Princess Iambre of Ostravah is everything a royal heiress should be; she is the one everyone wants to be, or be with. Everyone, that is, except Iambre herself!Dark thoughts rule her life for she has a secret that her heart is not keen to let go of and it has made her an impossible version of herself – something that her friend and bodyguard, Solancei, knows only too well and has done her utmost … has done her utmost to cover and deflect.
However, as Solancei disappears under mysterious circumstances during their visit to the main seat of a dubious ally, Iambre is suddenly left with bigger issues than her own rebellious heart or what to wear for the next banquet. Fears for her friend’s life unfounded, nevertheless Iambre senses something rotten at play – but without concrete evidence, could she simply be deluding herself into seeing things that are not there?
Elsewhere, Malandar – jaded Spell-Weaver and Commander of the once-all-powerful Guardians who protect the Veils of Time against an ancient, mad enemy – has awoken to a world that still bears the now 1000 year–old scars from the betrayal of a fellow Guardian.
Magic lies sundered and useless, the ancient astrolabe designed to restore the Veils is missing, and so are the twins who hold the power to wield it, and with the Veils now fading, Malandar must travel like a mere mortal in effort to find the twins before the enemies of Chaos.
But in Ostravah, nothing is what it was. Danger stirs and darkness is gathering. With the future of Life itself at stake, Malandar knows he cannot afford even a single misstep – for should the Veils fail, so will the world see the return of the war that once cost him everything. Though odds of success may seem poor, yet one thing exists that could help turn the tides: a weapon of magic so powerful that it could destroy everything unless harnessed, but dare he seek it out? And has he even the luxury of choice when forced to ponder the alternative?
Facing dark decisions, Malandar has little idea that fate is about to change his existence once again; nor does Iambre realise how deep she’ll soon have to dig into her reserves of fortitude as her world slowly spins her on a journey of danger, discovery and truth.
As the story weaves and thickens, meanwhile, Solancei awakens and finds herself imprisoned in a dark dungeon. Seemingly caught somewhere between nightmare and reality, she has yet to discover that her trials have just begun in a game of smoke and mirrors that could cost her everything – including her own life, and Iambre’s…
A deeply visual, character-driven read – in ‘Unexpected Bargain’ continues a sweeping, epic series that explores the limits of friendship and duty, romance and darkness. Come along on a quest across nine realms; discover the concept, unravel the lyrical prose; whatever your preference – this missing person’s story is inspired by multiple genres, and is underpinned by superb world building, deep intrigue, and surprisingly gritty events.
Suitable for MA/NA
Please note that due to the serial format, each episode ends on a cliff hanger.
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Amazing High Fantasy! The Unexpected Bargain continues to weave stories of a courtly princess, her love besotted captain reaching above his station, her “missing” personal defender and the immortals awoken to face an impending doom that hovers overall. Crafting a highly literate fantasy, LL Thomsen is a master at describing subtle nuances in an emotion laden scene between characters, as her scenes between the ill-fated Princess Iambre and her guard captain Bilan are exquisite in their “lingering, aching regret.” These chapters provide a glimpse into unrequited love at its most poignant. New characters add to the tapestry history, cultural and individual references which add depth to the narrative and hint of new story threads to come.
Episodes of the fallen angelic guardian who has lost his godlike magic wandering among foolish, misdirected mortals were a personal favorite of mine, but the real reason I anxiously awaited the release of this episode was to turn the page on the cliff-hanging story of Solancei herself, the Princess’s Missing Shield captured and wounded and struggling to recover from the tragic culminating jackal fight of the first novel, when yes, she “should have yielded” to a cheating, deceitful opponent. Through fevered flashbacks we gain a deeper understanding of her challenges with her closest friend the princess, insight into her past through her own diary, and how she comes to distinguish her predicament, imprisoned by devious enemies.This second installment of The Missing Shield is an amazing extension of a very well-crafted and rich imaginative world. The author’s style portrays a deep imaginative design and hints of a grand epic scope. If you love detailed descriptions with dense, well executed prose, I highly recommend The Unexpected Bargain, Missing Shield Episode 2.
The adventure continues, and Mrs Thomsen delivers at the same high standard her readers expect.
Enjoyable read from the first page to the last. Done in one sitting since I couldn’t put it down.
The different points of view from which the story is told creates extra suspense, pushing the reader to dive in further in the story.
Oh, well, on to the next one.
Unexpected Bargain, The Missing Shield is full of unexpected twists and turns. From First Guardian Malandar’s musings as he journeys by foot, and then on his newly acquired horse, to the ongoing inappropriate flirtations between Princess Iambre and Bilandro, to the abhorrently unexpected treatment of Solancei, there are characters totally lacking in honor, void of propriety and intent on serving their own desires – which makes what will happen next a complete mystery. It’s this anticipation that something is very wrong, and that something horrible is about to happen that kept me reading. The book is very descriptive and written in a deep POV that lets you in on every thought and sensation the characters are feeling – whether good or bad, the storyline is intriguing and will bring me back to read the next installment.
Princess Iambre is in love with the captain of her guard. He feels the same way about her – but realizes the danger in giving in. Meanwhile, her faithful Shield is missing, imprisoned somewhere she does not recognize. How will everything work out?
Book Two of the Missing Shield series is told in multiple points of view ranging from Guardian Malandar, to Princess Iambre and Bilandro, and to Solancei. Each of these characters are very flawed, just as the things they are facing, and that makes the story feel more real. The characters, for all their flaws, overcome them, and the way that the author writes their POVs make the transformations that much more striking.
I like the focus on Solencei and the better explanation of that portion of the story. The language used in a lot of this book was beautiful and flowing, giving a great background for the characters.
Definitely a great installment of the series!