THE SHADOW'S HEIR by K. J. Taylor is about a girl trying to find the land where she belongs only to find she may not belong anywhere. Laela Redguard of Sturrick is a half-breed, the child of a Southern woman and a Northern man. Laela has her mother's eyes and the dark coloring and long limbs of her father's people. She is ostracized by the people of her homeland. Once the man she calls Dad dies she heads north to find the truth of her origins. An auspicious event places Laela under the care of the Northern king, Arenadd Taranisaii, and his griffin, Skandar. Arenadd is a tragic figure, a drunk king with no will to conquer, who is brought to life with the arrival of Laela. Together they are caught up in a war between the Day God, Gryphus, and the Night God, Scathach. With so many unknowns between them, will they ever find the truth?
THE SHADOW'S HEIR is the first book in K. J. Taylor's new series, The Risen Sun. K. J. Taylor flawlessly introduces readers to a whole new world built for her fascinating cast of characters. The reader is not bogged down by the minutia of this new world, but instead slowly introduced to vivid imagery as the story unfolds. Each chapter gracefully leads to the next, but they can easily stand on their own. The only aspect I find jarring is Laela's vernacular, sometimes her accent is laid on a little too thick. But for that, Laela's character is very likeable as is the deformed Arenadd. THE SHADOW'S HEIR is a fantasy full of mystery, romance and adventure.
This is the first book by K. J. Taylor I have read and I must say she has a new fan. I look forward to reading about Laela's adventures in the next book of The Risen Sun series.
Laela Redguard was born with the black hair of the Northern
kingdom and the blue eyes of the Southern people, forever
marking her as a hated half-breed child of both. When her
only family tie is severed, the fierce and strong-willed
Laela decides to leave her adoptive fatherβs home in the
hopes of finding acceptance in the North, where the ruthless
King Arenadd and the dark griffin Skandar rule. While
Laelaβs Northern features allow her to blend into the crowds
of the Kingβs seat at Malvern, she cannot avoid falling
victim to a pair of common thugs. When a stranger saves her
life and gives her a place to stay, Laela is shocked to
learn he is Arenadd himselfβa man said to be a murderer who
sold his soul to the Night Godβthe King without a heart.
Arenadd is unsure what compels him to help this girl, but
there is something about her that seems familiar, something
he cannot rememberβsomething that may rise up to banish the
darkness foreverβ¦
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