Title: Protector (Anniversary of The Veil #1)
Author: Vanna Smythe
Genre: Fantasy, Romance
Publication Date: March 10th 2012
Links: Author Blog | Twitter: @Vanna_Smythe | Facebook
Purchase: Amazon (Kindle) | Amazon (Paperback)
Review copy provided by Enchanted Book Promotions.
Kiyarran just wanted to become a Protector of the Realm, a member of an elite order of fighters. Strange and powerful magical abilities awaken inside him once his wish comes true. The Priesthood that secretly controls the realm see his skill as a threat, and Kiyarran begins to learn that little about life as a Protector is what he thought it would be. To top it off, Kiyarran is falling in love with Princess Issiyanna, his friend of many years.
Issiyanna faces and arranged marriage, but she has been dreaming of another man, her one true love. Now her long gone mother is calling to her, promising she will return and take Issiyanna to meet the man from her dreams.
The world is split in half by a barrier called the Veil. A terrible sacrifice was made to put it in place and now, as the 1000th Anniversary of the Veil draws near, a second sacrifice is called for to keep it in place.
Both Kiyarran and Issiyanna are needed for the Anniversary. Even though they only just learned of the Veil and neither know the role they must play…
Protector (Anniversary of The Veil #1) is a decent, well-thought-through fantasy novel that easily transports its readers into a fantasy world, with its own rules, world-building and relatable main characters readers will soon find themselves rooting for. I certainly enjoyed reading this gem in indie fantasy literature. I was thoroughly impressed by the unique, albeit complicated magic system used in this book, and the amount of work the author has put into the worldbuilding and character development.
The world is seperated into two halves by a Veil. The two sides of the Veil couldn’t be more opposite. While on the one side, the Venerated side, it’s looked highly upon when someone displays magical abilities, on the other side, the side with descandants of the Righteous, people with any magic-related skills are used as slaves. The contradiction is well-established throughout the story. The magic in this book is known as the ‘life force’, and the magic system is very different from other fantasy books, which I found very enjoyable. Every thousand years, a sacrifice needs to happen to keep the Veil in place. And guess what? That time is drawing near…
Now on the side of the Righteous, princess Issiyanna is forced to marry the one the priests choose for her, much to her dislike. But no matter how much she pleads with her father, the King, he always bows to the priest’s wishes. Meanwhile, her guard, Kiyarran, has never wanted anything more than becoming a Protector of the Realm. Unfortunately, if he were to become one of the Protectors, that would mean ending all his connections with Issi, and in the time he’s been her guard, they’ve become good friends. Issi, if anything, is dissapointed with Kiyarran’s choices. As their friendship drifts apart, they have no idea of the terror about to be unleashed…
A group from the other side of the Veil emerges and kidnaps Issi. Kiyarran is the only one who can get her back, but when doing so he will not only have to reconsider all the choices he’s made up to this point, the true depths of his feelings for Issi and the mechanics of the world he lives in.
As I already mentioned, Protector‘s world-building is fantastic. Both sides of the Veil couldn’t be more opposite, yet eerily similar at once. I also really liked the character-development. These are three-dimensional, multi-layered characters with a history that shaped them, conflicting emotions, doubts and desires, and a whole array of feelings. Taking into account this is the author’s debut novel, I’m thoroughly impressed. As far as worldbuilding goes, this novel definitely deserves a full five stars. My only pet peeve however was the romance angle. I wasn’t entirely convinced of the romance in the novel, but that certainly didn’t make me like the book any less. A definite must for people who enjoy reading fantasy novels. Sublime world-building, excellent prose, the ancient archetypes we’ve all come to know and love, but in an intriguing mix of characters and events that make this book well worth your time.
Giveaway
You can now win a paperback copy of Protector (Anniversary of the Veil #1). I loved this book, so I’m sure you’ll enjoy it as well! This contest is limited to US/CA only.
Fill in the Rafflecopter widget below to participate in the giveaway.
Nice review I should check thus out.
I dabble in epic fantasy once and a while and my fave is almost ending so this sounds like a cool series to follow!
This one sounds good – I’m adding it to my TBR list!