By ALY on May 17, 2015
I enjoyed this book very much. I have not read anything from this author before and I was very impressed. I loved it! You should check this book out it was a great book and I was on the edge of my seat the whole time. * I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review*
By Patsy Goins on May 27, 2016
Format: Kindle Edition|Verified Purchase
I gave this book a four star rating because it is a very good book that kept me interested from start to finish. Van is blamed for the deaths of shoulders under his command. He gets a chance to make amends which might cost him his life but things are not always as they seem.
From Midwest Book Review:
The Fantasy/SciFi Shelf
The Unforgiven
A. Katie Rose
www.akatierose.com
House Anderson Publishing
ISBN 9780990427551
Synopsis: When the moon and the sun Are joined as one, From tears of strife, from the bitter ashes, From sorrow and from rage That what was once parted shall again be one. First Captain Vanyar: Disgraced. Outlawed. Haunted by the chilling murder of his own men, he is consumed by guilt and knows he can never find redemption for his crimes. The most talented Shape-Shifter ever born, only he can save Princess Iyumi from a Witch's evil, and help her find the child of prophecy. But his Atani brothers, seeking justice for the slaying of Vanyar's unit, plan his private execution against the King's orders.
Princess Iyumi: She is the legendary "She Who Hears", the voice of the gods, and the gods' chosen tool. Only she knows where to find the child spoken of in the ancient prophecy, the child who will unite two warring countries and protect the world of magic from obliteration. Caught between two warring men, only her love is hers to give, to offer to the only man she ever wanted.
Prince Flynn: Despised by his own people, cruelly abused by his father, he fights to hide his magical gifts from those who would slay him for possessing them. By blood and by fire, he gains a terrible power, and condemns his own soul. He must find Princess Iyumi and the child, and bring them to his father's mistress, the Red Witch. Or the only people who ever mattered to him, his mother and his sister, will die.
Critique: A sweeping, fantastic saga of war, magic, and love, The Unforgiven is a high fantasy epic that makes the stuff of legends come alive. Princess Iyumi and Prince Flynn are heroes in the crux of an overwhelming threat, and their desperate struggle to save their loved ones is compelling to the final page. Highly recommended, especially for connoisseurs of the genre! It should be noted that The Unforgiven is also available in a Kindle edition.
KIRKUS REVIEW
(starred review)
In this medieval tale, the conflict between two rival kingdoms escalates over an ancient prophecy.
Vanyar, a shape-shifter, former soldier, and drunkard, has just been tossed from a tavern in his native land of Bryn’Cairdha. On the grimy streets, he’s soon confronted by a Centaur named Malik, who runs King Roidan’s secret task force, the Weksan’Atan. He informs Vanyar that he's to sober up and rejoin the Atan as second-in-command for a special mission—or go to prison. Vanyar eventually agrees, and he travels with a contingent of Minotaurs, Griffins, Centaurs, and Shifters to rescue Princess Iyumi from her vile kidnappers near the border of the northern kingdom, Raithin Mawr. Meanwhile, in Raithin Mawr—where magic and monsters are forbidden—Prince Flynn is tasked by his father, King Finian, to find Iyumi, marry her, and fulfill a prophecy that will supposedly eradicate magic and join the two nations in peace. The situation is more complex than either side knows, for Iyumi, herself a prophetess, sees that a baby plays a key role in uniting the kingdoms. When she’s trapped in a cave by Raithin Mawr forces, she suddenly falls ill. Will Vanyar be able to help, or will the ghosts of a botched military action catch up with him? Rose (Prince Wolf, 2016, etc.) crafts an excellent stand-alone adventure from some of the fantasy genre’s most tried-and-true components. Her prose, wry in tone and comprised of long, loping paragraphs full of physical and emotional description, is pitch-perfect. Some lines find beauty in the story’s violence, as when Flynn kills someone and “his spirit fled to the folk who kept count.” Rose frequently uses slang to garnish the dialogue, not oversell it (Iyumi says, “Bite me, Vanyar”). Further connecting with modern audiences, she casts the violent behavior of Raithin Mawr citizens who blow people up as terrorism—and then cleverly draws the narrative to a point by which such acts are unnecessary. Tucked within is also a first-rate romance, making the characters that much more unforgettable.
Behind familiar fantasy trappings await a marvelous adventure and a vibrant love story.
