I received this book via the author, Michelle Bryan, M. Lynn. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of this review.
Prophecy of Darkness by Michelle Bryan, M. Lynn Series: Legends of the Tri-Gard #1
Published by Self Publish on 2017-08-13
Length: 240 pages
Reviewing eARC Rating:
Reading Challenges: 2017 New Release Challenge
The kingdom of Dreach-Sciene is dying.
Famine, uncontrollable weather, and war have devastated Prince Trystan's people. It’s only a matter of time before their enemies destroy them.
Only magic can save the kingdom. But there has been no magic in Dreach-Sciene for twenty years and Trystan fears it is only a fairy-tale. Without magic, there is no hope.
If the prince wishes to harness the ancient power, he must first reunite the Tri-Gard, the legendary keepers of magic. His journey to find these magical beings will either lift him up or bring him to his knees as he sacrifices everything to save his people.
With his enemies drawing ever closer, it's a race against time ... and against dark forces that could destroy them all.If you yearn for noble princes, forbidden romances, and heart-pumping quests, pick up your sword and reclaim your magic for the battle to come.
I had the pleasure of beta reading Prophecy of Darkness back in May and I am so excited to finally be able to share it with you 😀 Prophecy of Darkness by Michelle Bryan, M. Lynn is an exciting, new fantasy about a land whose magic is gone. Without magic, the kingdom of Dreach-Sciene is dying, nothing grows, famine looms and rebellions are beginning to pop up. Their only hope is a prophecy that talks about the legendary Tri-Gard, reuniting them and bringing magic back to the land.
So the beginning of this book has a bit of a slow pace as the authors set the stage and develop the world. However it picks up quickly and I found that I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough! Prince Trystan was an easy character to like. His transition from spoiled prince to Toha is one that I thoroughly enjoyed reading. You have a prince who isn’t ready to take on the responsibility of the kingdom, yet he dons the new title without hesitation, ready to face the darkness and save his people.
In addition to Trystan though are his friends and sister. Rissa is probably my favorite character of the book. She’s a force to be reckoned with and I dare anyone to try and stop her. As princess, it is expected she act as such, yet she reminds me a little of Merida from Disney’s Brave. She’s not the typical princess, she wants to fight beside her brother against the oncoming darkness instead of sit back at the palace. Trained along side her brother and Davion, Rissa is capable of defending herself, and she is a better shot than both the boys.
Trystan along with his sister, best friend Davion, and Lady Alixa begin the long journey to find the Tri-Gard and stop the dark from rising. Their journey is filled with perils and adventure, but also hardship. The journey acts as an eye opener for Trystan and Rissa. They see for the first time what their people in the villages are facing and become even more determined to find the legendary Tri-Gard, despite not believing in magic (at least Trystan doesn’t).
Full of action and adventure, entangled romance, and betrayal, Prophecy of Darkness is one of my favorite reads of the year. I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys epic fantasy, Throne of Glass or Game of Thrones. It doesn’t disappoint!
About M. Lynn
Michelle Lynn fell in love with reading when she was a kid. Every kind of book gripped her imagination. As she got a little older, she got into series like Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings. Currently, her favorite is the Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon.
Michelle is an escapist. She believes that a book can take you anywhere and get you away from what's going on in your own life. You can disappear inside the pages and become a different person. Growing up, this became more and more important for her as her life changed dramatically due to an illness. It started when she was young and got worse over the years. Reading is what helped her get through it. She's still getting through it but it isn't as hard, mentally, as it once was. Like reading, writing provided her a needed escape. Her dream is for her books to be able to do that for someone else. Life is hard but this just makes it a little bit easier.
Reading and writing aren't Michelle's only vices as she deals with the illness that has now become disabling. She's also an avid hockey fan. She lives in Florida but never misses a Columbus Blue Jackets game on TV.
Michelle also spends a lot of time with her family - parents, two sisters, 2 brother in-laws, and niece. She's also constantly surrounded by animals - 2 cats and a bird- that provide much needed comfort and inspiration.
She has a college degree in business, economics, and accounting but has to decide how to tie that to writing because that's where her passion lies now.
About Michelle Bryan
Michelle Bryan is a USA Today Bestselling author of The Crimson Legacy Trilogy, Legacy of Light Series, The Bixby Series, and The Power of Fae series. She resides in Nova Scotia, Canada with her favorite guys; her hubby, son, and two fur babies, Garbage and Smudge.
You can sign up here for Michelle's Bookies to hear about new releases, talk books, and receive advanced reader copies of her new works. She loves to hear from her readers, so feel free to join in on the fun.
I don’t mind a slow paced fantasy book as long as it is well done. Great review! I love a good world building
This one the pace starts slow as the world is building, but picks up around the 25% mark. It’s a fantastic read 😀