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A Ranger's Tale (Tallenmere #1)

by Mysti Parker (Goodreads Author)

4.4 of 5 stars 4.40 · rating details · 91 ratings · 74 reviews

In the fantasy world of Tallenmere, an elven noblewoman longed to leave her gilded cage. A half-breed former pirate wanted nothing more than to escape his guilty past. Easier said than done...

High elf Caliphany Aranea leads an enviable life as King Leopold's niece and daughter of Sirius, Leogard's most famous wizard. Yet, being forced to follow in her father's footsteps a...more

Paperback, 188 pages

Published December 18th 2010 by Melange Books, LLC

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Sep 20, 2012 Mysti Parker rated it 5 of 5 stars · (Review from the author)

I wrote it, and I like it. :)

7 likes · like · see review

Mar 19, 2011 Ronda Tutt rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantacy, romance, erotic

Fantastic Read!

I really enjoyed this Fantasy, Wizards, mages, spells, and magical powers with lots of action entrance you right away and the romance was weaved within the story perfectly as were the love scenes that were described with creatively written clean taste that left you with all kinds of erotic visions to imagine. The story grabbed me right away with the rebellious daughter of a master wizard who wanted nothing to do with the controlled life that was set before her.

Cali, a beautiful h...more Fantastic Read!

I really enjoyed this Fantasy, Wizards, mages, spells, and magical powers with lots of action entrance you right away and the romance was weaved within the story perfectly as were the love scenes that were described with creatively written clean taste that left you with all kinds of erotic visions to imagine. The story grabbed me right away with the rebellious daughter of a master wizard who wanted nothing to do with the controlled life that was set before her.

Cali, a beautiful high elf with long golden hair and blue eyes wants more out of life than following in her father’s footsteps and having her life planned out for her with an arranged marriage to a man who she didn’t love. She wanted to see the world and experience life and discover who she was.

Galadin, ½ Elven and ½ human is whisked from his mother and father as a small child and raised on the rough seas by pirates until he is old enough to stand on his own. Changing his life by helping capture the rouge pirates, he makes plenty of enemies along the way but his good doing of helping others out does the evil past he had to live to survive.

When Cali and Galadin meet, the attraction is undeniable and Cali is determined to change her life by getting Galadin to train her skills in archery and in hunting so she can protect herself once she leaves the confinement hold of her fathers. Cali’s father learns of this training, he locks her up in a room and refuses to let her out until she agrees to marry a mage she despises. Cali’s rebellion refuses and cloaks herself invisible with magic and escapes her confinement and ends up on Galadin’s ship as a stow away. Cali forces Galadin to take her away to another island but Galadin can’t just drop her off to fend for herself and finds himself drawn to protect her from her father’s hunting party.

Cali and Galadin’s adventure is exciting, intense, and shocking as their romance blooms. The story is full of friendship, love, betrayal, loyalty, and death. The ending was very intense but glad it finally ended in a HEA.
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Jun 29, 2011 WildAboutBones rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: read4author-review

Mysti Parker has hit one out of the ballpark with this first story in her new Tallenmere fantasy romance series with its wizards, paladans, elves, trolls, halflings, royalty, a secret agency, a poignant romance, betrayal, a love lost and found. Parker has created a wonderful new world for her authentic characters. I only wanted to smack the heroine once or twice.

Lady Caliphany, the high elf heroine and the King's niece, as a child accidentally set their barn on fire. Now, almost 100 years later...more

3 likes · like · see review

Nov 12, 2012 Mary Beth rated it 4 of 5 stars

Reviewed for The Romance Writer's Reads blog.

I know people always say never judge a book by its cover, so I should have known better!
This book has everything to make it great.
- Strong characters
- Lots of steamy sexual tension
- Action packed
- Jealousy and angst
- Magical creatures
- Pirates
- Runaway princess

The world in which the story takes place is magical and full of elves, trolls, half-breeds, and humans. The author does a good job of creating this world without making everything foreign and h...more

2 likes · like · see review

Jul 03, 2011 Renee rated it 4 of 5 stars

I love fantasy romance. I'm a Mercedes Lackey groupie from way back. So I was looking forward to reading this debut - first in a new series. I was surprised to have the book open up in third-person-present-tense, what Bob Mayer refers to as a "come along with me" voice. Not the usual, but a cool new twist...which only lasted through the Prologue. The main book is first-person-past-tense. You get the intimacy of first person POV from the three main characters, but told in past tense, after the fa...more

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Jul 19, 2011 Jessica rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: for-review

I gave this book a four, but it is a very very high four. There were just a few things that stopped me from giving it a full five stars, but I'll get to that later. First, I want to say that this was an awesome book. Fantasy/paranormal romances are one of my favorite genres to read, so I loved Caliphany and her abilities. My favorite part of the book was her romance with Galadin. They have an undeniable attraction from the start, but he's a ranger and she must study at home under her father. The...more

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May 04, 2011 Jenny Twist rated it 5 of 5 stars

When Sirius, the arch-mage, loses his only son in battle, his remaining child, Caliphany, is expected to take on the responsibilities and duties of her dead brother and succeed her father as head of the Mage Academy. But Caliphany has other ideas.
A Ranger’s Tale follows her adventures as she fights to escape her controlling father and see something of the world.
This is a fast-paced action story with a strong love interest set against the Tolkienesque background of Mysti’s fantasy world of Tall...more

1 like · like · see review

Apr 29, 2011 Lauren Murphy rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, romance

A Ranger’s Tale is a fantasy romance novel. I really enjoy forbidden love stories, where two people come together despite all odds because of true love. In a Ranger’s Tale, Caliphany is a high elf, niece of the King of Leopald and a mage in training to become a wizard like her father. He plans to marry her off to another elf of high standing. Caliphany has always dreamt of travel and one day leaving Leogard. When Galadin a halfling and a ranger rescues her on the docks from two brutes she finds...more A Ranger’s Tale is a fantasy romance novel. I really enjoy forbidden love stories, where two people come together despite all odds because of true love. In a Ranger’s Tale, Caliphany is a high elf, niece of the King of Leopald and a mage in training to become a wizard like her father. He plans to marry her off to another elf of high standing. Caliphany has always dreamt of travel and one day leaving Leogard. When Galadin a halfling and a ranger rescues her on the docks from two brutes she finds a way out. She asks him to train her to become a ranger so she will have the skills to travel solo, without her father’s knowledge. Their relationship transforms in a short few weeks and despite their differing backgrounds they long to be together whilst trying to fight off their own insecurities.

I enjoyed Caliphany and Galadin’s adventures and how Caliphany transforms from elegant royalty into a strong independent woman with the help of Galadin. The setting for this fantasy story is quite different to what i have read previously. I don’t think I have ever read a story where the elves are the main characters and it provides a nice spin to typical fantasy stories. There’s even a guest appearance of the infamous trolls!

I like Cali’s strong character and stubborness to break away from her father’s control and do what she really wants, travel the world. I am also drawn into the ruggedness of Galadin and how he wants Cali to have a well-deserving man in her life.

Although I did find it frustrating when Cali and Galadin were separated for quite some time ( I don’t want to give away all the details) but I knew he would come back on the scene and it kind of annoyed me when she moved on to another relationship, because the whole time I was thinking but what about Galadin? This view has nothing to do with the quality of the plot or storyline, i just personally don’t like it when that happens. But it kept me turning the pages until the very end as I rooted for Galadin to make it back to Caliphany. A Ranger’s Tale is a really enjoyable read and i recommend it to any fantasy romance fan.

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May 09, 2011 Jody rated it 4 of 5 stars

This is a highly emotional story based in the world of magic and mystical creatures that puts you through the wringer and leaves you exhausted after turning the final page. For full-elf Caliphany Arenea, being the daughter and only child of a renown mage hasn't been easy. Since the death of her brother she's been groomed to become the next leader of the Mage Academy except that's not what she wants. She longs for adventure and seeing the world past her city gates. She makes a deal with half-elf...more This is a highly emotional story based in the world of magic and mystical creatures that puts you through the wringer and leaves you exhausted after turning the final page. For full-elf Caliphany Arenea, being the daughter and only child of a renown mage hasn't been easy. Since the death of her brother she's been groomed to become the next leader of the Mage Academy except that's not what she wants. She longs for adventure and seeing the world past her city gates. She makes a deal with half-elf Galadin Trudeux, a Ranger and former pirate, to teach her to take care of herself in the wild and soon long days lead to a romance being kindled. Upon discovering her training her father's ultimatum leads to the biggest decision of her life that brings excitement and sorrow to her and a story that's both enjoyable and tear-inducing to the reader.

The world that Ms. Parker creates is full of exotic creatures like elves, trolls, and goblins and each brings extra excitement to the story. The use of magic ups the action and keeps you on the edge of your seat. The scenes involving its use leave your heart pounding. Each of the creatures in this world are unique and even though the story has lots of characters they're easy to remember because of their vivid descriptions.

Caliphany starts out as somewhat of a spoiled rich girl, but her father hasn't encouraged her to be any other way. It's only through her time with Galadin that a strong woman starts to emerge and a true heroine is created. As she goes out into the world she becomes more self-confident and she finally starts gaining control of her magic. Cali is put through the emotional wringer as the story progresses and it's only through the support of friends, both male and female, that help her continue on. I truly believe that the Cali at the start of the story wouldn't have survived these truly sad events and it's only because of the inner strength Galadin roused in her later on in the story that kept her going.

Galadin's had the exact opposite kind of youth than what Cali experienced. He saw his parents die and was forced into piracy and he carries a lot of guilt around for deeds he was forced into doing. He had to grow up way too fast. He understood Cali's need to make it on her own since it was the same for him. They brought out the best in each other and are the perfect match no matter what obstacles get in their way.

The secondary characters are intriguing and any of them would be worthy of their own story. As a matter-of-fact one of them, Jayden Ravenwing, will be the hero in the next installment of this series. After all the heartache he went through in this story in the name of love he deserves some happiness. The villains in this story also added to the excitement of the story. You never knew if they'd return to cause problems or even who the exact villain was. It adds a feeling of uncertainty that keeps you invested in the story since everytime Cali seems happy something bad happens to her.

This is an exciting world full of action and likable characters and a great start to a new series. When you're not cheering for true love to win, you're crying over the obstacles impeding true love. I'm excited to visit these characters again and will definitely pick up the next book in the series and recommend this book to get your first taste of this magical world.(less)

2 likes · like · see review

Jun 22, 2011 Nora Weston rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy-adventure-romance

A Ranger’s Tale is set in the fantasy world of Tallenmere, where high elf Caliphany Aranea boldly defies her controlling father...who is the most powerful mage in the kingdom. Caliphany’s well to do life was carved out for her including a marriage and a lifetime dedication to her magic, and many citizens in Tallenmere would think it crazy to desire anything beyond what her father had planned. With her strong will and a heart for adventure, Caliphany breaks away from Tallenmere’s traditions to in...more

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Sep 10, 2012 Tracy Shea rated it 4 of 5 stars

I finished this book yesterday. I enjoyed the storyline, the premise and the characters. I do look forward to the next book in the series.

This book had the ability to pull me in and keep me reading. The only reason it took me as long as it did, was due to my working Graveyard and having limited time during the week.

I enjoyed the characters, the descriptions of the landscape and scenes were well written allowing me to envision it all in my mind. I felt the excitement, happiness, fear and sorrow...more

1 like · like · see review

Jun 20, 2011 Rachel rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, ya

Mysti Parker’s novel has a lot to offer, whether or not you usually read fantasy! I can say this because I rarely pick up a fantasy book. I’ve read a lot of speculative fiction, sci-fi, and experimental fiction, but the allure of fantasy tends to be lost on me. However, I found A Ranger’s Tale captivating.

The novel follows Caliphany Aranea, a high elf who holds onto her taste for adventure in spite of her strict upbringing. Her choice to become a ranger – basically a wandering warrior – is frown...more

3 likes · like · see review

Jun 09, 2011 Lyn Horner rated it 4 of 5 stars

This book is close to a five-star for me. I'd give it 4 1/2 stars if I could. Mysti Parker is a very promising new talent. Her prose flows smoothly and is well edited. Equally important, she displays terrific imagination, having created a fantasy world that drew me in almost immediately. I say almost because I stumbled briefly over the prologue, which is delivered from a narrator's point of view. Once I got into chapter one, however, I found myself seeing the action through the main characters'...more

1 like · like · see review

Jun 12, 2011 Wendy Mitchell rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: requested-review

Caliphany Aranea had what most would consider an enviable life, beautiful, wealthy, niece to the elven king Leopold, and daughter to the most powerful mage in the kingdom. It was not the life she wanted however. She longed to find her own way and fulfill her own destiny. Sneaking out to the docks, she is assaulted and would have surely been taken, if not for the timely appearance of half breed Captain Galadin Trudeaux,owner of the ship The Red Hawk, former pirate, and Ranger. This marks the beg...more

1 like · like · see review

Oct 13, 2011 BarkLessWagMore rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, e-book, romance

3 ½ stars. A Ranger’s Tale is an action packed fantasy set in a world inhabited by magical elves, trolls and goblins in a land called Tallenmere. Caliphany is a beautiful high born elf and the only surviving child of an overprotective wizard who has her entire future mapped out for her. A future spent moldering away inside the stifling walls of the Magic Academy and marrying a man she doesn’t love. She does her best to abide by his wishes but her desire for adventure leads her into the arms of G...more 3 ½ stars. A Ranger’s Tale is an action packed fantasy set in a world inhabited by magical elves, trolls and goblins in a land called Tallenmere. Caliphany is a beautiful high born elf and the only surviving child of an overprotective wizard who has her entire future mapped out for her. A future spent moldering away inside the stifling walls of the Magic Academy and marrying a man she doesn’t love. She does her best to abide by his wishes but her desire for adventure leads her into the arms of Galadin, a hunky halfling with a nefarious history. Her defiance leads them all into emotional turmoil but what’s the sense of living if you don’t do it with your whole heart?

This was a fast moving romp of a read with a nice mix of adventure and romance. It was written in first person with alternating chapters told from the point of view of Caliphany, Galadin and another character named Jayden. This format helped me to get to know each key character and their motivations pretty well but it also held me at an emotional distance at crucial times. There were several scenes that should have been emotionally devastating but they just missed the mark and didn’t give me that achy angsty punch to the gut. You know that feeling when your chest tightens up and you stop breathing as you try desperately to hold it together? Yeah, none of that happened here and it should have. I felt as if there was a slight glossing over, a holding back, of emotional pain after the fallout from several “events”. I’m a pain whore I suppose but this book could have been amazing with just a bit more focus on these emotions. I’m not sure if it was the 1st person POV causing this reaction or just the stepping away from the pain and moving along of the story. Maybe I’m just dead inside.

With that said the story was very readable and had some nice sexual tension going in the first half. Though the characters are tortured and impulsive (especially Caliphany) there are moments of humor and I’d be interested to see what this author comes up with in the future.
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Apr 15, 2011 Anna James rated it 4 of 5 stars

A Ranger’s Tale – by Mysti Parker
Fantasy Romance
Melenge-Books (www.melange-books.com)
Rating: ****

A Ranger’s Tale is a must read!

If you are a lover of romance stories and especially if you love fantasy romance then I recommend adding this book to your list of summer reads.

The story grabbed me from the very beginning. It is written in the first person from several points of view and lets the reader experience the thoughts and emotions of each of the characters.

I felt a strong affinity with Calip...more

2 likes · like · see review

Apr 15, 2011 Stefanie Pristavu rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites

Caliphany Aranea is a blonde bomb-shell, bad-ass fire mage, getting ready for her dissertation. But she wants more from her life than take her strict and famous father’s place as the next top scholar. She dreams of travel and adventure.

Galadin Trudeaux (awesome name, btw) is a ranger, ship captain and former pirate. He saves Caliphany from an attempted kidnapping and falls in love with her on the spot.

Their journey together begins when Caliphany pays him to train her in the ways of the rangers....more Caliphany Aranea is a blonde bomb-shell, bad-ass fire mage, getting ready for her dissertation. But she wants more from her life than take her strict and famous father’s place as the next top scholar. She dreams of travel and adventure.

Galadin Trudeaux (awesome name, btw) is a ranger, ship captain and former pirate. He saves Caliphany from an attempted kidnapping and falls in love with her on the spot.

Their journey together begins when Caliphany pays him to train her in the ways of the rangers. What follows is a lightning romance, adventures, travels and a fast marriage.

Caliphany tries to bring her two lives together, but before she can even introduce her new husband to her family, tragedy strikes.

With a child on the way, Caliphany joins the L.I.O and seeks solace in her old flame, Jayden.

I won’t say more on the subject – all the twists and turns are worth reading and finding out.

I honestly didn’t expect to love this book so much. I expected to enjoy it, but not to like…love it. It’s been a long time since I’ve felt sad that a book is ending.

What I liked most about the book was how easily Mysti built the world around her characters – from names of places, months, and plants, everything felt as though it should be there, has been there all along, and will always be there. The description is not overwhelming, but enough to paint a vivid picture.

The characters are well developed, three dimensional and they grow on you. The fact that both Jayden and Galadin are decent men, both with their flaws, makes Caliphany’s struggle even more heart breaking and her suffering is well portrayed.

The romance is good. It was a little head-turning until Cali and Galadin got together, but afterwards, all flowed nicely. There’s some hotness in there as well. Nicely done, may I add. Not too graphic, not too tame, just enough to get the idea across and the heart racing.

The support characters are also very well done – the world is lively and natural and I guess that’s what drew me in the most.

Would I recommend it? Of course. This is one of the books that I’ll most definitely pick off the shelf and read again. So, if you haven’t already, pick up a copy of A Rangers Tale and join the magic.(less)

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Apr 16, 2011 Cindy Borgne rated it 5 of 5 stars

Good Book Alert Review by Cindy Borgne

A Ranger's Tale by Mysti Parker 4.5 stars.

The story beings at the point where Caliphany realizes she doesn’t want to be a mage, and she has had enough of her father trying to control her. I enjoyed her take charge attitude. Anytime someone tried to make her do something she didn’t like, she instead took things into her own hands. Not with always with a good outcome, but that’s all the better.

We meet Galadin at the point he rescues Caliphany from almost bein...more Good Book Alert Review by Cindy Borgne

A Ranger's Tale by Mysti Parker 4.5 stars.

The story beings at the point where Caliphany realizes she doesn’t want to be a mage, and she has had enough of her father trying to control her. I enjoyed her take charge attitude. Anytime someone tried to make her do something she didn’t like, she instead took things into her own hands. Not with always with a good outcome, but that’s all the better.

We meet Galadin at the point he rescues Caliphany from almost being kidnapped. There is an instant attraction between the two. Galadin has a background opposite of Caliphany, and he is attracted to her right from the start, although he is often hesitant to admit this to himself. Even though they have different backgrounds, they both share the same interests. So I thought the contrasts in the story skillfully done. These common interests contribute to the growing love between the two.

After about the fourth chapter, “A Ranger’s Tale” became a page turner for me. I found myself wanting Caliphany and Galadin to be together shortly after they meet, and I’m sure this is exactly where the author wanted me to be. But no, that would be too easy, and things are not easy for Galadin and Caliphany. Many obstacles keep them out of each other’s reach. This made me keep turning the pages, wanting to know how they would ever end up being together.

Much of the conflict comes from the inner turmoil of the two main characters because each struggles to admit their love for each other. I totally enjoyed this. At times poor Galadin couldn’t seem to do anything right. He continually felt himself unworthy to be with Caliphany. While several time Caliphany couldn’t fully trust him. Galadin’s dark background made her leery, even though she was clearly in love with him the whole time. The two characters are both believable because they are not perfect. There were times I knew they were making a mistake, and this made me anticipate the outcome even more.

When I first started reading the book, I thought the choice of setting was not original with the usual elves, mages, faeries, kings, etc. But as I continued to read, I realized it was the right decision because an unknown type of world would’ve distracted from the focus of the story, which is the relationship of the main characters. As I continued, I was glad I didn’t have to learn about new beings or unknown worlds. I also found the setting enjoyable and beautifully described.

The story is written in first person, and it also switches viewpoint characters. At first I feared being jarred by numerous viewpoints in first person, however, this didn’t happen. All the viewpoints worked perfectly for this story. I didn’t find it jarring at all. The entire story flows very smoothly.

My only nit-pick is that the story could’ve been wrapped up a tad sooner. Yet, I tend to be impatient at times, so it could just be me.

So in summary, I highly recommend “A Ranger’s Tale.”

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Apr 04, 2011 Linda Bss rated it 5 of 5 stars

Caliphany Aranea, A One Hundred Year Old Elven Longed To Explore The World, But Her Wizard Father Watched Her Like A Hawk Since Her Older Brother Died In A War. She Was Expected To Take The Great Sirus Aranea's Place And Control Magic As Well As He, But Try As Hard As She Could She Never Measure Up And She Did Not Want To Be A Mage And Go To The Academy. There Were Wonders Beyond Tallemere And She Wanted To Live A Little And Did Not Want To Marry A Man She Did Not Love!

Forty-Five Year Old, Gala...more

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Oct 18, 2011 M. Allman rated it 3 of 5 stars

Mysti Parker does an excellent job bringing her fantasy characters and world to life. She also uses a method of switching points of view to tell the story, which helps the reader get inside different characters' heads. Parker does an excellent job with this method and keeps the story moving beautifully while switching the point of view. She is a talented writer and brings beautiful imagery into the story that brings forth three-dimensional characters and a sense of scenery.

Having said that, th...more

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Sep 10, 2012 Brooke Larrimore rated it 4 of 5 stars

I really enjoyed reading "A Rangers Tale". I do wish there was a bit more description of places and characters. I found it a bit hard to get a good imagery in my head of the storyline. It seemed a tad rushed, I really enjoyed their training sessions and wish there was more with that. I tend to like strong woman characters so I would have enjoyed more in that area to make her turns of events a tad more believable. I do love fantasy and enjoyed finding something other then vampires, I have recomme...more

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Apr 18, 2011 Karen Daniels rated it 5 of 5 stars

Before I read "A Ranger's Tale" I was not a great fan of the fantasy genre. I would bypass it at the bookstore and head straight for the romance aisle. But the talent of Mysti Parker has changed that with her brilliant mixture of both genre's in this new exciting and touching novel.

Her main characters Caliphany and Galadin are strong, each in their own way. They let us into their world of elfs, warriors, kings and queens. Their budding love story will make it hard to put the book down. Each cha...more

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Jun 16, 2013 zapkode.marie rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: paperback, read4review

{my thoughts} - This book is about a High Elf named Caliphany Aranea. She is a very special High Elf because her Uncle is the King of the land in which she lives. She has dreams, wants, goals and desires, but her father will hear nothing of them. He wants her to carry on the family traditions and become a great Mage like he is. She isn't allowed to make her own choices she is confined to inside the city walls and must obey what her father wants of her. She finds a way to take part in things that...more

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May 27, 2013 Serenity rated it 4 of 5 stars

Fantasy lovers! Here is a book for you! Wizards, Spells, Magic, and more. All of this starts at the very beginning until the end. Romance is also weaved into the story that works so perfectly. Many scenes are written so lovely, that you can picture them as if they were happening in front of you.

We have this master wizard who has his daughter's life planned out. Cali, like many girls, don't want her life planned for her. She believes that there is more to her life that what is planned. She wants...more

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Jun 19, 2011 Jane rated it 3 of 5 stars

This was a pretty good book. The story was quick-paced and interesting and was an easy, fast read. The story centers on a young mage in training, Caliphany, who leads a sheltered life under the thumb of her strict father. Her father has her future planned out for her, including who she will marry. Caliphany yearns for freedom and adventure and finds just that in a half-elf man named Galadin. The story had a few twists and turns, but was still pretty predictable. All in all, a pleasant, fun read.

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Jun 02, 2013 Van rated it 4 of 5 stars

A RANGER’S TALE is a fantasy-romance novel about an Elvin princess who wants more in life. The story takes place in the magical land of Tallenmere where humans, elves, wizards, trolls, and faeries coexist with one another. Caliphany Aranea is the daughter of Tallenmere’s most prominent wizard and is the only niece of King Leopold. Caliphany’s parents hope that since she is the last heir of the family that she’d eventually take over her dad’s job as a teacher in the mage guild. Caliphany doesn’t...more A RANGER’S TALE is a fantasy-romance novel about an Elvin princess who wants more in life. The story takes place in the magical land of Tallenmere where humans, elves, wizards, trolls, and faeries coexist with one another. Caliphany Aranea is the daughter of Tallenmere’s most prominent wizard and is the only niece of King Leopold. Caliphany’s parents hope that since she is the last heir of the family that she’d eventually take over her dad’s job as a teacher in the mage guild. Caliphany doesn’t want to be stuck doing the same thing day in and day out; instead she longs to travel to different lands, for all she seen is within the city’s wall. Finally fed up with people dictating her fate Caliphany set sails with ranger-pirate Galadin, who saved her from a near kidnapping attempt.

The story is told from three different point-of-views; the first half is told from Cali and Galadin’s perspective and in the last half the author adds another person. I didn’t really like Cali right away; she came off as annoying and naive in the beginning. For someone who is 100 years old (elves age slow) she acted like an adolescent. Thankfully as the story went on, readers got to see Cali slowly grow and mature (since the book spans about 8-10 years give or take). Let’s just say that Cali in the beginning and Cali in the end are almost two different people, but I think it makes sense when one has a family of their own. Cali isn’t the type of woman that stands back and let’s other people fight her battle; she tough and can definitely hold her own. Then we have our main hero Galadin, he was a pirate turned ranger (warrior/ hunter who sell goods to different lands/merchants) who is half Elvin and half human. He happened to be on his many sailing trips when he meets Cali. He rescues her from a kidnapping attempt and later hired to teach her everything he knew about being a ranger. I really liked Galadin, he had a tough life growing up and a bit of a shady past but eventually got out of that life. Galadin is everything readers look for in a male lead; he’s sexy, kind/humble, strong and a warrior.

I really enjoyed A RANGER’S TALE. I love the perfect balance of fantasy and romance, both genres never out-doing the one another. The book was pretty steamy, almost leaning toward erotica if I really think about it but it never once took anything away from the story or its characters. While I liked most of the book, there were two things I didn’t like. Towards the last half of the book something happened to Galadin and while not Cali’s fault…I didn’t like how fast she kind of moved on. She never once stopped loving Galadin but some of the stuff she chose to do was questionable in my opinion and in a way she was stringing ---blank--- on…it all rubbed me the wrong way. Regardless of these two little problems I had with the book, A RANGER’S TALE overall had a good story and world-building that kept me engaged the entire time. If you like fantasy or a steamy romantic story then this is the book for you.

I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.(less)

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May 18, 2013 Fran rated it 5 of 5 stars

A Ranger’s Tale: Mysti Parker

When someone’s life is programmed and they decide to rewrite it in their own way they often encounter many obstacles along the way blocking their path and hindering them from achieving their desired goals. Caliphany’s parents have always been inclined to have her follow in her father’s footsteps as a mage. But, that’s not what she aspires to be. Her father is dominant, controlling and refuses to understand that his daughter does not want the same things life he does....more

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May 12, 2013 Tribala rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Anyone who enjoys PNR, fantasy and of course romance.

Shelves: pnr-nauba-r2r, fantasy, romance

Emotional roller coaster to its core!!!

The first half of the book takes the reader on a lovely journey about an elven woman trying to find herself by defying her father and breaking out of her sheltered life. During this time she finds her soul mate. A captain merchant half elf half human who is beneath her "station". During the trials of this love affair the book is clearly written with excellent world development. Flourishing language filled the love scenes that, although not graphic, gives a...more

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Dec 21, 2012 Gaele rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: bts-reads, review-reads

In a uniquely compact and bluntly honest writing style, Parker has managed to craft a world, build characters and create palpable emotions in the reader with the plotting. Combining all the elements needed in a good story: a quest, a romance, characters who are unique yet sublimely defined and a series of events that are easy to relate to, this story starts slowly as readers are given the chance to familiarize themselves with the world and the characters. Soon the pacing changes and the scuffles...more

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Sep 15, 2012 Lisa Metlak rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Lisa by: Mysti Parker

(Review by Lisa Metlak for Editor's Cove)

Caliphany Aranea is a high elf of noble blood. Niece of the king and daughter of the most powerful wizard in the kingdom, Caliphany's destiny was to train hard for the day she would take over the Mage Academy from her father. Or was it? Head-strong Caliphany had other plans, and a chance encounter with a ranger trying to escape his past starts Caliphany down the path of her true destiny.

Mysti Parker has a fabulous voice for storytelling. The story of Cali...more

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Basically Books!: ARR # 62 - A RANGER'S TALE & SERENYA'S SONG (Tallenmere, #1 & 2) by Mysti Parker	18	24	Mar 20, 2013 12:21pm
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About Mysti Parker

Mysti Parker (pseudonym) is a full time wife, mother of three, and a writer. Her first novel, A Ranger's Tale was published in January, 2011 by Melange Books, and the second in the fantasy romance series, Serenya's Song, was published in April 2012. The highly anticipated third book, Hearts in Exile, has already received some great reviews. The Tallenmere series has been likened to Terry Goodkind'...more

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A Ranger's Tale (Tallenmere #1)

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