Monday 15 December 2014

Braedric's Bane (The Golden Key Chronicles 04) by AJ Nuest

Title: Braedric's Bane
Author: AJ Nuest
Series: The Golden Key Chronicles 04
Read Type: ARC for HarperImpulse
Stars: StarStarStarStarImage from the Silk icon theme by Mark James *'''Source:''' http://www.famfamfam.com/lab/icons/silk/ photo HalfStar_zps439ec261.png

You can purchase a copy of this instalment of the series from Amazon UK and Amazon US
Alternatively you can purchase the entire Golden Key Chronicles on Amazon UK and Amazon US
You can find out more about the author on her Website, Blog, Facebook, Author Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest





Series Synopsis
The key would unlock his future and the safety of his kingdom, but he never imagined the sorceress would unlock his heart…

Antiques restorer, Rowena Lindstrom, finds herself the owner of an ancestral armoire containing a hidden key and a magic mirror leading to another realm!

But the handsome warrior prince waiting on the other side is truly the final straw. This must be an elaborate joke, right? As she struggles to discover the truth, Rowena learns Prince Caedmon Austiere needs the key to save his kingdom. In the end, she cannot deny him anything. Including her heart.


~~~

Lost in a world she doesn't recognize, Rowena struggles to find her place.

Yet her abilities with a blade and the loyalty of a fierce falcon don't discourage the heated advances of the handsome Prince Caedmon, and the connection between them seems much deeper than her troubled heart can recall. 



~~~


For two years Prince Caedmon suffered in the dungeons of Seviere’s keep, leaving him with more than just lash marks lacing his back. He now retains the secret behind the key, and is the only one who understands its grim connection to his beloved Rowena.

Torn between telling her the truth and risking their future, he agrees to join her perilous quest. But their enemies to the north are not the only menace determined to see them fail and, to prove his love, he must conquer the demons of his past.



Book Blurb

The key would unlock his future and the safety of his kingdom, but he never imagined the sorceress would unlock his heart…

To escape the clutches of the evil Wizard Gaelleod, Rowena and Caedmon flee to the future. With her memories in tact and the help of her dear friends, Rowena is confident they can uncover the clues behind her connection to the key.

Yet Violet's dire prophecy does more than detail their history. Caedmon's worst fears are confirmed. Though they must return to his realm, everything he loves stands to be ripped from his grasp.

The conclusion to the breathtaking new Fantasy Romance series from AJ Nuest!

 

Author Bio

I am a multi-published, award-winning author who lives in the middle of a cornfield in NW Indiana. My loving husband, two beautiful children and a bevy of spoiled pets have agreed to stay and, in exchange for three rations per day and laundry service, tolerate my lunacy.

While I spend most days happily ensconced in crafting romance across a multitude of genres, an underground coup has been percolating. The dogs just informed me the cat is secretly vying for dictatorship. 




Review
My previous reviews for this series can be seen below:
Rowena's Key
Candra's Freedom

Caedmon's Curse


 I received a copy of The Golden Key Chronicles from the author in return for an unbiased review. At the author's request I will read and review each novella separately, followed by an overview.


Strong language: Yes
Drugs: No
Violence: Yes
Sexual content: Yes


Stepping in right where Caedmon's Curse left off, this novella exploded onto on reader. This is almost a role reversal of the first novella, Rowena's Key, as both Rowena and Caedmon dive through the magic mirror once more and back into modern day.

It appears time has passed the same here as in the past, for things have moved on, while staying lovingly the same. Ollie, her larger than life friend, has kept the armoire in case Rowena should ever return, so the intrepid duo crash land onto his carpet in his bedroom – naked! Ollie now has a partner, Jon, and neither of them minded eyeing up the cautious and embarrassed Caedmon.

The first few chapters were a lot of fun, getting up to speed with what's been going on and setting the ground rules to Jon, like an Ollie on Viagra! From steamy sex scenes, Jon's fruitless attempts at wooing and Rowena proving she no longer needed protecting from every little bump in the road it made for a great read.

I particularly felt for Caedmon, at least Rowena had learnt history in school so knew how things worked to a certain extent, and the loss of her memories when she went to the past probably helped her to acclimatise. For Caedmon, however, he entered a world or electricity, cars and where to him everybody was a wizard, he was is shock. Yet I felt Rowena's only reply was to seduce him, not explain like she probably would have preferred were the situation reversed.

Soon the adventure is on, learning the prophesy (it seems it paid to have owned an antiques shop with loyal workers knowing how to find past details) it is clear they have to return to rescue everything they hold dear.

The ending is an exciting adventure, with the prophesy that was foretold, so many times I expected one of them to fall or lose. AJ Nuest wrote this to really keep us on the edge of our seats. Explosions, battles, betrayal, it all mounted to what the previous three novellas had been pushing for.

Psst, you over there. Yes, I'm talking to you. Don’t tell anyone but I'm a softie at heart. Reading the epilogue put a silly grin on my face. It was a satisfying end, although I would always like to see more of this world.


The 411


Overall, this was a mix of genres: romance, adventure, danger and just plain old fun, I'm sad to see the series end, but I think it ended right and left me feeling fufilled.

My one complaint would be Rowena's treatment of Caedmon in this instalment. Whereas they'd always been in tune with each other's emotions and she knew from first hand experience how daunting it could be to step into a different time I felt she neglected his emotional needs, expecting him to just buck up and follow along. Otherwise I loved this and just wanted one more page.. and one more… and…

Overall I give this a 4.5 adjusted to a 4 for reviewing sites

1 comment:

  1. Aw! Laura! Thank you so much for the fabulous review! Now I'M the one smiling. That epilogue tugs a little on the heartstrings, doesn't it? Thank you so much, lovely! This one's going in the keeper file! xo

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