Avery (The Chronicles of Kaya #1) by Charlotte McConaghy
The people of Kaya die in pairs. When one lover dies, the other does too. So it has been for thousands of years – until Ava.
For although her bondmate, Avery, has been murdered and Ava’s soul has been torn in two, she is the only one who has ever been strong enough to cling to life. Vowing revenge upon the barbarian queen of Pirenti, Ava's plan is interrupted when she is instead captured by the deadly prince of her enemies.
Prince Ambrose has been brought up to kill and hate. But when he takes charge of a strangely captivating Kayan prisoner and is forced to survive with her on a dangerous island, he must reconsider all he holds true . . .
In a violent country like Pirenti, where emotion is scorned as a weakness, can he find the strength to fight for the person he loves . . . even when she’s his vengeful enemy?
Avery is a sweeping, romantic fantasy novel about loss and identity, and finding the courage to love against all odds.
For although her bondmate, Avery, has been murdered and Ava’s soul has been torn in two, she is the only one who has ever been strong enough to cling to life. Vowing revenge upon the barbarian queen of Pirenti, Ava's plan is interrupted when she is instead captured by the deadly prince of her enemies.
Prince Ambrose has been brought up to kill and hate. But when he takes charge of a strangely captivating Kayan prisoner and is forced to survive with her on a dangerous island, he must reconsider all he holds true . . .
In a violent country like Pirenti, where emotion is scorned as a weakness, can he find the strength to fight for the person he loves . . . even when she’s his vengeful enemy?
Avery is a sweeping, romantic fantasy novel about loss and identity, and finding the courage to love against all odds.
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Now Available: THORNE (The Chronicles of Kaya #2)
In all honesty, I was expecting something fluffier of this novel despite the description. It's been my experience that historical fantasy romances (or romances in general) rarely tackle subjects like violence, politics, violence and oppression of women, all while spinning a tale that is quite romantic, even if it looks like it is undeserved, unrequited, and unwanted.
AVERY does all of this.
As you're introduced to the land of Kaya, you learn that their people die in pairs. You find a bondmate, your eyes change color indicating as such, you live in your bondmate's heart and he/she lives in yours. When your bondmate breathes his or her last breath, you will follow shortly thereafter. Death by broken heart indeed.
Except...
Ava doesn't.
Ava's mate, Avery, dies in the attempt to assassinate their sworn enemy's, Pirenti, queen. But Ava does not perish. Instead she becomes a halfwalker, something to be shunned, something to be ridiculed, an abomination. Her sole purpose in a life now devoid of color, taste, laughter, contentment, is vengeance.
Posing as a man, taking her bondmate's name, Ava becomes Avery. She is shot down out of the sky and taken prisoner by the enemy, doomed to a life in a horrid prison off the coast. The journey goes awry and a delicate friendship is formed between her and her captor.
It's a sweeping story indeed. It follows the development of the friendship, the fragile tendrils of blossoming love, the hurt of rejection, and every time we move forward, something else is revealed.
I truly enjoyed reading this book and watching as the power of conviction is changed, minds are broadened on both sides, love develops, understanding blossoms, betrayals are revealed, and solidarity is formed under the truth. The one thing I didn't like, which is kinda stupid, is that pegasus was (consistently) spelled as pegasis. I KNOW. Author's right to spell it how she wants, but since it is something that is in mythology and I've only been exposed to the "pegasus" spelling, it was something I found a touch distracting. It's a stupid thing, but I did promise to be honest, so there it is.
Five stars and I will definitely be wanting to read on and will pick up THORNE, which is now available!
About the Author:
Charlotte started writing her children’s fantasy series ‘The Strangers of Paragor’ as a teenager and has since gone on to publish five novels. After a Masters degree in Screenwriting she wrote ‘Avery’, the first in her adult fantasy series ‘The Chronicles of Kaya’, published by Random House. She now lives in Sydney, Australia, and has just released a new dystopian sci-fi novel called ‘Fury – Book One of The Cure’, published by Momentum.
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