My name is Lady Aithera Kilbray.
I am the Heart of the Dragon Back Valley, and one of the Guardians of the Dragon Back Castle.
I thought I was the last Kilbray, but now I know that is not the case and the Kilbray line will continue when the time is right.
To my close friends and family though, I am still only Tera, but my life continues to be anything but ordinary.
Aithera and Jira decide to stay in the Dragon Back Valley. This decision causes confusion and uncertainty in others. Solen departs when he believes he is doing more harm than good, and Aithera accepts what she believes is a future of pain that duty and honor bring with that decision.
By staying in the valley, Aithera is hidden and safe, but when she leaves to visit her friends in a small settlement near Haulden, a new menace shows himself -- someone from her past that promises to harm her friends to get to her.
Jira learns from visiting her family that there is a secret about her mother's origins -- a secret confirmed by an unexpected source -- that reveals she is more than just a mere farm girl. This news sends her on a journey of discovery that brings on more surprises.
While Jira is on her quest, Aithera decides that she must become the hunter instead of the hunted. When she finally confronts the one from her past, she gets answers that are very painful and not what she was expecting. Aithera survives the encounter, and when she and Jira return to the valley, they each have surprises of their own. Devon reveals the truth about Aithera's origins, and with this newfound knowledge, she sets out to mend the pain and seek the happiness she longs for with the one who stubbornly resists any return to the valley.
I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
I read the first book in this series, and found it to be quite interesting. So when Annie, who does all my photographs and unofficial PA work at conventions and online, saw that the Swems needed a reviewer, she knew to offer my services!
As many of you know, fantasy is my thing after horror, and I think that it can be hard finding writers who write fantasy classically. The Swems do that very easily. There is nothing that feels forced or contrived about this book, and you definitely cannot tell that there are two writers. Their styles merge effortlessly and makes reading very easy.
The plot is much more involved than the previous books, really digging into the past of the characters and the history of the world the authors created. It really kept my eyes on the page and made me pay attention, which is what good fantasy should do. It should transport you to another world.
The story could have used a bit more action in the narrative, things put in to counteract the information being fed to us, but it still gave me some good shocks as things were revealed.
I think Demesne could be a great work that makes history one day, and that all my readers should give it a shot.
4/5--fun and interesting,
Purchase New Beginning on Amazon!
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