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Lords of Thessaly #3

Masterful Lord of Thessaly

Hidden in plain sight
Lapith noblewoman Delia has been leading two lives. One, as the dutiful wife of the centaur Lord Hector. The other, a fierce Amazon warrior tasked with rescuing nymphs from a hellish fate of slavery. She's just steps away from the largest rescue mission yet, and there's only one thing standing in her way--her husband.

Unraveling her darkest secrets
As the heir to King Cheiron, Hector has borne the weight of an empire on his shoulders ever since his birth. With each passing year, Cheiron's subjects look to him as their new leader. But he can't rule a Kingdom when he can't even solve the mystery in his own castle. The woman posing as his mate isn't his wife, and the female avoiding him all these years is the one he can't resist.

A love too late
When Delia disobeys the Amazon Queen to save Hector's life, they are banished to Lapith lands--enemy territory. Forced to work together, they must ensure the survival of their races, and their hearts, before the coming war draws a line between them that neither will be able to cross.

121 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 20, 2016

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Rachael Slate

31 books497 followers

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5 stars
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
Profile Image for Roxanne Johnson-bisland.
100 reviews1 follower
September 7, 2016
I don't even know where to start with this book.
Rachael Slate keeps amazing and leaving me wanting more of her Stories. I am at a loss on how to do this review without giving to much away.

Hector is heir to King Cheiron, he has The Kingdom to think about and before he can take on that he must get his house under control first. Hector is married and mated to a Lapith noblewoman named Delia. Hector begins to suspect that his wife has a lover and decides to follow her one day. Where he is lead is not where he thought he would end up.

Delia has a secret, she is an amazon warrior who has a double fill in for her at Hectors home. She has a mission and one that if she does not complete could change her life. Delia does not know her husband, she has rarely been in their home.

Hector and Delia are sent out of of Delia's home by the Queen and the only way Delia can return home is to complete a task she is not sure she can do. Can she kill her husband? Or can their be a different way.

Hector believes he is cursed by a nymph who was hurt when he denied her. He is mated to Delia but the mating ceremony has never been completed. Can he find a way to complete the mating ceremony before he is taken over by the lyssa, a madness that happens to a Centaur if the ceremony is not completed.

Delia and Hector's story is not like the others, their story is an unbelievable one that if they can get past everything they can be and unstoppable pair.

Wow this book...Rachael Slate has out done it again with this story.
3,154 reviews18 followers
September 2, 2016
Another compelling centaur episode!!!

We meet Hector as he is spying on his wife Delia; a curse prevents their intimacy, but he will not be made a fool of, and she is up to something. Following her through a portal – he spies two females, only one of them his wife. Which one?

The Queen orders Hectors death. When Delia proclaims her mission will fail without him, she is also sentenced to death. Banished to the Lapith lands. Delia had long admired the handsome centaur, he brought out feelings that were contrary to her Amazon warrior nature. Delia can still survive if she kills Hector. As he blocks a killing blow and holds her, he realizes she truly is his mate.

A battle of wills ensues. Can these two who do not really know each other become true mates? Will their enemies kill them first? Twists and turns of this tale will keep you enthralled.

*A complimentary copy was given in exchange for an honest review*
Profile Image for Stacy Aube.
834 reviews2 followers
September 12, 2016
As a true fan of Rachael's work, I am yet again amazed by another Centaur story. I find myself so engrossed in these books I have them read before I know it.

Hector can't figure out whats going on with his wife, where she keeps running off to. After following her he realizes that nothing is as it seems. Will they be able to reconnect after all the trails they are forced to endure?
Profile Image for Lyn Mckenzie.
877 reviews16 followers
June 27, 2017
The novella is addictive from the first page, compelling readers to keep turning the pages to find out the mystery that is Hector and Delia, again it is something that a reader could pick as a first novel from the author but obviously the other characters would make a lot more sense if they had already followed this series.

I had always wondered what Hector's story was and am so glad that this author gave it to us! Hector is the typical Centaur, bold, stubborn and full of pain and pride! I really enjoyed reading about him, finding out his motivations, the thing I enjoyed most about his character was his stubbornness and his refusal to quit against what he believes in and what he believes to be his. For me Delia is a wonderful character and is the perfect mate to Hector with her fire and passion that comes from her Amazonian roots, she is fiercely loyal and follows her heart when she realises what it is that she wants.

With novellas it is very easy for It to feel rushed to get all the information in, that is not the case with this one, the author has managed to get the story in, with an easy flow without it coming across as stuffing information in. The whole story flows in a seamless way, from the beginning to the end, making it a serious page turner!

I loved the whole story, I bit of the story I loved the most was when Hector's madness takes over him and she takes him to the cave, I love this because of Delia's passion and love for him and the reason he comes back is because his mate has been hurt. True Love.......
Profile Image for Nikki Brooks.
3,719 reviews56 followers
September 20, 2016
Hector may be the heir to King Cheiron but he has a problem with his flighty wife! He has responsibilities and a war looming on the horizon but his wife Delia appears to be cheating on him - she certainly never seems to be there when he needs her. But when he decides he has had enough of her lies and follows her, he gets waaaaay more than he bargained for.

Delia is leading a double life as amazon warrior and wife to Hector. She barely knows the man she is married to and has a "body double" who fills in for her when she is away on a mission! When the Amazon queen declares the only way for Delia to return home is by completing her mission, can Delia really kill Hector?

Hector thinks a curse has denied him completing the mating to Delia but as the Lyssa takes a hold of him will he be able to stave off the madness or will he succumb and become a danger to all of those around him - even Delia?

Delia and Hectors story had a different feel than the previous books of the series. I felt it was a bit darker with Delias duplicitous and murderous mission and Hectors thin grasp on his temper and sanity. The Amazon queen is also a shadowy and sometimes downright dark character. As usual the dialogue and scenes pull you right into the thick of the action and the romance is of the HOT variety!! Great addition to the series!
Profile Image for Liana Smith Bautista | Libervore Reads.
268 reviews12 followers
October 8, 2016
***I received this book for free from the author in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review, which was first posted on book blog Will Read for Feels.

The centaur princes are back in the latest in Rachael Slate’s Lords of Thessaly novellas, which slide right into her Halcyon fantasy romance series. This month, we get up close and personal with Hector, who isn’t just any old son of King Cheiron of the centaurs—he’s the heir. Except that he’s been married to his mate, Delia, for 10 years and hasn’t touched her, thanks to a curse laid upon him that any woman he beds will die. ‘Course, he doesn’t tell his wife about it, and that’s okay with her because she’s got her own secrets to keep. Then a hop through a portal lays secrets bare, and suddenly things get interesting.

If you’ve read and enjoyed the previous books in this series, you’ll love the fact that this is in the same vein. The sex is sizzling and the males are alpha up the wazoo, so if that sort of thing floats your boat (and it does mine), then you’ll want to hunker down with this read and read it in one sitting. And I don’t recommend reading it in a public place like I did—in a fast food restaurant, on my lunch break—because I wasn’t kidding about the sex scenes.

However, what’s said above can be said of the other books in this series. If we go down to the specifics, Hector’s got that grumpy alpha thing going on, and I guess I can’t blame him—it’ll take a while to get over 10 years of celibacy, I can imagine. I liked that Delia is a warrior in her own right, and she’s got a sharp mind, too, based on the fact that she’s the one who figures out a nefarious plot against the centaurs at one point in this book.

One thing I didn’t appreciate was how one of the main plot points kind of fizzled out before it had a chance to really build and hit a crucial point. It left me wondering, “Oh, that’s it?” And while it does make sense, it did leave a very anticlimactic feeling that I kept going back to.

On a more positive note, though, as someone who’s followed this series from book one, I was very happy to see the main characters of Moon Borne making an appearance in this novella. Looking forward to the next, as always, and, more importantly, looking forward to the eventual battle that has to be waged because of all this buildup!
Profile Image for Cherri-Anne.
922 reviews
September 20, 2016
what are you waiting for, my masterful centaur? 5 GOLD PAWNS

Prove your devotion, and master me. She was wild and untamed, but he would bend her to his will. He would master her. WHAT IN HADES? I didn't think it PAWSSIBLE for me to love, Love, LOVE this series any more than I already do, but then the Masterful Lord of Thessaly came along and WOW! He masterfully stole my hearts!! Once again Rachael has transported me through the Portal & back into this CENTAURRIFIC time and place that I ABSO-LYSSA-LUTELY adore and never want to leave!! This time I get to live & experience Hector and Delia's MATETACULAR Centaur tail through their eyes and hearts, as them, for them and with them! And what an adventure their story is!! Even though I know a bit about Hector and his "situation" from past books, I was in no way prepared for the reality of it all!! I admit to gasping out loud more than a couple of times because of the surprises, twists & turns & the shocks!! Of course the humor, heat, family, love and more, are all woven in & around those surprises making this one well rounded story. Okay, okay! It is way more than "just" well rounded! It is one ABSO-AMAZON-LUTELY DELIALECTABLE addition to the Halcyon Romance series! Rachael doesn't need Hippolyta’s girdle to be Lord and Master over her readers! Even though the Gods & Goddesses themselves have Blessed Rachael and have shown their approval of her stories by sharing some secrets & juicy tidbits along this incredible journey, Rachael doesn't really need their help. Why you ask? Because her books speak for themselves! OR rather for her... Rachael is one astronomically talented and genuinely gifted author whose books affect me deeply & in ways like no others!! Rachael is truly an author of mythic proportions! Although I do wonder if Rachael doesn't have some Nymph blood in her because with every. single. book. she has me wholly, utterly and completely spellbound, captivated and consumed - mind, body, heart and soul! Their hearts. Their souls. They were bonded mates. *dreamy sigh* LOVE CENTAURS ALL!!
Profile Image for Kay.
1,729 reviews19 followers
September 16, 2016
I really enjoy Rachael Slate's work. Yes, you can read the blurb and think you know what's going to happen...but the book is always SO much more than that.

This story is a case in point. Delia and Hector's tale is just a wee bit different from the other centaur books. Yes, it oozes animal lust, wanting, intricate revenge and betrayal - all the things I have come to expect from a Rachael Slate book. But it also has a pure and complete love, from the bottom of their heart(s) and souls. I found parts of this story so, so beautiful - it physically hurt.

I received a digital copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
596 reviews2 followers
September 20, 2016
Ingenuous weave of mythology and romance!
Lord Hector unexpectedly stumbles on his wife Delia's secrets which include treason, betrayal, and an Amazon plot for conquest over the centaurs. However, when ordered to kill Hector Delia cannot. Finding themselves behind enemy lines they must learn to trust the other to get home. Just as Hector finally claims Delia, after fighting it for a decade, Hector succumbs to the lyssa and only Delia's love may be able to bring him back. Another hit in this incredible series with heart pounding storylines and characters that enchant and captivate.
Profile Image for Nicole.
4,403 reviews55 followers
September 25, 2016
4.5 Stars
I always enjoy reading a book from this series because I know it's going to be good. This was no different. It kept me ensnared. Hector and Delia are both in for surprises in this one. More so Hector when he finds out what his wife has been up to. This one had passion, adventure, and heart. A winning combination.
Profile Image for Gladys.
14.6k reviews168 followers
September 2, 2017
Masterful Lord of Thessaly by Rachel Slate is book #3 in the Lords of Thessaly series. It is a short but entertaining book. Featuring a complex world, engaging characters and an interesting storyline. This book is about Delia and Hector. Their relationship is tested by lies, secrets and several twists. I am posting an honest review after reading an ARC copy of this book.
Profile Image for Lindsay.
718 reviews16 followers
September 15, 2016
Stars: 4.5

This love story, of Delia and Hector, is a bit different from the other novellas in this series yet it fit in beautifully. I enjoyed the adventure immensely and couldn't put it down. There were twists and turns I didn't suspect, which made the book all the better.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews