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Jumat, 22 April 2016

Review: Eidolon by Grace Draven


Title : Eidolon
Author : Grace Draven
Languange : English
Publisher : Grace Draven
Length :  239 pages
Published: 18 April 2016
Format : E-book
Target : Adult

Genre : Fantasy Romance
Series : Wraith Kings #2
Web: Click here
Buy : Kobo ; Smashword

Sinopsis :



**Sequel to RADIANCE and Book #2 in the Wraith Kings series**
In a bid for more power, the Shadow Queen of Haradis, unleashes a malignant force into the world. Her son Brishen, younger prince of the Kai royal house, suddenly finds himself ruler of a kingdom blighted by darkness. His human wife Ildiko must decide if he will give up the man she loves in order to save his throne.

Three kingdoms on the verge of war must unite to save each other, and a one-eyed, reluctant king will raise an army of the dead to challenge an army of the damned.

A tale of alliance and sacrifice.
.

 Review


Note: This review is copied from my Goodreads review with some editing. If you find any mistake in grammar and structure, please kindly email me at : sawamura_foxman AT yahoo DOT com , so I can correct it. Thanks! :) .

"There is no better legacy to leave than this - to die in the effort to save our descendants. Join with me so that those who came after us will live to remember"

If there was an award for the best opening/prologue on a book, Eidolon will win it. Pronto.

Last year I read Radiance (Wraith Kings, #1) by Grace Draven (my review can be read here) and the book succesfully drawn me into an intricate world and more intricate romance relationship between the main characters, Brishen Kaskhem and his wife, Ildiko. I'm not joking when said that Ms Draven manage to break so many romance tropes, because that's the strength of the book. And I'm so eager to read Eidolon after what happen in the last chapter of Radiance. Imagine my delight when finally Ms Draven announce that she already published Eidolon on Amazon and Smashword. Sadly not on Kobo yet (even I will update the Kobo links, when it's up), but fortunately, I can buy the ebook in Smashwords. How impatiently was I to read that I manage to finish Eidolon last night and awake with a headache or two. But it was worth it :).

Eidolon not mean as a stand alone because the event that follow is the continuation from the end of Radiance. Beside, if you don't read Radiance yet, you will not witness the character development for both Ildiko and Brishen. Ildiko and Brishen may finally find their own HEA, but Eidolon will put their love and bond to the ultimate test yet.

Like I had stated at first, Eidolon have a powerful prologue that threat to punch me in the gut. Bast-Haradis, the capital city of Kai kingdom now destroyed after Secmis, Brishen's mother in her twisted and sick ambition try to call forth a great power, therefore unleashed the galla, or demons. All royal family are dead, and that's leave Brishen, the only heir to House of Khaskem, since he already move to Saggara, a city far from Bast-Haradis.

The prince of no value now is no longer, Brishen must become a king to save his people. This will put a confrontation between Brishen and Ildiko, since Ildiko is a human and a union between Kai and human produce no child. This, is a test for both Brishen and Ildiko. How to face this impending problems, how the pragmatist Ildiko can make not just Brishen frustated, but readers also. I am myself see that the fact about Brishen become king is not easy for Ildiko and how it must be torturous for her to sacrifice her own need and love in order for Kai's secure bloodline. If I'm on Ildiko's shoes, I pretty much will do the same, even it's will break my heart.

Unknown for Brishen and Ildiko, actually one of the royal family is survived. Brishen's niece was saved by her nanny, Kirgipa, and two royal guard, Dendarah and Necos. So, Eidolon not just a story about Brishen and Ildiko, but also Kirgipa as well. From Kirgipa POV, readers will taste the desperation from her flee of the galla and also a hope that Brishen and Ildiko didn't expect as first. The chapter, very much like Ildiko part, show how to fulfill your duty, a thing that not easy to do.

And finally, the series title, Wraith Kings make sense. I always frown when reading Radiance, because if I remember correctly, there was no "wraith kings" mentioned and wondering why the series named "Wraith Kings". Finally Eidolon made up the series name, for in order to defeat the galla, Brishen must become a Wraith King, a necromantic spell that will separate him into three part, one part named eidolon (hence the title), and with this he can defeat the galla. Eidolon is now more like fantasy romance, compared to Radiance that heavier in romance than fantasy. The fantasy aspect and the romance are balanced, and that's a plus point.

The blurb state that Eidolon is a tale of alliance and sacrifice, and it's so true. Sacrifice already play a big theme since the start, and color the action of the characters. So many Kai elder died, sacrifice themselves to saved their loved one from the galla. Brishen must sacrifice his soul in order to become wraith kings. Ildiko must sacrifice her love for Brishen, for their kingdom. Even the Kai people also sacrifice something to save their lives. To defeat the galla, Brishen can't do the task alone, so the alliance was form. Some good men agree to help Brishen and become Wraith Kings themselves, because they feel the danger from the galla. And love, love between Brishen and Ildiko that already grow from Radiance, now become stronger after face their obstacles. Of course I'm a little bit disappointed the love scene lost some its steam (heh :P), but reading about Brishen and Ildiko is enough. I can see the love and the bond.

While Eidolon still focused in Brishen and Ildiko, the secondary characters also written well and play important part too. Readers already now about Anhuset, Brishen's cousin and Serovek, a human from Beladine, also Brishen's trusted friend. A hint about Anhuset and Serovek's future relationship is so apparent and I hear that the next book will be about them. Aside from old characters, Ms  Draven introduced new ones, like Meggido the monk that will play important role, also help Brishen and Serovek for their role of Wraith Kings. Unfortunately, I can't remember the name of other Wraith Kings :/ and imho, some characters name in Eidolon (and Radiance too) sometimes is too hard to pronounce! I once mispronounced Serovek name *blushes*.

Sadly, I detect some typos :(. In Radiance, I didn't find any, but I think the typos in Eidolon are miss edited because this book already delayed thrice according to Grace Draven's FB post. I hope the typos will be edited in paperback version (and I know I can't purchase it, since it just available on Amazon ;( ). Also, this is just a personal taste, but I think I love Radiance cover than Eidolon. Don't get me wrong, Eidolon cover still good, I just like Radiance more and the reason why I read Radiance at first is because the cover.

Radiance is like an appetite and Eidolon is much more like main course. If you not read Radiance yet, just go ahead! I think if you search for unusual romance, you will find it Radiance and if you thirst for more Brishen and Ildiko, you will find it Eidolon! Eidolon is a great combination of fantasy and romance, a great example of how love works and why sacrifice, old theme it is, still an enjoyable theme to read.



"I wish...." She inhaled and started again. "I wish for you to grow old with me."

He shifted a second time, sling her beneath him until he lay heavy and warm on her from ankles to shoulders. "That's a good wish," he whispered in her ear. "And I'll do everything in my power to grant it."



 Story & Sensuality Rate

My rating for Eidolon  is


And the sensuality rate is




Not so steamy like the first, even it's plenty, lol. I think maybe because Ildiko and Brishen relationship is already established, so Ms Draven try to tone down the steaminess :D.

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