Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
One Pure, prophecy revoked
One Great Heart Farseeing
One Changeling fooling wing
One Shining Silver from Rock
This is part of the Warrior Pledge that the cat shifter people known as Mafdeti from the planet Thalazar have passed down for nearly a millennia. It is believed that when the two moons of Thalazar cross each other, which happens every thousand years that the Mafdeti will return to their rightful place on the planet. During the time of the last crossing, the ancestors of the Descendants arrived on the planet and took over. The dragons that had inhabited the planet disappeared and the norrgel, a predatory bird with deadly wings, began to rule the sky.
Checa has heard the tale since he was a cub. At sixteen, he killed the man who murdered his brother. While he was convicted of the crime, his conviction was thrown out when people became aware that his eyes turned silver after the killing. He is unwilling to believe that he is part of the fated quartet that will change the history of his planet. The other complication for Checa is that Heath, his best friend, lover and would be mate, has been determined to be the Great Heart Farseeing. He is unwilling to jeopardize the safety of not only his lover but prince of his people.
As the duo set out to collect the other two of the pledge, they have to deal with the Descendants, who believe the Pledge is just an alliance between different factions of their people. They must traverse dangerous territory avoiding the norrgel, combating the Exiles, who claim alligence to no one, and deal with a traitor within their midst. They also pick up a surprising new ally along the trip which may help turn the battle in their favor. The quartet must race to the Lake of the Damned before time runs out.
This is a very entertaining adventure romance science fiction story. It has a little bit for everyone. From shifter cats to high fantasy creatures of the norrgel and dragons to a romance between two men, one of which wants to commit but is afraid doing so might kill his lover if he dies on the quest. As the prophecy says only one returns from the pledge, Checa is fearful that neither he nor Heath will survive or worse, only him. Mafdeti go feral if their mate dies, which is why he is unwilling to bond with Heath. The result of the pledge is a bit utopian and a bit of a letdown for me. However, the payoff for Checa was worth it in the end.
The cover art by Maria Fanning works well with the book. A shifted Mafdeti cat and shirtless man are featured on top of the cover. Part of the Thalazar landscape is shown beneath.
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Book Details
ebook, 296 pages
Expected publication: October 3rd 2016 by Dreamspinner Press
ISBN 1634777611 (ISBN13: 9781634777612)
Edition LanguageEnglish
Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words 