~ About the Book ~
Lady Tayte Bashan never desired the distinctive black hair that marks her as Undae royalty, but when her family perishes in a devastating tsunami, the burden of leadership falls upon her young shoulders. Even as she prepares her island for the prophesied prince, she fears the duty to marry him is truly meant for another.
Sent from the King to an island untouched by the outside world for centuries, Prince Geoffrey Athan D’Ambrose’s mission is to lead its people to the ultimate truth. The first sent out, he desires to serve his King, but how is he supposed to win the heart of Undae’s princess when the King sends him disguised as a tutor?
Betrayal stirs within Castle Bashan, a threat as deadly as the rising wave. Now Tayte and Athan must brave the maelstrom or watch as the entire island succumbs to treachery’s destructive tide.
Series: #1 Children of the King
Genre: Fantasy
Release date: 6 March 2018
Pages: 305
Publisher: By The Vine Press
Amazon US // Amazon AU // iBooks // Goodreads
~ Excerpt ~
“You knew of the tsunami.” She turned to face him. Perhaps he had not. He paled in the dash of sun that streaked across his face. “Undae sits beneath a heavy burden, Athan. The ocean comes to swallow us time and again. It struck twice in my grandfather’s lifetime, and the last time it took him. Took them all. Any who stayed in Black Cherry to protect their belongings. Any who came to Black Cherry to warn them. All. It had no mercy. It could not be turned.”
Tayte did not cry when she informed him of the facts. There was no point in crying now, ten years after the devastation and loss. No point in allowing the emptiness to swamp her. Such was life on Undae. She wasn’t the only one who suffered. The orphans of Black Cherry bore witness to that.
“How did the children survive?” Athan asked.
“I kept them in the castle, as I was told.”
“You had warning?”
“There is always warning if we’re alert.”
“Do all the villagers head inland? Were other villages as devastated as Black Cherry?”
Tayte shook her head. “Only Black Cherry was swept to sea. The others flooded in parts. Henry, like Bashan, remained untouched. Ventus lost many houses, but they also had more time to prepare, so they lost fewer lives. Now I have runners in place.” Though in her heart, Tayte doubted they would do their job when the time came. Like the rest of Undae, they would choose not to obey unless they felt like it.
“What sort of runners?”
“People designated to run to each village with the warning the ocean is grumbling. They’ll go to Castle Bashan and to each village so all the island will know. Then we will be prepared no matter which way the wind and waves come.”
She hoped she sounded more determined than she felt. It was her nightmare. Another tsunami. This time she would be expected to face it, to stop it. Would she succeed as her grandmother had? Or would she fail as her mother had? Tayte would not know until she was put to the test.
~ Review ~
I received a copy of this novel from the publisher. This has not influenced the content of my review, which is my honest and unbiased opinion.
~ About the Author ~
Gloria Clover, Christ-follower and Truth-seeker, writes romantic fiction with the hope of showing God’s love and our need in both humorous and haunting ways. The Children of the King series is her first endeavor into speculative fiction, a series set in the future when the King sends out his children to reclaim his lost lands.
Gloria’s contemporary romances, published by Barbour Books and Son-Rise Publications, include: The Remaking of Moe McKenna in the Race to the Altar anthology, Brianna’s Pardon, and Tangled Truths. She compiled ten volumes of Penned From the Heart and wrote a short devotional, Who We Are in Christ, A to Z.
She is a member of Emmanuel Christian Church, active in prayer ministry, women’s ministries, American Heritage Girls, and various other projects. She participates in writing/book days at local schools and enjoys giving and receiving from her various writing critique groups. She is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers, participating in the ACFW book club and prayer loops.
Married with child, she writes from her little white box in western PA.
https://www.bythevinepress.com/genre/fantasy
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