Blade of the Sun
J.L. Cres
Romantic Fantasy
She can communicate with animals and heal herself. But… can she navigate a complicated love life amidst a labyrinth of self-discovery?
Solveig Andraevian has survived and struggled for years under the abuse of her father and his conniving advisor. No one would deny that she’s an unconventional princess to the Kingdom of Laevaris. Outspoken and defiant, she’s made many enemies in the castle. Yet her injuries heal at rapid speed, her pointed ears continue to draw comments and when, eventually, mysterious runes begin to form on her body, she can no longer deny that there is something very strange about her indeed.
Meanwhile, in the capital city of Falal, a revolution is stirring. After King Batair orders a purge on innocent civilians, the fierce princess decides to take action and joins the Rebellion leaders who seek to overthrow her father’s rule to establish a fair and just kingdom for all. Catapulted into a new double life, Solveig must now act as both princess and revolutionary, all the while navigating the romantic pursuits of a variety of eligible young men who all desire her.
Join Solveig as she embarks on a journey to liberation and freedom, while unearthing secrets that will forever change how she sees her kingdom, her family and even herself.
Uncaged Review: This is a debut novel and the first in a trilogy and it’s a damn good beginning, for both the series and the author. This is shaping up to be a reverse harem, and there is quite a bit of abuse in story, both physical and emotional from Solveig’s father and his advisor, Malphas. So be warned if these could be triggers for you. And yes, I’d love to use Solveig’s dagger and cut out his heart and feed it to Tyr and Allira. But I’m getting ahead of myself…
Solveig is a princess with a questionable heritage, as she doesn’t look like her father King Batair and his people, and the truth of heritage will come to light and answer many of the questions she has about herself. She also fights like a true warrior and is part of the rebellion against her father. But she is abused, beaten and sexually abused, which only makes her stronger as she rises above it. She can connect with animals and the earth and when runes start showing up on her body, she’ll find the answers she needs. She’s also collecting men and there are already four contenders in this book with more to come, I’m sure. All in all, this is a great start to a new series and book two is already on my kindle. Reviewed by Cyrene
Kiss of the Sun
J.L. Cres
Romantic Fantasy
Several potential mates. Two fathers. One dragon.
*Spoiler alert* Please read book 1 in the series, Blade of the Sun, before proceeding!
I saved some of my people but there’s more to free and it won’t be easy. I also have to do it without my father—sorry—King Batair of Laevaris from finding out. He’s not actually my real father or so I’ve been told. The late King of the Elarians is my birth father and supposedly I’m his only heir. Hopefully everyone will be distracted by the escalating rebellion in the kingdom allowing me to avoid their notice and complete my duty.
I find myself in a tangled web of attractive men that all seem interested in me, but my trust in men is tarnished at the hands of Counselor Malphas and my false father. I need to find my inner strength and learn to accept that I’m not broken. Otherwise, I’ll never find love and acceptance in the form of a mate bond.
Something calls to me in the forest during my self-reflection, and I find solace in the form of a hidden cave. I feel a burning connection to it, pushing me to explore. But the golden eyes that want to possess me will have to hurry since my betrothal to Malphas is coming to an end…
Uncaged Review: As we jumped into book two, Solveig is getting closer to her arranged marriage to Malphas, and she’s now taken on her mates, and we now can count 5 mates or potential mates for her. Solveig is separated from a couple of them as leader if the rebellion, Vidarr is laying low as the King is purging the city. But Sol finds her way into a cave, and there she meets Ragnar, a Drakoni, thought to be extinct, but awakened because his soulmate is near.
This is much spicier than the first book, and there are multiple partners for Sol. There is plenty of action and we will get retribution from some of Sol’s abusers, finally. There is still some abuse in the first part of the book, Sol’s mates will finally get involved, and it’s a sweet scene.
I won’t give anything away, but there is a lot going on and many new things will be revealed. I don’t recommend anyone start with this book, this is a series where you need to read from the beginning, and this one ended on the dreaded cliffhanger, but all three books are out now. Reviewed by Cyrene
4.5 Stars
War of the Sun
J.L. Cres
Romantic Fantasy
Dragons. Witches. Elarians. And war…
This new world of magic I’ve discovered is overwhelming, but I’ve never felt stronger and more sure of myself. That is because I have my men—mates.
Vidarr my dangerous rebel. Jorah my thoughtful childhood friend and book lover. Cadoc my protective prince. Ragnar my growly and fierce dragon mate. And Kaeden…my potential Elarian mate who understands me in ways no one else does. I just hope our bonds can withstand the challenges ahead.
Together, with the help of a few allies, we will fight back against the Kingdom of Jaarn and free Laevaris from Counselor Malphas’ schemes. I’ll get my revenge through blood and tears and at last break through the secrets that shadowed my past.
War of the Sun is the third and final book in the Blade of the Sun series. It is recommended to read the prior two books prior to reading this one. This is a reverse harem, romantic fantasy series which means the main female character has several love interests and doesn’t have to choose between them for her happily ever after.
Uncaged Review: The final book in this trilogy wraps up this storyline well. I read this series over two and a half days which included one late night to finish. I’m quite impressed that this trilogy is a debut for this author, and I can only see this author getting better and better. This is not a series that you can skip around on, it really needs to be read in order. Sol and her five mates will have their day, and Sol will finally have her freedom from the years of abuse and trauma endured under her step father and his counselor and it’s a sweet revenge. What I liked about Sol is she’s a strong warrior and with her mates, she becomes more and more confident, but she’ll carry her dark past with her and I like that the author didn’t let that fall away, but with the help of her men, she’ll get through the past. This is a hard core reverse harem, so if heavy sex scenes aren’t your thing, you may want to rethink this series. A very emotional scene for me was when Sol finally met her true father and their reactions to each other, I may have needed a tissue.
Sol finally gets back to Falal, the home she grew up in, now at war with the Kingdom of Jaarn, but they have help, the catchkis (deadly animal shifters) and she has Ragnar, her dragon mate. And Ragnar isn’t the only Drakoni left…
So read at your own risk, you may end up staying up too late like I did to finish it off, but it was worth the book hangover. Reviewed by Cyrene
5 Stars
Overall – the series is 4.5 Stars
