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The Two Lands #1
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“Once upon a time there lived a beautiful princess. . .” All my favorite childhood fairy tales began that way. But, what if the princess wasn't so beautiful? And, what if no one really wanted her? This is how Princess Keita’s story begins. While she is the wisest princess in all the Two Lands and princes journey long distances to seek her advice, King Meriot cannot find a husband for his daughter. Then, a prince from across the sea arrives and asks for Keita to accompany him back to his home so they can ultimately be married.
Once they depart on their voyage, Keita is haunted by dreams of an unknown man enticing her and calling her name. She also can’t seem to forget the face of her father’s guard who escorted her safely into the hands of her prince. Her journey begins to take an unexpected turn, and Princess Keita finds herself having to choose between a prince who only wants her based on rumors and his own desperation, a dark wizard who speaks to her through dreams, and her father’s guard who seems to be harboring a secret and wishes for the princess to forget him.
Princess Keita’s troubles, as daunting as they may seem, are overshadowed by a threat that endangers the lands. Someone is trying to re-unite the Two Lands that were separated many years ago, which will ignite war between power hungry kings. As Keita realizes her place amongst this struggle, she begins to learn the truth about the kingdom she now calls home and the people surrounding her.
Once they depart on their voyage, Keita is haunted by dreams of an unknown man enticing her and calling her name. She also can’t seem to forget the face of her father’s guard who escorted her safely into the hands of her prince. Her journey begins to take an unexpected turn, and Princess Keita finds herself having to choose between a prince who only wants her based on rumors and his own desperation, a dark wizard who speaks to her through dreams, and her father’s guard who seems to be harboring a secret and wishes for the princess to forget him.
Princess Keita’s troubles, as daunting as they may seem, are overshadowed by a threat that endangers the lands. Someone is trying to re-unite the Two Lands that were separated many years ago, which will ignite war between power hungry kings. As Keita realizes her place amongst this struggle, she begins to learn the truth about the kingdom she now calls home and the people surrounding her.
490 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 29, 2014
2 people are currently reading
16 people want to read
About the author
Ann Livi Andrews
13 books434 followersLife does not always go as planned.
This is a fact that I know all too well.
I planned to be married in my early 20’s. I planned to be done having children (2-3) by the time I reached my 30th birthday. I planned to be a High School English teacher (having been scared off of Astronomy and Psychology by those employed in the fields). I planned to lead a quiet life, avoiding attention as much as possible.
Life does not always go as planned.
So here’s what my bio ACTUALLY looks like.
After being scared away from teaching high school English by the politics of the educational system, I used my organizational skills to become an Executive Assistant. It was through this job that I found myself sitting at a trade show, attempting to sell folding bikes, and attracting the attention of a highly energetic window and sunroom salesman.
After a series of events that led to me taking a walk around the RV Show with this salesman, I confessed that I was a writer at heart and wished that I could become a published author. The salesman confidently told me that he would like to publish my book.
Fast forward a year and I was engaged to the Salesman who had helped me self publish my first short story, Crimson Mistress.
“This is all well and good” I told him. “But I will never be an entrepreneur like you. I just don’t have the mindset.”
Fast forward another three years and I was a stay at home mom with a preemie son. My Salesman, now husband, had helped me publish several more short stories and my first full length novel. But it didn’t seem to be enough. Something was missing - something that I had sought within the publishing world but couldn’t find. Support.
So I began Support for Indie Authors.
A year later, we hit 5,000 members.
Two years later, we’re at nearly 10,000 members.
Life does not go as planned. Thank God.
This is a fact that I know all too well.
I planned to be married in my early 20’s. I planned to be done having children (2-3) by the time I reached my 30th birthday. I planned to be a High School English teacher (having been scared off of Astronomy and Psychology by those employed in the fields). I planned to lead a quiet life, avoiding attention as much as possible.
Life does not always go as planned.
So here’s what my bio ACTUALLY looks like.
After being scared away from teaching high school English by the politics of the educational system, I used my organizational skills to become an Executive Assistant. It was through this job that I found myself sitting at a trade show, attempting to sell folding bikes, and attracting the attention of a highly energetic window and sunroom salesman.
After a series of events that led to me taking a walk around the RV Show with this salesman, I confessed that I was a writer at heart and wished that I could become a published author. The salesman confidently told me that he would like to publish my book.
Fast forward a year and I was engaged to the Salesman who had helped me self publish my first short story, Crimson Mistress.
“This is all well and good” I told him. “But I will never be an entrepreneur like you. I just don’t have the mindset.”
Fast forward another three years and I was a stay at home mom with a preemie son. My Salesman, now husband, had helped me publish several more short stories and my first full length novel. But it didn’t seem to be enough. Something was missing - something that I had sought within the publishing world but couldn’t find. Support.
So I began Support for Indie Authors.
A year later, we hit 5,000 members.
Two years later, we’re at nearly 10,000 members.
Life does not go as planned. Thank God.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
February 12, 2016
Talk about a nostalgia trigger. Everything about this book reminded me of why I once loved fantasy. Obb is easily one of the most lovable grumps in fiction, and the assortment of characters that comprise the cast recall a fondness for movies and books I loved growing up, from Labyrinth to Hans Christian Andersen.
Admittedly, I enjoy anything where the protagonist breaks the mold for what they are supposed to be, so this book was an easy sell from the first page. What followed was lovingly written, with a piece of the author left buried in the text, like a flower blossoming amidst wreckage.
Admittedly, I enjoy anything where the protagonist breaks the mold for what they are supposed to be, so this book was an easy sell from the first page. What followed was lovingly written, with a piece of the author left buried in the text, like a flower blossoming amidst wreckage.
July 1, 2015
Having dipped my toes into the epic side of sword & sorcery, it was nice to get back to more of a fantastical fairytale setting with princesses, wizards, goblins, and more. In many ways, this book reminded me of some of my favorite fantasy films from the eighties, especially Labyrinth.
Keita is a very interesting main character in that while she is relatable, she is not the special 'chosen one' that is typical of the genre. In fact, while the opposite as she seems to be a character with natural strengths despite being manipulated by nearly all around her.
The story itself seems to build exponentially, starting with Keita's childhood and moving through her adolescence. By the time we reach her young adulthood, the pace picks up quite a bit and it seems as if every page offers a new twist. The ending sneaks up on you and it will leave you breathless. Saying any more than that would give too much away.
My only complaint is that the next book is not out yet. I would recommend this to fans of fantasy, fairytales, young adult, and the aforementioned eighties films.
Keita is a very interesting main character in that while she is relatable, she is not the special 'chosen one' that is typical of the genre. In fact, while the opposite as she seems to be a character with natural strengths despite being manipulated by nearly all around her.
The story itself seems to build exponentially, starting with Keita's childhood and moving through her adolescence. By the time we reach her young adulthood, the pace picks up quite a bit and it seems as if every page offers a new twist. The ending sneaks up on you and it will leave you breathless. Saying any more than that would give too much away.
My only complaint is that the next book is not out yet. I would recommend this to fans of fantasy, fairytales, young adult, and the aforementioned eighties films.
April 18, 2015
In one land, magic isn't really even considered worth talking about. In the other land, there is magic. It is an accepted fact, though most of the humans dupe themselves into believing they are in control. The reality is almost too frightening.
There were a few scenes that made me uncomfortable (Note: LOTR also makes me uncomfortable), but the basic storyline, that of a young, obedient, and wise princess, was easy to follow. She's a little less wise about her own affairs than she is about others, but I did mention that she was young, right? A mysterious meeting she has as a child plays into her future, drawing her into a world of magic and men that she doesn't understand.
Goblins and sirens, "dragons" and talking birds, wizards playing at cross-purposes...but which one is lying? And who are they?! :-D You'll have to read to the end to find out.
There were a few scenes that made me uncomfortable (Note: LOTR also makes me uncomfortable), but the basic storyline, that of a young, obedient, and wise princess, was easy to follow. She's a little less wise about her own affairs than she is about others, but I did mention that she was young, right? A mysterious meeting she has as a child plays into her future, drawing her into a world of magic and men that she doesn't understand.
Goblins and sirens, "dragons" and talking birds, wizards playing at cross-purposes...but which one is lying? And who are they?! :-D You'll have to read to the end to find out.
April 10, 2015
To be honest, when I looked at the page numbers for this book, I was a little worried that it would be too long and wouldn’t grip me to the end. Boy, was I mistaken. Don’t get me wrong, I love a good story but I hate it when the author has made the book extremely long and filled the middle with rubbish.
This was definitely not the case here. The story gripped me from the beginning until the end and I found it very hard to put down.
It is a story about a princess, but it is not a really girly story. I would recommend it to anyone who loves a good fantasy. It is written to appeal to the young adult audience but is a clean story and would be recommended from the age of 10 and up. I would love to read more novel sized stories from this talented author.
This was definitely not the case here. The story gripped me from the beginning until the end and I found it very hard to put down.
It is a story about a princess, but it is not a really girly story. I would recommend it to anyone who loves a good fantasy. It is written to appeal to the young adult audience but is a clean story and would be recommended from the age of 10 and up. I would love to read more novel sized stories from this talented author.
December 1, 2014
Andrews has a beautiful writing style. She created in The Two Lands a compelling world, populated with unique yet relatable characters. Her vivid imagination fills this adventurous story from start to finish and I look forward to reading more by this author.
March 6, 2017
A fantasy with a twist - a plain princess. Although, when we see her wisdom and strong will, we may find she's not so plain after all. The story of the Two Lands divided by family conflict is full of twists and turns, and one I'm definitely looking forward to continuing with the next book in the series. The ending is complete and satisfying, but I freely admit after finishing it, I went back and read a certain passage from the beginning again just to make more sense of it. Like many of the other reviewers, I was reminded of fantasy movies I saw in my childhood (and still love today), which is never a bad thing. Highly recommended for everyone who enjoys a fantasy filled with magic, creatures, adventure, and mystery.
April 20, 2016
A fantasy fairy tale with a wise young princess sent off to marry a prince she doesn’t know and isn’t sure about. That’s how it starts but it gets a lot more complicated once an evil wizard and other magical beings get involved. There’s even a goblin who reminds me of Dobby, the house elf in the Harry Potter books. It’s a bit long but young readers and fantasy fans may like that. Lots of magic and mystery. I liked the ending, which, thankfully for me, was more interesting than a fairy tale ending.
April 24, 2017
There seems to be a gem hidden inside this story.
I loved the basic outline. I would read the sequel. I only found the story disjointed and the overall story arc was something just out of reach. Why things happen in the past and why they can or cannot happen in the future is part of the world building. I had no idea of Keita's personality. She is "wise"? What did that mean? She spends most of the book being led around and sleeping. Why and how did the wizard use people like Jeni and why would they agree? I found myself outside the story a bit angry that I wasn't told enough to care about any of them? Why was Obb tied to Aden? Why did Aden fool the King? There was so much deceit in the "good" characters (or the author just didn't want the reader to know) that it felt disjointed and hard to care how any of them fared.
Maybe this was a second book and I missed the first one?
I loved the basic outline. I would read the sequel. I only found the story disjointed and the overall story arc was something just out of reach. Why things happen in the past and why they can or cannot happen in the future is part of the world building. I had no idea of Keita's personality. She is "wise"? What did that mean? She spends most of the book being led around and sleeping. Why and how did the wizard use people like Jeni and why would they agree? I found myself outside the story a bit angry that I wasn't told enough to care about any of them? Why was Obb tied to Aden? Why did Aden fool the King? There was so much deceit in the "good" characters (or the author just didn't want the reader to know) that it felt disjointed and hard to care how any of them fared.
Maybe this was a second book and I missed the first one?
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews