Some things never die. Hope. Heroes. Defiance.Things take a strange turn for Dulcea, the elven enchantress turned war heroine and Dragonmistress, when a countryman’s betrayal lands her in enemy hands.As she awaits her execution, a stranger with mysterious powers offers her another chance at life. Will she die here or risk what sinister fate he has in store for her?Can Dulcea reclaim her rightful … her?
Can Dulcea reclaim her rightful place and lead her army once more? Or does Krath, the man who travels the Realm of the Dead as one of its own, prove to be the obstacle that fells her rebellion?
… Or will this immortal vampire warrior turn out to be the best chance she has of defying the ancient evil arising in the west?
Note to readers: This is a slow burn fantasy romance, exploring the meaning and value of freedom, friendships, love, and courage through the eyes of an elven heroine who finds her views challenged by unlikely events. This book is part one of a single long story arc spanning three books.
Books 2 and 3 have an expected release date within 2020.
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“Immortal Defiance” is a well-written piece of high fantasy, with several enjoyable characters and an intriguing setting. My favorite parts were the interactions involving Krath and Dulcea, especially when they were at Gwyndoorn together. The flashback sections were a little less interesting, but fairly easy to follow. I was intrigued by the relationship between Dulcea and her dragons and hope we get to see more of that in book 2. Overall, a solid fantasy with a bit of romance.
This is a well-written fantasy read and I enjoyed some parts much more than others.
The first in a new series this was a good start.
The bits here that were not for me were more about this not being quite the right book fit rather than anything actually wrong here.
I did actually think this was going to have a bit of romance included and it didn’t though I was starting to get a maybe more vibe near the finish of this so we will see.
So as I said fantasy read and this is dual POV,
This focuses on Dulcia Lightbringer a silver Elvin enchantress and dragon-lady she is the face of the revolution fighting back against the tyranny of the Sarusean’s.
when she is betrayed and captured by her enemies her almost unwilling saviour comes in a most unlikely form, Krath Lord of Gwyndoorn a centuries-old powerful immortal.
So out of the hands of her enemies into another form of bondage as her new captor’s guest in his isolated and forgotten castle.
This bit of things was ever so interesting and I loved how Krath and Dulcia clashed wits together.
Krath seems almost grateful for the break-in his long monotony and Dulcia is definitely no swooning maiden to faint and scream in his mighty presence.
I really did like the ongoing dynamic these two shared with each other.
This also had impressive world-building though there were times things could get slightly confusing with all the various names and places mentioned.
The flashbacks to the past I also found a bit disorienting and they did disrupt the flow of the story for me somewhat.
I myself would have much prefered a more forward-focused timeline than the jumps to the past we were given
The old-style narration I liked, it had such a lyrical quality to it that I really did appreciate and I felt it fitted the story.
If I’m honest all the war talk I found a tad tiresome it’s just not my bag, but the interactions between Krath and Dulcia did make up for this.
I looked forward to there liaisons and animated dissuasions.
This is most definitely a very clean read and would be a fit for fantasy fans who like the old- world type of storytelling.
I don’t think I will be continuing further with this one, not because it’s not a good read, it just wasn’t what I thought it was going to be and is more heavily slanted towards the fantasy genre where I prefer my fantasy with a heavy dose of romance, which this didn’t have.
So this one had highs and lows for me, a mixed bag of tricks and though it wasn’t quite my usual fare I did enjoy it somewhat and it was definitely well written.
I voluntary reviewed a copy of Immortal Defiance (Dulcea’s Rebellion, #1).
Reviewed By Beckie Bookworm
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4 CRANKY STARS
Unfortunately, I can only give this story 4 stars. It is written with flashbacks that had me totally lost most of the time. The author created a really interesting world of elves, vampires, and other fantasy characters. But I had trouble keeping everything in order. The story went from the present back to years before, it was just too much for me. Granted, the chapters that were flashbacks were clearly labeled but if one is engrossed in the storyline it is bothersome.
I don’t wish to give the storyline away, so I’ll sum up the highlights. This is a story about rebellion and betrayal. It starts with the leader of a rebellion being kidnapped. She is Dulcea, the elven queen. Dragged off and threatened with death, she takes the only way out she can find. A mysterious stranger offers to save her and help her. When she finds out who he is, she is intrigued and terrified.
This is where it gets confusing. The rebellion is explained and the events leading up to the kidnapping are explained using those flashback chapters. Sometimes it jumps back 1 or 2 years and other times longer. The rebellion has been going on for 6 years, so I hope you understand why I kept losing my place in the story. I really wish this had been written in a more continuous fashion i.e. start with the start of the rebellion and gradually progress to kidnapping and what happened after. The ending left it open for a sequel but I’m in no hurry to read one.