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Promising Light (The Protectors #1)

by Emily Ann Ward (Goodreads Author)

3.78 of 5 stars 3.78 · rating details · 27 ratings · 16 reviews

Grace began a secret courtship with Dar for the thrill of doing something against her father, the king’s general. She hadn’t planned on falling in love with him. When Dar suddenly leaves her, she searches for answers, reluctant to let him go.

Everyone seems determined to keep the truth from her—until she’s kidnapped by Dar’s family. They’re shape changers who claim she can...more

439 pages

Published January 2012

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Sep 13, 2012 Tracey rated it 2 of 5 stars

I tried – I really did. I tried not long after I first got the book, and the writing fought me, and I set it aside. Shame drove me to try again because this was a LibraryThing Member Giveaway book. I was determined to read it.

But the writing still fought the effort. Phrasing was awkward; there was no infodumping, I'll give the writer that, but there was also little effort to give me any threads of story to weave into a rope to hang onto; the names grated on me, mostly Earth-ish (Grace and Pearl...more

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Apr 22, 2012 Mirrani rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: finished-and-reviewed

Promising Light was a book that I simply could not put down, not because it was overly suspenseful or dramatic, but because everything seemed so real that I was honestly curious as to how it would all end. There are two major elements that are true through the story, one being a love triangle, the other being a combination of magic, adventure and politics, the whole of which makes for some very good storytelling.

The characters were honest, living beings with emotion and life to them. I found tha...more Promising Light was a book that I simply could not put down, not because it was overly suspenseful or dramatic, but because everything seemed so real that I was honestly curious as to how it would all end. There are two major elements that are true through the story, one being a love triangle, the other being a combination of magic, adventure and politics, the whole of which makes for some very good storytelling.

The characters were honest, living beings with emotion and life to them. I found that reading the pages their feelings were touching me in a way that I could understand, especially in regard to finding out that the man you have fallen in love with is going to call it off with you because he's "no good" for you. What do you do? Well, when someone else makes advances, you go to them, begin a possible relationship, but still that previous love lingers. What becomes interesting is when the three people begin to find themselves entangled within the plot together.

The politics of throwing down punishment on someone because of something they can do is also touched on. One group will use a person for their best interests, another will come and do the same. This isn't ground in to you as if being pounded in by a stone, this is dealt with by simple discussion, interaction and personal exchange. I was quite surprised when I realized just how much of the structure of expectations I had understood and how I had taken it away as the concept of being political, though it never felt that it felt that title at all.

Overall, if you take an adventure, blend it with a magical curse, and sprinkle it with just a hint of love potion, you'll have one book that you will honestly enjoy.

Note: Though this book was a free gift from the author, the content of my review was in no way influenced by the gifting. The book speaks for itself and my review would have been worded just this way even if I'd gone out and bought it. I also give bonus points for Text To Speech enabling on Kindle format.... but that also wasn't a factor in the above review.(less)

1 like · like · see review

Mar 18, 2012 Christina (Ensconced in YA) rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: librarything-wins

I won this book from a member librarything giveaway in exchange for an honest review.

Promising light is mostly a love story between a noblewoman who has lived in wealth her entire life and the mysterious man she falls in love with. She soon learns that he is keeping secrets from her, secrets that will put her life in danger.

The strengths of this book include the world-building of the shape shifters. I enjoyed getting to know Grace as she reveals that she is stronger than anyone thinks. I thought...more

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Feb 02, 2012 Ruth Albarran rated it 5 of 5 stars

I received this book as an early review from the author, when I asked for it the description of the book caught my attention and I'm so happy I got the opportunity to received this book for review. The story was amazing, action packed and had a beautiful setting that gets your imagination going. It has a little bit of everything, action, romance, suspense... Anyways I started reading it and I was immerse, I couldn't stop reading until the end. Now I have this feeling of emptiness of wanting to k...more

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Feb 11, 2012 Vidya-BooksAreMagic rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012-reads, arc-netgalley, fantasy, i-own, series, start-of-the-series

Original review at Books Are Magic.

*** This book was received from the author for review purposes. ***

Promising Light was a surprisingly sweet and warm fantasy/romance novel. It was an adventure novel, where we travel along a long way with our protagonist. This is my first novel with this author and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Our heroine and this book's Promising Light, Grace Ellengreen is a General's daughter. Grace is a noble, and the book starts with her secret courtship with Dar, the son of the...more

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Jan 28, 2012 Karen rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: reviewed, indie-books-read-2012

Emily Ward, author of Promising Light, sent me a copy of this novel and asked for an honest review, which is very easy to do when you really enjoy the book. Honestly, this young lady has done a fantastic job of telling the tale of a group of unique characters on a journey to save their way of life. There are no vampires or zombies, but you will find shape shifters, mind readers and a few other strange folk wandering the realms. With a little romance, a few battles, a few mishaps and a mysterious...more

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May 05, 2013 Pamela K. rated it 4 of 5 stars

I received Promising Light through the Librarything Member Giveaway Program, in exchange for an honest review.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. The characters were well formed, interesting, and likable. The storyline kept me intrigued. The writing style was decent, although my copy had many errors. (such as, "Dar grabbed his face in her hands and then kissed her." Just took me out of the story for a second while my mind had to reverse the pronouns)
The love story between Dar and Grace is sw...more

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Dec 28, 2012 Maisie rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012, fantasy, young-adult

I felt like I was reading the rough draft of a novel. There were many glaring errors, that I was constantly being pulled out of the story. There were inconsistencies as well that just left me confused. Was this supposed to be a modern paranormal story in a new world? Or historical, because it felt historical, but then she was constantly "sweaty" and "stinky" and I couldn't help but think that a lady wouldn't really talk that way, nor even lesser classes in that period as a woman. I also felt tha...more

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Feb 10, 2012 Evie rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: blog-tour, e-books, kindle, pure-awesomeness, loved-it, shape-shifters

*** Originally posted to: Bookish

Promising Light by Emily Ann Ward was such a sweet and entertaining read! I absolutely loved the historical setting, vividly depicted scenes and overall medieval-ish atmosphere. It was astonishing! This book is full of surprises: first, there's romance, after that - heartache and confusion, and then next thing you know, you're being totally sucked in by the marvelous supernatural world, full of shape shifters, Protectors, secrets, curses and magic. What an explo...more *** Originally posted to: Bookish

Promising Light by Emily Ann Ward was such a sweet and entertaining read! I absolutely loved the historical setting, vividly depicted scenes and overall medieval-ish atmosphere. It was astonishing! This book is full of surprises: first, there's romance, after that - heartache and confusion, and then next thing you know, you're being totally sucked in by the marvelous supernatural world, full of shape shifters, Protectors, secrets, curses and magic. What an explosive and insanely intensive read!

At the beginning of the story, we're introduced to Grace and Dar. Lady Grace Ellengreen is the beautiful daughter of the King's general. Sir Dar is the handsome and wealthy son of a respected governor of Shyra. These two have been sneaking around and secretly dating behind Grace's father's back for a while now. The reason for wanting to keep their relationship a secret is simple: Grace's father wouldn't approve of them being together. Whether it's because of the bad reputation of Shyra, or something more personal, one thing's for sure: he dislikes Dar and his family. Not to mention that, supposedly as a cover-up, Dar is courting Lady Rebekah Morten. The situation get's even more weird and complicated when a mysterious, cloaked man tells Grace that Dar is a dangerous man, and warns her to stay away from him. When Grace tells Dar about the bizarre encounter, he breaks it off with her and disappears. How much weirder can it get? Well, a lot! There's a whole world out there that Grace didn't know existed. A world full of magic, supernatural creatures, mind readers and old curses. What will she do when she uncovers Dar's secret?

Wow. Emily Ann Ward is a truly remarkable storyteller. I was amazed by her creativity and imagination. The story flowed smoothly, the dialogues were dynamic and sparkly, and, most importantly, the plot line was great. It's amazing how tension in the story was steadily building up, and how mystery would work with conflict to raise the emotional level to the point that you'd shift impatiently in your seat, eager to find out what will happen next. It's the kind of story that readers will be captivated by and fully invested in.

I must admit that I wasn't very fond of Dar at the beginning. I didn't understand why he chose to court Lady Rebekah while he was secretly meeting Grace at the same time. When he disappeared from Grace's life, leaving her confused and slightly heartbroken (I say "slightly because, let's face it, Grace is not the kind of gal to sit around and weep after a guy!), I disliked him even more. And when they met again, and he was giving her the proverbial "cold shoulder", my feelings solidified. But that's of course all part of the big mystery, and once you get to know him better and learn more about the secrets he was keeping, and his tragic past, you begin to see him in a different light. Grace, on the other hand, was a character I liked from the very beginning. Smart, brave, with a healthy dose of sass, she was a very positive heroine and I had a great time following her adventures.

Right from the first sentence, Promising Light, is amazing, adventurous, fun and entertaining. Emily Ann Ward created a beautiful, engaging story. I had a a fantastic time reading her novel and am definitely looking forward to her next books!
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Mar 26, 2012 Kristen rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, historical-romance, shapeshifters, ya

GENRE: YA Paranormal Romance
THEME: Shifters
RECEIVED: Review Request from the Author
BLOG: http://seeingnight.blogspot.com/

REVIEW:
Promising Light by Emily Ann Ward caught my attention one day while looking for something new to read. I found the concept of the story interesting and the cover was beautiful designed to match the story. This is a book that really challenges the hearts of the lead characters and the determination to do what feels right. The beginning starts of soft and romantic until t...more GENRE: YA Paranormal Romance
THEME: Shifters
RECEIVED: Review Request from the Author
BLOG: http://seeingnight.blogspot.com/

REVIEW:
Promising Light by Emily Ann Ward caught my attention one day while looking for something new to read. I found the concept of the story interesting and the cover was beautiful designed to match the story. This is a book that really challenges the hearts of the lead characters and the determination to do what feels right. The beginning starts of soft and romantic until the story takes a twisted turn into a world full of curses and family secrets.

Grace is a young a beautiful noble girl who has falling deeply for another noble named Dar. But sadly they must keep their relationship secret because Grace’s father despises Dar’s family for unknown reasons. Then one day Grace is warned to stay away from day because he is dangerous and before she realizes it she is pulled into a secret that goes deep into the secrets of Dar’s family and her own.

Grace isn’t your regular noble girl and when she gets pulled into the secret that shape shifters exist, it doesn’t take her long to get deeply involved. She also is very out spoken and very defensive when it comes to protecting people she knows who are good. I really felt bad for her because her family is forcing a union between her and the prince, whom I felt was a pompous jerk. I’m glad she saw right through him. Grace sadly was heart broken a lot because of Dar, even though he was protecting her, he didn’t consider that she could actually handle a lot more than the normal girl.

Dar and his family were really the pull of the story. I felt the secrets and magic behind the curse that they were dealing with was original and intriguing. Ward wrote a unique tale about not so ordinary shifters, which makes this story one of a kind. The only thing that bothered me was how Dar and Grace tried to pretend not to care from one and other, it was obvious they cared but just kept being conflicted.

Overall this was novel was full of family tension, adventure, and magic that created a very entertaining story. I was thrilled with the romance and the shifters curse that Ward created. I look forward to reading more from Emily Ann Ward.

RECOMMENDATION:
This is a young adult novel that with a strong and adventurous female lead. Fans of Kristin Cashore’s Graceling and Rachel Hawkins Hex Hall will enjoy the tough female story of Promising Light by Emily Ann Ward.
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Mar 30, 2012 Julie rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012, first-reads, part-of-a-series, fantasy, loved-it-will-read-again, mystery, signed, romance

I won Promising Light (The Protectors, #1) through the Goodreads First Read Giveaway on 02/20/2012 and received it on 03/26/2012!!

This review may or may not contain spoilers ... so you've been warned!

I just want to start off by saying that my usual genre isn't fantasy. It's no where near fantasy. Ever. I usually like murder mysteries or history based fiction ... that kind of thing. So this is WAY out of my comfort zone. Here's the big but .... BUT the premise of this book seemed so interesting...more I won Promising Light (The Protectors, #1) through the Goodreads First Read Giveaway on 02/20/2012 and received it on 03/26/2012!!

This review may or may not contain spoilers ... so you've been warned!

I just want to start off by saying that my usual genre isn't fantasy. It's no where near fantasy. Ever. I usually like murder mysteries or history based fiction ... that kind of thing. So this is WAY out of my comfort zone. Here's the big but .... BUT the premise of this book seemed so interesting that I couldn't NOT read it even though it was about these weird people who shifted and all sorts of other things that I'm usually not interested in. My deal is, if I can't believe it, then I don't want to read it. I need to be able to really get into a book ... be able to see in my mind what the author is describing and imagine it really taking place.

So. I don't know what I was expecting. Like I said, I was really interested in the premise of the book and wondered what it might entail. After I won the book, I had some 'winners remorse' for a couple of days, wondering if I had just stolen this book from someone who might really love it.

Emily Ann Ward really shocked me. I'm so completely glad that I didn't back out of getting this book. It. Was. Amazing!! I was totally pulled into this world that Ward had created, within the first chapter. I'm not going to lie, I was a little confused at first. I had no idea what in the world was going on, some of the names were weird as all get out and it felt like I was stepping into a situation and trying to catch up. Since I've finished the book, I think that how Ward wrote it makes complete sense now. If she didn't do it intentionally, then it was a wonderful mistake starting the book off like that because it pushed me to read it that much faster so I could find out what in the world was going on.

The characters were really well written - Ward introduced you to them slowly ... giving you little morsels of their background and character as you went and it was almost intoxicating. She has a way of writing that just pulls you back for more and makes your head spin. Just as you think you know what is going to happen next, she pulls the rug out from under you and points you in a different direction.

I haven't read a book that I loved this much in a very long time. There is only one thing that really ticked me off ... the book ended. MAN. How frustrating is that?!? You get immersed in a world that an author has created for you, they resolve most of the issues and then leaves you hanging for the next book. UGH! Well, I'll be awaiting (impatiently, I might add) for the next book in the series. But until then, I'll probably reread this a few more times because I'm sure in my rush to find out what was going to happen next, I missed some things. Such a great book. A nice vacation from reality for a couple of days. Man, those 400-some pages flew by.

Awesome book that I recommend to ... everyone!
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Nov 13, 2012 Emily AKA Doodle rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: provided-by-author, reviewed

Review originally posted at Doodle's Book Blog

Promising Light was a wonderfully entertaining read that kept me wondering what would happen next. The setting was masterfully crafted and depicted while still providing the reader with romance, suspense, and heartache.

Lady Grace Ellengreen is the strong, beautiful daughter of the King's general. She has been sneaking around with Sir Dar, the son of the respected governor in Shyra, behind her father's back. He is madly in love with her but willing w...more Review originally posted at Doodle's Book Blog

Promising Light was a wonderfully entertaining read that kept me wondering what would happen next. The setting was masterfully crafted and depicted while still providing the reader with romance, suspense, and heartache.

Lady Grace Ellengreen is the strong, beautiful daughter of the King's general. She has been sneaking around with Sir Dar, the son of the respected governor in Shyra, behind her father's back. He is madly in love with her but willing walk away to protect her when she meets with a cloaked man. Given no explanation as to what is going on and why she needs to be protected, she accepts she will never see him again, and welcomes an offer from Prince William to begin a courtship. On her way home from a trip, she is kidnapped and must decide whether she will help end a ten year curse that is threatening Dar's family or ignore the request.

I will admit that in the beginning I was thrilled when Dar left Grace. He was evasive, courting another girl, and unwilling to answer any questions about himself and where he grew up. Then William swooped in and gave her a distraction and I was giddy with excitement. She was with the Prince and would have an easy life, but about a third of the way through I began to despise William. He was controlling and couldn't trust Grace. Why be with someone if you can't trust them, right? Then Dar was back and willing to do anything to keep her safe, not happy with all of her decisions, but set on keeping her alive no matter the cost. He redeemed himself in my eyes.

Emily Ann Ward created a unique world that I am looking forward to exploring more in her next book. The plot was great and the relationships were more than believable. I was sitting on the edge of my seat dying to know what would happen during intense scenes and was still unsure of the end all the way to the last page.

Overall, this book was fantastic. It was creative and detailed. I highly recommend it to anyone wanting to read about an epic adventure.

FTC Disclosure: I received a copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. I was not monetarily compensated for my opinion. (less)

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Feb 11, 2012 Danica Page (One Page at a Time) rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, romance, asked-to-review, by-an-author-i-ve-read-before, out-in-2012, series, giveaway, blog-tour

Official Review coming. Plus a giveaway on my blog. Check back on the 14th for my review and the 15th for a giveaway. Trust me you want to win the copy of this one!

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Feb 10, 2012 T.K. Richardson rated it 4 of 5 stars

I loved this story! In fact, I could not put the book down - it's such a great read. I can hardly wait for the next book. I hope it's not long before it's available. :)

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Dec 23, 2011 Emily Ward added it · (Review from the author)

Shelves: fantasy, wrote-it, winter-escapes

I wrote it! ;)

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Mar 05, 2012 Sara Jo Easton added it

I cannot fairly rate this book, as I was featured on the author's blog. However, I will say I appreciated the read.

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Reading with Tequ...: Giveaway of 2 paperback copies of Emily Ann Ward’s Promising Light! US ONLY!	1	6	Jan 30, 2012 09:09am
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About Emily Ann Ward

Emily Ward was born in Reno, Nevada and spent most of her childhood in Colorado. She grew up with a big family in The Salvation Army. One of her first stories featured a young girl whose doll came to life. The rest is history. She spent years writing mainly fanfiction (thank you, J.K. Rowling), but has since ventured into originality. When it comes to fiction, she writes mainly young adult, litera...more

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Promising Light (The Protectors #1)

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