayal so deep...
Miach will do what he must to win Morgan back, even endure the horror of Weger's keep.
The Characters
Morgan is an orphan who was raised at Lismòr and learned to use a sword under Weger, earning his mark. She stayed on as a swordmaster. Morgan’s mercenary companions include Paien of Allerdale, Glines of Balfour, who is a remarkable cheat, and Camid of Carr are still at Tor Neroche for the wedding.
The Kingdom of Neroche
The twenty-eight-year-old Prince Mochriadhemiach, a.k.a., Miach, has been the archmage of the kingdom for the past fourteen years, tasked with keeping the kingdom magically safe. Able to shift into a hawk or dragon, he's also the youngest of six boys. The oldest, Adhemar, is king and marrying Adaira of Penrhyn, the demanding eldest princess. The Sword of Neroche is supposed to be a powerful sword helping the king keep the kingdom safe. The Sword of Angeshand was forged with Camanaë, needed to protect the kingdom. Until Morgan broke it. The rest of the brothers include the trustworthy Cathar, the fashion-minded Rigaud, the gentle Nemed, and the twins, Mansourah, whom Miach would trust to convey a message, and Turah, whom he would trust with his back. Their parents, King Anghmar and the charming Queen Desdhemar, gave their lives to save Miach.
The palace of Chagailt is beautiful and a secondary base. King Stefan is a cousin whose land borders Riamh. Mehar of Angeshand forged the Sword of Angeshand, and probably with the help of Gilraehen the Fey, a former king of Neroche.
Beinn òrain is...
...where Buidseachd a great fortress-school of magic, is located. The garden of Gearrannan was a gift to the city by Tòrr Dòrainn.
Lismòr is...
...the university and orphans' home on the Island of Melksham created by Nicholas, lord of Lismòr, the former wizard king of Diarmailt (and a dragon shifter), and Morgan's uncle, named in honor of his wife, Lismòrian of Tòrr Dòrainn, Sarait’s sister. William is Nicholas' serving lad. Cook. Dominicus is the librarian.
Aherin is...
...the home of Hearn, the lord of Angesand, and his remarkable horses with their own language. Hearn's got some kinda hayloft as well... And Hearn loses a couple more horses to Miach and Morgan: Fleòd and Luath, respectively. Corbair was Hearn's great-great-grandfather, who taught Sosar a few words. Those two horses are a couple of gossips!
Gobhann is...
... a miserably cold magic sink and the home base of Scrymgeour Weger, a famed swordmaster who hates, hates, hates mages. Weger is also Lothar's grandson, many generations removed. Odo is the gatekeeper, and the first test. Stephen is Weger's page. Paul is the novices' mentor. Master John is something of a medic. Searbhe, Weger's cousin, is one of the students and hates Miach with a passion.
Tòrr Dòrainn is...
...an elven kingdom of which Sìle is king. His queen is Brèagha, the daughter of Beusach of An Cèin. Làidir and Sosar, the youngest, are their sons. Their daughters include Lismòrian and Sarait, who were both murdered by Gair; Ciatach, who is wed to Agur of Ainneamh; Sona, who is wed to a distant cousin, Dileabach; and, Alainne, who is wed to Murdoch of Meith. Màire of Meith is Miach's grandmother several generations removed — and Alainne's youngest daughter. Seanagarra is Sìle's palace. Dionadair is an elven soldier. Leabhrach is the testy librarian.
Ainneamh is...
...another elven kingdom. Draghail and Buaireil have been invited by Sìle to court Morgan.
Cruadal of Duibhreas is another potential suitor, who challenges Miach.
Riamh is...
...the land of the black mage, Lothar of Wychweald, who takes pleasure in the terror of his quarry. Symon of Wychweald is a descendant and was the first king of Neroche. Never marry into Lothar's family. You'll die. Yngerame is Lothar's father; his mother was one of Sìle's granddaughters.
Ceaghail is...
...Gair's home base. A very black mage, the son of Eulasaid of Camanaë and Sgath of Ainneamh, who had once been Nicholas' friend for centuries. He had fooled Sarait, the youngest of Sìle's daughters, into marrying him. They had six sons, including Keir, the eldest at twenty-eight, Rùnach, Brogach, Gille, Eglach, and Ruithneadh and a six-year-old daughter, Mhorghain. The sons conspired with their mother to take down Gair and protect Mhorghain.
Wehr of Wrekin is another black mage, supposedly stronger than Lothar, rumored to be dead. Wehr is/was Queen Desdhemar's grandfather.
The various magics include Camanaë; Fadaire is the magic of the elves of Tòrr Dòrainn; Olc is evil; Caochladh is of changing the essence of a thing and taught only by one mage; Wexham, quick and brutal, is the magic of Neroche; and, Croxteth.
The Cover and Title
The cover is icy blues and white. The cobalt blue of a cloudy sky is reflected in the mountain rising up to the author's name. Framing Morgan on either side are snow-laden evergreens with smaller, less snowy, trees behind her. Wearing an off-white medieval-style dress with tight upper sleeves and flared purple print lower sleeves, a deeper purple front bodice with a pointed apron bordered in a figured purple, and more of the purple print in two godets in the skirt, Morgan herself stands facing us, her long curly hair framing her face. Her right arm is raised to waist level, holding a glowing green stone. Her left hand rests on the hilt of her sword. At the very top is an info blurb in white. The author's name is below this in a purple outlined white, fancy serif font. Level and to the left of Morgan's thighs is a testimonial in white. The title starts at Morgan's knees in a lighter blue outlined in cobalt. Below the title is the series information in blue.
The title is Morgan's true identity, The Mage’s Daughter.
June 14, 2016
I'm really loving this series. The only reason The Mage’s Daughter doesn't get 4 stars like the last book is that I felt that Morgan became a little too needy. I understand this was a life changing experience for her, but her constant crying and weeping was a bit too much.
This one also needed a bit more adventure in it to balance out the romance. It seemed like there were things that were repeated over and over as well. I do love the main characters of this series and enjoyed watching as they fell deeper in love with each other. I really like that the author has written so that the characters don't just jump into having sex as soon as they know they have feelings for each other. Instead we get to see their love and respect for each other grow layer by layer as they come to trust and depend on each other. This is one of those romances that are so romantic I completely forgot that the main characters hadn't even kissed yet until well into the book.
One of the best things about this book is that Morgan was finally able to accept who she is and balance it with who she was. Near the end of the book I saw the old Morgan return somewhat. I had been waiting for that through almost the whole book.
This one also needed a bit more adventure in it to balance out the romance. It seemed like there were things that were repeated over and over as well. I do love the main characters of this series and enjoyed watching as they fell deeper in love with each other. I really like that the author has written so that the characters don't just jump into having sex as soon as they know they have feelings for each other. Instead we get to see their love and respect for each other grow layer by layer as they come to trust and depend on each other. This is one of those romances that are so romantic I completely forgot that the main characters hadn't even kissed yet until well into the book.
One of the best things about this book is that Morgan was finally able to accept who she is and balance it with who she was. Near the end of the book I saw the old Morgan return somewhat. I had been waiting for that through almost the whole book.
September 15, 2015
Warning: this includes spoilers for book one without hiding them under a tag. Proceed at your own risk.
So I was right about Morgan needing to make a huge adjustment. Like most second books in a proposed trilogy, this book had a lot of place holding. Progress is made on the central plotline, but a lot of things need to happen before our heroes are ready to move on to the big leagues. It doesn't help that the ending of the first book left Morgan so shattered. Indeed, it's more than halfway through the book before she's anything like up to her old speed. Interestingly, this didn't bother me at all.
Miach (or, in my head, Micah) was a big part of what kept me engaged. Yeah, he's completely over-powered. Charming, a powerful mage, a deadly swordsman, beautiful, honorable... He's more than a little bit of wish fulfillment if you get right down to it. I think it's his personality that saves it from being cloying, though. Not just his devotion to Morgan, as that's kind of a given for this kind of story. He has a fundamental kindness and humility that is engaging and a sense of perspective about himself and his relationship with others. He's no dominating alpha or faux-modest prince charming. He's mostly a guy with an important job that he doesn't really like trying to squeeze in time for a personal life. I liked that.
I also liked the changes in Morgan. She has to make some fundamental adjustments in this book and Lynn Kurland did an excellent job of making those adjustments seem real. Morgan's extended convalescence lets us know the seriousness of what they face. And her reluctant re-evaluation of truths she thought solid was hard-earned and seemed completely honest.
My least favorite part of the book, and it's losing a full star for this, is the whole "I'm going to make unilateral decisions for our relationship because I love you" trope. I hate this impulse. Real love, true love, means you are a partnership, a team. Making unilateral decisions for the team "out of love" is a contradiction in terms—it's a selfish impulse fundamentally at odds with your claimed love. Hiding painful truths or taking selfish risks to "spare" someone else is a load of crap and not at all romantic. It's infantilizing and trivializes what should be a relationship based on trust. Miach becomes egregiously bad at this late in the novel. I won't go into details (though it's killing me not to) but the only thing that saves the book is that Morgan cuts through his crap relatively fast. I don't know if he's learned his lesson, but I sincerely hope so.
So I was right about Morgan needing to make a huge adjustment. Like most second books in a proposed trilogy, this book had a lot of place holding. Progress is made on the central plotline, but a lot of things need to happen before our heroes are ready to move on to the big leagues. It doesn't help that the ending of the first book left Morgan so shattered. Indeed, it's more than halfway through the book before she's anything like up to her old speed. Interestingly, this didn't bother me at all.
Miach (or, in my head, Micah) was a big part of what kept me engaged. Yeah, he's completely over-powered. Charming, a powerful mage, a deadly swordsman, beautiful, honorable... He's more than a little bit of wish fulfillment if you get right down to it. I think it's his personality that saves it from being cloying, though. Not just his devotion to Morgan, as that's kind of a given for this kind of story. He has a fundamental kindness and humility that is engaging and a sense of perspective about himself and his relationship with others. He's no dominating alpha or faux-modest prince charming. He's mostly a guy with an important job that he doesn't really like trying to squeeze in time for a personal life. I liked that.
I also liked the changes in Morgan. She has to make some fundamental adjustments in this book and Lynn Kurland did an excellent job of making those adjustments seem real. Morgan's extended convalescence lets us know the seriousness of what they face. And her reluctant re-evaluation of truths she thought solid was hard-earned and seemed completely honest.
My least favorite part of the book, and it's losing a full star for this, is the whole "I'm going to make unilateral decisions for our relationship because I love you" trope. I hate this impulse. Real love, true love, means you are a partnership, a team. Making unilateral decisions for the team "out of love" is a contradiction in terms—it's a selfish impulse fundamentally at odds with your claimed love. Hiding painful truths or taking selfish risks to "spare" someone else is a load of crap and not at all romantic. It's infantilizing and trivializes what should be a relationship based on trust. Miach becomes egregiously bad at this late in the novel. I won't go into details (though it's killing me not to) but the only thing that saves the book is that Morgan cuts through his crap relatively fast. I don't know if he's learned his lesson, but I sincerely hope so.
February 25, 2017
Before I started reading The Mage's Daughter I had a glance at reviews and saw some who had given it 3 stars or lower and so I was all - but why? whatever for? - and so took a second glance. Turns out people weren't pleased that Morgan wasn't all kick-ass, springly & the mouthy self she was in 1st book, instead it seems that she was moping around and being not as cool as she was.
heh. Seriously?
LOL. well ok. For sure, I understand what they'remoping being sad about, but...ahahahahaha.
Sigh, ah, I gotta bring down the laughter.
The girl nearly died, hell, she might be the living dead now for all that it matters yet people would expect her to still be just fine after she got broken both physically & emotionally...yeaaaaaaaah
_______________________________
True enough, the first 100 or so pages (what I call the 1st part of the book, to me it felt like the book was divided in 3 parts) showed us a Morgan that had barely survived the poisoning of last book (courtesy of Lothar) thus was barely alive and couldn't go 10 meters without needing a rest, couldn't even hold a cup of water for weeks, she was that hurt from the poison and was also emotionally just as shattered as the Sword of Angesand (courtesy of Morgan herself) due to Miach's untruths.
Honestly? I had no problems with this Morgan. None. And you know why? Because she's only human(well, not really, but you get the meaning).
That's what characters do. It's what makes them so endearing & real, for lack of a better word, to us. It's why we love to read about these characters, their stories - they struggle.
Every decent fantasy character (any character really, that has at least a bit of drama or darkness in their story), must come to a point in their tale where they reach their rock bottom. The lowest of their lowest.
This was Morgan's pitch blackness.
It actually already started from the moment she laid her hand upon the dagger of Queen Mehar and had her magic awakened in Star of the Morning. Her mental/emotion breakdown. From that point on, it slowly added up - the magic, her past - until it all came crashing down when, from Morgan's point of view, she already wasn't feeling quite herself yet still let herself to fall in love with Miach, only for it to turn out that he only wanted her for her magic and he is also actually a freaking prince. Kaboom. Emotional breakdown. Add to that a lethal poison whom she barely survived and weeks into recovery was still as weak as a newborn kitten, literally, and you got the characters rock bottom.
I loved it. It felt real. Morgan not being able to even walk for 5 minutes. Tearing up. The self disgust with her being so weak. The girl knew she was being pathetic and didn't like it, but she needed time to recover physically AND emotionally. If Morgan had been just fine and walked around as if her heart hadn't been sliced in half, even if that had been only a front - it would've felt fake. We needed to see her breakdown and struggle. So that she could then get stronger and accept who she is now.
________________________
So yeah, the 1st part of the book showed us a weakened Morgan both physically & emotionally and I was just fine with it. With a story like this - it had to happen. And it's not like it was only about Morgan.
While Morgan decided to skulk off to Gobhann aka Weger's tower aka that bad-ass place that lets out only bad-asses we got to meet the famous Weger. That was a real interesting character. And it's not like Miach was absent. Our dear archmage also decided to polish his sword skills to get his love back and have a chance to grovel at her feet with apologies (not literally), so that also provided entertaining reading material. And all that ^ while Morgan was being "mopy", the horror. *sarcasm people, at it's greatest*
True enough, The Mage's Daughter wasn't as quest like as the 1st book and was more generously laced with romance, but it still retained it's fantasy status with the mysterious monsters, magic, swords, royalty, traveling and so forth.
______________
So in 2nd part of the book we're starting to see Morgan's comeback, slow thou it may yet be, her acceptance of just who she is and their journey to figure out just what is threatening not only Neroche, but all Nine Kingdoms, continues. ...while being generously laced with romance, of course XD
We also get to meet Morgan's, or rather Mhorghain's family from her mother's side. When I said in my review of Star of the Morning that Morgan might as well be a warrior princess, didn't realise how on point I was. Maybe I've got some magical skills only my own, huh? XD *wink wink* ROFL
Also, among her newly re-found relatives the best one is her youngest uncle, Sosar, that guy's a real fun fellow, maybe he'll have a book of his own, hmmm? and blast it! We got to meet more of the awesome Angesand horses and I still want that horse! I mean, who wouldn’t want a gossiping horse?! How cool is that?
____________________
This turned out to be rather lengthy, but overall I'd say that while The Mage's Daughter wasn't as quest-like and exciting as the 1st book, it was still a good fantasy and I enjoyed it. It was actually a rather good 2nd book in a fantasy series. Kurland did good.
We had the:
.::. 1st part of the book with a broken Morgan and entertainment provided by mysterious Weger & determined Miach trying to win back Morgan's trust while mastering bad-ass sword skills.
.::. 2nd part with Morgan starting her comeback and accepting her past & who she is now...while being wooed by Miach XD and meeting her mothers family ;)
.::. 2nd part rather seamlessly flowing into 3rd where the journey to find out the evil that's threatening the Nine Kingdom's continues and shall continue in next book.
The Mage's Daughter had the magic of Star of the Morning toned down a tad bit and instead added some more romance, but considering it's a 2nd book in what's intended as part of a fantasy trilogy, Kurland didn't mess up, had me reading and wanting to continue to read.
Thou it still had those same few misspellings as she did in 1st book. Oh well. And I'd say by the end of this book Morgan is about 70% back to herself, or more like, accepting the current self she has become - magic and all.
That's it. I'm off to read next one! :)
Also and this is VERY important - Adhémar is only a tiiiiny bit in the first pages - afterwards? Blessed peace :D
Thou by the events that happened, seems like there's a chance that that growing up mentioned previously in my review of 1st book might be happening sometime soon, innnnnnteresting ~
heh. Seriously?
LOL. well ok. For sure, I understand what they're
Sigh, ah, I gotta bring down the laughter.
The girl nearly died, hell, she might be the living dead now for all that it matters yet people would expect her to still be just fine after she got broken both physically & emotionally...yeaaaaaaaah
_______________________________
True enough, the first 100 or so pages (what I call the 1st part of the book, to me it felt like the book was divided in 3 parts) showed us a Morgan that had barely survived the poisoning of last book (courtesy of Lothar) thus was barely alive and couldn't go 10 meters without needing a rest, couldn't even hold a cup of water for weeks, she was that hurt from the poison and was also emotionally just as shattered as the Sword of Angesand (courtesy of Morgan herself) due to Miach's untruths.
Honestly? I had no problems with this Morgan. None. And you know why? Because she's only human
That's what characters do. It's what makes them so endearing & real, for lack of a better word, to us. It's why we love to read about these characters, their stories - they struggle.
Every decent fantasy character (any character really, that has at least a bit of drama or darkness in their story), must come to a point in their tale where they reach their rock bottom. The lowest of their lowest.
This was Morgan's pitch blackness.
It actually already started from the moment she laid her hand upon the dagger of Queen Mehar and had her magic awakened in Star of the Morning. Her mental/emotion breakdown. From that point on, it slowly added up - the magic, her past - until it all came crashing down when, from Morgan's point of view, she already wasn't feeling quite herself yet still let herself to fall in love with Miach, only for it to turn out that he only wanted her for her magic and he is also actually a freaking prince. Kaboom. Emotional breakdown. Add to that a lethal poison whom she barely survived and weeks into recovery was still as weak as a newborn kitten, literally, and you got the characters rock bottom.
I loved it. It felt real. Morgan not being able to even walk for 5 minutes. Tearing up. The self disgust with her being so weak. The girl knew she was being pathetic and didn't like it, but she needed time to recover physically AND emotionally. If Morgan had been just fine and walked around as if her heart hadn't been sliced in half, even if that had been only a front - it would've felt fake. We needed to see her breakdown and struggle. So that she could then get stronger and accept who she is now.
________________________
So yeah, the 1st part of the book showed us a weakened Morgan both physically & emotionally and I was just fine with it. With a story like this - it had to happen. And it's not like it was only about Morgan.
While Morgan decided to skulk off to Gobhann aka Weger's tower aka that bad-ass place that lets out only bad-asses we got to meet the famous Weger. That was a real interesting character. And it's not like Miach was absent. Our dear archmage also decided to polish his sword skills to get his love back and have a chance to grovel at her feet with apologies (not literally), so that also provided entertaining reading material. And all that ^ while Morgan was being "mopy", the horror. *sarcasm people, at it's greatest*
True enough, The Mage's Daughter wasn't as quest like as the 1st book and was more generously laced with romance, but it still retained it's fantasy status with the mysterious monsters, magic, swords, royalty, traveling and so forth.
______________
So in 2nd part of the book we're starting to see Morgan's comeback, slow thou it may yet be, her acceptance of just who she is and their journey to figure out just what is threatening not only Neroche, but all Nine Kingdoms, continues. ...while being generously laced with romance, of course XD
We also get to meet Morgan's, or rather Mhorghain's family from her mother's side. When I said in my review of Star of the Morning that Morgan might as well be a warrior princess, didn't realise how on point I was. Maybe I've got some magical skills only my own, huh? XD *wink wink* ROFL
Also, among her newly re-found relatives the best one is her youngest uncle, Sosar, that guy's a real fun fellow, maybe he'll have a book of his own, hmmm? and blast it! We got to meet more of the awesome Angesand horses and I still want that horse! I mean, who wouldn’t want a gossiping horse?! How cool is that?
____________________
This turned out to be rather lengthy, but overall I'd say that while The Mage's Daughter wasn't as quest-like and exciting as the 1st book, it was still a good fantasy and I enjoyed it. It was actually a rather good 2nd book in a fantasy series. Kurland did good.
We had the:
.::. 1st part of the book with a broken Morgan and entertainment provided by mysterious Weger & determined Miach trying to win back Morgan's trust while mastering bad-ass sword skills.
.::. 2nd part with Morgan starting her comeback and accepting her past & who she is now...while being wooed by Miach XD and meeting her mothers family ;)
.::. 2nd part rather seamlessly flowing into 3rd where the journey to find out the evil that's threatening the Nine Kingdom's continues and shall continue in next book.
The Mage's Daughter had the magic of Star of the Morning toned down a tad bit and instead added some more romance, but considering it's a 2nd book in what's intended as part of a fantasy trilogy, Kurland didn't mess up, had me reading and wanting to continue to read.
Thou it still had those same few misspellings as she did in 1st book. Oh well. And I'd say by the end of this book Morgan is about 70% back to herself, or more like, accepting the current self she has become - magic and all.
That's it. I'm off to read next one! :)
Also and this is VERY important - Adhémar is only a tiiiiny bit in the first pages - afterwards? Blessed peace :D
Thou by the events that happened, seems like there's a chance that that growing up mentioned previously in my review of 1st book might be happening sometime soon, innnnnnteresting ~
November 1, 2017
3.5/5
Similar to book 1 but I enjoyed the characters even more.
Similar to book 1 but I enjoyed the characters even more.
December 29, 2016
I love this series! I can't believe I waited so long to read it! On to book 3!
April 17, 2017
I love this series, it's just really, really good. I'm happy there are many books still left to read in it. The characters, story and world building are strong and it's quickly becoming a favorite.
April 8, 2013
I love this series. It's hard to review books in a series because soon it's the characters and the story entirely that has kind of taken over my mind. This is definitely a romance that I would consider a love story rather than the torrid romances that I often think of when someone refers to a book in that genre. Other than the world this takes place in is complex and might be difficult for a young teen to follow, there is nothing in it that is inappropriate. Personally I found it kind of refreshing not to have instant love, longing, one or the other raving about how hot the other one is.
Moving on, I did fall in love with Miach in the first book and if anything, this book increased that. I admire the way the author let the reader know from the beginning of the book that Miach is a powerful mage. I should mention that he is a younger prince of one of the kingdoms and the archmage responsible for keeping the kingdoms free of evil magic. But as the books go on it is revealed bit by bit just how powerful a mage Prince Mochriadhemiach of Neroche really is. The book is written in the third person but goes back and forth throughout with the reader seeing things through Morgan's eyes and at other times through Miach's. You can feel the emotions of each as their relationship that begins in an uneasy friendship strengthens into real love. It isn't done quickly as happens in so many books, and I liked that. Or I should say it was not quick for her as Miach knew from the beginning.
But a note about the story in this second book. At the end of the previous book Morgan was poisoned by a very strong evil mage and is dying. So how would this event play out in most books? Maybe two chapters of her being very ill, a chapter of two of her recovery, and then by chapter five or six she would be out practicing swordplay again.... I saw in some reviews, criticism of Morgan for her NOT swift recovery, her crying when before she had been so strong and invincible, and her weakness even when she is finding out terrible secrets of her childhood and life she did not remember. I found it far more realistic than the usual expected scenario. There were times I was impatient with her, but Miach was not. He loves her. I am merely the listener of the tale. But his love for her is kind of the point the story is making. He gave her the time she needed to heal while also finding out terrible things about her past and finding out shocking things about who she really is. I found it interesting that I kept imagining Miach to be as old as the immortal elves, but he is a mortal and is 28, youngest prince of many brothers but the one chosen for and born with magic.
I loved it when these two go to the kingdom of the elves, but will not reveal why they are there. I was enchanted, if that is an appropriate word for how I felt about elves, by several new characters. I loved that the horses that they received from Hearn in the first book could communicate with the elf, Sosar, and told him things that Miach had kept from him. The latter parts of this book revealed some answers to the quest they have been on and just how evil the magic really is that threatens the Kingdoms. But rather than spoil any of the story, I marked some quotes that I like that I will share here. I will say that Miach has become one of my very favorite book heroes.
"Unbidden, a vision of elven magic danced before her eyes. She saw its fierce beauty, the spells of Camanae and their sweetness, all the other things that Miach had shown her, things she never would have seen if she'd never gone into that tower chamber, never agreed to take Nicholas's blade to Tor Neroche, never met a man who patiently fashioned spell after spell so she could look them all over and see what pleased her the most."
"He set the ring in the midst of the crowns, then rose. He started to leave, but found he couldn't. He leaned over her with a hand on either side of her, then bent and kissed her softly. He pulled back and stared down at her. Who would have thought that sending Adhemar off on a quest to find a wielder for the Sword of Angesand would have resulted in his giving his heart to the woman lying before him?
Or that leaving her was shredding his heart into great, tattered pieces? He bowed his head. He couldn't ask her to come. He just couldn't."
"Miach stared at the two elvish princes standing in front of him, men who were centuries older than he was, men whose magic and power ran far back into the reaches of legend, and found himself too surprised to speak.
'When will things stop being something other than what I thought they were?' Morgan had asked him.
'Death is the final surprise,' he'd answered.
He'd been right. He'd just never thought that answer would apply to him."
"Sile said nothing. He merely sat with his feet toward the fire, his arms resting on his knees, looking for all the world like a soldier who had seen so many battles that they had ceased to hold any excitement for him.
Or he would have, if he hadn't looked so much like an elven king, beautiful and terrible.
He wasn't watching her, though; he was watching Miach. She closed her eyes, let her breathing deepen, then waited for the inevitable to happen.
'You would give your life for hers.'
'Aye, Your Grace. And I will.'
'She will mourn.'
'She will be alive to do so.'
'All right....Miach.'
Morgan continued to breathe evenly. She would wait, then follow him before he could leave without her.
Again."
Moving on, I did fall in love with Miach in the first book and if anything, this book increased that. I admire the way the author let the reader know from the beginning of the book that Miach is a powerful mage. I should mention that he is a younger prince of one of the kingdoms and the archmage responsible for keeping the kingdoms free of evil magic. But as the books go on it is revealed bit by bit just how powerful a mage Prince Mochriadhemiach of Neroche really is. The book is written in the third person but goes back and forth throughout with the reader seeing things through Morgan's eyes and at other times through Miach's. You can feel the emotions of each as their relationship that begins in an uneasy friendship strengthens into real love. It isn't done quickly as happens in so many books, and I liked that. Or I should say it was not quick for her as Miach knew from the beginning.
But a note about the story in this second book. At the end of the previous book Morgan was poisoned by a very strong evil mage and is dying. So how would this event play out in most books? Maybe two chapters of her being very ill, a chapter of two of her recovery, and then by chapter five or six she would be out practicing swordplay again.... I saw in some reviews, criticism of Morgan for her NOT swift recovery, her crying when before she had been so strong and invincible, and her weakness even when she is finding out terrible secrets of her childhood and life she did not remember. I found it far more realistic than the usual expected scenario. There were times I was impatient with her, but Miach was not. He loves her. I am merely the listener of the tale. But his love for her is kind of the point the story is making. He gave her the time she needed to heal while also finding out terrible things about her past and finding out shocking things about who she really is. I found it interesting that I kept imagining Miach to be as old as the immortal elves, but he is a mortal and is 28, youngest prince of many brothers but the one chosen for and born with magic.
I loved it when these two go to the kingdom of the elves, but will not reveal why they are there. I was enchanted, if that is an appropriate word for how I felt about elves, by several new characters. I loved that the horses that they received from Hearn in the first book could communicate with the elf, Sosar, and told him things that Miach had kept from him. The latter parts of this book revealed some answers to the quest they have been on and just how evil the magic really is that threatens the Kingdoms. But rather than spoil any of the story, I marked some quotes that I like that I will share here. I will say that Miach has become one of my very favorite book heroes.
"Unbidden, a vision of elven magic danced before her eyes. She saw its fierce beauty, the spells of Camanae and their sweetness, all the other things that Miach had shown her, things she never would have seen if she'd never gone into that tower chamber, never agreed to take Nicholas's blade to Tor Neroche, never met a man who patiently fashioned spell after spell so she could look them all over and see what pleased her the most."
"He set the ring in the midst of the crowns, then rose. He started to leave, but found he couldn't. He leaned over her with a hand on either side of her, then bent and kissed her softly. He pulled back and stared down at her. Who would have thought that sending Adhemar off on a quest to find a wielder for the Sword of Angesand would have resulted in his giving his heart to the woman lying before him?
Or that leaving her was shredding his heart into great, tattered pieces? He bowed his head. He couldn't ask her to come. He just couldn't."
"Miach stared at the two elvish princes standing in front of him, men who were centuries older than he was, men whose magic and power ran far back into the reaches of legend, and found himself too surprised to speak.
'When will things stop being something other than what I thought they were?' Morgan had asked him.
'Death is the final surprise,' he'd answered.
He'd been right. He'd just never thought that answer would apply to him."
"Sile said nothing. He merely sat with his feet toward the fire, his arms resting on his knees, looking for all the world like a soldier who had seen so many battles that they had ceased to hold any excitement for him.
Or he would have, if he hadn't looked so much like an elven king, beautiful and terrible.
He wasn't watching her, though; he was watching Miach. She closed her eyes, let her breathing deepen, then waited for the inevitable to happen.
'You would give your life for hers.'
'Aye, Your Grace. And I will.'
'She will mourn.'
'She will be alive to do so.'
'All right....Miach.'
Morgan continued to breathe evenly. She would wait, then follow him before he could leave without her.
Again."
October 8, 2009
In Book 2 of the Nine Kingdoms, Neroche is still under siege by nightmarish creatures and Miach feels no closer to finding a worthy combatant against the unknown magic. Meanwhile Morgan is back on her home island of Melksham on a long road to recovery after nearly escaping death. Miach's responsibilities as archmage keep him at Tor Neroche but not without his constant sensing of Morgan's presence. However when she's finally well enough to stand on her own two feet, Morgan flees to her second home, the mercenary keep Gobhann, in an attempt to run from her dark dreams and what they imply. Instead, Morgan finds herself running towards her problems when Miach arrives at Gobhann after losing track of her essence. What ensues will be a painful yet hopeful convalescence for Morgan and a difficult but rewarding testing period for Miach as he undergoes rigorous training and wrestles between what his heart wants and what his Kingdom needs.
Reaching the end of another Nine Kingdoms book, I find myself pleasantly surprised at the sheer enjoyment it was to read. The writing style is very readable, and the pacing is good. That Morgan and Miach are so well drawn, however, is the real strength of this series. The secondary characters come and go but both the leads remain perfectly emotionally conflicted; Miach between duty and love and Morgan between her former self and her new self. There were so many moments that I couldn't help but grin. For example Morgan's aversion to wooing and romance despite her feelings for Miach. Or her acerbic tongue, exceptional prowess with a sword, growing curiosity towards magic, her ability to be underestimated and the surprising and awesome runic bond she share's with Miach at the ending. The fantasy in this installment - short humans as dwarves, beautiful humans as elves, and simple good v. evil magic - also remains easy to identify with. For someone who'd call herself neither fantasy expert nor novice, the subtle world-building is still very satisfying.
That said this is romantic fantasy and the focus, even more than in the first book, is on the romance. Since 1) This series is my first foray into the subgenre, 2) I'm a romantic at heart, and 3) I don't read straight romances, I found it extremely refreshing in a guilty pleasure sort of way but without the guilt. On the other hand like eating chocolate until you're sick I wouldn't want to read it all the time. There's little traveling or battling in the first half, and I did get a little stir-crazy for some action and major plot movement. The dialogue, sentimental glances and PDA between Miach and Morgan also began to feel a tad sappy. Similarly the ubiquitous burning eyes, sleeve-across-the-eye dragging, and flat out weeping done by both characters bordered on obsessive. I can understand how difficult it was for Morgan to discover that something she's loathed her entire life is exactly what she turned out to be. I can also understand the seeming impossibility of being between a rock that is Miach's mantle and hard place that is his feelings. That is precisely why I love them so much. But for crying out loud (no pun intended) is it physically possible to shed so many tears? They were crying mountains between them! But thankfully in the last half the fantasy plot finally moved forward and the conclusion was so chock-full of rewarding travels, swordfighting, spellcasting, and realistic romance it made up for the minor complaints I had about Miach and Morgan's relationship. Further proof was how unashamedly and possessively I held and admired the third book, Princess of the Sword, before I could even start reading it. Just ask DH. I couldn't keep the excited anticipation in.
Reaching the end of another Nine Kingdoms book, I find myself pleasantly surprised at the sheer enjoyment it was to read. The writing style is very readable, and the pacing is good. That Morgan and Miach are so well drawn, however, is the real strength of this series. The secondary characters come and go but both the leads remain perfectly emotionally conflicted; Miach between duty and love and Morgan between her former self and her new self. There were so many moments that I couldn't help but grin. For example Morgan's aversion to wooing and romance despite her feelings for Miach. Or her acerbic tongue, exceptional prowess with a sword, growing curiosity towards magic, her ability to be underestimated and the surprising and awesome runic bond she share's with Miach at the ending. The fantasy in this installment - short humans as dwarves, beautiful humans as elves, and simple good v. evil magic - also remains easy to identify with. For someone who'd call herself neither fantasy expert nor novice, the subtle world-building is still very satisfying.
That said this is romantic fantasy and the focus, even more than in the first book, is on the romance. Since 1) This series is my first foray into the subgenre, 2) I'm a romantic at heart, and 3) I don't read straight romances, I found it extremely refreshing in a guilty pleasure sort of way but without the guilt. On the other hand like eating chocolate until you're sick I wouldn't want to read it all the time. There's little traveling or battling in the first half, and I did get a little stir-crazy for some action and major plot movement. The dialogue, sentimental glances and PDA between Miach and Morgan also began to feel a tad sappy. Similarly the ubiquitous burning eyes, sleeve-across-the-eye dragging, and flat out weeping done by both characters bordered on obsessive. I can understand how difficult it was for Morgan to discover that something she's loathed her entire life is exactly what she turned out to be. I can also understand the seeming impossibility of being between a rock that is Miach's mantle and hard place that is his feelings. That is precisely why I love them so much. But for crying out loud (no pun intended) is it physically possible to shed so many tears? They were crying mountains between them! But thankfully in the last half the fantasy plot finally moved forward and the conclusion was so chock-full of rewarding travels, swordfighting, spellcasting, and realistic romance it made up for the minor complaints I had about Miach and Morgan's relationship. Further proof was how unashamedly and possessively I held and admired the third book, Princess of the Sword, before I could even start reading it. Just ask DH. I couldn't keep the excited anticipation in.
September 13, 2016
I read this book just because I was mildly interested in finishing the story of Micha and Morgan, but mostly because I couldn't understand why I thought these books were so bad, when they should have been everything I love in a novel. I kept thinking if I forced myself to keep reading, I would love it by the end, and sadly, that never happened.
Most of the frustrations I expressed in my review of #1 carry over to this book, but there was one particularly annoying development that really dragged this book down for me. Morgan, our lead female, went from a pretty kickass female go getter, to a crying, blubbering, damsel in distress. For the first few chapters, I could forgive the weakness and crying because she was recovering from her poisoning. But it felt like every other page "her checks were wet before she even noticed the water in her eyes" and other tried expressions o crying. I felt like her attitude was completely washed away, and she became a one note, wimpy, barley ties her own shoes while she has men around to do it female. It was really disappointing and made me even LESS interested in this world. the story, or the characters.
To round out my less than inspired review of this book I will say that I felt calling this a romance was a stretch. Two characters saying "I love you" doesn't make it a romance. This time around there was some potentially interesting plot developments, but all of that was ruined by the aforementioned crying and feeling sorry for ourselves Morgan was busy with the entire time. I didn't feel like there was a well developed world for these characters, and I didn't get a sense of magic's place in the world because the characters could use it for whatever was most convenient for them (and the author)
Much like when I finished the first, I did move on to reach the final book in Morgan's story, mainly because I still felt like I must have been missing something here, why was this series so popular. But overall, really bored and disappointment by this series.
Most of the frustrations I expressed in my review of #1 carry over to this book, but there was one particularly annoying development that really dragged this book down for me. Morgan, our lead female, went from a pretty kickass female go getter, to a crying, blubbering, damsel in distress. For the first few chapters, I could forgive the weakness and crying because she was recovering from her poisoning. But it felt like every other page "her checks were wet before she even noticed the water in her eyes" and other tried expressions o crying. I felt like her attitude was completely washed away, and she became a one note, wimpy, barley ties her own shoes while she has men around to do it female. It was really disappointing and made me even LESS interested in this world. the story, or the characters.
To round out my less than inspired review of this book I will say that I felt calling this a romance was a stretch. Two characters saying "I love you" doesn't make it a romance. This time around there was some potentially interesting plot developments, but all of that was ruined by the aforementioned crying and feeling sorry for ourselves Morgan was busy with the entire time. I didn't feel like there was a well developed world for these characters, and I didn't get a sense of magic's place in the world because the characters could use it for whatever was most convenient for them (and the author)
Much like when I finished the first, I did move on to reach the final book in Morgan's story, mainly because I still felt like I must have been missing something here, why was this series so popular. But overall, really bored and disappointment by this series.
January 23, 2011
This book and the first one were SO good I could barely stop reading to feed my kids =)! I haven't been so involved in books in a while and it was so nice. I love a good fantasy romance and these were excellent and clean too amazingly enough! Pretty much everyone I know on goodreads will love these so do read them! I just can't wait to read the last one!
November 1, 2011
I couldn't finish it! Book annoyed me so badly I couldn't see the point. The main character, besides for being poisoned managed to get slapped with the stick of stupidity. Maybe I'm not in the mood to read this right now. Best as a Sunday on the couch read where you can finish it in a day, but to draw it out over several days is just painful.
February 17, 2016
Terrible book, only one of the characters were likable, it was awful, etc, etc. Enjoyed the hell out of it. Would read again.
August 1, 2023
I didn't love this book as much as the first, but with the cliffhanger at the end of the last one I had to just tear my way through this. The overall fantasy plot remains incredibly interesting and I love the way we learn alongside Morgan and Miach exactly what's at stake and why. The use of genealogy to unravel the mystery is also very interesting and helps to set the tone of familial ties being so important to this world.
That said, those families were what I disliked the most. Morgan spends the whole first book asserting and proving that she is a highly capable woman who rises far above the expectations for *any* gender in her world. Her struggle at the beginning of The Mage's Daughter makes sense considering she was *literally poisoned* at the end of the last book. Kurland gives us a very realistic view of recovery from such an injury, even with the help of magic, and all the men in Morgan's life don't see her as weak, just hurt. It really helps to establish the trust, care, and confidence they all have in her ability to heal and get better and back to her old self.
However, she never will. She might heal from the poison but Morgan will never be who she once was. There have been too many revelations to allow that, and she spends most of this book actively avoiding the situation. That's well within her character, and not what irks me. What bothers me most about this book is Miach's insistence that he has to ask for her hand in marriage from her grandfather. If Morgan had had *any* relationship with this man before the middle of this book, I'd say this could maybe be overlooked as tradition, but since she and Miach only confirmed her heritage within the last few months of the plot, it doesn't make sense to me why he gets so hung up on asking the Elf King for his blessing. Morgan, too, is perplexed. A) She's a grown woman who can make her own decisions (agreed) and B) SHE DOESN'T KNOW HER GRANDFATHER. As soon as she steps into his realm, the man tries to sweep her away into his family and control her life like it's his right. I get that he's worried he'll lose her again, and the hurt he still holds after losing Morgan's mother is a driving force in these actions, but regardless, it's a little icky. Good thing Morgan at least doesn't really care. She pushes back immediately while still putting in the effort to have a personal relationship with the man. Good job, girl, you're doin' great!
Miach, also, makes some questionable decisions. Going to Weger's keep to prove himself to Morgan and take her out of there is a super romantic gesture. He knows she values sword skill above all, and knows he must apologize for his lies and distrust, and I think subjecting himself to all the horrors of her training is the perfect way to show her he's serious -- about her, about her skill, and about her future. And it works!
But then... he leaves her. Over and over in the last half of the book, he's constantly trying to skirt her to do "his duty." Keeping secrets is nothing new, but after the disaster that wrought in the first book I'd have thought he'd learned his lesson. He didn't, and it takes him getting *impaled* for him to figure out that oh, maybe he does need help, and, oh, she really loves him and he hurt her again by walking away. Even if it was to keep her safe. Even if he was trying to protect her.
He spends so much time talking about how skilled and powerful she is, and yet when it comes down to the wire he won't let her help him. (Then again, he refuses aid from literally everyone else in the book too, so maybe this has more to do with his need to shoulder the weight of the world and less to do with his confidence in Morgan's skills).
In the end, I think this book suffers from what many romances do: as soon as the characters admit they are in love, they get really, REALLY stupid. Miach and Morgan are not stupid characters, but their love makes them do some stupid shit. I guess in that sense it's pretty realistic. Still, I want that suave, confident mage and his hearty, confident woman. No more tip-toeing!
Plot: 4/5
Pacing: 5/5
Character: 4/5
Spice: 1/5 (No spice)
That said, those families were what I disliked the most. Morgan spends the whole first book asserting and proving that she is a highly capable woman who rises far above the expectations for *any* gender in her world. Her struggle at the beginning of The Mage's Daughter makes sense considering she was *literally poisoned* at the end of the last book. Kurland gives us a very realistic view of recovery from such an injury, even with the help of magic, and all the men in Morgan's life don't see her as weak, just hurt. It really helps to establish the trust, care, and confidence they all have in her ability to heal and get better and back to her old self.
However, she never will. She might heal from the poison but Morgan will never be who she once was. There have been too many revelations to allow that, and she spends most of this book actively avoiding the situation. That's well within her character, and not what irks me. What bothers me most about this book is Miach's insistence that he has to ask for her hand in marriage from her grandfather. If Morgan had had *any* relationship with this man before the middle of this book, I'd say this could maybe be overlooked as tradition, but since she and Miach only confirmed her heritage within the last few months of the plot, it doesn't make sense to me why he gets so hung up on asking the Elf King for his blessing. Morgan, too, is perplexed. A) She's a grown woman who can make her own decisions (agreed) and B) SHE DOESN'T KNOW HER GRANDFATHER. As soon as she steps into his realm, the man tries to sweep her away into his family and control her life like it's his right. I get that he's worried he'll lose her again, and the hurt he still holds after losing Morgan's mother is a driving force in these actions, but regardless, it's a little icky. Good thing Morgan at least doesn't really care. She pushes back immediately while still putting in the effort to have a personal relationship with the man. Good job, girl, you're doin' great!
Miach, also, makes some questionable decisions. Going to Weger's keep to prove himself to Morgan and take her out of there is a super romantic gesture. He knows she values sword skill above all, and knows he must apologize for his lies and distrust, and I think subjecting himself to all the horrors of her training is the perfect way to show her he's serious -- about her, about her skill, and about her future. And it works!
But then... he leaves her. Over and over in the last half of the book, he's constantly trying to skirt her to do "his duty." Keeping secrets is nothing new, but after the disaster that wrought in the first book I'd have thought he'd learned his lesson. He didn't, and it takes him getting *impaled* for him to figure out that oh, maybe he does need help, and, oh, she really loves him and he hurt her again by walking away. Even if it was to keep her safe. Even if he was trying to protect her.
He spends so much time talking about how skilled and powerful she is, and yet when it comes down to the wire he won't let her help him. (Then again, he refuses aid from literally everyone else in the book too, so maybe this has more to do with his need to shoulder the weight of the world and less to do with his confidence in Morgan's skills).
In the end, I think this book suffers from what many romances do: as soon as the characters admit they are in love, they get really, REALLY stupid. Miach and Morgan are not stupid characters, but their love makes them do some stupid shit. I guess in that sense it's pretty realistic. Still, I want that suave, confident mage and his hearty, confident woman. No more tip-toeing!
Plot: 4/5
Pacing: 5/5
Character: 4/5
Spice: 1/5 (No spice)
October 9, 2017
I was somewhat confused for most of this book, because I simply couldn't remember what happened in Star of the Morning, and it drove me crazy. I wish I had the time to go back and listen to the first book before I started this one. I remembered the gist, that Morgan of Melksham and Miach of Neroche met up as they journeyed across the Nine Kingdoms and started to fall in love. Only Miach had told Morgan that he was a simple farmer's son, and not the Archmage of the realm. When Morgan learned the truth, she broke a sword and ran off half-cocked and got herself poisoned by Ludar, the big bad. So while I had all the overall storyline in mind, I really wish that I remembered the smaller details.
Now Morgan is recovering from her poisoning and near-death with her old friend and mentor, Sir Nicholas. But Morgan is being plagued by dreams which she attributes to magic so she journeys to the one place where magic cannot touch her, her swordmaster Weegar's stronghold. Morgan is maintaining her aversion to mages and magic, and refusing to believe/heed what her own abilities and dreams are telling her. She thinks the worst of Miach and of the rest of the realm, and is withdrawing into herself.
Luckily Miach is willing to follow Morgan, even when doing so puts him and the realm in danger. Miach uses the time as Weegar's pupil to convince Morgan that he is, really, that into her. I really like Miach and admire his ability to handle the mantle of responsibility on his shoulders. At only 28 years old, Miach is very young to be the Archmage, and he has held the title for quite some time. He is selfless in all things, except for matters of the heart. He is determined to have Morgan no matter the cost. So I also admired his determination and patience in that regard.
As the story progressed and Moran and Miach are on the move across the realm, Morgan begins to accept her situation and we start to see some character growth from her. We end up learning much more about Morgan's past and origins, which will have longstanding effects on the future of the series. I enjoyed this aspect of the story and look forward to seeing how it continues moving forward.
There was a little more confusion for me involving the two characters named Lutar/Ludar (sp?)... one a family member and one a bad guy. Perhaps the names are spelled different, but they sounded the same in the audiobook. So I wish those had more variance to avoid any mixups when I'm trying to decipher who is who (as there are a large number of characters in this series).
The narrator, Laura Jennings, did a fair job with the narration. While some of the characters had the same "sound" - at least the male and female were clearly delineated. I did find my attention wandering at times, but I think that is more attributable to me trying to remember past storylines than the quality of the narration. I will continue this series in audio as I think these first two books have provided a nice set up for the remainder of the series.
I voluntarily reviewed an advanced copy of this audiobook that I received from the publisher, Tantor Audio.
October 10, 2021
I thought this one was better than the first in many ways, as it didn't include near so mentions of gender roles (my main grievance with these books). At times the way the characters talk and react is a bit over-the-top, but I enjoy the humor and characters enough not to mind. I also thought that
Overall though, I found it sweet and enjoyed seeing Morgan
Though at times the morality is a bit too binary for me, it isn't so much that I didn't enjoy the book. I'll be continuing the series.
Overall though, I found it sweet and enjoyed seeing Morgan
Though at times the morality is a bit too binary for me, it isn't so much that I didn't enjoy the book. I'll be continuing the series.
December 10, 2018
Miach, the grand mage of Neroche, is searching for Morgan - the mercenary who stole his heart, and has no idea who she really is. But Miach knows who Morgan is, and she is the daughter of a notorious black mage. The last time he saw her, not only did she hate him, but she was dying, and so when suddenly he can no longer sense her, he leaves his kingdom to find her and win her heart. But there is an evil learning in the nine realms, and if Miach cannot discover its source, and find a way to stop it, it will spell disaster for everyone, especially Morgan.
Such a great continuation of this epic fantasy adventure. I loved watching Morgan discover her origins, and also come face to face with her feelings for Miach. There was a lot more romance in this one, but it was still squeaky clean, which is so refreshing. I really enjoyed it.
Such a great continuation of this epic fantasy adventure. I loved watching Morgan discover her origins, and also come face to face with her feelings for Miach. There was a lot more romance in this one, but it was still squeaky clean, which is so refreshing. I really enjoyed it.
December 16, 2020
3.7
So, Our heroine has started to irritate me. What happened to the women in the first book ?!!
Half of this book is about Miach wooing Morgan, which I should say is done on point. The romantic aspect of this series is so good ! Miach is a dream.
And the plot line of the story, other than the romance is also good, it just takes so long for things to happen, and I want to know what happens ! But I'm getting so frustrated with the pacing of the book.
I almost skipped read a few chapters, but came back to them once the book ended.
So, Our heroine has started to irritate me. What happened to the women in the first book ?!!
Half of this book is about Miach wooing Morgan, which I should say is done on point. The romantic aspect of this series is so good ! Miach is a dream.
And the plot line of the story, other than the romance is also good, it just takes so long for things to happen, and I want to know what happens ! But I'm getting so frustrated with the pacing of the book.
I almost skipped read a few chapters, but came back to them once the book ended.
January 31, 2022
Book 2 has a complete tonal change from the first. It's lacking the humor, the funny banter. I get that Morgan is recovering from trauma and near death, but she loses her feisty personality to be a weepy woman who lets others lead her :( I'll read the next to finish the trilogy but uggghh. You can still be feisty while in love? There's also a lot of discussing the same thing 10 different times - I'd read a passage and be like, didn't we already discuss this 25 pages ago?
January 1, 2019
I liked this book pretty well. I liked the fantasy and romance all intertwined together. This book was like a roller coaster. It took you up and down. I liked Morgan and how she was another fierce fighter. I hated how in the end she turns intoa baby. I rate this book 3.5 stars.
November 2, 2019
4.25 stars.
The fight kind of subtle, no bloody gory like in many current PNR/Fantasy story available out there.
The romance? Oh, so sweet! 😊
And Adhemar, is a stupid king!
What the hell he’s thinking about after what happened with him before?
No, he wasn’t the hero.
❤️
The fight kind of subtle, no bloody gory like in many current PNR/Fantasy story available out there.
The romance? Oh, so sweet! 😊
And Adhemar, is a stupid king!
What the hell he’s thinking about after what happened with him before?
No, he wasn’t the hero.
❤️
December 15, 2019
Yes, yes I know the hero is suppose to be the handsome prince, the courageous king, the lonely mercenary, the clever knight but Miach is just so wonderful as the archmage.
I just love how patient and self sacrificing he is. He doesn't care if he comes off as weak and incompetent, even if he is the strongest magic user in the country, as long as he shows Morgan how much he loves her. The first book, I loved how the author made each fell in love with the other, slow careful steps of trust, humility and humor. I loved that Miach tested his loyalty to the king in saving his love for a woman. Yes, Morgan is beautiful. Yes, Morgan is brave. But she is also loyal, she is kind, suffers from debilitating seasicknesss, scared of being used, hates magic and has a very complicated family history.
Lol I am writing this review after reading 10% of the book, but still I love the real complex feel of each of the main characters. None are just the sum of their parts. Miah, is powerfully strong, but vulnerable to love, in a way alpha male characters can never show. Morgan has been damaged but knowing how the lost of a loved one and unprepared to face that cost makes her the bravest lead ever. I just love them and like I said not even having read all of it I hope they end up together HAPPILY!!!!!
I just love how patient and self sacrificing he is. He doesn't care if he comes off as weak and incompetent, even if he is the strongest magic user in the country, as long as he shows Morgan how much he loves her. The first book, I loved how the author made each fell in love with the other, slow careful steps of trust, humility and humor. I loved that Miach tested his loyalty to the king in saving his love for a woman. Yes, Morgan is beautiful. Yes, Morgan is brave. But she is also loyal, she is kind, suffers from debilitating seasicknesss, scared of being used, hates magic and has a very complicated family history.
Lol I am writing this review after reading 10% of the book, but still I love the real complex feel of each of the main characters. None are just the sum of their parts. Miah, is powerfully strong, but vulnerable to love, in a way alpha male characters can never show. Morgan has been damaged but knowing how the lost of a loved one and unprepared to face that cost makes her the bravest lead ever. I just love them and like I said not even having read all of it I hope they end up together HAPPILY!!!!!
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