Book Title:
Kingdomless (The Evamore Series Book 1) by
Michelle Garyfalakis
Category: YA Fiction (Ages 13-17), 422 pages
Genre: YA Fantasy Romance
Publisher: Self-Published
Release date: January 2022
Content Rating: PG-13 +M: There is a scene where our main character is held at knife point and her
attacker grabs her breasts without consent. The word 'nipple' is used in
this situation. This is the reason for the added "M" in the rating.
Book Description:
The remnants of the United Kingdom of Garth, once ruled by the legendary
Dynasty of Evamores are in the throes of conflict. Ten years ago, King Wren
of the West discovered Raelle washed up on the shores of the Balour Sea,
with no memory of the first nine years of her life. She was brought back to
the castle and dutifully cared for and cherished by the king and his three
older sons. On her nineteenth birthday, the Western Kingdom's adoptive
princess is secretly sent away by her stepmother to marry King Veras as a
token of peace between the kingdoms. But, the Northern King has other
plans.
As Raelle's amnesia melts away with the help of a northern storyteller, she
discovers more about the Kingdom of Garth, magic, the lovetie connection of
the Evamores, and her role in the grand scheme of things. She is confused,
angry, and curiously comfortable in the North.
A dark shadow overcasts all of the kingdoms, and the threatening influence
of the fallen god Kellar seems to spread among the people, inciting disorder
and violence. While the fate of the kingdoms may rest on Raelle's shoulders,
she can't help but feel kingdomless. Betrayal is everywhere, from her own
adoptive family to her newfound friends. Fearless, observant, witty, and
determined, she is torn between her attraction to King Veras' good nature
and the unexplained pull to the Tracker Calak. The challenge that she faces
is not simple. As the old gods, laws and magic awaken, so does her own sense
of self. There is a choice to be made, step into the role expected of her,
or dive into the unknown and make her own destiny.
This YA fantasy novel asks the readers important coming of age questions,
captures the attention with witty dialogue, relatable characters, and a
world that is reawakening its forgotten magic. The readers will be entranced
and hungry for more (and perhaps a piece of chocolate cake).
When I sat down to write Kingdomless I didn’t
have any experience with crafting fantasy novels. So I started with a basic
outline of where I wanted the story to go, but as I got further into the
characters and plot it became obvious that I was following a “map”, if you
will. So the best advice I got was from a dear friend who told me to abandon
the ship. She suggested that some of her favorite authors don’t always follow a
plan and allow the book to take on its own journey. Also, if everything works
out “perfectly” then there’s not always a reason to turn the next page.
I went home after that dinner with my friend
and frowned as I explained to my husband that I had to sit down and “wreck my
book”. Of course it didn’t wreck my book, it made it more dynamic and opened up
the plot for things I hadn’t even considered, but for that one hour that I
digested my friend’s advice I had to mourn the storyline that I had crafted
that would never see the light of day. Now, I’m incredibly grateful to her.
Kingdomless will definitely take you on an
emotional journey, but the plot twists are sandwiched with witty banter and
swoon worthy moments. Readers often comment on how quickly they read the book
because each chapter ends with you wanting to keep reading. So to any budding
authors out there, go ahead and wreck your book. It may just pay off in the
end.
My debut novel Kingdomless is out now and the
second book in the series will be released on July 21, 2022.
MY REVIEW Kingdomless is a young adult fantasy novel set in the United Kingdom of Garth. A young woman named Raelle was found washed up on shore and has no memory of anything prior to her being rescued by the king. She's brought in and made a part of the family, and her three brothers adore her. But her stepmother does not like her. At all. And on her 19th birthday, her stepmother sends her away. This event sets off the rest of the story, which follows Raelle as she slowly starts to get her memory back and learns more about herself and the kingdom. And not all of it is good. I really enjoyed this book. It's engaging and easy to get lost in. There are some twists and turns along the way, which keep it exciting and fun. The world-building is wonderful and really shines through. The imagery it evokes is easy to picture, and it makes you feel as though you're in Garth right along with Raelle. There's action, romance, and at the heart of things, a coming of age story that will make you smile. The dialogue is entertaining at times. The plot flows nicely. And the characters are mostly likeable. While I did think the book was a little long for what it was, and it was a little slow in a few spots, I found myself immersed within the pages and delighted with how it all played out. The ending isn't a cliffhanger, but it does leave some unanswered questions that will hopefully be tackled in the next book. I know I'm looking forward to it. 4 stars!
Meet the Author:
MICHELLE GARYFALAKIS was born and raised throughout Ontario, Canada. She
currently lives just outside of Hamilton, Ontario with her husband, four
kids and Snowy (their friendly Samoyed-Border Collie). When she isn't
obsessively typing out new stories on her computer, you can find her
drinking coffee with a friend, snacking on some guacamole or binge
watching Outlander (again). Michelle loves finding creative ways to
communicate with people, and her passion for storytelling is the newest
addition to that list.
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Thank you!
Thank you for sharing your wonderful review of Kingdomless, this sounds like an exciting read for my teen-aged grandchildren and I
ReplyDeleteNice review. Sounds really good
ReplyDelete