Book Description:
Serena knows a few simple things. She will always be owned by a warlock. She will never have freedom. She will always do what her warlock wishes, regardless of how inane, frivolous, or cruel it is. And if she doesn’t follow the rules, she will be tarnished. Spelled to be bald, inked, and barren for the rest of her life—worth less than the shadow she casts.
Then her ownership is won by a barbarian from another country. With the uncertainty that comes from belonging to a new warlock, Serena questions if being tarnished is really worse than being owned by a barbarian, and tempts fate by breaking the rules. When he looks the other way instead of punishing her, she discovers a new world. The more she ventures into the forbidden, the more she learns of love and a freedom just out of reach. Serena longs for both. But in a society where women are only ever property, hoping for more could be deadly.
Serena knows a few simple things. She will always be owned by a warlock. She will never have freedom. She will always do what her warlock wishes, regardless of how inane, frivolous, or cruel it is. And if she doesn’t follow the rules, she will be tarnished. Spelled to be bald, inked, and barren for the rest of her life—worth less than the shadow she casts.
Then her ownership is won by a barbarian from another country. With the uncertainty that comes from belonging to a new warlock, Serena questions if being tarnished is really worse than being owned by a barbarian, and tempts fate by breaking the rules. When he looks the other way instead of punishing her, she discovers a new world. The more she ventures into the forbidden, the more she learns of love and a freedom just out of reach. Serena longs for both. But in a society where women are only ever property, hoping for more could be deadly.
Christina's BookReview
Serena has grown up knowing one thing: she will always be someone's property. In a society where women are to obey and respect men Serena has grown up enslaved. When her seventeenth birthday arrives Serena knows that if her magic is strong she will be sold to the highest bidder. What she hoped for was a man that wasn’t like her Father. Unfortunately, Thomas is the same.
But when tragedy strikes and she is handed over to none other than the Envadi, the barbarians they have heard about all their life, Serena’s not ready for the change that comes. The Envadi are nothing like the Chardionians.
When one act of disobedience doesn’t earn her a painful hex Serena is baffled. As time passes and Serena is given more and more liberty she lives with the fear that her new “master” will truly hurt her. But Serena has never had a “master” like Zade. Zade is sweet and kind. He doesn’t enjoy inflicting pain and fear in women because in his country women have free will.
The barbarian doesn’t turn out to be for barbaric after all.
But will the cruelty of the Chardionian hierarchy finally step in and enforce their laws? Will Serena be returned to her Father and suffer the consequences of her disobedience?
MY TAKE
So I received this book from the author on a read to review basis. I didn’t get the chance to read it before its release but finally had the chance to get to it and I was not disappointed with this story. The first thing that caught my attention with this book was the dark cover. I loved it! When I read the synopsis I knew this would be a little different than my usual read.
The society in which Serena and the women live in is one that is reminiscent of slavery. The women have to obey their “masters” AKA their fathers, and if they have a good amount of magic in them at the age of seventeen they are sold to a new master which will become their husband. If they disobey or aren’t full of magic they become tarnished and turned into servants. Serena hates the life she lives, and hates that her bloodline is full of magic. So when Serena is handed over to Zade she finds it hard to trust him at first. I have to say that she had a lot of courage to step away from everything she grew up fearing. Little by little she was able to gain freedom and learn the ways of the Envadi. And although she didn’t see it, Zade, with his kindness and gentleness, weaved himself into her heart and sacrificed all that he is to give her the one thing she deserved.
There were also a slew of secondary characters that are in this world. Many were villains and the few that weren’t were women who lived in fear. Except Katherine and Wesley. I thought they were both wonderful.
So, although there is a romance imbedded in the pages of this book, it is not what the main focus. This is a story of a women learning to finally speak and act for HER. A woman learning that all men aren’t evil and do not want to OWN her.
The only reason this was a 4 was because I’m a romance reader and I wanted more. The connection between Zade and Serena was lacking romance and I wished we were able to see more of it. I was left wanting more at the end of this.
I will definitely read more from Janeal Falor and look forward to any possible addition in this series!
Buy it. Read it. Love it.
Happy Reading!
I can see why you liked the cover! It's really striking! glad that the insides matched the outsides, although it's a shame there wasn't more romance.
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