Sixteen-year-old Rowan has spent most of his life living among the mortals—learning to control the element of fire, impatiently awaiting the day his vengeful mother, Queen Prisma, will abdicate her throne. When he finally returns to Avalon for his coronation, his mother insists he must first prove his loyalty to the court by completing a secret mission:
Kill Kalin, the half-human, half-elemental daughter of the air court king.
Willing to do anything to remove his mother from power, he agrees to sacrifice the halfling. He returns to the mortal world with his best friend, Marcus, determined to kill the princess. But as he devises a plan, he starts to question whether or not he's capable of completing such a heinous task. And what price he will pay if he refuses?
Stacey O'Neale
Find Stacey O'Neale
This was a short prequel novella, but I have lots of thoughts on it. First off THANK THE GODS for you right now Stacey O'Neale for helping to pull me out of this reading funk I've been in this week. I've been a reading machine the past few days and this is the first one (since Liz Long's Burned) that I could not put down. Seriously, why has it taken me so long to find this novella? I love the entire premise. It reads a lot like a Jennifer L. Armentrout book which is great, because she is a favorite of mine, and oh yeah, she likes it too!
Anyway. This novel brings us into the world of the Elementals and their home of Avalon. The Elementals theme seems to be coming in pretty high demand right now as I have read several. It's such a great theme with endless possibilities, so I hope it continues. O'Neale has set up the basis for what can only be an amazing series here. Less than 100 pages of a novella and I am chomping at the bit for the next book! Rowan, a 16 year old fire elemental and prince to the royal throne, may be my new favorite male character. Such a refreshing take on a male character. As any of my readers will tell you, I have a hard time with some of the male characters written by female authors, but O'Neale hits it right on the head. Rowan is awesome and his story is really interesting. His mother, Queen Prisma, is about as evil as they come. Can Rowan do what's necessary to prove himself worthy to his family and his kingdom? I can't say anything else on that note without giving away major spoilers, but trust me, you'll want to find out.
The characters in this novella are a whole lot of fun. In addition to Rowan and Queen Prisma, we have Marcus (Rowan's best friend and fellow Avalonian), King Talon (King of the Air Elemental Court), and his daughter Kalin (half-mortal heir to the Air Elemental Court). Kalin may have a twist. Could she be the next ahsaka: the one to wield the ultimate powers needed to restore balance to the Elementals? I can't even answer that question! Going to have to keep reading to find out!
Honestly though, the themes present in this short novella kept me on edge. Family, love, and betrayal. The constant battle between good and evil. Balancing duties and obligations in the face of your moral standing. This little novella covers them all. I seriously cannot wait to read Mortal Enchantment and continue to have my mind blown. Kudos to you Mrs. Stacey O'Neale on writing an amazing beginning to what looks to be a great series! You've definitely gained a major fan here!
Where can you get yours?
What's the best news about this novella? It's free! Yes, you did read that correctly! Follow the links below to get your copy now!
FREE on Amazon | Barnes & Noble
Alright readers, that's all I have for you on the topic of The Shadow Prince by Stacey O'Neale! Be on the look out for my review of Mortal Enchantment soon! Until next time, Happy Reading!
-Ethan
Thanks for this awesome review!!! :-)
ReplyDelete