A too-young queen must learn to control her powers in order to save her empire, but can she trust the only person who’s taught her to use her gift?
Russalka is a proud empire, frozen and vast, protected for centuries by a royal family who works miracles from the saints. But rebellion stirs in the streets, and its war-hungry neighbors threaten to invade. The young princess Katza has been tormented by visions of her bloodied hands destroying Russalka—a clear message from the saints that she must never rule. So when tragedy places her next in line to the throne, Katza fears their warnings are on the verge of coming true.
Then she meets Ravin, a mysterious young prophet with visions of his own: visions of Katza as a regal empress with unimaginable power. All she has to do seize upon the holy magic of her bloodline. But the more Ravin whispers in her ear, the more Katza begins to wonder whether he has her best interests at heart. With a revolution boiling over and war looming at the border, the greatest threat to Russalka may be Katza herself.
Jan’s Review
Sometimes i go into a book thinking i know what age group it geared for as it was this one i was expecting a middle grade novel but what i got instead was a fantastic young adult novel that has been crafted magnificently.
I was delighted with how much i love this interesting tale of a hierarchy that uses the saints power to defend their country. They have made everyone believe that the government are the only ones who can understand the blessings from the saints. Then we are introduced to Ravin who teaches that this is not the total truth. Our main character is left with the chance to mold her country into a whole new way of thinking. Will she take this who new power and give it to everyone with no way to control it or will she step away and teach Russalka who to grow and live without the blessings?
I was on the edge of my seat through out the story and was sure i knew what would happen and who the bad guys were. But like any good story what you think you know is not always true. The cliff hanger is perfect and i am eager to see what happens next in this series.
