Radiance: Volume 1 (Wraith Kings)

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But first, how in the hell do you pronounce her name? I never settled on one way and it was pretty annoying. With that off my chest, let me talk about how much I loved this book. It follows a predictable structure—this is a romance, after all, and no slight is intended because I’m 100% here for it—in which members of two warring kingdoms are forced to marry as a way to ensure peace. They develop feelings for each other over time and survive multiple dangerous situations to live happily ever after. I’ve read several books with this exact pattern, but this one stands out because both the romance and the fantasy are fully developed and deeply intertwined, then wrapped in a layer of lush prose that is as swoon-worthy as the budding love between Idilko and Brishen. Grace Draven is an American author of science fiction, romance, short stories, and fantasy books. she has a good number of fantasy novels under her name. She’s enjoyed storytelling since she was a young girl, and this is evident throughout her writing. Grace has lived in Spain, Scotland and hiked the Teton Mountains. She enjoys exploring Texas outdoors together with her husband and her dogs.

Dear book, please marry me. Much like the characters in this story, I don't even mind that you have a super ugly cover. I love you anyway. All told “Radiance” was a nice change to all the serious books I usually tend to read. XD The books approach was something refreshing and new and I found myself enjoying the slow-burn love story between our two protagonists Ildiko and Brishen. The concept of insta-friendship is the kind of trope I’d love to see more in books and now that their relationship is solid I’m ready to go for the plot! Let’s see what “Eidolon” will throw our way. ;-P You don’t feel the entire scope of the book and thematic arc when you read it in installments. I mean, it’s great and you are hooked and can’t wait for the next installment. But just like binge watching Breaking Bad from the first episode to the last, the picture becomes so clear and you can marvel at each piece of the puzzle, pull it out and examine it and you’re like, my god, it’s bloody brilliant! How the hell did they do that?Reread 2022. Listened to the audio and enjoyed it. My old goofy review is still down below from 2015

The above takes place between our two main characters, Brishen Khaskem, a Kai prince with gray skin, solid yellow eyes, razor claws for fingernails, and teeth meant for tearing flesh, and Ildiko, a human woman who happens to be the niece of a king.I must admit, this was really something different! *lol* I mean the book blurb already suggested that this wasn’t going to be your ordinary love story but wow, this one was really something else. XD The concept of arranged marriages between different countries is nothing new, in this case however it aren’t just dissimilar kingdoms but also different species our two protagonists have to deal with. Ildiko is human and Brishen is Kai and I’m pretty sure they couldn’t be any more different even if they tried. At first, I thought, "Hey, who's mother in law isn't a soulless creature with a thirst for murder?" But, this lady made the rest of the other mother in law's have to hang their heads in shame. They need to up their game if they want to live up to the precedent she is setting. Ildiko laughed and stabbed a piece of the potato off his plate. She popped it into her mouth and chewed with gusto, eager to blunt the taste of scarpatine still lingering on her tongue.” Two people brought together by the trappings of duty and politics will discover they are destined for each other, even as the powers of a hostile kingdom scheme to tear them apart.