∎ Read Star of the Morning The Nine Kingdoms Book 1 Lynn Kurland 9780425212127 Books

Star of the Morning The Nine Kingdoms Book 1 Lynn Kurland 9780425212127 Books

Download As PDF : Star of the Morning The Nine Kingdoms Book 1 Lynn Kurland 9780425212127 Books

Star of the Morning The Nine Kingdoms Book 1 Lynn Kurland 9780425212127 Books

What a fun series this has been so far! I love the fact that the heroine truly is a strong person in her own right. There’s great world-building, an interesting magic system, great characterization, and the romance element builds rather than being some crazed instalove. I also adore the fact that the heroine meets an incredibly handsome man who turns out to be the king, but she absolutely cannot stand him because he’s an arrogant jerk. She is attracted to a quiet man who is responsible, cares for others, puts his duty above everything… In other words, she’s attracted to the nice guy, not the powerful jerk as happens in so many books these days.

I’ve thoroughly enjoyed this book and am almost halfway through the second book; I’ll be sincerely surprised if I don’t love the entire series. Just a fun exciting read with good people trying to do the right thing against some really nasty elements. Highly recommended and so glad it was recommended to me


Tags : Star of the Morning (The Nine Kingdoms, Book 1) [Lynn Kurland] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Darkness covers the north, since the black mage has begun his assault on the kingdom of Neroche. Legend has it that only the two magical swords held by Neroche's king can defeat the mage. Now the fate of the Nine Kingdoms rests in the hands of a woman destined to wield one of those blades... In this land of dragons and mages,Lynn Kurland,Star of the Morning (The Nine Kingdoms, Book 1),Berkley Trade,0425212122,Fantasy - General,Fiction,Science Fiction And Fantasy,Love stories,Fantasy fiction,Fantasy,Fantasy - Epic,Fiction Fantasy General,Magic,Fiction - Fantasy

Star of the Morning The Nine Kingdoms Book 1 Lynn Kurland 9780425212127 Books Reviews

First, since some confusion exists regarding the progression of the Nine Kingdom's books, here's a current list (as of Oct '16)

Two Prelude short stories, found in anthologies with other authors
The Queen in Winter ("A Whisper of Spring" When Symon, the first king of Neroche, woos and wins Iolaire)
To Weave a Web of Magic (The Tale of Two Swords where Mehar and Gilraehen fall in love)

Miach and Morgan's story is told in
1- Star of the Morning (this book)
2- The Mage's Daughter
3- Princess of the Sword

Ruith and Sarah's story (which OVERLAPS Miach and Morgan's story in the timeline) is told in
4- A Tapestry of Spells
5- Spellweaver
6- Gift of Magic

Rùnach and Aisling's story was told in
7- Dreamspinner
8- River of Dreams
9- Dreamer's Daughter

Acair and Leirsinn's story is being told in
10- The White Spell
11- Coming 2017
12- Date not announced
------------------------------------

I'm not usually a connoisseur of fantasy novels, as I often find them to be either too dark or too hard to relate to the characters. But since I love Lynn Kurland's historical novels and characters, I had to try this one out.

And it is fabulous.

Yes, it is fantasy, with the darkness of evil... yet you are not dragged down with lurid descriptions of the evil. Rather, you experience the emotions and thoughts and feelings of the characters as THEY deal with the evil that is thrown at them. And you share in their victories, just as you share in the conversation and laughter they share when they are warm and safe around the fire.

And of course there is magic... but it is a silvery ribbon that winds through characters that are still so human that it is easy to relate to them. They have magic and know spells... but they use them in the same utterly human ways that you or I use our knowledge and skills.

And then there's the romance. It is there, running beneath the surface and threatening to spill over any moment... yet it never does. That has been saved for future books. But its sweetness draws you into the story until you, also, have fallen in love with the shieldmaiden and the mage.

So read of Morgan, an orphan who has learned to shun magic in favor of the more visible and tangible skills of swordplay... while she slowly begins to find that magic is in her, she cannot run from it, and it does have its uses.

Read of Miach, the archmage of the powerful kingdom of Neroche, as he quietly defends the kingdom against far more danger than anyone realizes... as he is tempted the mis-use the power that few know he holds... and as he discovers a love that is more powerful still.

And escape to a world where men and women alike answer to the calling that has been laid upon them... to save the innocent masses that are unaware of the danger that threatens them.

Then, when the cliff-hanger gets you, go get the next two books in the trilogy so you can follow them to Miach and Morgan's Happily-Ever-After!
This is my favorite romantic fantasy series. It has two great leads--a strong, sword-fighting heroine and a brilliant wizard, and a pleasant fantasy world that I enjoyed visiting. It is also LIGHT fantasy, i.e., not a fantasy where you're actually worried at any point that things won't work out. There is loss and tragedy, but not George R.R. Martin level. The story is compelling, the courtship between the characters is delightful, sex does not overcome the plot as in so many paranormal/fantasy romances, and it was great to have a fantasy series that does not leave me in despair. I just can't read those all the time. However, there are any number of reasons that people might not be pleased with these books, so I thought I'd list these reasons. That way, if you fit in one of these categories, you can skip these.

1.) These are light ROMANTIC fantasy, not dark romantic fantasy (Carey, Bishop) or a more brutal, traditional fantasy (Martin, Sanderson, etc. . .), so if you like the latter and get annoyed at books that lack the intricate world building, Machiavellian plots, and risk-taking of the latter, you will not like these.

2.) These books function as ONE book. One reviewer gave it one star for that reason. I managed to read the first two close together, but it was, indeed, rough waiting for the third. But now they're all out so you don't have to wait. But if you look at only the first book on its own, it would indeed be annoying because of how it ends.

3.) If you are a Kurland fan who only likes the time travel, ghosts, or historicals and does not like fantasy, skip these. I really hate time travel romances, so this was not a problem for me, but as one reviewer indicated, some people should be warned before they pick it up. So I'm warning you.

4.) Finally, if you prefer more sexually explicit romances you are absolutely out of luck here. In terms of sex, these have a G-rating.

Some readers may like reading all kinds of things but many of us have particular preferences in genre reading. So here's a guide. Don't say I didn't warn you. But if you like the kind of romance with characters who have the kind of longer courtship we NEVER have in romance fiction anymore and aren't turned off by the fantasy setting, check this out.
What a fun series this has been so far! I love the fact that the heroine truly is a strong person in her own right. There’s great world-building, an interesting magic system, great characterization, and the romance element builds rather than being some crazed instalove. I also adore the fact that the heroine meets an incredibly handsome man who turns out to be the king, but she absolutely cannot stand him because he’s an arrogant jerk. She is attracted to a quiet man who is responsible, cares for others, puts his duty above everything… In other words, she’s attracted to the nice guy, not the powerful jerk as happens in so many books these days.

I’ve thoroughly enjoyed this book and am almost halfway through the second book; I’ll be sincerely surprised if I don’t love the entire series. Just a fun exciting read with good people trying to do the right thing against some really nasty elements. Highly recommended and so glad it was recommended to me