The Vow That Twisted Fate

When a pentagram appears in the sky, Queen Arla is forced to leave her childhood behind and thrown into a 500-year-old war. Tension mounts as dark, ominous figures fall from the pentagram terrorizing her kingdom. She must gather her courage, learn how to fight, and keep her feelings in check to defeat the evil Maedra.

At first, I wasn't sure about this book. While it does hook you on the first chapter, it took me a while to actually connect with Arla. The narrative is first-person/present tense, her prose is flawless, and her descriptions are spot one. She redefines what elves and dwarves are while not offending anyone. There was a plot twist that had me hanging on and I didn't see it coming. I love it when that happens.

With a powerful lead, her book made me laugh many times. I loved how the men took a backseat to the queen as she ruled, treated her equally (except Theylin), and respected her decisions. As a woman, it was especially surprising to see her fight for that respect. Not many fantasy novels do that or understand how hard being a woman actually is. I highly recommend this book to anyone thirsting for a good read.

10/10 stars