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Hearts And Thrones #4
Healer's Touch
Marius believes himself to be an ordinary small-town apothecary - until the imperial guards show up at his door. Then he learns the truth: he is cousin to the Kjallan emperor. Before he was born, his mother eloped with her beloved, leaving the palace and its intrigues behind. Now Marius returns to the imperial seat, where he will learn healing magic and struggle to adapt his small town soul to big city life.
Meanwhile, the neighboring nation of Sardos has collapsed, and refugees are pouring over the border. Isolda, a Sardossian shopkeeper, is among them. She has fled her cruel husband and now ekes out a living on the streets of the imperial city.
When Marius meets Isolda in the aftermath of a factory explosion, he falls for this determined woman who, like him, is far from home and struggling to find her place. But Isolda faces daily discrimination and harassment, while Marius’s imperial relatives parade before him a bevy of women they deem more suitable to his station. Marius must decide: is he the emperor’s dutiful cousin, grateful for the gifts that have been given him, or is he his mother’s son, prepared to sacrifice everything for love?
279 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 23, 2014
10 people are currently reading
197 people want to read
About the author
Amy Raby
15 books220 followersAmy Raby is literally a product of the U.S. space program, since her parents met working for NASA on the Apollo missions. After earning her Bachelor’s in Computer Science from the University of Washington, Amy settled in the Pacific Northwest with her family, where she’s always looking for life’s next adventure, whether it’s capsizing tiny sailboats in Lake Washington or riding dressage horses. Assassin’s Gambit is her debut novel.
Awards: 2011 Golden Heart® finalist, 2012 Daphne du Maurier winner.
Awards: 2011 Golden Heart® finalist, 2012 Daphne du Maurier winner.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
May 25, 2015
Yes please and thank you, I heartily of approve of both hero and heroine in this. I mean, hero was slightly less memorable than heroine, but I'm not about to complain about a tough and common-sensical woman who takes care of herself and her child and has a plan.
May 11, 2017
Nice, but too bland..
November 27, 2014
Both Marius and Isolda are judged for what they are not. Marius was raised as a commoner so when he is brought back to court by the Emperor he is judged for his lack of fashion and his simple tastes. Isolda on the other hand is a refuge and is mistreated by nearly every Kjallan, but she’s a strong, fierce and smart woman. They will meet in the middle, and even though they have a lot in common, they will have to overcome many obstacles.
I have beta read the last two releases by Amy Raby and I was really happy to get the chance to read this one as well. Healer’s Touch is the fourth novel in this series, and even though I haven’t read the books 2 and 3 yet, I didn’t have any trouble getting into the story. Having read the first book helped a lot to have a better sense of the culture though.
First, I’d like to say that I really enjoyed this book, despite my pointing elements I wish were different. I really liked the small town atmosphere in Healer’s Touch and it felt very different from Assassin’s Gambit and Archer’s Sin. Even though there are explosions, and quite an amazing battle at the end, this novel is rather tranquil in it’s essence. Much less action packed than the previous ones, but no less interesting. The focus really is on Marius & Isolda’s blooming relationship, their struggles, and their ambitions.
I liked how real and down-to-earth both main characters were and I can only command them for staying true to themselves despite the challenges. I think they were a perfect fit for each other. One element I wish was different is the more carnal side of their romance. There is one sexual encounter that is described rather chastely and mention of subsequent ‘meetings’, but I really wish there was at least another intimate scene and that it felt more passionate.
The conclusion is hard to describe without giving anything away, but I must find a way because it really left me craving for more, so I will use a metaphor. Let’s say to spent the past 7 hours mixing, baking and decorating this awesome cake, and then you can’t even take a bite. Someone else does and describes the taste to you. Frustrating right? I really wished Amy presented the conclusion in the form of an epilogue instead of the technique she used. She gives a peek on what comes after, but it wasn’t satisfying enough for me, even though I was happy with how things turned out for the characters. Does it make any sense?
In the end, I really enjoyed this book and I urge your to pick up this title even though it isn’t published by the same publisher who released the first three titles. For reasons unknown to me, Amy was not contracted for the fourth book, so I really hope you purchase this one (which is really cheap BTW!) and support her
I have beta read the last two releases by Amy Raby and I was really happy to get the chance to read this one as well. Healer’s Touch is the fourth novel in this series, and even though I haven’t read the books 2 and 3 yet, I didn’t have any trouble getting into the story. Having read the first book helped a lot to have a better sense of the culture though.
First, I’d like to say that I really enjoyed this book, despite my pointing elements I wish were different. I really liked the small town atmosphere in Healer’s Touch and it felt very different from Assassin’s Gambit and Archer’s Sin. Even though there are explosions, and quite an amazing battle at the end, this novel is rather tranquil in it’s essence. Much less action packed than the previous ones, but no less interesting. The focus really is on Marius & Isolda’s blooming relationship, their struggles, and their ambitions.
I liked how real and down-to-earth both main characters were and I can only command them for staying true to themselves despite the challenges. I think they were a perfect fit for each other. One element I wish was different is the more carnal side of their romance. There is one sexual encounter that is described rather chastely and mention of subsequent ‘meetings’, but I really wish there was at least another intimate scene and that it felt more passionate.
The conclusion is hard to describe without giving anything away, but I must find a way because it really left me craving for more, so I will use a metaphor. Let’s say to spent the past 7 hours mixing, baking and decorating this awesome cake, and then you can’t even take a bite. Someone else does and describes the taste to you. Frustrating right? I really wished Amy presented the conclusion in the form of an epilogue instead of the technique she used. She gives a peek on what comes after, but it wasn’t satisfying enough for me, even though I was happy with how things turned out for the characters. Does it make any sense?
In the end, I really enjoyed this book and I urge your to pick up this title even though it isn’t published by the same publisher who released the first three titles. For reasons unknown to me, Amy was not contracted for the fourth book, so I really hope you purchase this one (which is really cheap BTW!) and support her
October 15, 2015
This is definitely not Raby's best work, but it did not disappoint either.
I found myself drawn to Isolda from the start. I wanted to know about her past to see what brought her to make the decisions she did. She was so strong and determined. She really amazed me. This baffled me at first because I'm normally not interested in romances where one of the people was previously married. I have no idea why I have that preference, but through Isolda, Amy Raby took me away from my comfort zone. It worked out very well.
The book starts with Marius and his back story. Marius lacked depth to me. He was just too perfect, good, and unselfish. I found fault with him in that I never found much fault in him...
The only other qualm I had with this book is that it's more of a love story with some magic involved, rather than a love plot that simultaneously happens with a fantasy plot. I was definitely looking for some more focus on this incredible world's magic system.
The romance plot was very dreamy. Marius became Isolda's "knight in shining armor" even though she didn't want him to be. They didn't fall in love overnight or at first sight, so that was a huge plus. A lot of self reflection and evaluations of feelings brought them to the realization of their feelings for each other. They warmed my heart.
Two side characters worth note are Rory (Isolda's son from a previous marriage) and Drusus (Marius' personal guard). It was neat to feel like I watched Rory grow. He was a delight to read about. I hope he appears in his own tale down the road (*wink* *cough* Amy Raby). Drusus had such a great sense of humor. Here is one of his lines, while out of context may not be too funny. However, it made me laugh out load when I read it!
"Not much of a naturalist, is he?" observed Drusus. "A female rat is called a doe."
If I was judging it only as a romance, I would have given it 4.5 stars. However, because I felt it was missing a strong fantasy subplot, I gave it 3.5 stars. (Except that Goodreads doesn't have the .5 star ratings so I bumped it up from 3.5 to 4.) Can't wait for the next book already!
I found myself drawn to Isolda from the start. I wanted to know about her past to see what brought her to make the decisions she did. She was so strong and determined. She really amazed me. This baffled me at first because I'm normally not interested in romances where one of the people was previously married. I have no idea why I have that preference, but through Isolda, Amy Raby took me away from my comfort zone. It worked out very well.
The book starts with Marius and his back story. Marius lacked depth to me. He was just too perfect, good, and unselfish. I found fault with him in that I never found much fault in him...
The only other qualm I had with this book is that it's more of a love story with some magic involved, rather than a love plot that simultaneously happens with a fantasy plot. I was definitely looking for some more focus on this incredible world's magic system.
The romance plot was very dreamy. Marius became Isolda's "knight in shining armor" even though she didn't want him to be. They didn't fall in love overnight or at first sight, so that was a huge plus. A lot of self reflection and evaluations of feelings brought them to the realization of their feelings for each other. They warmed my heart.
Two side characters worth note are Rory (Isolda's son from a previous marriage) and Drusus (Marius' personal guard). It was neat to feel like I watched Rory grow. He was a delight to read about. I hope he appears in his own tale down the road (*wink* *cough* Amy Raby). Drusus had such a great sense of humor. Here is one of his lines, while out of context may not be too funny. However, it made me laugh out load when I read it!
"Not much of a naturalist, is he?" observed Drusus. "A female rat is called a doe."
If I was judging it only as a romance, I would have given it 4.5 stars. However, because I felt it was missing a strong fantasy subplot, I gave it 3.5 stars. (Except that Goodreads doesn't have the .5 star ratings so I bumped it up from 3.5 to 4.) Can't wait for the next book already!
December 6, 2014
DNF @ 13%, Dec. 6, 2014.
Just can't get into it.
RD: Nov. 23, 2014.
Just can't get into it.
RD: Nov. 23, 2014.
December 19, 2014
I liked the main characters and liked seeing Lucien and Vitala from the outside. This was a slower book than the first three. I enjoyed it, but missed the action and wider scope of the previous books.
July 25, 2015
Rounded up from 3.5 to 4 stars. Liked both the leads, though I found Isolde's story more interesting. I also appreciated how she handled certain situations. I wonder if the author will do more with this world.
June 26, 2016
Fun and entertaining, but I didn't connect with the hero or heroine as much as I did with the rest of the series. Seemed to take a while for the action to start, and a few plots fizzled out without resolution.
Still, a very good fantasy/alternate history romance series!
Still, a very good fantasy/alternate history romance series!
December 4, 2014
I really enjoy this series. This one was not my favorite but still very enjoyable. I really like her characters and her stories.
books-mine-get-to
October 7, 2016~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews