At the age of fourteen, Brooke is beautiful, deceptive, cunning, and deadly. She is an expert archer, and aspires to join the Guard, a rebellious group trying to over throw their King and stop the war destroying their land. Her Aunt, however, has something else she wishes for her young niece- the life of a house wife.
Unable to persuade her Aunt, Brooke does as she is told, and puts off her dreams, settling for reading of heroes instead. One, in particular, is her favorite: The Red Rider- a hero who was never seen, never caught, and never treated as a true hero. The story of the illusive Red Rider comes with a catch- he or she may still be alive.
One day, Brooke's seemingly boring life turns upside down when a strange woman claims to know her Aunt. But when they confront each other, it's obvious there is bad blood, which is taken to the next level when Brooke's home is burned and her Aunt is no where to be found. All that remained of the place she once called home: A blood red cape- identical to the one in her stories.
To free her Aunt, and find the mysterious woman, Brooke sets out on her own, putting her true skills to the test as she accidently gets caught in between the warring sides, and battles off hordes of men trying to capture her as well. Meanwhile, the stranger she had seen proves herself more than once to be a friend, while at the same time putting Brook in harms way like that of an enemy. When everything is finally revealed to Brooke, about herself, her Aunt, and the Red Rider, can Brooke come to terms about who she really is- and what she is to become?
Adellia has grown up surrounded by rules and regulations. She's been prepped from birth to eventually reside in the throne that has been in her family for what feels like forever. Unfortunately, her destiny is quickly approaching. Her father is dead, and her mother has only a couple of months to live according to doctors. All eyes in the castle, and kingdom, turn to Adellia expecting her to step into her mother's shoes. However, both women aren't ready to give up their lives just yet. Wanting to learn more about her kingdom, and the people of it, before she is forced into an arranged marriage and the throne for the rest of her life, Adellia ventures out into the kingdom to do just that.
While there, Adellia meets a young blacksmith by the name of Faron and gets sucked into a plot that goes against her, and her mother's wishes.
Will she be able to venture into the unknown, and survive out of the watchful eye of the palace?
This book has sexual reference and mentions of things that could possibly be triggering to some - e.g. young motherhood and loss of a parent.
This work is usually split into two parts, but I have decided to take down the second part, and consider the first part, one book for now, so I can work on the second. When the second part/book has been finished, I'll decide whether I like it as one book or to reincorporate the rest of the book to make it one.
Entered in the Wattys(2020)!