The Complete Sun-Blessed Trilogy

Sun-Blessed Trilogy #1-3

by Carol Beth Anderson

This box set contains all three books of the Sun-Blessed Trilogy—over 1,000 pages of fresh, unique YA fantasy.

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Dive into a world of golden magic and looming evil, a story readers describe as "a new, immersive fantasy experience" with"hints of romance" and "terrific villains."

Facing the Sun is "an imaginative tale with a unique magic system that will delight on every page."
-Chrystal Grcevich, author of Waiting to Breathe

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The glow itself seemed to be alive, breathing, spreading under the baby’s skin.
One question filled my mind: Who is this child?

Tavi Malin is born facing the sun, filled with greater magic than any other sun-blessed child.

When Tavi turns fourteen, her magic awakens. Her uncontrollable, destructive power frightens those around her—almost as much as it terrifies Tavi herself.

Tavi and her friends train to use their gifts, unaware of the threat developing in a distant city. Dissidents have banded together, and they’re killing to attain gray magic, an ominous new force that breaks the rules of ordinary magic.

But to seize true power, the Grays must grow their ranks—and Tavi is a prize worth pursuing.

In a fight where confidence is as crucial as strength, even extraordinary gifts aren’t sufficient. If Tavi is to prevail against the Grays, she must find a courage that goes deeper than magic itself.

You’ll love the entrancing characters, relationships, and magic in this all-new fantasy world. Pick up The Complete Sun-Blessed Trilogy now!

Author Interview:

What makes this new world unique?
In the Sun-Blessed Trilogy, the magical system is tied to childbirth. I love the miracle of birth, and tying magic to such an incredible event felt natural and appropriate. Some of the heroes in this series are midwives, who pass magic on to sun-blessed children and later train these same children to use their gifts.

What audiences is the series appropriate for?
This trilogy is clean fantasy. There is no cursing, explicit sexual content, or gory violence. It’s appropriate for teen and adult audiences. I wanted to write a series my own kids could read, and I’m happy to provide an exciting, quality story that a wide variety of ages will enjoy.

Reading Order:
Facing the Sun, Facing the Gray, and Facing the Fire (all included in The Complete Sun-Blessed Trilogy Box Set) should be read in order.
Birth of Magic is a prequel novella that may be read before or after the main trilogy.

Genres: Fantasy, Audiobook

1349 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 23, 2019

About the author

Thanks for visiting my Goodreads Author page! I'm Beth, author of fantasy novels, microfiction, and nonfiction for authors.

If you're interested in what books I'm reading, feel free to connect with me on my personal Goodreads too.

Reviews

[Coco.V]

🎁 FREE on Amazon today (2/26/2020)! 🎁

[ErinTurnsPages · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is such a strong series. I listened to the audiobooks while I was vacuuming for work and enjoyed them so very much. Anderson created characters with enough variety and personality that I think most people can relate to at least one character. Better yet, one person can relate to many of the characters in a variety of different ways. The series has a heavy Religious base, but it wasn't pushy, not to me at least and that's saying something. The Religion, cultures, the magic, and the politics throughout the series are very real, well thought out, and evolved. Carol did a fantastic job on this series, enough so that I sought out more of her work. Links to individual book reviews below.

Facing the Sun: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Facing the Gray: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Facing the Fire: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

I received a complimentary copy of this audiobook from the author in exchange for an honest review.

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

As an eager reader of young adult fiction and fantasy novels, I highly recommend this trilogy. The story is set in a somewhat familiar world with some magical twists, charming and intriguing characters that will grab a hold of your heart, and a number of action-filled, edge of your seat plot developments! I would read this to/with my almost-8-year old but the trilogy would easily delight & hold the attention of a teen/adult reader!

[Emmy · Rating 4 out of 5]

•audiobook•

Book 1
4.25 Stars

WOW!!
I’m so glad I waited for the trilogy to start listening to this!

It’s a magnificent masterpiece with unique world building, growing characters and deep cause and effects.
It’s meaningful, deep, and lingers long after you leave the world.
Relationships are forged, fringed, and rekindled.
The romance is sweet and you watch it truly grow from acquaintance, friendship, to more. No insta-love/lust. No love triangles.
The magic, the training, the explanations were enthralling and easy to follow.
It’s sprinkled with messages of self love and growing one’s self esteem and confidence. I’m excited for young girls to find this book and link the subtle values to provide strength and guidance to their chaotic worlds.

My few quirks included confusion about Misty, the older sister we meet in the prologue who disappears until over halfway through.
A few of the chapters time skipped ahead, but then it ‘recaps and tells us we missed’.
The world building was crazy incredibly fabulous, but the ‘mile markers and streets in the horse ridden world seemed ... odd.


But it IS a STELLAR fantasy adventure (the sci fi genre might be misleading) rooted deeply in their magic and religion. I’m sure you’ll enjoy this book.


Carol Beth Anderson narrated her book and it’s the icing on the cake! Characters have their own voices and she brilliantly added urgency as needed.

Book 2
4 Stars

A compelling sequel! Intricate character development through adverse heartbreak and impending malevolent series of events.

We meet new characters who are sweet and lively and add exuberance to the cast. They were easy to fall in love with - a little too easily?

Time skips are briefer but it still rewinds to explain ‘what was missed’.

The second book was very slow as Tavi works through her grief. She has an inner battle that is baffling. She wants to be a lone ranger yet she’s clueless. She doesn’t want to be with the team but her wallowing seems to blind her from the big picture. She was more of a pawn than a possible heroine, and it was disappointing.

The writing, plot, and characters are intriguing and the final book calls to me.


Book 3
3 Stars
As the trilogy comes to a conclusion, I realize I enjoyed the book but wish there was more. Not more like another book, but more like more details and relationship building (or destroying).

We are introduced to more characters as the Resistance grows. It’s good to see Tavi struggles and makes her own decisions regarding her trust/mistrust of the Greys in her circle. But I feel like it was too much at times.

Tavi certainly should have sought help at the Healing House (Why was the Healing House brought up so many times, yet never really played a viable role - only offscreen with a parent?) as she is still grieving over the death from the first chapters in book 2? It (the death) really started to feel like The Death was it’s own character and it became annoying.

I thought the Colonel and the gardener would have a more central role when we followed them at the beginning... but then they disappeared until the climax. Nice tie - in, but it felt too contrived and instead of a HOORAY, it was like waves lapping at my toes.

I didn’t like that the author kept all of her cards to herself and didn’t trust the readers to draw their conclusions, true or false.

I think readers may enjoy this more if they don’t desire a book where they are included in the ride, but go along for the ride. There’s still more telling than showing and backtracking to explain ... and the caverns - what a total loss of description opportunity.

[Robin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my goodness! I love this book. Be warned, you will want to have the second book ready before you get to the end. :-D The story arc isn't necessarily new to the genre but it is also different in many ways. My favorite I think is that the extremely minimal & I think from her perspective that there's a love triangle with our main girl and her bestie turned boyfriend that she then.. Hahaha, lol, no more spoilers!

In case you can't tell, I adore Tavi & Tullen❣ What some reviewers & those considering the books is that these are young teenagers. Of course, they are going to make poor decisions. Lolol, maybe I relate to Tavi so much because I think & as a young lady acted a lot like she does. ;-)

I love the world setting that Ms Andeson had given us. Now, I really don't think they have nor is it truly magical. It is more alike to having super powers. :-)

I listened, well am listening, on Audible. I greatly enjoy her doing her own book. It brings that special something to the characters as we here how she imagines them sounding. She brings passion to her reading as she does to her story telling. =)


As for the ending, ummm, I did tell y'all to have book to ready. Which I do, so I'm off too enjoy more of Tavi's story. Happy reading everyone!! :-D

My star ratings include these 5 elements:
1★ story line
1★ engaging characters
1★ use of world building/descriptions
1★ the ending
1★ narration or editing

"I was given this free review copy/audiobook at *MY* request and have voluntarily left this review." (Because it's awweessomme)

[Lana · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have posted reviews for each book individually, and I must say the further I read into this Trilogy the more captivated I became. I love the concept of the babies born facing the sun who were then blessed by their midwives breath and gifted with magical power in the name of Sava. Many received one gift, some two, until a baby girl was born who was blessed all over. These gifts were treasured and used for the benefit of the community and those sun-blessed received their education at the hands of the midwives who were Sava's chosen. Until evil raised it's head in the form of Gray magic. This was a corrupted version of the blessed gift, one which came about by stealing a breath of a blessed who was murdered. This trilogy is about a group of youngsters led by Tavi, the all blessed, who called themselves the Golds and who rose up to bring back the life they knew to Cormina. The Grays needed to be stopped but could the Golds do this? There is a unique form of magic, a bit of romance, a lot of loyalty as well as betrayal, courage in the face of extreme danger and a revolution which needed to be won in this captivating battle of the Light against the Dark!

[Rhonda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Couldn't Wait to Read Every NIght!
I received a free copy of this audiobook trilogy in exchange for an honest review. I was a little hesitant at first because authors don't always make the best narrators. But, I'm so glad I got it! The author does a really good job narrating the different voices and emotions. It was a pleasure to listen to. The story itself was entertaining, well-written, and full of wonderfully developed characters. I also like that Tavi is a flawed character. She isn't a supernatural that does everything right all the time. And, the reasons for her actions or inactions are drawn from her experiences and the way they've impacted her. While Tavi is a teen as are some of the other main characters, there are adult characters that also get to share their points of view. So, while it's young adult-friendly, I wouldn't say it's specifically a young adult book. But, that's my point of view. You may think differently. All in all, I really enjoyed the audiobook and recommend it. I'll be seeking out more from this author.

[Ben Fankhauser · Rating 3 out of 5]

Full disclosure: I received a free review copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

Sun Blessed is an interesting fantasy trilogy with a robust magic system. It leans towards hard magic, but not quite so far as Sanderson. It is also a coming of age of a young woman breaking the typical coming of age trope of a young man. It was a rather good series, although it took me a couple of hours before I was able to get into the groove of it. I appreciated the characters and the character development although some of the characters were a little too one-sided.

If you like fantasy novels and coming-of-age you will likely enjoy this. If you want to see this from a female perspective that is not thrusting feminism down your throat, you will probably like this even more. I will put this book on the possible re-read list.

I enjoyed the book series and the narration was okay, but I think it would have benefited from a different narrator. I found the author over enunciated some words and it was a little bit distracting from the text.

[Michele · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book! I didn't want it to end! The author narrated the book. I think it made such a difference. She did an amazing job.

I felt like I really knew the characters. I couldn't stop listening. If you like books like Divergent, then you will love this book too.

The only real criticism that I can give the book is that I felt tired of the main character's internal struggle by the very end. I wanted to learn her lessons for her. As an outside observer, it seemed crazy that she couldn't see what was right in front of her. Maybe that is a sign that I really got into the book.

I would recommend this book to anyone and I will probably read it again myself!

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a story of adult fiction and fantasy worlds with some magical twists.It is emotion filled and hard to stop listening to it. I loved the strong characters and compelling story. Many twists and turns with surprises as you go.It shows true friendship and yet has battles against evil. I loved the narration of the audio whichis done by the author herself. She does an amazing job. It keeps you wanting more. I highly recommend this audible trilogy.

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was a magical journey. It is a world similar yet different from ours. A world where magic lives. I liked the first of the trilogy. I believe I took on too much with the whole series. If I would have spread it out in weeks instead of days I would have liked the story better. I debate on a three or four star rating. I give four because I feel the fault was mine. I got this book from storyorgins and this is my voluntary and honest review.

[Georgia Tumbleweed McNabb · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thoughly enjoyed this story, there were some parts where the story ramble along, but overall Great YA story. The main character ( Tavi)
makes some poor choices in the beginning, but it is because she is young (14) and inexperienced in life and relationships. I really loved Talwin the boy she meets in the forest. He becomes wrapped up in her life and mission.
Narrator did a wonderful job with the characters and the storyline in this Trilogy.

[Samuel P. Robbins · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a review of the first book.
It was slow, I must admit. FACING THE SUN covered Tavi's teen years, from age twelve to age fifteen. We finally get some action at the end when her friends are kidnapped by some men who have been secretly raising an army to take over the country.
I really enjoyed it—but I usually read 1000+ -page fantasy books. I'm used to slow pace. The average reader might not feel the same way.
Four stars. (*****).

[Nicole Dunton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tavi is born facing the sun. This is a great honor in her world. What's even more amazing is that she's fully blessed. Something that has never happened before. Even being born twice blessed is rare. People live with the restrictions of their gifts until somebody discovers a way to remove the restriction. An army is built and the government is overthrown.

This is a pretty interesting portrayal of good versus evil. I really enjoyed it a lot. The first two were a little underwhelming to me, but I didn't have a problem with it. I still enjoyed the story. I just felt like it was missing something that I couldn't quite explain.

The author narrated the trilogy. She did a pretty fantastic job. I was very impressed. For a while, I was convinced she was the narrator for another series I listened to and loved. Sadly, I have discovered that she was not the same narrator. I'd listen to other audiobooks she narrates. Even if it's other author's work.

While this wasn't my favorite trilogy of all time, I still enjoyed it very much. I have reviews for each book posted individually. I feel like they are better detailed than this review is. I do better at individual reviews than trilogy/series reviews. I do highly recommend this trilogy for those who like chosen one and good versus evil stories.

[Reena · Rating 5 out of 5]

This review pertains to the audiobook version

I loved this trilogy! The storyline was quite unique and original and kept my interest. The world building was amazing, the characters well-developed, the plot twists well thought and executed. The narrator (which is the author herself) did a great job bringing the story to life. If you like fantasy, this is a book I recommend.

[bex · Rating 3 out of 5]

Somewhere around 3.5

I don't mind long-winded and complicated. I tend to like ot actually. I could have done without all the side POVs probably. A bit fewer wouldn't have been a bad thing. I liked the fact that characters were not all good or all bad but people who made choices with consequences. I completely ignored the character lists in the beginnings.

[Patricia Terry · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a wonderful story with a completely original theme. The story is exciting and well thought out, the world building is excellent, and the characters are charming. I loved it! I received a free review copy of the audio version of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Carlynne Toomey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved these stories! Wonderful stories about magic and good and evil. The author is also the narrator which I just love!!! The characters are well developed and believable. The story world is well integrated and overall the author has done a fabulous job with these stories. Highly recommended!

[Kim Lewandowski · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great!

I couldn't put this series down! Wonderfully written and in depth characters! This series is highly worth the time and money!

[Tina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Youth triumphs

Great story of how one event in time can change everything. Epic story of a group of teenagers take on evil. Loved it.

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rambling in a few spots. In general quite enjoyable

Enjoyed the book. The story line was good. At times the characters were difficult to remember. Intrigued by the magic.

[Lori · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great series with interesting plot and deep characters. Would highly recommend.

[Clarissa Gosling · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such a great magic system. I love the way the heroine overcomes despite doubt and tribulations. I cried so much at the end of this series.

[Rosemary Hughes · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have submitted reviews for each title contained within this series set box after listening to the audiobook of this title.
These reviews can be found on the individual title's pages.