Audette of Brookraven

Eldentimber #4

by Shari L. Tapscott

This is a previously-published edition - ISBN13: 9781540753519

The Final Chapter in The Eldentimber Series When Audette pictured her wedding day, she never imagined leaving her intended at the altar. And though Irving, a prince with a reputation for trouble, never cared to picture the grand event (and had rather hoped he could somehow avoid it altogether), he certainly wouldn't have imagined being abandoned. But when Audette receives a cry for help from the mysterious, secret order she leads, the princess doesn't think twice about jilting Irving. With her brother and closest friend at her side, and her loyal order of knights anxiously awaiting her arrival, Audette travels to the distant island kingdom of Ptarma, not once expecting Irving to follow her. But that's exactly what he does. Now, trapped together until the ships sail again in spring, Audette must learn to get along with the infuriating prince if she's to track down the darkness that's wreaking havoc in the night. For in the shadows, the dark beast of legend looms, and only together will they have a chance of defeating it...

Genres: Fantasy, Romance, Young Adult, Royalty, Fantasy Romance, Magic, Clean Romance

398 pages, Paperback

First published July 8, 2016

About the author

Shari L. Tapscott writes young adult fantasy and humorous contemporary fiction. When she's not writing or reading, she enjoys gardening, making soap, and pretending she can sing.

She loves white chocolate mochas, furry animals, spending time with her family, and characters who refuse to behave.

Tapscott lives in western Colorado with her husband, son, daughter, and two very spoiled Saint Bernards.

Join Shari's newsletter, and be one of the first to learn about new projects, upcoming releases, sales, and specials.

Reviews

[SheReads · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think I need to cry now because this series is over (I think this is the last book). It's been one of my favorites for a while now and Audette makes a great addition to our cast of strong, beautiful women that capture the hearts of these men.

Irving has been my favorite since we first met him in Pippa. He's the sweet scoundrel. Count on him as a friend, not a lover. Which is why it's a bit shocking to start this book with his wedding - especially since the bride is not who we'd expect. Things don't go as planned for him, making him have to go chasing down a woman with the intent of working his charms. But it also lands him right in the middle of a battle with a wizard and a magical creature who is killing other creatures he hadn't even known existed.

I love that these books aren't just about the romance. There's a whole other plot that's exciting and well thought out. And the women aren't just pretty princesses. Audette, for example, is the leader of a group of men with a sacred duty. She's just as important as any prince. It's just so well done. I may have to just read the series all over again. lol

[Jessica Harrison · Rating 5 out of 5]

[4.5 stars]
This one is quite good, with more action than the other books in the series, and even a hint of mystery. Shockingly enough, I actually started to like and even root for Irving (who would have thunk it). It’s very close to a full 5 stars, but there were a few parts that started to drag, where I began to lose interest. Regardless, this is my favorite of the series so far.

Content:
There’s no foul language or sex. There is some violence, but it’s not excessive. The romance is clean and doesn’t go beyond a kissing and embracing. There is magic and magical beings. There’s no mention of faith or God.

[Donna · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. This had big possibilities. Sadly, just as it would get moving, it would slow down. The hero is not very likable at first. The story is told in first person (which is my least favorite.) I enjoyed the world that is painted and the characters. It has an interesting mystery to be solved and a bit of romance without over doing it.

[Valerie Miller · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good series. I really enjoyed it.

[Lisa Whitehead · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great tale from Tapscott.
Intriguing and great characters, it finished too soon.

[May · Rating 3 out of 5]

This story was harder to read than the other ones in the series. It was just... boring. There was no exciting climax or character development. I don't even understand how Audette and Irwin fell in love. This was the closest to instalove that I've read in Shari Tapscott's books. The side characters seemed cliche and unmemorable.

Summary:
Light hearted
Boring
Little character development

[Patrick Hodges · Rating 5 out of 5]

I always get a little wistful when I complete a series I have enjoyed since the beginning. I thoroughly enjoyed Shari Tapscott's Pippa of Lauramore, and each book has just gotten better since then. Not only has the writing improved, but so have the stories.

One thing all four stories have in common is a beautiful, feisty heroine and a swoon-worthy hero to win her heart (sometimes, there's more than one).

Throughout the series, Irving has been one of the best characters. He's the Han Solo of Eldentimber, that's for sure - the lovable rogue that you want to get drunk with, and NOT the guy you want to bring home to Mom.

Enter Audette, who starts the story by showing up for her wedding to a man she has no interest in marrying. Whaddaya know, it's Irving. At first he's his usual insufferable (but not scruffy-looking) self, and as the story progresses, he begins to wear down her defenses with his inestimable charm.

But there's a kick-ass plot to serve as the backdrop for this story - a dark, magical creature is plaguing their homeland, and it's up to Audette and the legion of guardians that she leads to find it and put a stop to it. Irving tags along, much to the chagrin of everyone else.

Ms. Tapscott is an expert at crafting beautiful character who are much more than muscles and pretty faces. Her stories are colorful and vivid, painting a land we all want to live in (despite some of the nasty bits), and there is a perfect balance of romance, action, and mystery.

I'm sad to see the Eldentimber series end. Do yourself a favor and read all four books from the beginning. You won't be sorry you did.

[Katy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think this may be my favorite of the Eldentimber series! The plot was totally and delightfully unexpected with so much mystery and suspense. I guessed the wrong "bad guy" at first, and meeting the new magical beasts was, well, magical! It was also wonderful to see Grace again, as well as glimpses and mentions of other favorites in the series. I highly recommend this book and the entire series to anyone who loves medieval fantasy romance with dragons and other magical creatures!

[Vibliophile · Rating 5 out of 5]

Irving finally meets his match

While I can't say that the story was flawless, I still enjoyed it a lot. I liked Audette, and thought she was an excellent match for Irving. Their meet-cute was face-palmingly funny. I also was amused by Irving's efforts to win over Audette. My only regret is that we didn't get a fuller view of their happily-ever-after at the end.

[Aimee · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book and I love this series. It is a fantastic blend of magical (this one has unicorns!) and romantic. This series is one of my favorites and I think this is the last book. I'm sad to see it end!

Content: Clean and perfect for teenage daughters and adults!

[Charlene Pratt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Truly fun

I've enjoyed this series and look forward to whatever Shari Tapscott comes up with next. Clever and laugh out loud in places. Clean. I will be recommending and gifting these stories

[Nancy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This series has been a delight to read. Clean and fun. The last book was a bit more serious, but this final book was once again lighthearted.

[Karla · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved it. That ending though! It's sad to say goodbye to all these characters! I'm glad they all got their happy endings and made small cameos in each of the books.

[Deborah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book, good characters. The fantasy element was a little bit of a stretch but I loved Irving and Audette. That couple is a reason to read this book!

[Tricia Mingerink · Rating 5 out of 5]

This one was so good! I loved to see Irving mature and grow. Audette makes a great pair with him. She is so tough, yet she is not a hardened female warrior stereotype, which was nice.

[Erin · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a fun fantasy with a sweet romance. Overall I would say that it was enjoyable, but the book had a superficial feel to it, both in the setting and the romance.


Writing-

The writing was alright. Their investigation seemed a little haphazard and unprofessional to me, like they were all slightly incompetent. For instance, here’s a quote: “We haven’t been able to tell the king about the ludrako because it would elicit far too many questions.” Uhhhh, how does that make ANY SENSE when the king is heading the investigation? Keeping knowledge to yourself so you can avoid questions?! *shaking my head*

Here’s another quote: “If he’s right, if the beast marked me, I could be leading trouble straight to the blessing [herd]. But Irving injured the creature badly enough it fled. Tonight, it will likely be in its lair, nursing its wounds. And I need the unicorns’ gentle reassurance and memories.” So because you want to be comforted, you’re willing to risk leading the beast to the unicorns and destroying your entire mission? She has no idea where it is or what it’s doing- it’s just uninformed conjecture that it will be in its lair. That seemed like very silly, very immature decision making to me.

So in that regard, the writing seemed juvenile.

Some aspects of the story I found to be cheesy, like the whole protect-the-unicorns part was pretty sappy. (And definitely the ending scene with the unicorns was way too sweet for my tastes.) Also, there wasn’t quite the depth I would have expected to find in regards to a secret society like their Order. I mean, the king invited non-Order members to get in on the secret without too much concern, and even invited Irving into the society without really knowing him. That diminished the magnitude of the Order, and made it less believable that their secret could really be such a tight secret in the first place. (Besides, how do you truly hide a herd of unicorns for generations from anyone accidentally coming across them in their secluded valley?)


Characters-
Although the characters were superficial, I liked them well enough. I really liked the girl friendships and the strong sibling relationship between Audette and the king.


Romance-
They had good chemistry. I liked whenever the prince put his hands on Audette’s waist and pulled her to him. He was flirty and cute to her.

However, I was pretty put-off by Irving flirting with a random noblewoman when he is moments from getting MARRIED in the opening chapter. What a d-bag, asking her to kiss him as he heads to his own wedding! Obviously he doesn’t think that’s cheating on his bride (?!!), but what about the fact that while he doesn’t know who she is, he knows she is in his bride’s small entourage, and that she knows the princess- shouldn’t that temper his rash behavior? And if not that, then he also knows anyone could turn the corner and see him kissing someone else. Let’s just say I was not impressed and SO GLAD the princess ditched him. However, it seems that Audette was more concerned about the fact that he didn’t want to marry her than the fact that he was perfectly fine with cheating on her moments from their ceremony. Thankfully, the cheating concern was generally addressed, but not to my satisfaction: he never seemed to recognize anything wrong with his specific actions that day, regardless if he felt a spark with her or not!

Anyway, if you can get over that, then you’d probably like the romance. By the end he seemed completely devoted to Audette and very sweet. I was convinced he would be faithful (even though I still harbored a little grudge, as I mentioned above).

I really liked that scene when they changed their mind about how/when they would get married. No spoilers here, but yeah, they were going to do something rash and selfish and I was SO GLAD they stopped themselves. Yay for that scene!

I also really liked the scene when Irving and the king race to reach Audette first to explain their side of the story- that was a great scene! Speaking of which, I liked that misunderstandings weren’t prolonged too long in this book.



Content-
Language- no swearing
Sex- no sex or talk of sex. Just some kissing. chemistry.
Cover- I like it
I read this on KU

[Lisa Dawn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Audette of Brookraven is the fourth book in Shari Tapscott's Eldentimber series, which consists of tales about various princesses from various lands. It's difficult to properly summarize this book because the story is all over the place, which is an issue I've had with all of the work I've read from this author. It's a fantasy, but not a complex one. It's a romance, but not a deep one. She gets some props for being one of the few princess authors who writes original stories instead of merely adapting classic fairy tales, but the original stories she comes up with seem only half-realized, with many important details glossed over. Even though each book is set in a different land, this one just feels like a generic fantasy kingdom.

The love story was the most interesting aspect of this book because it was told in such an unconventional manner. At the beginning of the book, Audette is in an arranged marriage to Prince Irving. When she decides to briefly leave the bridal suite and risks being seen in public before the wedding, she switches gowns with her lady-in-waiting, Milly, in order to avoid suspicion. As a result, Prince Irvine wrongly assumes that Milly is the princess he is engaged to and Audette is a noble lady living at the castle. When she plays along with this ruse and finds that Irving hits on her anyway, she loses all interest in marrying him, thinking that he is a scoundrel who would cheat on her with any other noble lady who crosses his path. This opening scene is what drew me into the book. It's a clever and peculiar situation that paints a clear picture of the sort of person that Audette is. Unfortunately, things get a bit muddled from there.

I was excited to learn that this is a story about unicorns, but the way it incorporates them is a lot closer to the movie Legend than something like The Last Unicorn. Princesses and unicorns often go hand in hand for no other reason than that they both appeal to same type of person. Like in the movie Legend, the unicorns in Brookraven were just there for the sake of being there. Audette is drawn to them and becomes determined to protect them from an unknown threat. The monster she must fend off has the ability to change her hair color, similar to what Elsa's ice powers did to Anna Frozen, but that alone doesn't feel like much of a threat. In fact, it isn't actually revealed what sort of danger the characters are in until the end of the book. While that does leave more time to focus on mending the relationship between Audette and Irving, it's a little frustrating not to know anything important that's happening in the story.

Overall, Audette of Brookraven is a fun character study, but not so much of a compelling read. Audette has all of the traits you would expect from a modern princess. She is strong, brave, clever, independent, and a secret romantic. Seeing the story through Audette's eyes is the only thing that makes it worth reading. Her interactions with Irving are both humorous and entertaining. The other people in her life such as her brother and her lady-in-waiting are equally compelling characters. I just wish the story had more going for it than throwing together some unicorns and a monster with no real direction.

[Jessica McAvoy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was torn between 3 stars and 4 stars. It was slow at parts, simple, abrupt in its ending. The characters seem to have no forethought. I am reading this series on a friend’s request and my only hope is the last two books have better ratings. It seems designed for younger than young adult in terms of plot development. I settled on 4 because the sentences were not as choppy as her earlier books. I predicted the one working with the beast was part of the royal household, but wasn’t right in which one. I did not predict the Letta twist. Also why would fortune teller put his daughter so directly in harms way when Irving is carrying her around that town? How is a 7 year old such a good actor? Very thin rationals.

Audette and Irving were betrothed. On their wedding day Audette flees after seeing him. She had switched her wedding dress with Millie to find her mom’s ring. Irving had greeted Millie thinking it was her and is distressed. He sees Audette, thinking she is part of the court and flirts with her asking for kisses. She believes this proves the rumors that he is a rake. She learns her unicorns have been attacked. And she runs to save them. Irving has no idea about unicorns but chases after her when he realizes the mistake. There is attraction, but Irving has to slowly gain her trust. There is an immoral woman there married to her cousin, Giselle. She tries to seduce Irving, but he only has eyes for Audette now. Turns out Giselle is using this beast to accomplish her will. It already killed a large number of unicorns. The beast takes out the second and third in line for the thrown making Giselle’s husband heir apparent so she will be Queen. Giselle stages walking out of Irving’s bedroom, where Audette’s brother sees. Audette deduces that Giselle has set up Irving, and in her anger at Giselle, Audette reveals she knows Giselle is working with the beast. Surprisingly, a little girl they thought was an orphan was working with Giselle because her dad was a fortune teller who also worked with Giselle. Letta has been working for her dad, and they kidnap Millie who has just gotten engaged to Audette’s brother. They find Millie and she warns them she was a distraction to pull Audette and her knights away from the unicorns. They rush to the unicorns and Audette realizes as she sees the beast behind them that they led them straight to the unicorns. Giselle is taken down by Irving’s arrow, and Audette kills the beast with the dragonite metal. The unicorns that remain are saved. Audette and Irving get married.

[Skye Hegyes · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have mixed feelings about this novel. Irving was a fun-loving character in the other books we see him in, and we get to see more of his serious side in this novel as he learns more about the woman he’s betrothed to – who ultimately leaves him at the alter on their wedding day to answer the call of a secret group she’s the leader of. Audette is a strong woman who doesn’t need a man to run her show, and it’s one of the things she worries about on her wedding day – her new husband preventing her from doing her duty to the organization she runs. As she and Irving become entangled in each other’s affairs though, it becomes more and more plain that while they suit one another and balance each other out, I just didn’t feel there was any real love between them. It didn’t quite feel forced as there was affection between them, but it felt… wrong… somehow. I can’t explain it. I feel that by the end of the book, they ended up back at square one (at their wedding) when they needed more time to grow together as a couple and learn more about each other’s quirks. They weren’t quite a perfect puzzle-piece match in my opinion, and it tainted the story for me.

[Kerri · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was interested to see what became of Irving, especially given his role in past books, and he was certainly a lot of fun in this one. Audette seemed like a good foil for him, but I couldn't help but feel like Tapscott made a big deal of her warrior training, and then did ABSOLUTELY NOTHING WITH IT. Including her fight at the end; she executes one move in an actual battle, and the beast dies. We read a bunch about her sparring, and how talented a fighter she is, so that's incredibly disappointing.

I also felt as though some of the main plot points took a trip into obvious-ville; not a lot of shockers there. What I did like is the play between Irving and Audette, Milly, the knights of the order, and the little things like their hair changing colors after the Ludrako attacks. I think Pippa's is still the best book, with the most compelling story. Still, I'll read the fifth and final book when it comes out in March.

[Bess · Rating 4 out of 5]

Okay, so I thought Seirda's story was my favorite. But I have to say, I am totally over the moon with Audette's story!
Audette is a strong princess in charge of an Order of men who are charged with protecting the flighty and albeit elusive unicorns. While most people believe them to be myths, Audette and her troupe know the truth. And when darkness tries to destroy the flock left in her charge, it gets real very quickly!
And here's Irving!! I like him the most, I think. I love the charismatic, devil-may-care attitude and confidence. He's charged with marrying Audette. But when she bolts from him on their wedding day, it's up to him to convince her to give him another chance. He has truly met his match with Audette!
The witty banter back and forth makes the book so wonderful. Add dark magic, unicorns, a wolf-dragon beast, intrigue, betrayal, murder, two princesses sword fighting, and Irving's caliver attitude and Audette's sassiness and you have an amazing novel!!

[Christina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book!

This fourth book in the series may be my favorite. I’ve been excited for a while to read Irving’s story, and Audette really brought this book to life. I loved the unique responsibility the girls in her family have, the adventure and mystery that builds throughout the plot, and the romance between her and Irving was toe-curling and spine-tingling, yet clean. To see Irving through Audette’s eyes, and to see him finally meet his match was so much fun. Audette was a fun protagonist as well- brave, strong, and skilled as a warrior, she doesn’t mess around. Definitely another great book in this Eldentimber collection!

[Alex L Criddle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another fantastic addition to the series! Audette was an awesome heroine. She was grounded in her purpose and how she was affected by love made her more relatable. Irving was a smooth, charming hero, and it was so great to see more of him and the different sides of his character. It was also fun to see Grace and Javid again. I loved the mystery of this novel and the creatures that were described throughout. It was an intriguing fantasy and an engaging romance. I’m so happy there’s one more novel in the series, and I can’t wait to read it!

[Nanzee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Irving deserved every bit of love he received from the Brookraven squad. I couldn't bring myself to like Rosie no matter how much I understood how she felt. I loved Irving even though he was a charming player whose heart wouldn't settle on any girl. He was a good sweet man at heart and Rosie didn't deserve him. I loved Audette and personally, I thought she was way better than you-know-who but let's not compare two nice women.

This was pretty awesome. I think next to Seirsha's love story, this was my favorite. It ties with Elodie of the Sea and Anwen's novel is next on the favorite list.

[Desiree Jacobson · Rating 5 out of 5]

So good.

This book was fantastic! This whole series is great. Audette is not impressed with her betrothed, and due to unforeseen circumstances, leaves him at the altar. Little did she know that he is going to follow her and together on this adventure she might fall in love and realize that maybe he is more than she first thought he is.
Clean and sweet with adventure, great female lead, and a too charming man who is beginning to really fall for her.

[Hilal Tunçkol · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wrote a review for the previous book in the series and I wrote that it was "my favorite book in the series" However, as much as I loved Seircha of Errinton, I now believe I behaved too hastily calling it my favourite because this series get better and better with each book and I no longer believe I can pick a favorite among them.
P.S: The hero of this book was Irving. Honestly though, what was I expecting?😍

[brii | brii (three months behind...) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Here we are! Finally at Irving’s story! It was wonderful. Honestly, all of these books are so on par with each other and such cute lighthearted stories, they’re really nice for an end of the day read that I don’t have to expend a whole bunch of energy on.

I LOVED the mistaken identity on the wedding day, it was such a fun way to introduce the two to each other and to kick this one off, it was so much fun.

Audette’s relationship with her brother was wonderful, and I really enjoyed the banter that she had going on with all of her Knights. It was nice to see Irving kind of settle down in this book and take things a bit more seriously but at the same time I think that it didn’t completely connect with me that it was the same Irving from past books. Maybe because he settled down and took things more seriously. Who knows.

This one felt like it had a bit more plot than some of the others, so I really liked that aspect as well. Having the order investigating the attacks kind of gave Audette a bit more personality and independence that I feel some of the other girls didn’t really have in prior books.

[T.K. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ah, this is my favorite in the Eldertimber series! It was such a delight! I love Irving and Audette so much; even Milly and Barowalt were pretty great...and Keven and Rogert. The characters are just fabulous and Tapscott's version of unicorns is unique and charming. This would be great as a stand alone, but it's so much more satisfying knowing Irving's backstory. Don't miss this one! :)

[Diane E · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nice story with unicorns !

Audette begins this story by running away from her wedding . This features Irving , the somewhat fickle prince from previous stories . There is also the mysterious Order . All in all it turns into an adventure and fight with dark evil.

[whimsical reader · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was clean, only kissing, and no cursing. It was interesting and included mystical creatures.

Cons: Irving had a bad reputation in all the other books and was in love with someone else so that was hard to wrap my brain around. His picturepicture on the front doesn’t match his carefree personality.