“We caught a Beast! A real live poxy Beast!”Bastards. Calling us beasts while they cheat, steal, and lie. I got kicked in the ribs, a whip laid about my shoulders, and all the time they were screaming.“Hang him!”“Beat him!”“Kill the Beast!”Then I saw her. She was standing there, staring right into my eyes. For a moment, I thought I was looking at a Valkyrie, one of Valhalla’s shield maidens. She … Valhalla’s shield maidens. She had hair the colour of ice, and eyes as blue as the sky. Tall, willowy, and silent, she looked unworldly. There was a wolf at her side, too.
I blinked, expecting her to vanish, but it wasn’t a vision. She was real. The knowledge hit me with a punch that sucked the breath out of me. She was one of us, a Skraeling of Thule.
She leaned on the wolf, controlling it with a touch of her hand. “Lady Freyja always advises counsel before action.”
A Skraeling woman who invoked our goddess yet who was a traitor. I was filled with sudden hate, poisoned by the thought of one of our own people contaminated by foul betrayal.
If the will were a weapon, she would have fallen on the spot. Instead, the world blurred again. I think I passed out for a few moments because when I opened my eyes, he was there. The Patriarch. A cheat, a liar and all-round scum bucket
He certainly hates us Skraeling. “Glorious Ullr will bring us wise counsel. And tomorrow we will flog the Beast to cleanse him of his sins, and then we will burn him alive!”
He’s a vicious Beast, violent and dangerous. Bliss knows she ought to walk away. After all, she has a dark and dangerous secret to preserve. When she can’t leave him to burn, her rescue tumbles them both into danger, adventure and romance.
more
Very unique, medieval paranormal fantasy world!
It’s a magical world there if you like too explore.
A great descriptions and strong characters with witty dialogue that will keep the reader engaged and turning pages.
I highly recommend .
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
The second book in the A Prydain novel series and I was not putting it down until I had finished reading it. I will warn do not start at bedtime. Bliss and Siv will have so much to overcome as they deal with the evil Patriarch. I enjoyed reading their story and I will be reading the next book. I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Bliss is the embodiment of a Valkyrie and that’s how Siv see her when her village finds him washed up in the shore there enemy. They decide to torture him and burn him but Bliss who can see into a persons soul when she touches them knows that this man was not meant to die this way. So she will go against her village and save Siv and when the village turned against her and try to kill them he will save her and in doing so finally set her free. But the evil that almost tried to kill her is still after them, so will Bliss finally unleash the power she’s been always hiding to save the life she’s always dreamt of.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
A captivating read from beginning to end! An exciting storyline that leaves you breathless wanting more! Sexy steam filled chemistry! Emotionally heartfelt, enjoyable and fun! One heck of a twisted, intense rollercoaster ride! An amazing must read!
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
The third book in the Prydain series brings another medieval fantasy with strong well developed characters and an entertaining read. The author does a great job building the story and describing her characters. She brings it to life with her detailed scenes and amusing dialogue. It’s a true page turner that had me reading as fast as I could right to the end. Highly recommend this book.
I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book. All opinions in this review are my own and freely given.
ONE FANTASTIC ADVENTURE!!!
Touchdown! Adams totally rocked this incredible storyline and spinning plot with on point realism so rich and lively it takes your breath away. Ramping all the swirling emotions into play with every color on the spectrum. Twixt and twined and put through the wringer with a plethora of vexing events and daunting mishaps that propel this bad boy to life flawlessly. All the drama, uncertainty, intrigue and suspense grabs your attention and total focus on this page turning wonder while balancing on a razors edge. Solid, strong, strength and determination press forward to fuse this bad boy together piece by piece flawlessly. Witnessing all the twists and turns that tests our characters in ways they never saw coming. The characters are authentic, genuine and realistic with such depth and qualities it’s easy to relate. Their personalities are balanced as they play off one scenario after another. Remarkable job Adams, thanks for sharing this bad boy with us.
This one was much different compared to the first Prydain book I read, but that doesn’t mean it wasn’t just as good. It’s not a dark written one like the other, but not all sunshine either. There’s still danger, adventure and romance and in the same story world and characters from the first book I enjoyed so much.
Siv was quick to learn he had his hands full with Bliss but at least there weren’t any dull moments with her. She was exactly what he wanted. Bliss was strong willed and brave. The perfect match for Siv’s hard headedness but that also meant that sometimes their disagreements would get a little heated. I felt that she struggled with second guessing herself at times and being unsure but Siv helped her to see things differently. I loved their banter and reactions to each other and how their relationship grew over time. Siv needed Bliss as much as she needed him.
I really enjoyed this book and the characters and thought it was very imaginative and interesting.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Make believe fairytales for adults set in a world that does not exist but links well enough to places read of in history books makes this story a splendid read. Prydain is a place that has laws and lords that do and don’t get along; it has a belief system filled with myth and more; it has people that speak the same language; it is a place comprised of more than one kingdom; it is a splendid place to go and spend time with women, warriors; human and feral beasts; it is a place I can see in my mind’s eye; a place like no other; a place to visit when I want to get away.
In this story we are able to catch up with the group known by others in Prydain as Beasts. They are coexisting with their Brighthelme women in Skraeling Point – and not always thrilled to be together. Siv, one of the men, has gone off to fish alone but a storm blows him off course and as a result he finds himself in a world of hurt with a painful death in his near future. Into this nightmare walks Bliss with her tame she-wolf. Bliss has been raised in Prydain but is not of their blood and has not been totally accepted. Her story and Siv’s overlap and their journey kept me reading without stop until I finished the last page.
I love the camaraderie of the Skraeling men, I love the way they work together all for one, I love the fact that they are able to vote democratically and include women in their democracy, I find their love of family heartwarming and hope they will one day be reunited with family who they miss, I love the idea that the men see the women as more than a commodity, I guess I love this book and fantasy world filled with warrior men known as beasts. I also admired Bliss and her strength in adversity – what a wise and wonderful woman she is. Her canine and feline friends added fun and a separate dimension to the story. And, I loved the way Bliss did not back down but instead was on equal par with Siv in their interactions. As a group the “Beasts” are more than capable of taking on any adversary whether it is the elements or human adversaries and they do so with both skill and wisdom.
I can’t wait for the next book in this series. I don’t know if I will be taken to a new kingdom or not but wherever in Prydain the story is set I am sure I will enjoy it immensely.
Thank you to the author for the ARC. This is my honest review.
A.J. Adams is a new author to me but I have friends on Goodreads that read the first book in this series and gave it high ratings so when I had the opportunity to read a copy of The Beast and the Sibyl I took it and I am glad I did. Not only did it turn me on to a new author but it gave me a new series to follow. This book can be read as a standalone, which is what I did, but after reading The Beast and the Sibyl I find myself wanting to go back and read the first book in the series Beast.
This story had me thinking What would I do if I could see the future? because Bliss, the Sibyl, is able to see parts of the future. Would I do what she did or would I do things differently? But what I think I would have done or not done with these special powers is irrelevant because this is Bliss’s story not mine, but I have to say that I did agree with the majority of things she did and didn’t do.
The Beast, Siv, was an interesting character whom I felt myself rooting for from the very beginning. Nothing seems to have come easy for either Bliss or Siv and I think that is why they worked so well with one another. I don’t want to give anything away with spoilers so all I can say is that Siv and Bliss take us on a journey that a lesser pair wouldn’t have made it through.