2015 has been a banner year for me creatively, professionally, and personally. So in the spirit of the winter holidays, I thought it a good time to “give back” and share my success with others. And, more importantly, highlight some of the best books that I read this year. The Twelve Days of Indie-Mas will feature twelve independently published books/series that spoke to me this year, and ones that I think should be added to your holiday gift list. These are listed in no particular order of greatness, because I loved them all.
On the second day of Indie-Mas, my author gave to me…
A soul-eating demon named Meda
and…
A body-switching princess named Alyrra
I think this book was recommended to be by Sarah K from Twitter, but I’m not sure. Either way, I’m recommending it to you because it was just that good. As I said in my review, the book starts off a little like Girl of Thorns and Roses, as Alyrra is a maligned young woman who is whored sent away to marry a prince by her mother. But midway through the trip, BAM, she switches bodies with her bitchy lady in waiting and suddenly Alyrra’s off the hook. Her lady in waiting is more than happy to be a princess, and Alyrra is content to hang out on the farm with the po’folk. Until danger and saving the kingdom and doing the right thing…
It’s loosely based off of The Goose Girl, a fairy tale which I’d never heard of.
Why I loved it
It’s really difficult to write a protagonist that’s a good person without banging it over your head. I fell in love with Alyrra along with everyone else in the kingdom because of her soul, her do-the-right-thing-edness, and her general grounding. I also like how she does take a good, oh, three months where she’s not a princess. Because that’s what I would do. Man, screw your corsets and your parties. I want to be in the fresh air.
Who would I gift this to?
Lovers of fairy tale reimaginings. Folks who like a little romance, but don’t absolutely require it in everything they read (I loved how the author handled it, so perfect and realistic). People interested in stand-alone fantasy.
About the Book
Princess Alyrra has never enjoyed the security or power of her rank. Between her family’s cruelty and the court’s contempt, she has spent her life in the shadows. Forced to marry a powerful foreign prince, Alyrra embarks on a journey to meet her betrothed with little hope for a better future.
But powerful men have powerful enemies—and now, so does Alyrra. Betrayed during a magical attack, her identity is switched with another woman’s, giving Alyrra the first choice she’s ever had: to start a new life for herself or fight for a prince she’s never met. But Alyrra soon finds that Prince Kestrin is not at all what she expected. While walking away will cost Kestrin his life, returning to the court may cost Alyrra her own. As Alyrra is coming to realize, sometimes the hardest choice means learning to trust herself.
Buy it. Buy it now.
Or add it on Goodreads
