“Lots of talent here.” –best-selling author D. FischerThe isle of Aure is an odd place. Half is buried under a perilous “cursed wood,” the other half is speckled with the ancient remains of a lost civilization. Aure’s newest inhabitants have made their homes on top of those ruins. Myths and legends abound. Stories about the fae are widespread, but never taken seriously. Soon, though, everything … though, everything is about to change…
When twelve-year-old Merisande happens upon a young fae prince, he gives her a summoning stone she can use to call him if she’s ever in need of help.
Nine years later, Merisande is at a crossroads when her younger brother releases a bull from its pen and it damages the neighboring lord’s flock. The lord offers to set aside the damages if she’ll marry his son, a knight named Sir Avry.
Despite Avry’s deep love for Merisande, she despises him. Years ago, he helped give her brother a severe beating. The memory of that violence has stayed with her, and she decides it’s best to flee. Using the stone, she summons Gandel and begs him to take her through the cursed wood to his land, Thorsault.
But the fae kingdom turns out to be a dreadful place. The only humans living there are mute, sickly slaves who labor all day for their fae masters. Though Merisande is under the protection of Prince Gandel, she does not feel safe.
Then, by chance, she encounters Sir Avry, who has followed her into the kingdom. Avry had nothing to do with the letter his father sent and refuses to marry a woman against her will. Merisande realizes that she may have prejudged him. But this problem is greatly overshadowed by much bigger ones: Gandel is unable persuade his father to free Avry, and the slaves are dying from a terrible plague. With no one to replace them, the fae king prepares to harvest more, and his target is none other than Merisande and Avry’s own people. Can they escape and warn their country before the unimaginable happens?
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I loved the narration. This was book was amazing, fast paced and keep my interest the entire time. I look forward to the next book.
This read takes you into a different world. Its a fantastic read. The World building is fantastic as well as the scenes and the Characters. I couldn’t put the read down. Theres twists and turns. This is definitely a must read.
Shauna Joesten
From the first few pages it was easy to get into. The characters I found memorable and interesting, and the flow of events was exciting. Detailed but not bogged down, fun but not brash, and the interactions very natural. On finishing I just needed to start the second book. It’s an easy, comfortable read. Highly recommend if you are looking for something different
4.5 stars. It was a good read, great character, and nice world building by the author. I cant wait ti read the next book.
I received this book for free. I am voluntarily leaving this review and all opinions expressed herein are mine.
This is the first book in the The Aure Series. It is a standalone book [no cliffhanger ending], although it does set up the next book in the series.
Here, Merisande happens upon a fae prince in distress and rescues him. In exchange, he provides her with a summoning stone should she ever need his help. Years pass and Merisande’s family gets into some trouble with another family. It is proposed that Merisande marry Avry, the son of that family, to dispose of the debt. Merisande is so opposed to this settlement that she flees her home and uses the summoning stone. The fae prince transports her to the fae kingdom where Merisande learns a very dark side to the fae. Meanwhile, Avry seeks to find Merisande and bring her home to her family.
I really loved the world building, especially the world of the fae. The MC’s were nicely developed. I especially liked the fae kingdom – it was an interesting twist. I did not quite believe Merisande’s willingness to abandon her family, especially her brother. However, this did not distract me from the enjoyment of the story which followed. It is so well-written and the characters so engaging that I was intrigued to learn more. This could definitely be a family read. I recommend this book and look forward to continuing the series.
I listened to this book – the narrator is very good.
Fun story. I got caught up wanting to find out what happened to Mer. The character twist with Avry caught me off guard. Worth reading.
I really liked this book! The author has created a believable world in a fantasy environment, with detailed descriptions that allowed me to easily envision the landscape and characters. The plot moved along at a decent pace without feeling rushed, although I would have liked them to stay longer in the Fae land of Thorsault, as I found it very captivating.
My only disappointment came when the book ended and I wanted more! Good thing the next one is available now!
Really pulls you into the story.
Beneath the Roots is worth the read, has a well-designed world and characters that draw you in. I read the Kindle version twice and may buy the paperback later.