A fragile period of peace between the eternally warring kingdoms of Oakharn and Langmyr is shattered when a surprise massacre fueled by bloodmagic ravages the Langmyrne border village of Willowfield, killing its inhabitants—including a visiting Oakharne lord and his family—and leaving behind a scene so grisly that even the carrion eaters avoid its desecrated earth. But the dead lord’s infant heir has survived the carnage—a discovery that entwines the destinies of Brys Tarnell, a mercenary who rescues the helpless and ailing babe, and who enlists a Langmyr peasant, a young mother herself, to nourish and nurture the child of her enemies as they travel a dark, perilous road . . . Odosse, the peasant woman whose only weapons are wit, courage, and her fierce maternal love—and who risks everything she holds dear to protect her new charge . . . Sir Kelland, a divinely blessed Knight of the Sun, called upon to unmask the architects behind the slaughter and avert war between ancestral enemies . . . Bitharn, Kelland’s companion on his journey, who conceals her lifelong love for the Knight behind her flawless archery skills—and whose feelings may ultimately be Kelland’s undoing . . . and Leferic, an Oakharne Lord’s bitter youngest son, whose dark ambitions fuel the most horrific acts of violence. As one infant’s life hangs in the balance, so too does the fate of thousands, while deep in the forest, a Maimed Witch practices an evil bloodmagic that could doom them all. . . .
I do not normally delve into the fantasy genre when choosing books. The number of pages, detailed plots/characters/worlds, and the commitment involved when there are 7 books in a series can be very daunting. I jumped at the opportunity to read The River Kings’ Road by Liane Merciel – a debut work and what may be the first in a new series – for a book blog tour.
The story captured my attention from the start. An entire village is destroyed by forces of great evil. A mercenary/former knight rescues a baby who is the sole survivor of a visiting royal family and therefore heir to the family throne. The journey of this mercenary as he attempts to deliver the baby to his home is the main focus of the story. The road is dangerous full of rivals, bandits and thieves. Not to mention the Thorn (sadistic evil witch) that is close behind. Too add some excitement to the mix, a blessed Knight is trailing the Thorn with destruction on his mind.
The book is full of rival kingdoms, archery contests, clandestine visits to the inns, knights, and plenty of well-defined characters to keep the reader’s attention and imagination running at high speed. I did not find myself confused at any time when the chapters would jump from one set of characters and story-line to another. The pace never faltered. What I really enjoyed were the array of characters Ms. Merciel created; some are truly good, some are truly evil. Yet there are those that are not so easily defined. Overall, a great read!
Please visit Ms. Merciel’s website for additional information as well as Simon and Schuster where you will find an excerpt of Chapter One.
You can also check out some other thoughts on The River Kings’ Road from these other great stops on this book tour:
Tour stops:
Pam’s Private Reflections
Book Junkie
Cheryl’s Book Nook
Steph the Bookworm
Readaholic
The Bibliophilic Book Blog
I Heart Book Gossip
Jeanne’s Ramblings
My Book Addiction and More
Brizmus Blogs Books
Taking Time For Mommy
Thoughts In Progress
Ramblings of a Coffee Addicted Writer
Books And Things
She Reads
Blog Business World
Carol’s Notebook
Crazy Books & Reviews
Books Gardens & Dogs
Just One More Paragraph
Rundpinne
drey’s library
My Life In Not So Many Words
Geek Girl Reviews
Starting Fresh
Poisoned Rationality
Temple Library Reviews
The Wayfaring Writer
Booksie’s Blog
See Michelle Read
Genre Reviews
My Book Views
Wendy’s Minding Spot
Book Tumbling
Literarily Speaking
Books R Us
Brenda Loves Books
Lucky Rosie’s
You Wanna Know What I Think?
I would like to thank Sarah from Pocket Books for providing this review copy.
