What do you think?
Rate this book
The Heirs of Eveinia #1
The Noble of Sperath
When the emperor of Eveinia is murdered alongside his heir, the kingdom's twelve nations are thrown into chaos. A fortnight later, a young woman wakes up with no memories, having been unwittingly selected for an impossible mission—to track down the chosen successor from each nation and appoint one as the emperor. If she fails, she may never be able to return to her old life.
But a dark order is emerging. Hunted by assassins and escorted by a stableboy, Lia sets out on a journey to uncover the truth about who she is and why she was chosen.
Her first target is Jade, the beautiful but mischievous princess of Sperath.
Disguised as her maidservant, Lia must navigate the treacherous waters of the court, her daunting task, and a growing closeness with Jade. When suspicious poisonings begin to plague the castle, it’s up to Lia to find the culprit, or else risk failing her mission—and losing Jade entirely.
But a dark order is emerging. Hunted by assassins and escorted by a stableboy, Lia sets out on a journey to uncover the truth about who she is and why she was chosen.
Her first target is Jade, the beautiful but mischievous princess of Sperath.
Disguised as her maidservant, Lia must navigate the treacherous waters of the court, her daunting task, and a growing closeness with Jade. When suspicious poisonings begin to plague the castle, it’s up to Lia to find the culprit, or else risk failing her mission—and losing Jade entirely.
342 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 8, 2017
39 people are currently reading
550 people want to read
About the author
Siera Maley
7 books750 followersSiera Maley was born and raised in the southern Bible Belt. After coming out as a lesbian as a teen, she relocated to a more suburban area and now lives with her girlfriend and very adorable dogs while she works on writing young adult lesbian fiction.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews
April 11, 2017
I think this is Siera Maley first take on adventure/fantasy.
I've got mixed emotions about this book. Of course, it's very well written but I think it's pretty complicated for me.
I'm too scared to be invested on a MC that maybe she'll turn around or she's not who I thought she was and it's hard.
If you expect romance here you will get none. A possible romance, yes or maybe a triangle? I don't really know.
I'm also used to adventure-fantasy to be really long and this is kind of short. Like, that was it? When will be the next book coming out.
Too much mystery for me that my head is really spinning.
I'm having a hard time warming to Lia. She's kinda annoying sometimes and also I thought that "Seer" would be powerful given the training and yet I feel that she's still weak and hopeless after that. Her great asset would be her smart mouth. Same with Kaleb, he's supposed to be her protector and yet he's always knocked down I can't really feel his strength.
Jade is my favorite here, although she's also complicated but she's very likable. And I really hope that there's a future for her and Lia.
As to the thought of a probable triangle, I felt a connection with Tala and Lia. And it scares me, maybe they have a past. Maybe they don't but I felt a strong connection or maybe it's just me.
Again, I don't want to invest. Maybe I'll adjust my rating depending on the next book. :)
Don't get me wrong, Siera Maley is one of my go-to author so I'm trusting her. :)
3.75-4
I've got mixed emotions about this book. Of course, it's very well written but I think it's pretty complicated for me.
I'm too scared to be invested on a MC that maybe she'll turn around or she's not who I thought she was and it's hard.
If you expect romance here you will get none. A possible romance, yes or maybe a triangle? I don't really know.
I'm also used to adventure-fantasy to be really long and this is kind of short. Like, that was it? When will be the next book coming out.
Too much mystery for me that my head is really spinning.
I'm having a hard time warming to Lia. She's kinda annoying sometimes and also I thought that "Seer" would be powerful given the training and yet I feel that she's still weak and hopeless after that. Her great asset would be her smart mouth. Same with Kaleb, he's supposed to be her protector and yet he's always knocked down I can't really feel his strength.
Jade is my favorite here, although she's also complicated but she's very likable. And I really hope that there's a future for her and Lia.
As to the thought of a probable triangle, I felt a connection with Tala and Lia. And it scares me, maybe they have a past. Maybe they don't but I felt a strong connection or maybe it's just me.
Again, I don't want to invest. Maybe I'll adjust my rating depending on the next book. :)
Don't get me wrong, Siera Maley is one of my go-to author so I'm trusting her. :)
3.75-4
June 1, 2017
I'm going with 4.5 stars. I think it's a good start to a new fantasy series. I'm hoping she sticks with it and the characters grow as well as introduce some interesting new ones as she gathers the 11 other people. It was a little slow to start but I was hooked after that.
July 6, 2017
This story tries to be a step by step adventure story with a female main character and it largely succeeds EXCEPT there isn't enough adventure, world building, or lesbian romance. Everything is just a taste.
The story begins in a typical fashion with a hero who does not choose their future. Then it becomes somewhat claustrophobic in a one castle whodunit for the rest of the story. Lesbian romance? The most minor and brief little sentences, like wisps of smoke. Next time I want:
That said, I liked the story and characters.
The story begins in a typical fashion with a hero who does not choose their future. Then it becomes somewhat claustrophobic in a one castle whodunit for the rest of the story. Lesbian romance? The most minor and brief little sentences, like wisps of smoke. Next time I want:
That said, I liked the story and characters.
June 6, 2017
This book is the second one that I’ve read by this author. I had liked the first I’d read, had eyeballed some of the author’s other books but hadn’t tried another until just now.
The first book I’d read by the author was a cute young adult book set in a high school. A contemporary high school. This book here, The Noble of Sperath, is a fantasy set on a medieval like non-earth.
The book opens with the main character hearing people talking near her. She’s concerned because she doesn’t know who they are – or, for that matter, where she is. They continue talking. The main character continues to pretend to be asleep. Eventually one of the two voices leaves and the other stays nearby. Gradually this main character re-develops the ability to move. Which she does, slowly, carefully, until she stands near the strange man who apparently has captured her and put her in his (maybe his?) bed, and sets out to attack him.
There’s a reason why I use ‘main character’ and ‘she’ instead of using the character’s name. And no, it isn’t like normal wherein I just forgot her name. No, it is because ‘she’ has forgotten her name. For she has amnesia. She occasionally gets flashes from her past life (I should be careful using words like that in a fantasy – I just mean her pre-amnesia life), but otherwise doesn’t remember anything from that life. The two men who ‘found’ her also don’t know this character’s backstory either, though they know ‘who’ she is (complicated, eh? They don’t know her, but know her – more later). And here I used character instead of woman, young woman, or child because no one seems to know how old she might be. Though there is a belief that she is probably ‘older than she looks’. Which is ‘young woman’ age, but no specific age was given – until it was mentioned that she looked roughly around the same age as a princess (the princess) of Sperath, who just turned 18. So she could conceivably, she here still being the unnamed main character, be between the age of 13 to 23.
So how do the two men ‘know’ and ‘not know’ this main character? They know what she is, actually, just not who she was. For she is, now, the Seer. The person who will visit all 12 of the kingdoms that make up the Empire of Eveinia, choose 12 potential heirs, head off to another spot and ‘divinely’ choose the next Emperor.
Oh, and naturally everyone can’t just keep referring to her as nameless or something like that, so the main character chooses her own name. She decides to call herself after the most famous thief named Talia, so she calls herself Lia.
Lia is trained and then sets off on her quest with the younger of the two men who working with her (I’d get more exact with names but my digital book reader is dead). Her first stop – the kingdom of Sperath and specifically the same castle the princess lives in.
I wasn’t sure that I wanted to try yet another young adult book set in fantasy land, at least not right when I did try a sample but . . . shesh. I got sucked right in. Before I knew it I’d read something like 8% of the book. Which doesn’t really sound like a lot, but I had intended to just look at a few pages to see if I was going to get the book or not. I am rather glad that I did try this book.
Ah, my status update makes clear to me why I didn’t rate this book higher – initially, while I was easily pulled into the story and devoured the story, I didn’t actually specifically like the main characters (not as in not like the characterization, but not like the characters). That changed, but that was my first impression.
Two things to note: this has been called a young adult story, but it isn’t exactly clear how old the main character actually is, and everyone else involved are adults (well, the princess is 18 but she isn’t considered an young adult in this world, but an adult with responsibilities, like marrying and stuff (stuff including taking over the family business shortly after marriage – as in taking the throne of Sperath). And the second thing – romance stuff.
The first book I read by this author involved a straight girl and a . . . well, she might have been straight or bisexual, it wasn’t from her point of view so not sure – two possibly straight girls being assumed to be a couple, and so they run with it (for reasons) – lots of stuff about sexual orientation and stuff in that book). Here? Well the author seems to be playing with it – flirting with who her characters are and what their wants and needs are – the Princess has two rumors floating around her, and she doesn’t immediately refute either (one casts her as being ‘improperly’ attached to a man; the other has her ‘improperly flirteous (and possible more)’ with women. And the main character? Lia came off more like an asexual than anything else, possibly leaning towards being . . . I don’t know what the term is (like, I read a book involving an asexual biromantic, but am not sure what word to use for lesbianromantic).
Basically I’m saying that I’m not sure I’d call this young adult, nor lesbian fiction. This specific book here. Though there is a lesbian in the book.
I look forward to more books in this series. Eagerly.
Rating: 4.47
June 6 2017
The first book I’d read by the author was a cute young adult book set in a high school. A contemporary high school. This book here, The Noble of Sperath, is a fantasy set on a medieval like non-earth.
The book opens with the main character hearing people talking near her. She’s concerned because she doesn’t know who they are – or, for that matter, where she is. They continue talking. The main character continues to pretend to be asleep. Eventually one of the two voices leaves and the other stays nearby. Gradually this main character re-develops the ability to move. Which she does, slowly, carefully, until she stands near the strange man who apparently has captured her and put her in his (maybe his?) bed, and sets out to attack him.
There’s a reason why I use ‘main character’ and ‘she’ instead of using the character’s name. And no, it isn’t like normal wherein I just forgot her name. No, it is because ‘she’ has forgotten her name. For she has amnesia. She occasionally gets flashes from her past life (I should be careful using words like that in a fantasy – I just mean her pre-amnesia life), but otherwise doesn’t remember anything from that life. The two men who ‘found’ her also don’t know this character’s backstory either, though they know ‘who’ she is (complicated, eh? They don’t know her, but know her – more later). And here I used character instead of woman, young woman, or child because no one seems to know how old she might be. Though there is a belief that she is probably ‘older than she looks’. Which is ‘young woman’ age, but no specific age was given – until it was mentioned that she looked roughly around the same age as a princess (the princess) of Sperath, who just turned 18. So she could conceivably, she here still being the unnamed main character, be between the age of 13 to 23.
So how do the two men ‘know’ and ‘not know’ this main character? They know what she is, actually, just not who she was. For she is, now, the Seer. The person who will visit all 12 of the kingdoms that make up the Empire of Eveinia, choose 12 potential heirs, head off to another spot and ‘divinely’ choose the next Emperor.
Oh, and naturally everyone can’t just keep referring to her as nameless or something like that, so the main character chooses her own name. She decides to call herself after the most famous thief named Talia, so she calls herself Lia.
Lia is trained and then sets off on her quest with the younger of the two men who working with her (I’d get more exact with names but my digital book reader is dead). Her first stop – the kingdom of Sperath and specifically the same castle the princess lives in.
I wasn’t sure that I wanted to try yet another young adult book set in fantasy land, at least not right when I did try a sample but . . . shesh. I got sucked right in. Before I knew it I’d read something like 8% of the book. Which doesn’t really sound like a lot, but I had intended to just look at a few pages to see if I was going to get the book or not. I am rather glad that I did try this book.
Ah, my status update makes clear to me why I didn’t rate this book higher – initially, while I was easily pulled into the story and devoured the story, I didn’t actually specifically like the main characters (not as in not like the characterization, but not like the characters). That changed, but that was my first impression.
Two things to note: this has been called a young adult story, but it isn’t exactly clear how old the main character actually is, and everyone else involved are adults (well, the princess is 18 but she isn’t considered an young adult in this world, but an adult with responsibilities, like marrying and stuff (stuff including taking over the family business shortly after marriage – as in taking the throne of Sperath). And the second thing – romance stuff.
The first book I read by this author involved a straight girl and a . . . well, she might have been straight or bisexual, it wasn’t from her point of view so not sure – two possibly straight girls being assumed to be a couple, and so they run with it (for reasons) – lots of stuff about sexual orientation and stuff in that book). Here? Well the author seems to be playing with it – flirting with who her characters are and what their wants and needs are – the Princess has two rumors floating around her, and she doesn’t immediately refute either (one casts her as being ‘improperly’ attached to a man; the other has her ‘improperly flirteous (and possible more)’ with women. And the main character? Lia came off more like an asexual than anything else, possibly leaning towards being . . . I don’t know what the term is (like, I read a book involving an asexual biromantic, but am not sure what word to use for lesbianromantic).
Basically I’m saying that I’m not sure I’d call this young adult, nor lesbian fiction. This specific book here. Though there is a lesbian in the book.
I look forward to more books in this series. Eagerly.
Rating: 4.47
June 6 2017
June 8, 2019
a concept: f/f fantasy, but the two girls actually get together
June 8, 2018
Fourth (well, third in read order) book I've read by the author and the first that's a fantasy, and I must say I really liked it.
It's about a young woman who suddenly wakes up in an unknown place with no memories about her life. She's told she's as a Seer, the person responsible for choosing an emperor when the current one dies without an heir. She must now find the twelve representatives, one from each nation, and choose one as the emperor. The first on her list is Jade, the alluring and playful princess of Sperath. Soon after her arrival people in the castle begin to be poisoned, and Jade, with some help, will have to protect the princess and find whoever is responsible.
As her other books, I think it's well-written. I liked the characters, the story is interesting, and I want to see where this goes, as this is the first book in a new series. However, if like me you're expecting a romance to happen, as is usual, well, don't, haha, you won't find much here. But you will see their relationship slowly grow, setting it up for the sequel.
A nice change from what the author usually writes. (:
It's about a young woman who suddenly wakes up in an unknown place with no memories about her life. She's told she's as a Seer, the person responsible for choosing an emperor when the current one dies without an heir. She must now find the twelve representatives, one from each nation, and choose one as the emperor. The first on her list is Jade, the alluring and playful princess of Sperath. Soon after her arrival people in the castle begin to be poisoned, and Jade, with some help, will have to protect the princess and find whoever is responsible.
As her other books, I think it's well-written. I liked the characters, the story is interesting, and I want to see where this goes, as this is the first book in a new series. However, if like me you're expecting a romance to happen, as is usual, well, don't, haha, you won't find much here. But you will see their relationship slowly grow, setting it up for the sequel.
A nice change from what the author usually writes. (:
April 14, 2017
The Noble of Sperath is an amazing beginning to Siera Maley's newest series! I was surprised to see the genre of this book strayed a bit from the genre's of her others, as it is fantasy, and was curious to see how she would pull it off. Siera is my all-time favourite author, and needless to say, I wasn't disappointed in the slightest! I definitely can't wait for the next one to come out.
If you're reading this, I would definitely look into reading The Noble of Sperath, and all of her other books, they're amazing!
If you're reading this, I would definitely look into reading The Noble of Sperath, and all of her other books, they're amazing!
April 19, 2017
This is another great book from Siera. It may be a different kind of story from her others, but the writing and characters are as wonderful as always. I am excited to see how these characters develop over time, and I am very intrigued to find out more about Tala and her role in the story. I'm sure I won't be disappointed! :-)
April 15, 2017
Good read
The first few chapters did a good job of outlining the world in which the story takes place. Though some of the action scenes leave something to be desired it is great for a young adult novel. The main character develops more as the book goes on and really draws the reader in. In spite of the growth we witness in the story, which includes a couple of embarrassing learning experiences, the main character is still shown as a teenager in the end when she only realizes the impact she had on those around her upon her departure. I look forward to the next installment of this series.
The first few chapters did a good job of outlining the world in which the story takes place. Though some of the action scenes leave something to be desired it is great for a young adult novel. The main character develops more as the book goes on and really draws the reader in. In spite of the growth we witness in the story, which includes a couple of embarrassing learning experiences, the main character is still shown as a teenager in the end when she only realizes the impact she had on those around her upon her departure. I look forward to the next installment of this series.
January 31, 2019
Not the most sophisticated or mind blowing fantasy series, but pretty good for what it is— the first in a YA fantasy series by an author who is, I believe, new to the fantasy genre. I think this book sets up the stage for a great adventure with a lot of possibility, and I look forward to the next one!
September 12, 2017
It took me a while to finish this book, but I finally did it, and I couldn't be more excited. Two of my favorite things in one: girls loving girls plus fantasy equals the perfect combination EVER.
I have to say that, although I loved the book's premise, I wasn't really digging it at first. But then Lia got to the castle and I was sold.
Lia is a really good main character. She's so strong and persistent and nice. I totally love her. And Jade. Don't even get me started. She's AMAZING. And whenever they had a scene together I caught myself cheering so hard. All the flirting and stuff, oh god. I was hoping they'd kiss, but well, I can wait a little longer cause I love a good slow burn.
There's so much more I want to know about this universe. I don't know if there's going to be a sequel, but I hope it does, because this story is really, really good.
I have to say that, although I loved the book's premise, I wasn't really digging it at first. But then Lia got to the castle and I was sold.
Lia is a really good main character. She's so strong and persistent and nice. I totally love her. And Jade. Don't even get me started. She's AMAZING. And whenever they had a scene together I caught myself cheering so hard. All the flirting and stuff, oh god. I was hoping they'd kiss, but well, I can wait a little longer cause I love a good slow burn.
There's so much more I want to know about this universe. I don't know if there's going to be a sequel, but I hope it does, because this story is really, really good.
October 25, 2021
I liked the story overall but I’m disappointed at the fact that the premise mentions a growing closeness between Jade and Lia (ie a romance)and yet there’s no hint of a romance at all here. Yea maybe some flirting on Jade’s part but nothing more then the development of a friendship. I was reading and waiting for the romance to actually start and it never did.
April 26, 2017
A fantastic story!
This is a wonderfully rich fantasy world, with an interesting mythos and some great characters. Lia is a fantastic protagonist, with her blank slate background, but obviously extremely practical and logical mind. The hints about who she was before becoming the seer are tantalizing and make me wish the next book, NO, the entire series was available to read without pause! (And that's not even mentioning how awesome Jade is!) Bravo! Highly recommended! (Like all of Siera Maley's work.)
This is a wonderfully rich fantasy world, with an interesting mythos and some great characters. Lia is a fantastic protagonist, with her blank slate background, but obviously extremely practical and logical mind. The hints about who she was before becoming the seer are tantalizing and make me wish the next book, NO, the entire series was available to read without pause! (And that's not even mentioning how awesome Jade is!) Bravo! Highly recommended! (Like all of Siera Maley's work.)
September 13, 2017
As with so many of the books I review, I had a hard time rating this one. I'll explain that later on in the review, but just know that the rating for this book changed so much in my head (mostly only from 5 to 4, or 4 to 5 stars), but it was certainly a conundrum for me.
The Noble of Sperath is a fantasy, though not really a fantasy with very much magic in it. The only sort of "magic" within this fantasy world is the religion that the people of this world follow that dictates the emperor of all of the kingdoms. It's a little confusing, but basically every kingdom has a royal family that rules over their people, but then there is an emperor that rules over all of them. It's certainly interesting and didn't feel strange or forced within the narrative, but it's certainly a strange concept, though I can understand how it works. I suppose the royal families of these kingdoms would be closer to what a Lord or Lady would be as they "rule" over their specific towns and such.
We follow the story of a nameless girl who has just woken up and realized that she has the huge task of finding 12 people from each kingdom and choosing between them to find the new emperor (these emperors can be either male or female and there doesn't seem to be any sort of sexism or preference towards a male ruler). She promptly names herself Lia with the help of her new friend Kaleb and is then sent on a mission to find her first contender for the role of emperor, Princess Jade from the kingdom of Sperath. Jade has five suitors all vying for her affection and the role as king when she is crowned as queen. However, Jade doesn't seem very keen on marrying any of the men, and there is a rumor around the castle that she prefers women to men. It's never explicitly stated whether she only likes women, or if perhaps she likes both men and women, but it's made clear in the text that and from Jade herself that she likes women. It is hinted at (not as explicitly) that Lia also likes women. However, though she flirts with Jade, it's not made clear whether she genuinely likes her or if she's merely using her to gain trust.
On that same note, I think it's pertinent to say that this is a VERY slow burn. I read a review for this book on Amazon saying that the two girls fall in love too fast, but there's literally nothing within the text that supports this claim. (Beware: this might be a spoiler) There are no actual, concrete couples in this book. I definitely ship Lia and Jade pretty hardcore, but by the end of the novel no one is in a relationship. This book focuses less on romance and much more on political intrigue and self-discovery. This is part of a series, so I suspect that the next book will focus more heavily on romance as Jade and Lia get to know each other better (or at least I hope so!).
I think it's also important to note that this book is ownvoices for the wlw representation as the author identifies as a lesbian. Despite the lack of relationships or couples or ships within the novel, I found that I wasn't very focused on it anyway, and the slow burn nature of the story made me excited for the next book.
Overall, I really enjoyed the book, and I feel as though my true rating is a 4.5 stars rather than just 4. To be honest, I'm still waiting for Goodreads to allow half stars, because that would make my life so much easier! Anyway, I really enjoyed this book and definitely recommend it to those of you who don't mind a bit of slow burn romance in your life. I found the fantasy elements really intriguing, and I was happy to find a fantasy that had women who love women in it, and it wasn't treated as strange or taboo or anything like that.
The Noble of Sperath is a fantasy, though not really a fantasy with very much magic in it. The only sort of "magic" within this fantasy world is the religion that the people of this world follow that dictates the emperor of all of the kingdoms. It's a little confusing, but basically every kingdom has a royal family that rules over their people, but then there is an emperor that rules over all of them. It's certainly interesting and didn't feel strange or forced within the narrative, but it's certainly a strange concept, though I can understand how it works. I suppose the royal families of these kingdoms would be closer to what a Lord or Lady would be as they "rule" over their specific towns and such.
We follow the story of a nameless girl who has just woken up and realized that she has the huge task of finding 12 people from each kingdom and choosing between them to find the new emperor (these emperors can be either male or female and there doesn't seem to be any sort of sexism or preference towards a male ruler). She promptly names herself Lia with the help of her new friend Kaleb and is then sent on a mission to find her first contender for the role of emperor, Princess Jade from the kingdom of Sperath. Jade has five suitors all vying for her affection and the role as king when she is crowned as queen. However, Jade doesn't seem very keen on marrying any of the men, and there is a rumor around the castle that she prefers women to men. It's never explicitly stated whether she only likes women, or if perhaps she likes both men and women, but it's made clear in the text that and from Jade herself that she likes women. It is hinted at (not as explicitly) that Lia also likes women. However, though she flirts with Jade, it's not made clear whether she genuinely likes her or if she's merely using her to gain trust.
On that same note, I think it's pertinent to say that this is a VERY slow burn. I read a review for this book on Amazon saying that the two girls fall in love too fast, but there's literally nothing within the text that supports this claim. (Beware: this might be a spoiler) There are no actual, concrete couples in this book. I definitely ship Lia and Jade pretty hardcore, but by the end of the novel no one is in a relationship. This book focuses less on romance and much more on political intrigue and self-discovery. This is part of a series, so I suspect that the next book will focus more heavily on romance as Jade and Lia get to know each other better (or at least I hope so!).
I think it's also important to note that this book is ownvoices for the wlw representation as the author identifies as a lesbian. Despite the lack of relationships or couples or ships within the novel, I found that I wasn't very focused on it anyway, and the slow burn nature of the story made me excited for the next book.
Overall, I really enjoyed the book, and I feel as though my true rating is a 4.5 stars rather than just 4. To be honest, I'm still waiting for Goodreads to allow half stars, because that would make my life so much easier! Anyway, I really enjoyed this book and definitely recommend it to those of you who don't mind a bit of slow burn romance in your life. I found the fantasy elements really intriguing, and I was happy to find a fantasy that had women who love women in it, and it wasn't treated as strange or taboo or anything like that.
April 15, 2022
Rep: lesbian mcs
May 15, 2017
I'm going to start by saying that I was surprised and excited when I saw this book pop up in my recommendations list from Amazon. I've read a few other books from this author (mostly ya lgbt romance, which I really enjoyed), and when I saw a fantasy by her I was definitely intrigued. I unfortunately haven't run across too much traditional fantasy with lgbt characters. This is getting better but it's not by any means an easy thing to find.
Okay, where was I? Oh, right. I was excited. That excitement though was tempered by knowing this was Ms. Maley's (at least published) attempt at true fantasy. Which was a good thing because there were a few issues with this book. I still really enjoyed it and will be recommending it to friends.
The premise is fairly interesting: the empire (made up of several nations with their own kings and queens) is ruled by an Emperor. The title is passed from Emperor/Empress to Son/Daughter. In general everybody seems to be cool with this system because some gods called the Divines (don't really find out too much more about them) set it up and well... they're gods. IF the emperor/empress dies without heirs (or in this case, those heirs are also killed), the Divines call up a Seer to pick the next Emperor and Imperial bloodlines. who basically has their entire memories wiped so she's an impartial selector. Aaaand while most people as I said are cool with this there are a few very motivated folks that aren't. Which is pretty much the premise.
This does open up some interesting dramatic elements as Lia deals with not being as fanatical in her devotion to the mission, trying to find out who she was vs. finding the next Emperor, etc. And these are teased at and used to some degree.
But the issues... at 343 pages, this book felt more like a novella. We got a lot of surface information about the world, the 12 different kingdoms, the divines, the Oracle, etc but none of it truly gets too deep. Even the characters mostly stay fairly two dimensional. Not in a bad way, the story is still very enjoyable but not something that a possible 12 book series could be based around (I'm assuming here that there will be a book per nation..? maybe?) Which is actually another issue, I don't know if this is planning to be a massive epic 12 books or only a few. Given that there are 12 nations and there first book is named for one nation and takes place completely in that one nation, a guess could be made that there will be 11 others? Not sure here... The climax of this one also felt a bit rushed, with some mostly effective political building going on and then shenanigans followed by a quick resolution.
Okay, that all sounded pretty harsh. And I apologize. I really did enjoy this book, it was a relatively quick read and I was left afterwards crawling over the interwebs looking for a possible release date for the next one. So all of the above being said for an ebook and a first fantasy novel it was rather enjoyable. I got the book via the kindle unlimited so I didn't pay full price for it but even at 2.99 given my enjoyment of the author's other books, I still would have purchased it and felt the same way.
One piece I really did enjoy was that
So, if you're looking for an interesting premised ebook that you can probably read in a weekend or waiting in line for a few of this summer's blockbusters (Wonder Woman!), I would definitely recommend this one. If you're wanting something super nuanced with lots of political drama like Kushiel's Legacy or Song of Fire and Ice you might want to keep looking.
Okay, where was I? Oh, right. I was excited. That excitement though was tempered by knowing this was Ms. Maley's (at least published) attempt at true fantasy. Which was a good thing because there were a few issues with this book. I still really enjoyed it and will be recommending it to friends.
The premise is fairly interesting: the empire (made up of several nations with their own kings and queens) is ruled by an Emperor. The title is passed from Emperor/Empress to Son/Daughter. In general everybody seems to be cool with this system because some gods called the Divines (don't really find out too much more about them) set it up and well... they're gods. IF the emperor/empress dies without heirs (or in this case, those heirs are also killed), the Divines call up a Seer to pick the next Emperor and Imperial bloodlines. who basically has their entire memories wiped so she's an impartial selector. Aaaand while most people as I said are cool with this there are a few very motivated folks that aren't. Which is pretty much the premise.
This does open up some interesting dramatic elements as Lia deals with not being as fanatical in her devotion to the mission, trying to find out who she was vs. finding the next Emperor, etc. And these are teased at and used to some degree.
But the issues... at 343 pages, this book felt more like a novella. We got a lot of surface information about the world, the 12 different kingdoms, the divines, the Oracle, etc but none of it truly gets too deep. Even the characters mostly stay fairly two dimensional. Not in a bad way, the story is still very enjoyable but not something that a possible 12 book series could be based around (I'm assuming here that there will be a book per nation..? maybe?) Which is actually another issue, I don't know if this is planning to be a massive epic 12 books or only a few. Given that there are 12 nations and there first book is named for one nation and takes place completely in that one nation, a guess could be made that there will be 11 others? Not sure here... The climax of this one also felt a bit rushed, with some mostly effective political building going on and then shenanigans followed by a quick resolution.
Okay, that all sounded pretty harsh. And I apologize. I really did enjoy this book, it was a relatively quick read and I was left afterwards crawling over the interwebs looking for a possible release date for the next one. So all of the above being said for an ebook and a first fantasy novel it was rather enjoyable. I got the book via the kindle unlimited so I didn't pay full price for it but even at 2.99 given my enjoyment of the author's other books, I still would have purchased it and felt the same way.
One piece I really did enjoy was that
So, if you're looking for an interesting premised ebook that you can probably read in a weekend or waiting in line for a few of this summer's blockbusters (Wonder Woman!), I would definitely recommend this one. If you're wanting something super nuanced with lots of political drama like Kushiel's Legacy or Song of Fire and Ice you might want to keep looking.
February 9, 2019
3.5 stars out of 5
For the first book in a fantasy series, this has lots of promise. I really enjoyed the story and characters and the whole who-dun-it aspect. The atmosphere was spot-on in fantasy terms, I liked it.
This story follows a young woman who wakes up with amnesia of her past life and is thrust onto a path of divine fate where she is the final judge or Seer, chosen by the gods, to choose the next emperor out of the 12 heirs in 12 kingdoms of the empire. Her first task takes her to Sperath, one of the kingdoms, as a servant to get closer to the heir in order to gain her trust and help her find the other eleven heirs. Meanwhile, she must try to avoid the dangers who call themselves the Sincaeles, a rebel group who despise the divine works to choose the emperor for them, that assassinated the previous emperor and is working to assassinate the next heir and the Seer.
The plot was pretty alright. Personally, I'd think it would've been better if it was a bit longer? But then you risk the story dragging, so I'm not complaining too hard. Some parts were a bit convenient for the main character to figure out? Like finding the secret passage in the castle? Yeah, I don't think that would've been ideal, but again I'm not complaining too hard.
Lia is an alright character. At first, she felt very naive mainly for the whole "if I'm in danger then where's the danger?" in the beginning of the book which irked me so much! BUT as the story progresses, she learns and comes into herself. Kaleb is pretty decent as well. I don't know if it was intentional or not, but there's a part in the beginning of the book where Lia would be describing Kaleb and I thought to myself: "This is where many people would be shipping Lia and Kaleb if this book was hetero" and I laughed to myself cuz it aint that type of book. Jade was ...interesting? I felt there was much more of her character to flush out, though I retract because this is the first book in this series that may spread to eleven books? Since there are 12 heirs to be found, and only one was found, so . . . Hopefully in the future books, Jade grows more into herself.
Then the minor characters were charming in their own right, but very two-dimensional. Of course, I shouldn't be too harsh considering their role, though it was a bit convenient for them to be that way. Like Sivan. I wanted more...motivation from him? Especially concerning Jade, bc it didn't feel enough for him to just want to protect her bc they grew up together, like I wanted backstory. Also, I adore him but there wasn't enough from him that made me like think the position he was given at the end of the book to be very reasonable? Especially given his background experience in the castle.
A thing that irked me a little bit about the book was the ... formatting? I can't think of the word for it. It's where there's a scene that's happening and as it's closing up, it cuts immediately to another scene in a completely different setting. For example, when Sir Henrik, Kaleb, and Lia were discussing their next strategy outside in the stables. Then there's no transitional paragraph or phrase to indicate where the characters after and enters a completely new scene where Lia is going to talk to Jade in her bedchambers. It works for movies, bc it's visual so your mind can comprehend quickly, however with a book, it can be difficult bc your mind is already on that scene until it is told that the scene changes. Most times, if there's transitional phrase or paragraph, they'd put the standard *** middle set piece that something else is going on after that one scene. Alas, the author did not. It's not terrible, but it is something I noticed.
Mind you, it's not a perfect book, obviously. But its promise to grow into something more is too enticing that I'm yearning for the sequel. I CANNOT wait for the next book to come out. Who is the next heir? Will Lia found out more about her past? Will Tala come back? Will there be romance blossoming between Lia and Jade?
For the first book in a fantasy series, this has lots of promise. I really enjoyed the story and characters and the whole who-dun-it aspect. The atmosphere was spot-on in fantasy terms, I liked it.
This story follows a young woman who wakes up with amnesia of her past life and is thrust onto a path of divine fate where she is the final judge or Seer, chosen by the gods, to choose the next emperor out of the 12 heirs in 12 kingdoms of the empire. Her first task takes her to Sperath, one of the kingdoms, as a servant to get closer to the heir in order to gain her trust and help her find the other eleven heirs. Meanwhile, she must try to avoid the dangers who call themselves the Sincaeles, a rebel group who despise the divine works to choose the emperor for them, that assassinated the previous emperor and is working to assassinate the next heir and the Seer.
The plot was pretty alright. Personally, I'd think it would've been better if it was a bit longer? But then you risk the story dragging, so I'm not complaining too hard. Some parts were a bit convenient for the main character to figure out? Like finding the secret passage in the castle? Yeah, I don't think that would've been ideal, but again I'm not complaining too hard.
Lia is an alright character. At first, she felt very naive mainly for the whole "if I'm in danger then where's the danger?" in the beginning of the book which irked me so much! BUT as the story progresses, she learns and comes into herself. Kaleb is pretty decent as well. I don't know if it was intentional or not, but there's a part in the beginning of the book where Lia would be describing Kaleb and I thought to myself: "This is where many people would be shipping Lia and Kaleb if this book was hetero" and I laughed to myself cuz it aint that type of book. Jade was ...interesting? I felt there was much more of her character to flush out, though I retract because this is the first book in this series that may spread to eleven books? Since there are 12 heirs to be found, and only one was found, so . . . Hopefully in the future books, Jade grows more into herself.
Then the minor characters were charming in their own right, but very two-dimensional. Of course, I shouldn't be too harsh considering their role, though it was a bit convenient for them to be that way. Like Sivan. I wanted more...motivation from him? Especially concerning Jade, bc it didn't feel enough for him to just want to protect her bc they grew up together, like I wanted backstory. Also, I adore him but there wasn't enough from him that made me like think the position he was given at the end of the book to be very reasonable? Especially given his background experience in the castle.
A thing that irked me a little bit about the book was the ... formatting? I can't think of the word for it. It's where there's a scene that's happening and as it's closing up, it cuts immediately to another scene in a completely different setting. For example, when Sir Henrik, Kaleb, and Lia were discussing their next strategy outside in the stables. Then there's no transitional paragraph or phrase to indicate where the characters after and enters a completely new scene where Lia is going to talk to Jade in her bedchambers. It works for movies, bc it's visual so your mind can comprehend quickly, however with a book, it can be difficult bc your mind is already on that scene until it is told that the scene changes. Most times, if there's transitional phrase or paragraph, they'd put the standard *** middle set piece that something else is going on after that one scene. Alas, the author did not. It's not terrible, but it is something I noticed.
Mind you, it's not a perfect book, obviously. But its promise to grow into something more is too enticing that I'm yearning for the sequel. I CANNOT wait for the next book to come out. Who is the next heir? Will Lia found out more about her past? Will Tala come back? Will there be romance blossoming between Lia and Jade?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 23, 2020
compelling start to a series - wonder if sequels will be published?
the main characters are all likeable for the most part. kind and fun supporting characters, and a variety of personalities are present. the protagonist can be insufferably asinine at times, though, putting herself in ridiculously dangerous situations for basically no reason (well the real reason is to move the plot forward, but it doesn't truly make sense in the context of the story).
the plot itself is intriguing, and the pacing is decent. it's well thought out, providing a good dose of mystery and motivation for the protagonist. the main flaw is that the setup for the plot feels contrived. the antagonists all for some reason have an "S" tattooed on their necks, the "Divines" are omniscient and have chosen a new seer, but if this seer is killed there will be no more new seers for what reason...? And they're omniscient but allow this whole fiasco of a seer being chosen to find 12 possible heirs? I guess the only way this can really be satisfactorily explained is if more is revealed in sequels.
lastly, the whole emperor/ruler ideology definitely rubs me the wrong way. the antagonists are trying to put a supposedly evil man in power, meanwhile this "chosen" one is picking out twelve possible heirs to be new emperor, whose descendants are then the next rightful heirs? neither option sounds ideal to me. of course the "Divines" choose the heir so that somehow makes it okay. the whole idea of one person ruling an entire continent doesn't seem to be questioned. (
the royalty thing is also never questioned. the importance put on blood related descendants is annoying, honestly. and i feel that the royalty are afforded much more respect than they deserve, including the princess.
definitely see a lot of potential for sequels. hope to see them in fruition at some point!
the main characters are all likeable for the most part. kind and fun supporting characters, and a variety of personalities are present. the protagonist can be insufferably asinine at times, though, putting herself in ridiculously dangerous situations for basically no reason (well the real reason is to move the plot forward, but it doesn't truly make sense in the context of the story).
the plot itself is intriguing, and the pacing is decent. it's well thought out, providing a good dose of mystery and motivation for the protagonist. the main flaw is that the setup for the plot feels contrived. the antagonists all for some reason have an "S" tattooed on their necks, the "Divines" are omniscient and have chosen a new seer, but if this seer is killed there will be no more new seers for what reason...? And they're omniscient but allow this whole fiasco of a seer being chosen to find 12 possible heirs? I guess the only way this can really be satisfactorily explained is if more is revealed in sequels.
lastly, the whole emperor/ruler ideology definitely rubs me the wrong way. the antagonists are trying to put a supposedly evil man in power, meanwhile this "chosen" one is picking out twelve possible heirs to be new emperor, whose descendants are then the next rightful heirs? neither option sounds ideal to me. of course the "Divines" choose the heir so that somehow makes it okay. the whole idea of one person ruling an entire continent doesn't seem to be questioned. (
the royalty thing is also never questioned. the importance put on blood related descendants is annoying, honestly. and i feel that the royalty are afforded much more respect than they deserve, including the princess.
definitely see a lot of potential for sequels. hope to see them in fruition at some point!
July 5, 2020
A teenage girl awakens lying on a table with a blanket covering her and no memories of who she is. An old man and a younger one tell her she's been summoned as the next Seer who will find 12 candidates to replace the Emperor of the land who's been assassinated. The girl, who names herself Lia, takes a while to believe this and before long she and the young man are off to find the first of the candidates, a beautiful princess from a nation called Sperath.
Siera Maley is one of my g0-to YA authors and so I was curious about what she would do with a fantasy novel. The world building is good and there's a strong hint of F/F content but the book is not really a romance. Still it's a good effort and makes one wonder if Maley will go forward with the series and let us meet the other 11 possible heirs to the throne.
Siera Maley is one of my g0-to YA authors and so I was curious about what she would do with a fantasy novel. The world building is good and there's a strong hint of F/F content but the book is not really a romance. Still it's a good effort and makes one wonder if Maley will go forward with the series and let us meet the other 11 possible heirs to the throne.
July 18, 2017
This was hard to rate. It's written very differently than most fantasy novels in terms of style, which I think has to do with Maley's backgroung as a high school YA author rather than a fantasy author.
Though this is very stylistically different from what I'm used to in fantasy I still enjoyed it, though the first few chapters were incredibly heavy with exposition.
There weren't any shocking plot-twists or anything in here, it was more of a fun yet routine novel.
My real rating of this would probably be closer to a 3.5, but I'm rounding it up because of my fondness for Siera Maley's other works.
Though this is very stylistically different from what I'm used to in fantasy I still enjoyed it, though the first few chapters were incredibly heavy with exposition.
There weren't any shocking plot-twists or anything in here, it was more of a fun yet routine novel.
My real rating of this would probably be closer to a 3.5, but I'm rounding it up because of my fondness for Siera Maley's other works.
July 13, 2018
I feel like this book could’ve been a great one if the world building had been better, the dialogue less in your face and the valuable lessons Lia learned along the way hadn’t been explained out loud. That last one was what pushed me over the edge to put it down as dnf - her lack of faith was presented in one page, the problem arrived in the next one and then we had four pages of everyone going into depth about what she should take from that.
I really really wanted to like it (it’s wlw warriors and queens for crying out loud!!!) and I’m really sad I didn’t
I really really wanted to like it (it’s wlw warriors and queens for crying out loud!!!) and I’m really sad I didn’t
November 3, 2018
This book was definitely like, finding its legs, doing all the things that the first book in a new series needs to do. I also think this might be the author's first foray into fantasy, which does show. But it was entertaining and fun, has interesting world-building, and the beginnings of a slow burn romance which I think I'm going to love. (Jade/Lia would be great but I'm also thinking of Tala/Lia... you just KNOW they knew each other before, and I can't wait to find out how!)
I'm definitely a Siera Maley fan now, and I'm excited for the next book in the series.
I'm definitely a Siera Maley fan now, and I'm excited for the next book in the series.
July 21, 2017
Pretty good
Not bad at all. Just too darn young for me. I was curious about this book and now I'm not. If I were a teenager perhaps I would want more but my curiosity has been satisfied and I will leave this series to those a lot younger then me. This would have been a great book for me to read when I was sixteen.
Not bad at all. Just too darn young for me. I was curious about this book and now I'm not. If I were a teenager perhaps I would want more but my curiosity has been satisfied and I will leave this series to those a lot younger then me. This would have been a great book for me to read when I was sixteen.
January 20, 2019
YES!
+F/F Fantasy!
+After the info-dumps, it's pretty fast paced. Flirting, poisoning, swordfights! Oh my!
+Jade is sassy!
+Want to know who Lia was before! I have a theory...
NO!
-Memory loss leads to two loooong chapters of info-dumping!
-Bad formatting. There's no breaks between some scenes, so different times seem to run together.
-No kissing!
+F/F Fantasy!
+After the info-dumps, it's pretty fast paced. Flirting, poisoning, swordfights! Oh my!
+Jade is sassy!
+Want to know who Lia was before! I have a theory...
NO!
-Memory loss leads to two loooong chapters of info-dumping!
-Bad formatting. There's no breaks between some scenes, so different times seem to run together.
-No kissing!
May 9, 2017
Loved the world the author created
I loved the world building and characters living in it. The idea of a divine seer choosing the emperors was intriguing as well as an opposing faction that was working against it. I look forward to the next installment.
I loved the world building and characters living in it. The idea of a divine seer choosing the emperors was intriguing as well as an opposing faction that was working against it. I look forward to the next installment.
May 14, 2017
The story idea is very interesting and has a lot of potential, but sometimes the plot needed more action. Overall, it was a good book but I was bored sometimes, so I can only give two stars. I will likely give the sequel a chance and hopefully it will pick up speed.
August 10, 2017
Slow but catchy
It took a chapter or two to get me hooked. I aware it took months to read those first few chapters. After that I had issues putting down the book. Looking forward to more adventures with Lia and her discoveries along the way.
It took a chapter or two to get me hooked. I aware it took months to read those first few chapters. After that I had issues putting down the book. Looking forward to more adventures with Lia and her discoveries along the way.
June 30, 2017
When I finished this book, I was really hoping that the sequel was already available. It's really good and not predictable at all.
September 4, 2017
Incredible!!!
Cannot wait for the next in the series - a true page-turner with mystery, intrigue and fascinating character development. I just couldn't put this book down!
Cannot wait for the next in the series - a true page-turner with mystery, intrigue and fascinating character development. I just couldn't put this book down!
October 24, 2017
i dunno maybe i am just very selective about my fantasy but this was an anachronistic disaster. a quick read but not one i want to revisit, alas.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews