Fallen Ruler

by Eleanor T. Beaty

For sixteen years, Lya, has lived as a normal human, until her father, Walter, gets involved with the wrong people and puts Lya's life at risk. During a visit to Miami, Lya's older sister is kidnapped, and Lya and her father are subsequently taken hostage by Walter's associates and forced to board a plane to India. When the plane lands in Delhi, Lya is rescued by three monks and taken to a Monastery. There her reality is shattered, when she learns the true identity of her rescuers and, even more surprisingly, herself. Lya is now faced with the toughest decision of her life. Can she live up to her ethereal destiny and save her people and her family?

268 pages, Paperback

First published November 29, 2012

About the author

Eleanor T. Beaty is a Young Adult Paranormal author, her most recent novel "Veiled Mist" released on July 9, 2012.

A worldly person, Eleanor was born in beautiful Brazil and spent much of her childhood in several places (Argentina, Switzerland, and the US to name a few). She holds a BA in English Literature and is published in both Brazil and Turkey.

Eleanor loves spirituality and magic – both have allowed her to gain a strong grip on life and enjoy what it has to offer. She believes that everything has a reason and understanding those reasons help us deal with the difficult moments. Eleanor currently enjoys life with her husband in Brazil.

Reviews

[Nai · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I read Veiled Mist, also by Eleanor T Beaty, I fell in love with the characters. I loved how they were developed, and the story line. After reading Fallen Ruler, I think what drew me most to the book was the creation of Planet Ray and the Rayans inhabiting it.

I tried something different this time too.

It actually wasn't so much that I felt the need to try to expand how I write or review things, but that's what it ended up doing.

It was sort of fate, or perhaps destiny if you will, that I ended up reading this book while I was house/cat sitting for some very good friends.

You see, I have been avoiding the clouds. Which may or may not be a lot like Tsaen/Lya avoiding the clouds and destiny.

Probably because I like he who takes photos cloud's better.

I have avoided the use of Kindle's cloud reader and Google docs for one good reason. I didn't have a REASON for it to be useful. I do most of my writing at home, and I'm close to thousands of Gigabytes of storage from any given room. For a description of the computing type clouds and how they work go here.

Seriously.

Until...I had to house sit, and had to take only a laptop with me. (You know since I dropped my wonderful Android in the tub. :S). So a) I have no reader, and b) I have way less storage than I'm accustomed to. I still really wanted to read the book and finish my review, so I decided to try the Kindle Cloud reader, as the laptop runs Mint for an operating system and Kindle for PC doesn't work on the Linux platform.

Turns out, it worked pretty well, and because I was making notes and highlighting as I went, the writing was a little easier and my memory didn't have to recall quite so much. Usually when I work at home I have two displays and I can easily type as I read and still look at both windows.

You see, if I hadn't caved and used the Kindle Cloud reader because I'm sort of anti-cloud/sci-fi conspiracy prone, I wouldn't have been able to share with you a few of my favorite parts of the book.

Here then, are the reasons I loved the world creation Beaty brought to the planet Ray and the beings that inhabit it.

What follows is a series of quotes that while reading I felt the urge to remember and share with you as great examples of world and character building. Worlds have rules, and norms just like our very own earth which is why it can be such fun as a writer to create new ones, with new rules.

He read their character through their auras. The aura held all the data from a person’s entire life. By the black dots next to the pilot’s left shoulder, Kunga knew he had killed twenty-five people. Fallen Ruler (Kindle Locations 529-530).

The Calwens’ and Oticians’ emotions showed in their eyes. Anger produced yellow streaks in the pupils while deceit produced red. In Wonuke’s eyes those colors jumped out. So far Harr hadn’t been able to develop a potion to mask those telltale signs without provoking serious side effects. Emotional control was the only alternative, which Wonuke seemed to have less of with each passing day. Fallen Ruler (Kindle Locations 1476-1478).

“That would make for a very awkward situation. How to explain that? You could tell the entire planet that their ruler, who they consider to be a very wise and enlightened being, has a strong case of amnesia and now calls herself Lya.” Fallen Ruler (Kindle Locations 1713-1715).

Those are just three of my favorites, and one last thing.

I really want her (Andrea) to be nasty, much like the author pointed out in her guest blog on my site earlier today, but like many of the other readers, I find myself more concerned than anything else for Andrea. I identified with Lya, and I think I would have wanted very badly to go back and help Andrea too.

I really enjoyed reading Fallen Ruler, and while it's aimed at a slightly younger audience than myself, I enjoyed it quite a lot. I can see exactly why young adults would enjoy it. In fact, there's a perfect example of why they will:

Her father arrived after nine. Lya was in the kitchen eating a bowl of Cinnamon Toast Crunch and playing Brick Breaker on her cell to get her mind off the waiting. She was being out-witted by the game’s lifeless blocks. Fallen Ruler (Kindle Locations 417-419).

While Beaty created a new world, there was also an Earth, and culturally relevent references to draw in the readers. There's a character for everyone to identify with in the book, and if I was a little older, I would have been Grandma Nee. I have an old soul, and she was my favorite character by far.
About the Book, Author and more!
Fallen Ruler
For sixteen years, Lya, has lived as a normal human, until her father, Walter, gets involved with the wrong people and puts Lya’s life at risk. During a visit to Miami, Lya’s older sister is kidnapped, and Lya and her father are subsequently taken hostage by Walter’s associates and forced to board a plane to India. When the plane lands in Delhi, Lya is rescued by three monks and taken to a Monastery. There her reality is shattered, when she learns the true identity of her rescuers and, even more surprisingly, herself. Lya is now faced with the toughest decision of her life. Can she live up to her ethereal destiny and save her family?

That is just one of three books on this tour. I started reading Fallen Ruler yesterday in my little house sitting oasis, and I have to say I like it ALOT. It would be safe to say that while I really enjoyed Veiled Mist, I LOVE Fallen Ruler that much more.

I like reading YA novels, and Beaty's books are such a pleasure just to look at. The covers themselves have me intrigued and very excited to read. It's turning out to be a great series, and I'm really looking forward to sharing another excerpt and a few guest blogs written by the author with you today. As I read/write these posts and my own review, I think this book's world creation and character development are totally what's keeping me reading. It may help that my favorite color is the blue/indigo spectrum...


About the Author
Eleanor T. Beaty is a Young Adult Paranormal author, her most recent novel "Veiled Mist" released on July 9, 2012.

A worldly person, Eleanor was born in beautiful Brazil and spent much of her childhood in several places (Argentina, Switzerland, and the US to name a few). She holds a BA in English Literature and is published in both Brazil and Turkey.

Eleanor loves spirituality and magic – both have allowed her to gain a strong grip on life and enjoy what it has to offer. She believes that everything has a reason and understanding those reasons help us deal with the difficult moments. Eleanor currently enjoys life with her husband in Brazil. You can find out more about her and her other books on her website.

You can find Eleanor T Beaty in all the usual places: her website, Twitter, Facebook and Google+ are a few great places to start. You can buy Fallen Ruler in ebook, and in paperback. If you liked Fallen Ruler and want more, you can find a list of her other works here.

Wanna win some prizes too? Just click the picture below to take you to the Fallen Ruler Rafflecopter page, or click this link to take you to the Kindle Paperwhite mega prize for the end of the 3 week tour. There's still lots of time and 2 weeks left, so get in all the entries you can!

[caption id="attachment_1977" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Clicking that link will take you to the Rafflecopter page where your destiny just might be some great prizes![/caption]

One final thing.

Parallel Universe you say?

Someday I'll go to space, and not just in my mind. I think Planet Ray would have been an epic place for Picard to have visited.
Related articles

What's My Destiny you ask? (naimeless.wordpress.com)
Veiled Mist: an Excerpt to help you settle in with Destiny (naimeless.wordpress.com)
Where the Road to Tomorrow Leads (naimeless.wordpress.com)
A Character that is Hard to Like...at First: Guest Blog by Eleanor T Beaty (naimeless.wordpress.com)
Excerpt 2 Veiled Mist, a little more for your reading pleasure (naimeless.wordpress.com)
What is Destiny, Really? (naimeless.wordpress.com)
The Count Speaks His Mind A Guest Post for your Desinty (naimeless.wordpress.com)
The world is a beatiful place (motivatingdaily.com)
Fallen Ruler - A Guest Blog for some Inspiration (naimeless.wordpress.com)
A Planet I would Love to Live On with Eleanor T Beaty (naimeless.wordpress.com)

*One quick note, when I move my blog to be self-hosted, I'll post the rafflecopter widgets right here on the site, until then though, Wordpress limits JavaScript so I can't. Big plans for March :) I also really need to finish making my naimeless icon. . . it would be so nice to have it to post. I'm also going to write a post about cloud computing and how it can benefit writers at some point.

....one thing leads to another, and another, and another....

until your destiny is finally here.

[Jillian (NetGalley Addict) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was part of a blog tour, I was provided with a copy for my honest review

Lya has always thought she was a normal girl, when her dad makes some bad decisions and she ends up in India being rescued by Monks her life changes forever. This book was a pleasant surprise, I don't really read alien books because I have not enjoyed the majority of them, but this book has changed my mind. The main character Lya came off as easy to relate to with a quiet inner strength. The plot line was unique and well thought out. I have to praise Eleanor for the writing, there were so many different aspects to this story, yet it wasn't disjointed. The story flowed together effortlessly; there was lightness and humor in certain spots that balanced out the dark seriousness. I really enjoyed Fallen Ruler and I would recommend it to people who enjoy young adult fantasy books.

[Tracy Riva · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fallen Ruler
By Eleanor T. Beaty
Published by Q Publisher
ISBN 13: 978-0988590106 Paperback (Middle English Edition), $11.04 at Amazon; Kindle ASIN: B00AJVMW88, $2.99

Eleanor Beaty comes up with yet another twist to make a memorable YA character that adults of all ages can identify with and route for in Fallen Ruler.

Lya is one of two sisters. Her other sister hates her. Her parents do not remember conceiving her and only her grandmother loves and supports her without wavering. But what will happen when Lya discovers her identity as a sixteen-year-old girl from a pretty unloving family is challenged?

Beaty does a wonderful job creating the tension and foreshadowing in the story that lead up to Lya’s big reveal. Turns out Lya really isn’t human after all, but rather is the somewhat disgraced ruler of a parallel world. The biggest catch, the people she rules think she is dead and she can’t afford to be found on her home world until her name can be cleared, but things go wrong and Lya is transported back there. Her memories were erased so she doesn’t know what she did wrong, just that she did something and wanting to make her transition back to life on her own planet easier on her, her mentor sets it up so her memories will come back easily.

However, things never work out the way they are planned and Lya ends up demanding all her memories back at once. What she finds out about herself is more shocking to her than discovering she was from an alien race. Can she adjust to the person she is now and can her mentor clear her name so she can return to her home world for good.

I loved this story. The sci-fi elements are realistically developed and there is just a touch of fantasy involved that makes it all easier to accept. The characters are rich and multi-dimensional and while the ending wraps everything from the book up nicely, there is definitely room for a series based on these characters and I for one hope that is something Beaty decides to pursue. I cannot remember when I had so much fun being caught up in a storyline. There is deceit, murder, and all the typical human unsavory elements, but there is also joy that shines through Lya both in human and in alien form. Her bodyguards are also her friends, trusted companions, even the one who isn’t that fond of her anymore and only continues to serve her out of duty. She never treats anyone poorly, unless they absolutely deserve it and she can fend for herself.

Don’t get me wrong and think Lya is without her faults. She has them and carries some hefty baggage as a result of them, but she doesn’t let it rule her life. She shows the example of overcoming past mistakes and learning to accept yourself and excel in spite of them.

I cannot praise this book, or Beaty’s writing abilities highly enough, and I want to see more of Lya in the future.

[a_tiffyfit · Rating 4 out of 5]

I worried I wasn't going to like this book in the beginning; childbirth scene, the things the mother was saying about being pregnant and not wanting the baby, etc were just so offputting. It made me recoil. How could a mother say something like that and if she had felt that way, why didn't she end it?! I worried for the baby, growing up unwanted and unloved. But then my interest was caught with the blue girl in the maternity room, the green goo, etc. Spiritual beings? Ghosts? Aliens?! I liked Lya immediately as we're introduced to her as a 16 year old girl, smiling over the mystical marks her grandmother, Nee, put all over her room. You understand that she has had a hard life with her parents and older, bitchy sister. As the situation progresses and you meet the three "angels" as Nee calls them, more and more is revealed to you bits at a time. Not much to be said about Lobsang as he's not really focused upon other than as his role as a Lotvian. Of the three warriors, B is my favorite. She is loyal, mischievous, and loving. Lya, the main character, was harder for me to like, which in the end, I thought was appropriate. She is the titular character, she should be more complex in appealing to my emotions as a reader.

I loved the concepts and the characters and the heavy eastern philosophy that the reader can see they were based upon. As you learn about Lya/Tsaen's history once on Ray (the planet they're from), you'll find yourself nodding along and saying, Ahhhhh, okay.
I think my absolute favorite characteristic of Rayans are their eyes! How I wish that human beings had that kind of indicator!
"...,the Rayan eyes act as an indicator of emotions. But unlike the birthmark, the eyes react in the moment. They are your nakedness. If you're lying, red will appear in your pupils. With anger, the pupils turn yellow. Concealing brings on green. true love, bright purple." -kindle loc 1871
Despite being told clearly that the change is in the pupils, I kept thinking it was the irises and had to remind myself it wasn't as I read descriptions of several character's eyes - deep mysterious blue, bright green, muddy brown. I kept asking myself, "wait! what does blue mean?" before I remembered that the indicator is in the pupils.

While it took me a little bit to become invested in the story, once I did the story rolled along at a very good pace. There is action, science fiction, emotion, and moments of frivolity that were just so appealing all together. A very good read, one I hope you pick up!

[Pavarti Tyler]

Disclaimer: Eleanor is a consulting client of mine through Novel Publicity. However, I read this book BEFORE we began working together. In the interest of maintaining an ethical review policy, I will NOT be assigning a star value to Fallen Ruler or posting this review on Amazon.

Review: When did I start reading YA books? I mean really people, I’ve put up a good fight, like being all snobby about YA books not being good enough for me to bother with. And now, I find myself reading and LOVING yet another!

Fallen Ruler first grabbed me with the cover. I only knew Eleanor as an acquaintance and while she seemed like a lovely person (an impression proven completely true) I had no interest in reading her books. Because I’m a snob and I don’t read YA. But I LOVE a good alien book and since reading A Human Element I haven’t found anything I’ve really enjoyed. So when I saw the cover I was excited. It’s all Man Who Fell to Earth but it was of a woman and that was different. Cool. So I told Eleanor I’d review it and she sent me an ARC.

And wowsers! I loved it. I loved the influence of eastern philosophy, the edgy and dangerous undertones, the gritty look at what it’s really like to be a teenager in a dysfunctional environment. I loved the way the main character’s human experience of pain and mistreatment allowed her to evolve on her home planet. I loved the science aspect, even though it’s more fantasy in application Eleanor’s commitment to consistency allow the reader to completely suspend their disbelief.

I can’t say this is really a YA book. The inclusion of drugs, and allusion to sex and some really deep issues in regards to definition of self come up. The newly embraced category of New Adult fits Fallen Ruler better because it doesn’t shy away from the issues older teens face. It’s totally appropriate for the 15+ crowd though.

Fallen Ruler is a great read, full of action and mystery. There’s even some romance and a broken heart or two to engage the reader. You are surrounded by culture, from America to India to the planet of Ray and Eleanor doesn’t skimp on the details. Her world building and attention to detail are exquisite.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Eleanor pens "Fallen Ruler" in a well thought out, unique plot that kept my interest from the start. Her characters were believable and strong with good chemistry. I totally enjoyed the book and would recommend it to YA 16 and older as there is some dark passages and adult content, but nothing to strong.

This review is based on a complimentary copy from the author which was provided for an honest review.

[Paul Madsen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good storu

This tale has old th of drama and suspense all rolled up with a teenager who does not know who she really is. It was hard to get i to to begin but once the characters sorted themselves out the plot began to make sense.

[Natasha · Rating 3 out of 5]

Received through Goodreads Firstreads, Thank You!


Fallen Ruler grabbed me from the first page, though I must admit that my interest did wane a little bit once we followed Lya to Ray. I fell in love with the monks (though they weren't really monks, I suppose) and the whole monastery chapter of the story and was a bit sad to see us taken away from there - they were such an engaging and comedic bunch. Once my mindset changed though, I inhaled the remainder of the story, flabbergasted at the world that Beaty created.
I was expecting to read more about Lya's father and her kidnapped sister and while in Ray, I did often find my mind floating back to what was happening where andrea was concerned and the fact that, even with time moving differently between the two places, Lya did seem to have forgotten her rescue mission for most of the time that she was away. We did return to that part of the story towards the end but it seemed to be wrapped up a bit quickly, almost like an afterthought.

But...
Lya came across as a very intelligent, kindhearted person with a high tolerance for people unkind to her. She had a very strong soul, and a down to earth capacity for revenge against those that have harmed her and her family (most of it).
Nee, I fell in love with instantly. She's the querky, eccentric, whole-hearted, open-minded grandmother that I believe everyone on this world (and the next) needs. I think she would suit retiring to the monastery with the "monk gang".

Mrs. Beaty as an icredible imagination. She introduces us to an other-wordly species inhabiting our world for the sake of saving one of their own, Tsaen. Despite that I could think of nothing to compare the Rayans to (in true form) in our world, with Beaty's vivid descriptions I didn't struggle at all to mould them into being in my mind. And the characteristics that she came up with for this race were so incredibly unique, albeit at times a little bit gross. Eating green goo placenta stuff - okay then. Crystals that go in your belly button to transport you through dimensions and change your appearance - that's pretty awesome.

Fallen Ruler takes us into a world, two worlds actually, filled with crime and love, and loss, and deception, and loyalty, and friendships and families renewed and reunited. All in all, I really liked it, but I think that it would have benefitted from being a little bit longer.

[Emily M Genther · Rating 3 out of 5]

I should say that I received this book for free in exchange for my honest review. As I writer,I keep my reviews honest.

I was surprised by how how dark and extremely adult the content in this book was. It's very different from Beaty' s other work. It also took a really long time to get into. Like over half the book. It has a very interesting premise though, and seems to be set up for a sequel. If that's the case I will be looking forward to it. Once the story actually picked up it was good, So a second book where they can cut past all the introductory stuff and get to the point has the potential to be a lot better than the first.