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Illusion's Reign
A transformed princess is determined to reclaim what's hers — but can truth prevail when illusion wears the crown?
Crown Princess Onora of Atìrse is eager to prove herself as the heir to her parents' throne. Moving into one of her family's holdings away from the Royal Seat offers the chance to put into practice all she's learned and demonstrate what kind of queen she intends to one day be, and even the shadow of an uprising among Atìrse's faery neighbors can't dull her excitement. Yet her plans go awry when one of her attendants proves false and she's transformed and replaced by a faery imposter.
Though cursed and cast into the role of a lowly goose-keeper, with only her beloved cat as an ally, Onora refuses to admit defeat. She'll do whatever it takes to break the curse, expose the imposter, and take back the role that is rightfully hers. However, that's easier said than done when her opponent can so easily manipulate the truth — and the fickle feelings of the locals and the surliness of the miller's strange assistant don't make her task any less difficult.
Time is swiftly passing, and Onora must reclaim her place before the transformation becomes permanent. But can she do so when nothing is as it seems and even her allies have secrets?
Return to the kingdom of Atìrse and discover what happens when "The Goose Girl" meets "Puss in Boots" in this prequel to the award-winning Song of the Selkies.
Crown Princess Onora of Atìrse is eager to prove herself as the heir to her parents' throne. Moving into one of her family's holdings away from the Royal Seat offers the chance to put into practice all she's learned and demonstrate what kind of queen she intends to one day be, and even the shadow of an uprising among Atìrse's faery neighbors can't dull her excitement. Yet her plans go awry when one of her attendants proves false and she's transformed and replaced by a faery imposter.
Though cursed and cast into the role of a lowly goose-keeper, with only her beloved cat as an ally, Onora refuses to admit defeat. She'll do whatever it takes to break the curse, expose the imposter, and take back the role that is rightfully hers. However, that's easier said than done when her opponent can so easily manipulate the truth — and the fickle feelings of the locals and the surliness of the miller's strange assistant don't make her task any less difficult.
Time is swiftly passing, and Onora must reclaim her place before the transformation becomes permanent. But can she do so when nothing is as it seems and even her allies have secrets?
Return to the kingdom of Atìrse and discover what happens when "The Goose Girl" meets "Puss in Boots" in this prequel to the award-winning Song of the Selkies.
Kindle Edition
Published September 27, 2024
About the author
Sarah Pennington
8 books142 followersSarah Pennington has been writing stories since before she actually knew how to write, and she has no intention of stopping anytime soon. She is perpetually in the middle of writing at least one or two novels, most of which are in the fantasy and fairy tale retelling genres. Sarah’s first published work, Blood in the Snow, received a perfect score and Special Unicorn status in Rooglewood Press’s Five Poisoned Apples contest. Her sixth book, Through a Shattered Glass, won in the Novella category of the 2023 Realm Awards. When she isn’t writing, she enjoys fiber arts, baking, photography, and trying to conquer her massive to-be-read list.
Sarah can be found online at sarahpenningtonauthor.com. She also blogs at Light and Shadows (tpssaralightshadows.wordpress.com) and Dreams and Dragons (dreams-dragons.blogspot.com).
Sarah can be found online at sarahpenningtonauthor.com. She also blogs at Light and Shadows (tpssaralightshadows.wordpress.com) and Dreams and Dragons (dreams-dragons.blogspot.com).
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
September 22, 2024
There aren't many books that have as much heart as this one does.
No matter how much you love an author, there is always a little bit of worry about whether the second book in a series will hold up to the first. I needn't have worried in this case! Illusion's Reign is every bit as good as Song of the Selkies was! It has so many good themes, hope, humility in the face of trials, learning to stop relying on oneself, and start relying on God, learning to look past first impressions, second chances and learning to trust others after your trust has been shattered... and so much more. Faith is an important thread that is woven through the entire story from beginning to end, and I love the journey that Onora takes from trusting Dèanadair (God) with her head to trusting Him from her heart. It's a beautiful story of a young woman whose faith is becoming her own, and not just something she learned from her parents. The love story is beautiful as well. Onora and Alastair are an excellent match, and seeing them move from strangers to "partners in crime" to in love is a delightful experience.
I really can't recommend this book enough!
No matter how much you love an author, there is always a little bit of worry about whether the second book in a series will hold up to the first. I needn't have worried in this case! Illusion's Reign is every bit as good as Song of the Selkies was! It has so many good themes, hope, humility in the face of trials, learning to stop relying on oneself, and start relying on God, learning to look past first impressions, second chances and learning to trust others after your trust has been shattered... and so much more. Faith is an important thread that is woven through the entire story from beginning to end, and I love the journey that Onora takes from trusting Dèanadair (God) with her head to trusting Him from her heart. It's a beautiful story of a young woman whose faith is becoming her own, and not just something she learned from her parents. The love story is beautiful as well. Onora and Alastair are an excellent match, and seeing them move from strangers to "partners in crime" to in love is a delightful experience.
I really can't recommend this book enough!
September 25, 2024
A re-telling of the "Goose Girl" and "Puss in Boots" fairy tales. It has strong themes of faith, perserverance and trust. The author clearly knows her cats as the 'puss' character's attitude and actions are perfectly feline and add the occasional touch of humour. I do wish there was a pronunciation guide included for the names and other words used with a gaelic/celtic origin because they are so often pronounced nothing like they're spelt according to the rules of English (because they're not English).
I received an ARC and leave an honest review.
I received an ARC and leave an honest review.
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September 28, 2024Review & rating to come!!
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews