Tuesday, July 30, 2013

A Ranger's Tale by Mysti Parker

Title:  A Ranger's Tale
Author: Mysti Parker
Series:  Tallenmere #1
Published:  December 18th 2010 by Melange Books, LLC
Page Count:  188
Genre: Fantasy
Shelf:  Review Copy
Rating:  ★★★★

Synopsis from Goodreads:

In the fantasy world of Tallenmere, an elven noblewoman longed to leave her gilded cage. A half-breed former pirate wanted nothing more than to escape his guilty past. Easier said than done...

High elf Caliphany Aranea leads an enviable life as King Leopold's niece and daughter of Sirius, Leogard's most famous wizard. Yet, being forced to follow in her father's footsteps and being betrothed to a man she doesn't even like makes her want a taste of life outside the city walls.

As a young boy, half-elf Galadin Trudeaux witnessed his parents' death at the hands of pirates. After being raised by those same murderers and forced to do their bidding, he escaped and now lives an honest life as a sea merchant and ranger.

When two brutes at Leogard Harbor attempt to kidnap Caliphany while she dreams of faraway lands, Galadin comes to her rescue. Impressed by his skills, she asks him to train her as a ranger. Though he is hesitant at first to train a woman of her class, Caliphany's hefty sack of gold finally persuades him. Unfortunately, her father is not amused, and the two must escape before Caliphany faces a forced marriage and Galadin faces a noose.

From that moment on she and Galadin embark on an adventure of a lifetime. Only if they can survive the trials ahead, will they find a love that stands the test of time.

My Review:

Parker has a very approachable writing style. She takes you on the adventure of a lifetime in a manner that makes you feel like you’ve been there with the characters. Parker has created a completely new and utterly ravishing world that is fully formed and intricately crafted. She has thought of, and written about, everything, including a new calendar. You can visualise the different species and races that you encounter throughout this novel. Her descriptions are well formed and flow in such a manner that they always add to the very well formed storyline.

The way that Parker writes in the first person makes you feel closer to the main characters. It gives you insights into their characters, thoughts, and actions. You get to know their deepest feelings via their thoughts and fears. Seeing as how she also flips perspective from one main character to the other, while keeping the POV clear, you get to see all aspects of the interactions. She also does so in a manner that keeps the story flowing forward, instead of perpetually doubling back. This allows you to form a deep connection with the main characters. It is this connection, along with a myriad of other things, that allows you to feel while reading this novel. At times I was excited, nervous, happy, and this novel definitely brought tears to my eyes more than once.

And don’t get me wrong. It wasn’t just the main characters who were well developed. The entire cast was to die for. Each one was individually developed in such a manner that they could hold their own in another novel. There were a couple of characters who remained somewhat mysterious, but that was simply who they were.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed my time with this novel. I cannot wait to read more from this series and from this very talented author.

Buy your copy online here today!


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