This novella may be read before or after the Sun-Blessed Trilogy or as a standalone.
I loved the suspenseful twists in Birth of Magic… Couldn’t put it down!”
-EL
“The entire story is magical.”
-Brenda E.
“I love the story all together. Not only is it a great one, it was unexpected.”
-Tracy M.
“I was planning to only read a little tonight and then a little more each day…sort of take my … E.
“I love the story all together. Not only is it a great one, it was unexpected.”
-Tracy M.
“I was planning to only read a little tonight and then a little more each day…sort of take my time. Nope, not today! I couldn’t put it down!”
-Alain D.
“You belong to me. You’ll regret ever thinking you could get away.”
Fifteen-year-old Kari is the oldest of ten children. When their father abandons them and their mother dies, Kari must care for them all. Overwhelmed, she flees to a nearby city.
Desperation and hunger drive Kari to the only work available—at a brothel run by Roza and Yolin, a cruel madam and her husband. There, Kari forges bonds with another woman and a young handyman. But friendship and fine dresses can’t veil the despair of her grim new life.
Knowing Yolin’s savagery toward runaways, Kari doesn’t dare escape—until an unexpected pregnancy compels her to try. She hides in the forest, where a mysterious magical force shields her from Yolin’s pursuit.
When she’s most vulnerable, Kari’s supernatural protection disappears. Yolin attacks, and she must fight for her life, her dignity, and her child.
But Roza and Yolin are ruthless manipulators. And all Kari’s furious strength may not be enough to defeat them.
Whether you’re new to the Sun-Blessed Trilogy or an existing fan, this prequel will captivate your imagination from the first page. Kari’s story is a breathtaking tale of unstoppable women and unforgettable magic.
Author Interview:
How does Birth of Magic fit into the rest of the Sun-Blessed Trilogy?
Birth of Magic is a prequel to the Sun-Blessed Trilogy, and it can be read before or after the other books. It’s a novella, which means it’s shorter than a typical novel, about one-third the length of Facing the Sun.
What audiences is the series appropriate for?
This series is clean fantasy. It’s free of cursing, sex scenes, and gory violence and is appropriate for most teens and adults. Birth of Magic has some content that is more mature than the trilogy. However, I was careful in how I addressed sensitive topics such as life in a brothel and the physical ramifications of childbirth. The book is free of explicit scenes. My goal was to deal honestly with the emotional fallout from such difficult life experiences.
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This is the story of Kari, an orphan at the age of fifteen, who ran away from home and ended up becoming a prostitute in the town, as no other options were available to her. She is owned body and soul by the evil brothel madam and her husband who terrorise the girls working for them. Kari becomes pregnant and wants to keep her baby, so she runs away but is persecuted and knows real fear as she tries to survive on her own in the forest. This prequel novel fills in a much needed gap in the sun-blessed trilogy as it describes the start of magic and the importance of the first breath a sun-blessed child is given to awaken his powers. I do believe that it was the magic of childbirth and the mother’s strength to give life which brought forth the real magic and the importance of that first breath for each and every child and not Sava, the God they credited with this power and Kari was our first midwife who passed on her skills and the knowledge of the powers of her sun-blessed son! I really loved reading this book, as much as I enjoyed reading the magical Trilogy!
I’m not a fantasy fan. I don’t understand or like the genre. But this book was very interesting. The characters are well written, the world is explained well enough to leave some for my imagination. I would caution that it is a very graphic book but I found it very informative.
What a beautiful story of redemption, healing and hope. I’ve only read one story in the Sun-Blessed Trilogy so far but I loved getting to go back and read Kari’s story. The book tackled some heavy subjects with poise and grace. This was a quick, but powerful read. Kudos to Carol Beth Anderson for a concisely written, provocative piece of writing.
The title of this book caught my attention. I was figuring that it would be more of how magic started in this world. Which this kind of what it does. I was confused at first because of the brothel (no sex in book) and could not find the magic. At the beginning of each chapter is a story quoted from a ‘book’ and that little item is what held my interest until the magic in the actual story started showing up. That is the reason I said four stars and not five. The magic is more subtle in this story.
This is a novella or really short book. It can be read in a day. Yes I show two days but I started it late at night and had to get some sleep. it appears to be part of a trilogy but written after. I can honestly say that it stands alone well. I thought I was reading a brand new book but it turned out that this published after the trilogy.
This is my honest and freely given review. I did receive an ‘ARC’ copy